My Gluten Free Life

Gluten Free Bisquick Coming Soon!!

2010-06-26T11:27:00.001-05:00

Well, Gluten Free Bisquick is almost here! I am super excited, as General Mills has come out with some really yummy gluten free foods so far, and I'm hoping this will be another one of them.

Check out their Gluten Free Bisquick site with recipes and information.

Also, check out General Mills' expanding list of gluten free products here. They seem to be adding new products regularly, so be sure to check it often!

Favorite Products: McCormick Grill Mates Marinade Packets

2010-05-25T11:59:00.000-05:00

When it gets hot outside, like now, we grill. A lot. Almost every day, actually. And plain meat is just not interesting enough for me, so I love to try different marinades. I stumbled upon McCormick Grill Mates awhile back and, I have to admit, I'm addicted. Most of the packets of marinade are gluten free and they are SO good! McCormick is one of the good guys, meaning they will clearly identify any sources of gluten in their foods. In fact, they're so good they highlight the allergens on the ingredient list, so you don't have to read each and every ingredient. Whew!

The following Grill Mates Marinade packets are currently gluten free:
*Montreal Steak
*Baja Citrus
*Brown Sugar Bourbon (My favorite!)
*Chipotle Pepper
*Hickory BBQ
*Mesquite
*Mexican Fiesta (one of my favs!)
*Mojito Lime
*Peppercorn and Garlic
*Tomato Garlic and Basil (one of my favs!)
* Garlic Herb and Wine

If you're concerned about any other allergens, they will highlight them in the ingredient list, making it very easy to find one that will work for you.

They run about $.80 at my local Wal-Mart and $1.00 at my local Dillons and Price Cutter. If you find .50/1 coupons in the paper, check out ebay or other couponing sites to stock up on the coupon. If your store doubles coupons, use the coupons to get these free or almost free!

One more note: These packets season 2 lbs of meat and I didn't realize that for awhile. I was using an entire packet on 1 lb of meat and wasting my seasoning! Just use half of the packet for 1 lb of meat and roll the packet up with a rubberband to save it for next time!

P.s. You can check out the mixes and their ingredients on McCormick's site here.

More Gluten Free Coupons!

2010-05-24T11:04:00.000-05:00

Mambo Sprouts has posted a couple more great gluten free coupons. One coupon is for $1.00/2 Pamela's Baking Mixes and the other is for $1.00/1 of over 200 gluten free products (?). Not sure what the second coupon is referring to, but I guess I'll take it to a store and see if I can pick up some gluten free pasta with the coupon. The $1.00/1 Glutino Pretzels coupon is also relisted.

Click here to find them!

Our Growing Garden!!

2010-05-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

Well, our garden is finally starting to take off! We're getting snow peas and strawberries right now and should be picking carrots, tomatoes, and snap peas in just a couple of weeks!

If you're looking to start gardening and need some help getting to know plants and techniques, check out this blog by Budget Saving Mom. She has a section on gardening that is FULL of information on nearly every veggie or fruit you can think to grow. Anything you would like to grow, you can find on this blog. Love it!

Here are some photos of our growing garden:

Why is Celiac Disease Still Being Overlooked by Doctors?: Article by Tiffany Janes

2010-05-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

I found this article and really think it sums up all the confusion/misdiagnosis/underdiagnosed condition of Celiac Disease. Check it out here.

Slow Cooker Shepherd's Pie

2010-05-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

I'd never had Shepherd's Pie before, but it always sounded yummy, so I found a recipe for it and gave it a shot. This version is low sodium, which works perfect for us!

In this version, you bake the potatoes and mash them yourself, but don't worry, you can easily substitute instant mashed potatoes if you don't have the time! The original recipe turned out not so much to my liking, with WAY too many potatoes and not enough meat. I love my meat, so in this recipe, I doubled the meat mixture. You can adapt this to your taste if you like!

Ingredients:
4 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 2 lb)
1/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs ground beef
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 Tablespoons corn starch
1 cup (or more) frozen mixed veggies

1. Prick potatoes with a fork and microwave on high, turning once, about 15 minutes or until tender. OR bake the oven. OR use instant mashed potatoes.
2. Remove from microwave or oven and allow to cool slightly. Peel and mash with milk, butter. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
3. Warm olive oil in skillet over medium heat. And onion and cook, stirring, until onions begin to look clear. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add beef and increase heat to medium high.
4. Cook and break up meat until cooked through.
5. Stir in tomato paste, worchestershire sauce, thyme, and 1/2 tsp pepper.
6. In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch with 1 1/2 cups cold water. Add to skillet and stir until liquid begins to thicken.
7. Add meat mixture to crock pot. Layer veggies on top of meat, then mashed potatoes on the top.
8. Cover and cook for 3 hours on low.
9. Enjoy!!

$1.00/1 Glutino Pretzels Coupon!

2010-05-13T13:36:00.002-05:00

Mambo Sprouts has a coupon on their site for $1.00/1 Glutino 14 oz Pretzel package. Yum! These are one of my favorite snacks and it's the first time I've seen a coupon for them! The site let me print the coupon twice.

HERE is the link.

Potato Sausage Bake

2010-05-04T14:07:00.000-05:00

Matt and I made this dish up when trying to find something to bring to a family Easter Dinner and needed something I could eat and that everyone else would enjoy as well. We threw a bunch of ingredients together and it turned out very nicely! Everyone loved the dish and we will definitely be making it again soon! This dish works great as a breakfast or dinner, so enjoy!

Ingredients:
6-8 red or yukon gold potatoes, washed and quartered
1 medium onion
1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper
1 package smoked sausage (we use Hillshire Farms, theirs is gluten free)
Spike Seasoning (or a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive Oil (Or canola or vegetable)
Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut up the onion, pepper, and sausage into medium strips or chunks.
3. Place sausage pieces into a large skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until both sides of sausage are browned. Do not drain the grease.
4. Remove sausage and put the onion and pepper pieces and minced garlic into the skillet with the sausage grease.
5. Stir occasionally for a few minutes until the onion picks up the pieces of cooked sausage off the skillet and the skillet looks clean. You just want to sautee the veggies until they are slightly tender, not soft.
6. Put quartered potatoes, sausage pieces, and sauteed veggies into a 13x9 baking pan and pour a little oil over the top. Generously shake Spike or other seasonings on top and mix with a spoon so that the oil and seasoning coats the potatoes, sausage, and veggies.
7. Cover the baking pan with foil and place in preheated oven.
8. Bake for about an hour or until potatoes are softened. It may take up to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the thickness of the potatoes.
9. Remove the foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
10. Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese before serving.
11. Enjoy!!

Coupon for free Snikiddy Product!

2010-05-04T13:50:00.001-05:00

I found Snikiddy gluten free snacks on Alice.com not too long ago and our family really likes them! They makes crunchy puffs, fries, and others snacks, AND I just saw on MoneySavingMom that you can get a free product coupon from their site!

The coupon expires at the end of May 2010 so be sure to use it up soon! I've seen Snikiddy products at Babies R Us, Toys R Us, and our local health food stores.

Click here to sign up for the coupon!

General Mills introducing new Gluten Free Products!

2010-04-27T14:25:00.001-05:00

I was pretty excited when I learned that General Mills was coming out with gluten free baking mixes last year(brownies, cake). Then they launched their new gluten free site here and I was so happy to see mainstream products that I don't have to go the the health food store to buy AND I can use coupons for.

Now General Mills is going to debut a Gluten Free Bisquick at the Annual Celiac Disease Conference in Los Angeles, CA, and 3 Flavors of Hamburger Helper later this year. This is pretty exciting news to me, as I can often get super deals on Hamburger Helper using coupons and sales combined. The sodium content is an issue, but I can make the meals for myself and my son for lunch while Matthew is at work. It will be wonderful to have a quick option for lunch every once in awhile. And as far as the Bisquick mix, I'm excited to see how good it is! I've missed biscuits and dumplings so badly and have yet to find a recipe I really love for them!

Even more exciting, is the fact that my family members will be able to easily find food to make for me when we visit. Right now, they have to go to a health food store to find things labeled "gluten free" and this should make it so much more convenient. My mom can buy a few boxes of gluten free Hamburger Helper and not have to worry about not having something to make for me when I visit! Whew!

Check out the full article here.

Gluten Free on Vacation

2010-04-24T21:10:00.001-05:00

Our family recently took a little mini-vacation. We drove up to St. Louis for a couple of days and had lots of fun at the Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, and the Arch. This was the first time taking our 2 1/2 year old son on a trip outside of Springfield and it was pretty hectic!

I did a lot of research before we left and found several restaurants that cater to those on a gluten free diet and made plans to visit a few of them. Here are the restaurants we tried:

Caitos Sicilian Restaurant and Pizzeria: We went here the first night we were in St. Louis. It's actually in Chesterfield, about a 15-20 minute drive out of St. Louis. It's a casual diner type restaurant and I had their gluten free Penne with Garlic Sauce. Yum, yum, yum!! The pasta was amazing and even my husband and sister and sister couldn't tell it was gluten free.

The waitress assured me that the chefs change gloves and take precautions to avoid cross-contamination. I didn't get sick, so they must have done a good job! I also ordered their Cesar Salad with no croutons and with Ranch dressing. I must say, it was hands down the best salad I've had in my life. probably not the healthiest, but the best! They smothered the salad with dressing and tossed it for me. I've never seen so much dressing on a salad and I loved it!

I ordered a gluten free pizza to go and was actually not impressed with the pizza crust. They said they purchase the crust from a local bakery, they don't make their own crust. I thought the crust was grainy and didn't taste quite right. But then again, I'm pretty picky and my husband and dad loved the pizza!

You can find Caito's gluten free menu here.

Rooster- Cafe.Crepe.Sandwich: Oh good grief. It's a good thing I don't live in St. Louis or we would be broke from my sneaking out to eat at this place multiple times a day. This restaurant sounded so good in the reviews I could hardly wait to try one of their gluten free crepes.

All of their crepes are available as a gluten free option and I had to feed my sweet tooth and try their Nutella Crepe. Probably not the best option first thing in the morning, but it sounded good. And it tasted even better. Amazing doesn't even seem to fit the bill. This restaurant's gluten free crepes are flat out addictive. I'm wishing I could have them shipped down here.

You can find Rooster's menu here.

Free Range Cookies: This little bakery is worth the drive to St. Louis by itself. We made the trip a few minutes North of St. Louis and were excited to find cookies, cinnamon rolls, breadsticks, garlic bread, biscotti, burger buns, and scones. Linda, the owner, gave us each a garlic breadstick and we were hooked. I ended up taking several packages of breadsticks home. You keep the goodies frozen until they're ready to eat and then thaw them out and devour. It's a tad bit pricey, but worth it for the flavor her goodies have!

You can find Free Range Cookie's site here.

Ranch Style Chili Chicken Salad

2010-04-19T17:18:00.000-05:00

It's getting pretty warm here and I hate cooking inside when it's so hot, so we grill. A lot. But if you don't have a grill, remember all grilling recipes can be made in the broiler in your oven or just baked in your oven.

I love salad, but unfortunately, it's hard to find a salad that's filling enough for dinner, with a ravenous husband and toddler son. This salad looked really good when I found the recipe, and sure enough, it turned out perfect for us! If you like, you can also fill tacos or corn tortillas with this salad.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
Juice of 1 lemon or lime (a few Tablespoons)

For the rub:
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad:
7 cups salad greens
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup corn
1 large fresh tomato, chopped (or canned diced tomatoes, drained in a pinch)
1/2 large red onion, sliced thin
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand)
Ranch dressing

1. In a mediium bowl, blend spices well.
2. Wash and dry chicken. Pat with lemon or lime juice and rub in the spice mixture on all sides of chicken.
3. Grill over medium heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Slice into strips
4. In large salad bowl, toss together salad greens, black beans, corn, tomato, and onions. Top with grilled chicken and cheese. Pour dressing over top and toss or serve with dressing on the side.
5. Enjoy!!

Regroup!

2010-04-16T18:14:00.004-05:00

So it's been awhile since I last posted...life got a little crazy!

Both of our cars broke down within 2 days and we've been desperately trying to get them driveable again!

I was denied health insurance by the company I applied with, then appealed, and was denied again. I'm currently applying with a different company. Hope this one works!

But life goes on, right! :) We'll get it figured out.

We've been working REALLY hard on our garden and I'll have pictures up soon :)

Having to fix gluten free low sodium meals put me in a funk for awhile there. I have to admit, I kind of sat around for a few days with no idea what to make. I like my salt, but my husband really can't have it. So I have a new challenge ahead of me, and I thought I just had it all figured out with cooking gluten free! :P

Anyway, I found some scrumptious looking new recipes that are gluten free AND low sodium, so we'll give a couple a shot this next week. Here are few I'm excited to try:

Lemon-Garlic Broiled Chicken
Baked Stuffed Peppers
Slow Cooker Shepherd's Pie
Chili-Lime Pork Tenderloin
Asian Grilled Pork

Yum, yum, yum! I can't wait!

P.S. I archived all the recipes I've posted so you can easily access them, check out the upper right part of the page!

My dad and my little guy

Herbed Chicken Skewers

2010-04-05T20:51:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, I love cooking with herbs. Especially fresh ones. That's because when you cut salt out of a dish, you have to put something in its place to give the flavor a pop and make it taste wonderful. Our taste buds are conditioned to crave salt, but if you replace it with the right herbs and spices, you won't notice the salt is missing!

I found this recipe awhile back and have been waiting for some warm weather to make it on the grill. Today was perfect and I cut up the chicken and marinated it for 4 hours before threading it on skewers and grilling it. The dish turned out AMAZING and I served the chicken kabobs with quinoa, grilled red peppers, and sweet peas. Yum, yum! I can't wait until we're getting veggies from our own garden!

This dish makes quite a bit, but the chicken pieces are perfect for salad or other dishes, so we'll be using the leftover chicken for lunches this week. I used fresh herbs, but dried herbs will do just fine in a pinch. Usually 1 tsp of dried herb=1 Tbsp of fresh herb, so if you're using dried herbs, 1/2 cup of fresh=8 tsp of dried. Er, hope that wasn't confusing.

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 lbs chicken (or swordfish) cut into cubes

1. Put the first 8 ingredients(everything but the chicken/fish) into a food processor or blender. Process until well combined, scraping down the sides if needed. The mixture will be thick, not runny.
2. Place cubes of chicken into a shallow glass baking dish and pour marinade over chicken. Stir/toss until chicken is coated well.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 1-6 hours.
4. Thread chicken onto long metal or bamboo skewers. Remember, if using bamboo skewers, soak the skewers for at least an hour before threading chicken. This keeps the skewers from burning and the chicken from sticking to them.
5. Spray or grease grill rack and preheat grill. Place skewers onto grill and cook for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked, turning skewers occasionally as the chicken browns.
6. Serve with quinoa, rice, roasted potatoes, or on salad.
7. Enjoy!!

Company Policies and Lists

2010-04-04T23:28:00.017-05:00

Trying to figure out what's safe and what's not is hard. Gluten seems to lurk everywhere and it feels like you just can't get away from it sometimes. Having good resources is super important and that's what I'd like this blog to be.

Most companies are really great when it comes to letting the consumer know if there is any gluten in their products. Here is a list of companies, their policies, and some links to their gluten free lists:

Kraft: will clearly label any ingredient containing wheat, barley, or rye. Just read the ingredients and look for these 3 words. If they aren't listed, the product is safe! Some of Kraft's largest brands are: A1, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Cracker Barrel, Jell-O, Planters, Taco Bell, Tolberone, Corn Nuts, and Cool Whip. They have a LOT of brands, so it's fairly easy to find gluten free foods using their brands and reading labels! Kraft's policy can be found here.

Celestial Seasonings: I love tea and nearly all tea is gluten free, but some tea has barley added. Celestial Seasonings marks each box as "Gluten Free" or "Not Gluten Free" so it's easy to know what you're drinking is safe.

General Mills: GM will clearly label any ingredients containing wheat, barley, or rye. Again, just read the ingredients and look for any of those 3 words. They recently came out with a great site that highlights their gluten free products, recipes, a printable pocket list of their products, resources, and a newsletter here!! GM brands include Yoplait, Chex, Betty Crocker, Green Giant, and Progresso.

McCormick: We love McCormick seasonings and McCormick has a great policy on gluten containing ingredients. If any gluten ingredients are in the product, it will be labeled in the ingredients in BOLD type. All of their pure spices and herbs are gluten free. Here is their policy.

Bush's: All of Bush's Beans are gluten free EXCEPT for Bush's Best Chili Beans, Bush's Homestyle Chili, and Bush's Chili Magic products. Here is their FAQ page with the details.

Heinz: Heinz will clearly label all ingredients in their products, including wheat, barley, and rye. They even made a list of their gluten free items as of now. Remember to always double check the ingredients, as they sometimes change. Heinz brands include Classico, Smart Ones, and Jack Daniel's BBQ Sauce.

Hiland: Almost all of our dairy products are from Hiland and their gluten free list can be found here

ConAgra: ConAgra states that if any of their ingredients contains wheat, barley, or rye, it will be clearly listed in the ingredients. Their brands include: Act II, La Choy, Orville Redenbaucher's, PAM, Parkay, Peter Pan, Reddi-Whip, Ro-Tel, and Swiss Miss.

Blue Bunny: I love my ice-cream! Thankfully, Blue Bunny is very upfront about its gluten containing ingredients and will clearly list wheat, barley, or rye in the ingredient list. Just look for those 3 magic words, and if they're not present, the product is gluten free! Here is some allergen information from them. Just click on the words "gluten information" at the upper right.

AWG: Associated Wholesale Grocers includes the brands Best Choice, Always Save, and Simply Organic. Buying these brands has saved us a LOT of money. For example, we can buy a can of Bush's Pinto Beans(gluten free) on sale for $.89 or buy the same can of Best Choice Pinto Beans on sale for $.39. The savings add up in the long run and AWG even has this nifty list you can refer to! If you're in the store and in doubt, just call the 1-800 number and they'll look it up for you and let you know the gluten free status.

Hormel: Hormel has a great gluten free list you can find here. Hormel brands include Dinty Moore, Stagg, Country Crock, Jennie-O, and Herb-Ox.

Campbell's: Campbell's makes a lot of products, most of which are, unfortunately, containing gluten. They do have a list, though, of the products they can verify as being gluten free. You can find the list here.

Williams: Williams makes several seasonings, including Williams and SunBird brands. Their list of seasonings not containing gluten can be found here.

There are a lot more brands out there, but these are some of the largest names. This was a HUGE help to me when I first went gluten free, as I didn't know who to trust or what to eat! You can click here for a more detailed list of some of these brands and a few more brands I didn't mention.

Going gluten free seems overwhelming at first, but eventually, you realize there's not a whole lot out there you can't eat! There's a world of gluten free food, you just have to find it! Hopefully this list will be a good starting point. :)

Gingery Beef Fried Rice

2010-04-02T20:04:00.001-05:00

This is one of those recipes that my mom makes and is super easy and cheap. You can tweak it to fit your taste, adding different veggies or leaving out the meat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (We use La Choy reduced sodium)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon powdered ginger (or fresh grated!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 or 3 cups cooked brown rice
1/2-1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup shredded/chopped carrot
1/2 cup cooked peas

1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil, add eggs, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until eggs are fully cooked. Remove from skillet and set aside in a small bowl.
3. Add meat, onion, ginger, and garlic to skillet. Cook until meat is browned.
4. If desired, cook carrot in microwave for a couple minutes until carrots are soft. Or add raw shredded carrots directly to skillet.
5. Increase heat to high and add rice and peas to skillet. Heat through for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add soy sauce mixture and eggs and stir fry for a couple more minutes.
7. Enjoy!!

Gluten Free Survival Guide: What's in my Pantry (Part II)

2010-04-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

I am a snacker. I eat meals, but usually very small meals, and I am constantly snacking. Unfortunately, my favorite snacks before going gluten free were Wheat Thins, Pringles, and Chips Ahoy Cookies. Needless to say, I was devastated when I realized that nearly every snack in my pantry was off limits.

The first month I went gluten free, I emptied my cabinets and put everything I couldn't eat in boxes and gave them to my newlywed sister and my parents. It was painful. It was not fun. BUT I didn't have to look at them anymore. I could open my cabinet and see things I could eat, instead of things I couldn't. Mentally, that's a big deal. And so I began stocking my pantry with snack items I could eat. And it wasn't so bad. Many of the new items I found were healthier and I found substitutes for almost all of the things I ate before.

I alternate between sweet and salty cravings, so I make sure to keep enough of each in my snack cabinet. Here is what I have in my pantry:

Salty:
Lays Stax
-they are actually made on dedicated lines, so no chance of cross contamination
Nuts
-Planters is made by Kraft, they will always list wheat,barley,or rye if it's in the product
- Many store brands are also gluten free, just call the 1800 number to make sure

Popcorn
-Orville Redenbaucher, if you prefer microwave
-I have popcorn kernels(white is my favorite!) and have a popcorn popper-delicious!!
Quaker Regular Size Rice Cakes
-Quaker recently started labeling their rice cakes as gluten free on the label. These are NOT the mini rice cakes, but the regular large sized ones. Always make sure it says "Gluten Free" on the back of the bag, as some older bags may still be out there.
Corn Nuts
- Again, made by Kraft, so they will disclose all ingredients
Mama Lupe's Tortilla Chips
- These chips are made in a separate factory than wheat products, so there is no chance of cross contamination.
-Most tortilla chips are gluten free, just call the manufacturer to see if there could be cross-contamination. Some people can eat chips made in the same factory/lines as wheat products, some people can't. It's trial and error here.

Sweet
Raisins/Dried Fruit
-All of Sun-Maid dried fruits are gluten free and many generic brands as well. Contact generic companies to make sure.
Marshmallows
-Definitely not the healthiest food, but I love to snack on a few when I'm craving sugar. Jet-Puff is a Kraft brand and is safe, along with many store brands.
Chocolate
- Most Dove Chocolate is safe, along with Ghirardelli, Nestle, and Hershey's. Always read labels and contact the company if in doubt, as ingredients change a lot.
- Dark chocolate is my fav. Right now I have Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares in my pantry.
Sour Gummy Worms
- Walgreens brand and Black Forest Gummies are gluten free, my favorite snack!
Snickers
Tootsie Rolls

Keep in mind, this is a small list and there are so many more gluten free snacks out there! This is just to get you started and give you some ideas.

Enjoy your snacks!!

Photo Credits:
1. Chips & Salsa: Mark Anbinder
2. Stop and Shop Deluxe Mixed Nuts: s58y
3. Popcorn 46/365: Joakin Wahlander
4. Raisins: mar____
5. Ghirardelli Dark Choc Squares: Tahir Hashmi

Favorite Products: Spike All Purpose Seasoning Salt Free

2010-03-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

One of our friends from church introduced this wonderful seasoning to us and we're hooked! We were looking for a good salt free seasoning last fall when Matthew started reducing his sodium intake and this seasoning saved the day for us!!

It doesn't have any gluten, MSG or salt (you can get the version with salt if you like) and it tastes delicious on every dish! I've thrown it in with scrambled eggs, used it as a rub on meat(SUPER yummy!) and I toss it in any potato dish I make. Love, Love, Love it!

Here is the manufacturer's site, which clearly lets you know which products are gluten free and which are not. Just check your local store's spice section and you may find it! Our Wal-Marts don't carry it, but every other local store and health food store carries it. It is a bit pricey, about $3.50 I believe, but it lasts quite awhile, as you don't need to use a lot each time.

Menu Plan March 28-April 3

2010-03-30T15:02:00.003-05:00

Well, this past weekend was a little rough. I realized that almost all of the meals I'd been making have been pretty high in sodium, and my husband has been trying to lower his blood pressure. There's nothing like having Stage 2 Hypertension at age 23 to scare the living daylights out of you.

So we're trying REALLY hard to get his blood pressure down. I'm pretty overwhelmed, as cooking gluten free is challenging enough, now I have another cooking challenge. Whew. I sat down on Saturday to plan a menu for this week and was really kind of depressed. I'd wanted to make Baked Potato Soup, but potato soup uses chicken broth(high sodium), a lot of milk(more sodium), cheese(high sodium), and bacon(need I say more!). So I'm not sure how to approach meals like Soups, but I'll figure out a way eventually.

Since it's super nice this week, we're going to try to grill outside a lot, which makes it easy to eliminate sodium. Marinating meat with spices, herbs, oil, vinegar, lemon, and other juice gives food a lot of flavor without any sodium. So here's my plan this week:

Sunday 28: Pizza at Family's

Monday 29: Salad with whatever you can find to top it with!
    -Matthew got really creative and made a yummy looking salad with greens, quinoa, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, boiled egg, avacado, and Ott's Vidalia Onion dressing(lowest sodium dressing ever!)

Tuesday 30: Orange Lemon Ginger Chicken
-This recipe looks pretty good and I'm going to make it tonight with veggies and brown rice

Wednesday 31: Herbed Chicken Skewers with Grilled Seasoned Potato Wedges
    - This recipe also looks very yummy, it uses 7 herbs/spices, lemon juice, and olive oil as a marinade
    - I'm going to cut up some russet potatoes into wedges, toss them with oil, and season them with some Spike and grill them...should turn out delicious!

Thursday 1: Leftovers!

Friday 2: Grilled Pork Chops with Veggies and Quinoa

Saturday 3: Gingery Beef Fried Rice
- Another one of my favorite recipes from my mom's collection. We'll probably leave out the beef to make it a meatless night and put more eggs in the dish instead. I'll separate Matthew's before I add the soy sauce and add some extra spices to his rice to make it super yummy!

Ground Beef Risotto

2010-03-30T14:33:00.003-05:00

I've been scouring several recipe sites, looking for some yummy looking easy recipes and found quite a few on my list of meals to try! My goal is to eventually have a list of 30 meals that we've tested and love, and base my menu plans off of these meals, throwing in a new meal once a week or so, so we don't get bored of our food. This recipe is from BettyCrocker.com and is really simple with a LOT of flavor.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup uncooked Arborio or regular long-grain white rice (we used white rice)
3 1/2 cups Beef broth
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded/grated parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1. In large skillet, cook beef, onion, garlic, and pepper, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned.
2. Stir in uncooked rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add beef broth and heat to boiling.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in carrots and cook uncovered 5-7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
6. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese. Cover and let sit for another 3 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with chives and enjoy!!

*Arborio rice has more starch and sticks together, creating a more "risotto-y" dish, but it's also more expensive. We used white rice, which still sticks together well, and it turned out great!

Alice.com Carries Gluten Free Products!

2010-03-25T16:43:00.000-05:00

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I found Alice.com last year and was pretty impressed with their free shipping, coupons, and "best deals." I've ordered several things from them, mostly dish soap, straws, fabric softener, and household items. They were a beta site when I first started using them and now they have a LOT of items!

I got curious the other day and typed in "gluten free" in the search box on the site. I was SUPER happy to see lots of food items listed! I found beef and turkey sticks, like the Slim Jims I've been craving, but without the wheat! I found cheesy puffs, baked ketchup fries, organic sour gummy worms, and several snack mixes, all listed as gluten free!!

I put several items in my cart, then saw that the total was 19.50. I wasn't prepared to pay that much for snacks on our budget this month, so I was going to delete everything out of my cart. But I went to see how much straws were, as I needed some, and added them to my cart as well, not thinking. I went to my cart and noticed that, all of a sudden, my total dropped from 20.25 to 10.25...I'd been given a $10 discount!! I had forgotten, when I first signed up, that you receive a $10 credit after you spend your first $50 on the site. Apparently I just passed $50! In any case, my gluten free snacks suddenly became a good deal and I ordered them and got them yesterday.

Yum, Yum, Yum!! So far, the Old Wisconsin Turkey Snack Sticks are my favorite, they are delicious and addictive. Check out the site, and if you want to see the best deals, just look for the header "Other Ways to Shop" at the top right of the main page. Click on this, and then click on "The Best Deals" under that. Check these often, as they change daily sometimes.

Old Fashioned Lasagna--Gluten Free Style!

2010-03-22T12:24:00.001-05:00

My mom makes the BEST lasagna. And when I got married and moved out, it was one of the first recipes I asked for. We've made it numerous times and it's turned out amazing every time! This week, instead of the ground beef risotto(which I got impatient and made on last Saturday :P), we'll give the lasagna a shot.

I've read that Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles are hands down the best, so I picked up a box at my local Wal-Mart. I am super lucky, the Wal-Mart by our house carries a decent supply of gluten free products. I paid $3.00 for my box, and it is a bit more expensive on Amazon, but if you don't have access to them elsewhere, Amazon may be your best option.

Here's the recipe! Pretty easy and quick.

Ingredients:
1 8 oz package of lasagna
1 lb ground beef
2 cups spaghetti sauce (we use Ragu, they will list any gluten clearly)
2 cups cottage cheese
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to directions and drain.

2. Lay pasta on aluminum foil to cool.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. In large skillet, brown ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and drain fat.

5. Stir spaghetti sauce into ground beef.

6. In a medium bowl, mix together cottage cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, and salt and pepper to taste.

7. In a 13x9 baking dish, spread 3/4 cup of meat sauce over bottom of dish.

8. Place 3 lasagna noodles length-wise over sauce and spread 1/3 of cheese mixture over pasta.

9. Alternate layers of meat sauce, pasta, and cheese mixture until meat and cheese are used up, making sure to top the final layer of pasta with meat and cheese.

10. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over top.

11. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

12. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

13. Let cool for 10 minutes before cooling.

14. Enjoy!!!

*The spaghetti sauce you use makes a big difference in how the lasagna tastes. So far, we've gotten the best flavor from Ragu Robusto Six Cheese Pasta Sauce. It has ricotta, asiago, mozzarella, fontina, romano, and parmesan cheese and makes the dish amazing! Experiment with Ragu's different sauces to see which you like best. Always read the label and all the ingredients to make sure the sauce is safe. Unilever, the maker of Ragu, will not hide gluten on the label. Look for the words wheat, barley, or rye in the ingredients.

*Tweak this recipe to meet your taste. If you like more cheese, increase the cottage, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. If you want more sauce, dump the entire jar of sauce in with the meat. Or add more meat if you like. This recipe is how we like it, but be sure to change it up if you like your lasagna a different way!

Menu Plan for March 21-27

2010-03-20T12:28:00.002-05:00

Well, our menu plan this week was a bit out of wack. We didn't follow the order, but that doesn't matter, at least I had the meals planned, the ingredients stocked, and I didn't have to wonder if I had the ingredients to make a meal! I just looked at my list of recipes for the week and made whatever sounded the best that night.

We actually didn't make the chili this week,as it was very warm outside and I didn't want the oven on for 3 hours, heating up the house even more. Tomorrow, however, it is going to be COLD. And snowy, so it will be a perfect day for chili!

I'm only planning 5 meals this week, as we usually eat at a family's house once a week, and really don't need 6 meals planned. Here goes:

Sunday 21: Better than Wendy's Chili
-What better on a cold snowy day than Chili with cheese?

Monday 22: Chicken Paprika Shepherd's Pie
   - This recipe looks VERY good, if I can pull it off. It uses mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, mixed veggies, and chicken. The hard part will be making a good gluten free chicken gravy. We'll see what I can mix up and if it turns out okay!

Tuesday 23: Tacos
   - A favorite in our household, super easy and quick!

Wednesday 24: Eat at Family's

Thursday 25: Ground Beef Risotto
   - Another new recipe, although this one is super easy. I'll post the recipe after I make it, to make sure it's decent!

Friday 26: Leftovers

Saturday 27: Baked Potato Soup
   - Another new recipe! I'm on a roll this week! This one is a little different from the potato soup I posted awhile ago and actually looks tastier...guess we'll find out!

Chicken Scampi

2010-03-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

My favorite place to eat before going gluten free was Olive Garden. Words can't actually describe how much I love Olive Garden. It was like a little piece of heaven every time I ate there.

My goal is to recreate/find recipes that are close enough to Olive Garden's recipes to make me happy, and this recipe comes pretty close. Chicken Fettucine Alfredo and Chicken Scampi were my staples at Olive Garden, and before I went gluten free, I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com. I've made it numerous times, but this time it will be served over gluten free pasta, rather than wheat pasta. I mean, it's the sauce that makes the dish, so it shouldn't make too big of a difference. :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil (or canola oil, if you don't have any olive oil on hand)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small strips or chunks

1. In a skillet, heat butter and oil over medium high heat until melted
2. Add the parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, and salt and stir to mix. Add lemon juice.
3. Add chicken and saute for about 3 minutes or until the outside of the chicken is white.
4. Lower the heat and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through completely.
5. Add additional butter if necessary.
6. Either pour sauce/chicken over noodles or toss with a bowl of noodles.
OR serve with rice and veggies.
7. Enjoy!!

Wholesale Pasta and Quinoa=Quite Affordable!!

2010-03-16T15:09:00.001-05:00

I love pasta. And quinoa. Unfortunately, a box of quinoa at my local natural foods store costs $5.25. Oh. My. Goodness. I get 3 meals out of each box, but that is not a price I can afford on a regular basis.

My favorite gluten free pasta, Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta, runs about $2.79 a box, and I get 1-2 meals out of that. Still much more expensive than wheat pasta! And the cost adds up.

So I discovered Amazon, and found out that I could buy a case of Quinoa, and it came up to $4.40 a box. Still not great. THEN, I discovered the wholesale site that sells Quinoa and Quinoa Pasta in bulk for much less than even Amazon!

On this site, I can buy in bulk, and when I did the math, it came up to the equivalent of $2.67 for a box of Red Quinoa and $1.68 for a box of Quinoa Pasta. Wow, that's quite a difference!! And I, the nerd, did the math including shipping costs per pound, so those prices are the FINAL prices for the products.

Here's an easy breakdown if I sounded confusing. These prices INCLUDE shipping costs and are per box.

My Local Store Amazon Wholesale
Quinoa Grain $5.25 $4.40 $2.67
Quinoa Pasta $2.67 $2.17 $1.68

Needless to say, we will be purchasing our pasta and quinoa from this wholesale site from now on! Be warned, because you are buying in bulk, the initial cost and shipping will be quite high, and makes it seem more expensive, but when you divide it up by the ounce and figure up the cost per box, it's quite a stunning deal. Next month we'll set aside a chunk of money to stock up on quinoa and pasta, which will take a chunk out of our budget, BUT the supplies should last us at least 6 months, maybe quite a bit longer. We'll see.

Here is the site if you're interested! Quinoa Corp Wholesale Store

Cinnamon Rolls-Gluten Free and Amazing!!

2010-03-15T11:48:00.000-05:00

I love Cinnamon Rolls, especially homemade cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven. And I became obsessed after I went gluten free. I saw cinnamon rolls everywhere, it seemed. And I couldn't have any of them. There is really nothing in the world like a fresh cinnamon roll straight out of the oven, covered in frosting.
And so, after I bought a bag of gluten free flours a couple months ago, it suddenly occurred to me that I could make my own gluten free homemade cinnamon rolls! I searched awhile for the perfect recipe and finally found one that sounded right. This recipe is from recipezaar.com and was posted by Andrew Mollmann.

Don't be discouraged by the lengthy instructions. These rolls do take some work, but it is sooo worth it in the end!! The result is amazing and we definitely could not tell that these were gluten free!! I've changed the recipe a bit, here is my version:

Ingredients:
Dough:
1 Tablespoon yeast (we used instant yeast, it was about 1 1/2 packets, be sure to measure it out!)
2/3 Cup milk, warmed
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup millet flour (or rice, buckwheat, or gluten free oat flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

Filling
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened (this needs to be very soft in order to spread easily over the dough)

Icing
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in large mixing bowl with warm milk and let sit for several minutes until it gets foamy.
OR if you are using instant yeast, skip this step and add the instant yeast to dry mixture coming up a few more steps
2. Add sugar, butter, oil, and vanilla to milk/yeast mixture. Stir to combine.
3. Add egg and combine thoroughly.
4. Mix together salt, potato starch, cornstarch, millet flour(or use a substitute, see ingredient list), baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Add the instant yeast here if you're using it.
5. Slowly add flour mixture to mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
6. Remove dough from mixing bowl and place in a greased container in a warm place. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 45-60 minutes. The dough will be extremely sticky, this is normal.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
8. Roll dough into a 1/4 inch thick square between 2 pieces of well floured parchment paper (just spread some rice, millet, buckwheat, or oat flour on the bottom piece of paper). This step takes some time, as you have to roll out, pull the edges in the make it square, roll again, and so on for a little while until you get a nice square.
9. Remove top sheet of parchment paper from rolled dough and spread the 1/3 cup of softened/nearly melted butter over the surface. Spread gently, as the dough is very sticky and pulls easily.
10. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough surface. Leave a 2 inch strip of dough uncovered at one end of the square.
11. Using the bottom roll of parchment paper as an aid, roll the dough into a log. Start at the opposite end of that which you left uncovered. This step is tricky and takes some time. Go slow and roll carefully, it'll turn out fine!
12. Carefully cut log into 8 equal pieces using a serrated knife(steak knife) or use a thread to cut the log. Place rolls carefully into a large greased baking dish, leaving rolls about 1/2 inch apart. Place any remaining cinnamon brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan.
13. You can either bake them now or let them rise a bit more. We were impatient and baked them immediately. :)
14. Bake in oven for 18-22 minutes until tops are golden brown. Run a knife between rolls to check doneness. The dough should not stick to the knife.
15. While rolls are baking, whip together icing ingredients and spread over rolls as soon as they're done.
16. ENJOY!!!!!

Menu Plan for March 14-20

2010-03-13T21:20:00.001-06:00

I'm really excited about this week's menu plan. We're using ingredients we have on hand, and we'll only end up buying about $10.00 worth of groceries this week to make 7 dinners! I have a pretty good stockpile of food, so we're trying to utilize what we have. Enjoy!

Sunday 14: Better than Wendy's Chili
    - This recipe makes a lot of chili, so we'll be eating this for lunch later

Monday 15: Easy Enchiladas with corn

Tuesday 16: Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
- I'm going to try a new recipe for pot roast. I usually just shake some pepper, onion, and garlic powder on top of the meat, potatoes, and carrots, but I found a yummy sounding recipe and I'll post it if it turns out well!

Wednesday 17: French Toast, eggs, bacon
   - I LOVE having breakfast for dinner every once in awhile, and it's definitely been awhile! French toast is my favorite!!

Thursday 18: Broiled Chicken, Quinoa, Veggies
   - It's nice to have a really simple dinner once a week. I just shake some seasoning on a couple of chicken breasts, pop them in the broiler, and make some quinoa and veggies. Super easy and fast!

Friday: Chicken Scampi w/Linguine and veggies
   - This was one of my all time favorite recipes before going gluten free and I haven't made it since. I miss angel hair pasta, but can't find any gluten free, so we'll be using Ancient Harvest Gluten Free Linguine. Hope it turns out okay! The sauce will be the same, so it should be fine!

Saturday: Leftovers!

Pepper Steak

2010-03-12T18:03:00.001-06:00

This is probably my favorite dish my mom made for us and she still makes it for me today when we visit because it's naturally gluten free! I've had other dishes similar to this, but this recipe tops all others by a long shot, in my opinion.

The recipe calls for sirloin tip steak(best) or bottom round steak(okay). Watch for sales on this steak or discount stickers when the meat needs to be sold quickly. We never pay full price for sirloin tip steak, but it does go on sale or get marked down, so we stock up when it does!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs sirloin tip steak or bottom round steak
1-2 Tablespoons paprika
Canola Oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 small onion, cut up into squares
1 bell pepper, cut into strips or squares
2 Tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup soy sauce (we use La Choy reduced sodium)
2 large tomatoes, diced

1. Cut beef into strips
2. Heat canola oil in large skillet and place beef in skillet. Sprinkle beef with paprika.
3. Add garlic and beef broth.
4. Cover and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes.
5. Stir in onions and bell pepper
6. Cover and cook another 5 minutes
7. Blend corn starch, cold water, and soy sauce in measuring cup.
8. Pour into beef and veggie mixture.
9. Cook a few minutes until sauce thickens.
10. Add tomatoes and serve over rice.
11. Enjoy!!

* I will post a picture of this dish when we make it next...it is so delicious and looks amazing!!

Planting Cold Weather Vegggies!

2010-03-11T14:38:00.000-06:00

Matthew and I love gardening. And we were super excited when we bought our house 2 1/2 years ago and were able to start our own garden. Last year we planted a few veggies, some fruit, and some flowers, and our garden went nuts! Turns out there is a natural spring that runs through our neighborhood, underneath our backyard, right below our garden! Our soil is great for planting and we were shocked at how things grew.

This year, we're getting a bit more bold with our gardening and are planting a larger garden with many more veggies and fruits. We're planting 6 varieties of tomatoes, 6 varieties of peppers, cantaloupe, cucumbers, watermelon, pumpkin, corn, potatoes, carrots, mixed lettuce, onions, sugar snap peas, snow peas, green beans, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Wow, that's a mouthful.

We planted the cold weather veggies this week: Sugar snap and snow peas, potatoes, carrots, and onions. We'll be planting the lettuce in pots and containers later this week. We're really looking forward to getting an abundant supply of fresh food that we can freeze. We're considering investing in a deep freezer and a foodsaver so that we can freeze most of what we harvest to use during the rest of the year. Hopefully this will work and allow us to cut our grocery budget even more during the off season months!

We used a garden planning tool on http://www.growveg.com. They offer a free 30 day trial without any credit card information, so you can create an account and work on a plan before the trial is up! We liked the planner because it's colorful, easy to read, and made our job a lot easier! Here is our plan:

Corn Bread/Muffins

2010-03-11T13:22:00.001-06:00

We made White Chicken Chili the other night and I was really craving cornbread muffins, so I pulled out my Pamela's Baking Mix and looked up a recipe on Pamela's Recipe Site. I made the cornbread listed and it turned out AMAZING!! My son didn't even want to eat his chili, he was busy devouring the corn muffins! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
1 cup yellow cornmeal (We use Bob's Red Mill, it's pretty inexpensive)
1/3 cup sugar or honey (I think honey is much better!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten (use 2 eggs for fluffier muffins)
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons melted butter

Muffins: Mix all ingredients together and fill greased muffins tins 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

Bread: Follow directions above, using 2 eggs. Pour into a greased 8 inch pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Easy Food & Meal Ideas Printable Pages

2010-03-09T20:33:00.000-06:00

I found a link to this great resource from the celiac.com forums. You can save the list on your computer and print it to keep handy. Remember to always check labels, as this list was made in June 2009 and a few things may have changed. It looks up to date to me, but things can change quickly, so double check before you buy. Enjoy!!

Easy Food and Meal Ideas

Ranch Style Chicken

2010-03-09T11:10:00.000-06:00

So I've kind of rearranged my menu plan this week. I forgot to soak the beans Sunday night and didn't get dinner started until much later than I'd planned, so I decided to make the Ranch Style Chicken last night and make White Chicken Chili today.

So how did the Ranch Style Chicken go? Well, not so well, actually. It ended up tasting great, but the recipe I had did not work for me, so I've altered it a bit to make it easier and less time consuming. The chicken ended up taking and extra 30 minutes than I'd planned, which was really frustrating. My alterations should make it simpler(and healthier!). Here is the original recipe by Ree Drummond.

Here is what I changed:
-Halfed recipe as I don't feed as many people as she does
-Broiled chicken rather than frying it. Frying the chicken in bacon grease resulted in a mess, with me getting burnt and the chicken not browning at all. Broiling is healthier for us and was faster for me.
-I left out any added salt, as we eat low sodium
-Here is my altered version:

Ranch Style Chicken

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
juice of 1/4 lemon (I used 2 teaspoons lemon juice)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Crushed red pepper (optional, to taste)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 slices bacon
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a large bowl, mix together Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, and paprika.Stir until smooth. Add some red pepper if you like it spicy. Set aside
2. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to 1/2-3/4 inch thick with meat mallet or rolling pin.
3. Add chicken to marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to marinate for 1-3 hours.
4. Fry bacon and set aside
5. Remove chicken from marinade and place in preheated broiler or on grill. Broil/grill until both sides are brown and and a little crunchy.
6. Remove chicken from oven/grill and top each chicken breast with 2 pieces of bacon. Sprinkle (or dump) sharp cheddar cheese on top of the bacon and put back in broiler/grill until cheese is melted.
7. Enjoy!!!

* I was so exhausted trying to make this the original way, I forgot to take a picture! We were so hungry, we ate it all, so I promise I will post a photo next time I make this recipe, probably in a couple of weeks. :)
*We ate this meal with baked potatoes and salad, good combination and relatively cheap meal!
*Pounding out the chicken seems pointless, but it allows the bacon and cheese to sit on the chicken easily on a flat surface and not slide off. It also makes the chicken cook faster, which is a definite plus!

Menu Plan for March 7-13

2010-03-05T15:33:00.001-06:00

So I've been sick for awhile. Hence my absence here. I've been battling a sinus infection for about 5 months and I started running a fever early last week. I was so sick I couldn't get out of bed and had to have family watch my son for an entire week. No fun at all, and exhausting!

But I discovered what's been making me sick--our dog. We adopted a border collie mix from a shelter last year and she's the sweetest thing we've ever had. However, I'm apparently allergic to her. I began getting sick as soon as we got her and it's been escalating ever since. Right now she's outside, but we have to find her a new home, as she really loves being an indoor dog and taking naps on the couch and cuddling.

So I'm finally feeling decent and Matt and I have been trying to pull the house back together, as it completely fell apart while I was sick. We're trying REALLY hard to cut our food budget this month and stick to a menu plan to help us avoid buying things we don't need. I don't plan for Lunch, as I make extra of each dinner to eat for lunch a few days later. We recycle our meals :)

Here is our menu plan for next week:

Sunday 7: Fried Chicken with Quinoa and veggies
- We still haven't perfected a good fried chicken recipe, but we're going to try using brown rice flour tomorrow...we'll see how it goes!

Monday 8: White Chicken Chili with Cornbread
- We're trying a homemade cornbread recipe with Bob's Red Mill ingredients, but you could pick up a premade package of gluten free cornbread. Or just skip the cornbread if it's too pricey.

Tuesday 9: Crispy Herb Baked Chicken, Roasted Garlic Potatoes and veggies

Wednesday 10: Herbed Lentils and Rice with Salad

Thursday 11: Fried Rice
- I'll post a recipe for my fried rice soon, but it's really just a few cups of cooked brown rice with peas, shredded carrots, scrambled eggs, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. Super easy and quite inexpensive!

Friday: Leftover White Chicken Chili

Saturday: Ranch Style Chicken with Baked Potatoes and Veggies
- I'm trying a recipe I found http://thepioneerwoman.com and it sounds delicious! It's similar to Alice Springs Chicken from Outback Steakhouse, but we don't eat out much, trying to save money, and this recipe is making my mouth water. I'll post it with my revisions as soon as I make it, but here is the link if you'd like to give it a try too!

Tonight? Tonight is Taco Night!! I make extra taco meat and eat taco salad for lunch for the next few days, I can't get enough taco dishes. :) Yummo!

I'm really excited to give this menu planning a shot, as I have almost everything I need in my pantry already! We only need to buy a few items, which will really help keep the cost down this week. Have a wonderful day!!

My Favorite Gluten Free Products-V8 Fusion and Sour gummy worms

2010-02-21T11:11:00.001-06:00

I've always had a hard time getting enough fruits and veggies...I'm just not a fruit or vegetable person. I love meat, potatoes, and rice. Campbell's came out with their line of V8 Fusion a few years ago and I didn't try it for a long time, simply because I knew it had vegetables in it...I'm definitely not into drinking my veggies. But I tried it at a relative's house and fell in love. I couldn't taste any vegetables, just the sweetness of the fruit, and I was getting a serving of fruits and veggies in one cup. Geez, that's a winner for me.

I hate the price, that's the only problem, but if you go to their website here you can enter your email address and print off a $1/1 coupon. As soon as your coupon prints, hit the back button on your browser and click yes to resend information, and you can print another one! The print limit is 2, but they refresh the page every couple of months or so, so check back once in awhile to see if you can print again. I couple this coupon with a sale at a local store and pick up my V8 Fusion for $1.50/bottle. It's normally $3 at WalMart so that's a pretty good deal! Love it! My favorite flavors are Strawberry Banana and Passionfruit Tangerine.

My favorite candy prior to going gluten free was sour gummy worms...I know, not the healthiest snack, but they're addicting! And after going gluten free, I was devastated to find out that the brands I used to eat were "processed in factories that also process wheat." I found these gummies at Walgreens the other day and was so happy to see them actually labeled "gluten free"! They actually have a collection of gluten free candies at Walgreens, you just have to read each package. So my longing for sour gummies is over and I'm back to munching on my worms! :) Plus, they're only $.99.

Slow Cooked Mexican Chicken

2010-02-20T17:09:00.000-06:00

This recipe is from celiacfamily.com and I'm in love with how easy and inexpensive it is. Stick it in the crock pot in the morning and you've got dinner in the evening! We've used this chicken in tacos, salads, corn tortilla wraps, tostidas, and sandwich petals. Here it is!

Ingredients:
1.5-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 package taco seasoning mix (we use McCormick reduced sodium)
1 cup chicken broth or water (We use Swanson, Pacific is also gluten free)
1 cup salsa (We use Taco Bell brand)

1. Place raw chicken in crock pot and sprinkle taco seasoning over the top.
2. Pour on chicken broth and salsa
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours
4. After 8 hours, use 2 forks to pull chicken apart. At this point, it is tender enough it falls apart and just takes a minute or so.
5. Serve on tacos, tostidas, rice, or salad, or in burritos or wraps.
6. Enjoy!
7. Thanks celiacfamily.com!!

Easy Enchiladas PLUS my favorite tortilla/wrap

2010-02-17T17:06:00.000-06:00

Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover forums are awesome. I learn so much from the people there, and it extends beyond financial advice. There is a forum called "frugal livng" that I visit pretty frequently, as eating gluten free has been a challenge on our budget. There are seveal families in the forum that are eating gluten free and they always have great advice on how to get reasonable prices on good gluten free items.

In December, someone on the forum said that they had found a gluten free tortilla wrap called a "Sandwhich Petal" and gave the site to purchase them off of. The site was doing a special, buy one box, get one free, on Mondays, and we jumped on it. We received 2 boxes of wraps, 36 in each box, for a total of 72 wraps, for $25 even, including UPS shipping. Not a bad price at all for gluten free!

We were shocked at how great they tasted! They are made from 10 different gluten free grains, taste amazing, and have a great shelf life. They come in a box with 3 flavors: Agave Grain, Spinach Garlic and Chimayo Red Chile.

They can be refrigerated or frozen, but they can dry out if you do so. The company claims they are good for 60 days at room temperature. I'm not sure they go bad after 60 days, but they do appear to begin to dry out after that time period.

The point is, these wraps are amazing! We've made so many dishes with them and we're hooked! Right now, the site is doing another special where you can buy one box get one free for $25 on Mondays. We ordered our boxes last Monday. Here's the site if you're interested: Sandwich Petals

We've made breakfast wraps with eggs, bacon, and cheese and lunch wraps with chicken, bacon and ranch dressing. The possibilities are endless with these wraps. Love them! The trick is to warm them in the microwave or on the stove before you use them to soften them up.

Here is our Easy Enchilada Recipe using these wraps:
(This is a small recipe, you can easily double it to make more to freeze)

4 Sandwich petals (or corn tortillas, large)
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 16oz jar Salsa (medium for spicier, mild for less. We use Taco Bell Brand)
1 8oz bag of cheese (or shred it yourself. Monterey Jack, cheddar, or mexican cheese work well)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 8x8 pan with cooking oil
2. Brown and drain ground beef
3. Pour 1/2 jar of salsa into beef and warm through.
4. Warm petals or tortillas in microwave or on stove.
5. Fill petals with meat/salsa mixture and fold tightly
6. Place in baking pan side by side
7. Pour remaining salsa over enchiladas and spread to cover
8. Sprinkle with cheese
9. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 20 minutes, then bake for 10 additional minutes uncovered
10. Serve with sour cream or refried beans
11. Enjoy!!

*This recipe is easy to make the night before and place in the fridge. The next day, just preheat the oven and pop it in!
*If the wraps aren't covered in salsa/cheese they will become tough as they bake and will be difficult to chew. Make sure the edges are covered.

Picnik!!

2010-02-16T20:50:00.000-06:00

I recently found an amazing online photo site which makes editing your photos easy and well, addicting! I've been going through many of my older photos and editing them, and the results are beautiful! Check out the site here. Some of my recently edited pictures:

Favorite Products: Glutino Gluten Free Pretzels

2010-02-15T15:28:00.001-06:00

Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists, 14.1-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12)

I was craving pretzels so badly after going gluten free for a couple of months and saw a package of Glutino Pretzels on the shelf at Wal-Mart. I'm super lucky, my local Wal-Mart carries a decent selection of gluten free products. They were pricey, but I had to try some, so I picked up a package and was not disappointed!

The only problem with these pretzels is trying not to eat the whole bag in one sitting! The main ingredient is corn, and I simply cannot tell that they are gluten free. It's not just me, either. My parents and husband can't tell the difference, either.

These pretzels are very crunchy and have a delicious butter flavor to them. They are truly addictive, so I divide the large bag into small baggies so that I don't eat them all at once! They are a bit expensive, but if you want to splurge on anything, choose these to splurge on!

Click here to buy them on Amazon. If you choose subscribe and save, they come out to $5.21/bag. They are 14 oz bags, so they're not small bags. A bit pricey, but like I said, if you split the bag up, they last longer are really worth it!

French Toast

2010-02-14T17:32:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentines Day!

My husband has really gotten into a cooking roll lately. He wants to start a gluten free bakery/deli someday and is working on some recipes and yummy items. Today he made Nathan and I French Toast for Valentines Day, and it was amazing! I hadn't had French Toast in so long and I remember how much I Love it now! We used Udi's gluten free bread, but you can use any bread you like.

Ingredients:
4 large slices of bread or 8-10 small slices (like the ones we had)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Butter or oil for frying
Maple syrup

1. If you have large pieces of bread, slice in half crosswise so that bread is 1 inch thick (most bread is 1" thick to begin with) Cut those pieces in half or into shapes, if desired.
2. In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon
3. Preheat oil in large skillet.
4. Quickly dip bread slices, do not soak, in egg mixture and place into hot oil in skillet.
5. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
6. Keep egg mixture stirred and spices well blended as you continue to dip the bread into the mixture.
7. Sprinkle powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.

*Add fruit on top for flavor and color

My New Camera!

2010-02-13T14:26:00.000-06:00

I finally got a Digital SLR camera yesterday!! I've been through several point and shoot cameras in the past couple years and haven't been able to get the results I want. So I researched and read reviews and decided on a Canon Rebel XSi. I love photography (if you haven't noticed :P) and I really want to be able to take incredible pictures and learn how to control my own settings.

I don't have any exciting pictures to show yet with my new toy, but I'm learning and soon I'll start posting some of my pictures! (The pictures under the "My Photos" tab were taken with my point and shoot and then edited)

Easy Potato Soup

2010-02-13T14:13:00.000-06:00

I've tried a lot of potato soup recipes, most of them turning out unflavorful and not very impressive...until I found this one. It really is super easy and gets eaten very quickly! Give it a try!

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes (I like yellow potatoes for this soup)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 Cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped
6 slices bacon
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Dice potatoes into bite size pieces
2. Place potatoes into large pot and use just enough water to cover potatoes.
3. Cook on high until tender when pierced with a fork. Do not drain water.
4. Fry bacon, then use bacon drippings to fry onion until tender
5. Add condensed soup, milk, and onion to potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes
6. Sprinkle bacon and cheese over soup to serve
7. Enjoy!

Condensed Cream Soup

2010-02-13T14:05:00.000-06:00

I used condensed soups a LOT before I went gluten free, but unfortunately, nearly every condensed soup on the market contains wheat flour as a thickener, and the gluten free alternatives are pricey. I found this recipe for any condensed cream soup from a person on the Celiac.com forums. Works very well and it can be frozen in baggies or containers, then thawed out when you need it!

Ingredients:
1 cup cold milk
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1 chicken bouillon cube (we use Herb-Ox)
dash of pepper

1. In small saucepan, whisk milk and cornstarch until well blended
2. Stir in butter, bouillon, and pepper
3. Heat to a boil, stirring frequently.
4. Simmer on low for one minute more, to thicken.

*Cornstarch dissolves in cold liquids, don't try to add it to a hot mixture, it will create clumps
*Makes the equivalent of on can of cream of anything soup
*To make:
    - Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: add 1/2 cup of chicken pieces to recipe
    - Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup: add a drained 4 oz can of mushroom pieces to recipe
    - Condensed Cream of Celery Soup: add 1/2 cup sauteed chopped celery to recipe

Cincinnati Chili

2010-02-13T13:37:00.000-06:00

My mom grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you've ever been there, you should know that there is a restaurant called Skyline Chili that serves the most amazing Chili over noodles, with cheese, onion, and kidney beans. Sounds a little strange, right? But the dish is to die for, and there are a lot of recipes for "Cincinnati Chili" out there. This is the one my mom makes and it is one of my favorite recipes of all time.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
a little less than a teaspoon red pepper (optional, makes it spicier)
5 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin

1. Brown beef and drain off fat
2. Add all ingredients to crock pot.
3. Cook for 3-5 hours (the longer, the better!)
4. Serve over spaghetti noodles (gluten free if necessary)
5. Top with kidney beans, onions, and shredded cheddar cheese
6. Enjoy!

*Drain and rinse the kidney beans and use "no salt added" tomato sauce to make this dish really low sodium.

Crispy Herb Baked Chicken

2010-02-12T20:40:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe on the back of my box of potato flakes and it looked so easy, I had to give it a try. Turned out, it IS super easy, fairly inexpensive, just a few ingredients, and it's very flavorful!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Mashed Potato Flakes (I use Idaho Spuds)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
about 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1/3 cup butter, melted (or use Smart Balance sticks to cut back on saturated fat)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Grease or line with foil and grease 13x9 inch pan or large baking sheet
3. In medium bowl, combine potato flakes, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder
4. Dip chicken pieces into melted butter, then roll in potato flake mixture to coat.
5. Place on greased pan or baking sheet
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes (or until juices run clear) for chicken breasts and 15-20 minutes for chicken tenders.
7. Enjoy!

* I love this recipe because I always have the ingredients on hand and the prep time is pretty quick. It's nice to make at the last minute when I can't figure out what to make!
*We also tried omitting the garlic powder and putting a few shakes of chili powder in its place--amazing!! Gives the chicken very good flavor!

Gluten Free Survival Guide: What's in my Pantry (Part I)

2010-02-09T15:34:00.001-06:00

I remember the first day I went gluten free. Like it was yesterday, actually. I went to Price Cutter and headed for the natural foods section. I left the store, $30 out of my pocket, and only 5 items to show for it. Wild rice, rice chips, crispy rice bars, honey nut chex, and Betty Crocker gluten free brownies. I almost cried. My heart was pounding out of my chest, trying to figure out how to eat without ending up on the street, trying to pay for food.

The next few weeks were miserable. I cried every night, as my food choices seemed to shrink before my eyes. Everything I couldn't eat taunted me and I craved pizza, french bread, just a Whopper, for pete's sake! And I couldn't have any of it.

The emotional aspect of going gluten free is one I'm afraid no one recognizes, at least not people who don't have to go through the process. You don't really know what it's like until you have to do it. There's no way to really understand otherwise.

It's like being thrown into the ocean, not knowing how to swim. You have to learn. Fast. It's a struggle just to keep your head above water and it gets exhausting. I wish I would have had someone to walk me through going gluten free. But it's a lifestyle that is largely unknown and there's not much help out there.

I've created a list of foods that I have in my pantry as a starter guide for anyone trying to figure out "What can I eat?!" Remember, ALWAYS check the labels, as these companies do change ingredients occasionally and you'll find a disclaimer "may contain traces of wheat." Keep a sharp eye out and you'll be fine!

Canned goods:

Bush's baked beans (except chili beans, they contain gluten)
Dinty Moore Beef Stew
Hormel Chili w/Beans
Swanson Chicken Broth, reduced sodium
Hunts Tomatoes, all varieties
Hunts Tomato sauce, no salt added
Ro-tel
Old el Paso chopped green chilies
Manwhich sauce
Libby's Canned Pumpkin
Dole canned fruit
Taco Bell Brand salsa
Starkist tuna pouches and cans

Grains:

. Uncle Ben's Brown Rice (click here for coupon)
. Ancient Harvest Red Quinoa
. Ancient Harvest Gluten Free Veggie Curls
. Ancient Harvest Gluten Free Linguine
. White Rice
. Lundberg Creamy Parmesan Risotto
. Lundberg Garlic Primavera Risotto
. Minute Brown Rice
. Taco Bell brand taco shells
. Idaho Spuds potato flakes

Dried Goods:
. Lentils
. Kidney beans
. Great Northern beans
. Pinto beans
. Red beans

Spice Mixes/Packets:
. Williams Chili Seasoning
. McCormick Grill Mates
      - Mesquite
      - Baja Citrus
      - Garlic, Herb, and Wine
      - Chipotle Pepper
. Sun-Bird
             - Sweet & Sour mix
           - Fried Rice mix
     . McCormick taco seasoning, less sodium
     . McCormick chicken taco seasoning
Other:
. Kraft dressing
. Taco Bell brand taco and restaurant sauces
. La Choy soy sauce, less sodium
. Heinz ketchup
. Miracle Whip
. Musselman's Applesauce

That's quite a list for now, I'll post more items another day and get into my baking supplies, cereal, snacks, and drinks. Hope this helps some!

Photo Credits:
Red Quinoa
Cooked Brown Rice
Dried Heirloom Beans
Spice Cabinet: Looking Up
Soy Sauce

Flourless Chocolate Cakes

2010-02-08T21:46:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we decided to make a dessert to bring to our family's Super Bowl Party and opted to try a new recipe-flourless chocolate cake. There are some pretty complicated recipes out there, but I found this one and we tweaked it to make it our own. It turned out to be incredibly easy and super rich and chocolatey. The original recipe called for the cake to made in an 8 inch round cake pan, but we didn't have one, so we used a cupcake pan, and I think I like how it turned out better than I would a standard cake. The outside of the cakes was a bit crunchy and the inside was very soft. Just perfect.We'll definitely be making these again soon!

Ingredients:
6 squares (ounces) semi-sweet chocolate squares, chopped (We use Baker's brand)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cocoa powder
powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease cupcake pan and dust with a mixture of half cocoa powder, half powdered sugar
2. In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water (or in our case, the microwave), melt the chocolate and butter.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Pour into prepared cupcake pan, roughly 3 tsp of mixture per cupcake tin (we made 12 cakes)
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25-28 minutes.
6. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen edges with a knife.
7. Turn upside down onto a cookie sheet and allow to cool.
8. Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar for extra perfection.
9. Warm in the microwave later for 10-20 seconds, they are best warm!

*Make sure not to overcook the cakes, they need to be soft in the middle
*You could make chocolate bites using mini muffin tins as well, and lessen cooking time
*These cakes are very rich and are perfect for a chocolate fix!

Sneak Peek of our Goodies today...

2010-02-07T16:29:00.000-06:00

Well, Matthew and I had a bit of a baking day today. We decided to make chili for our family's Super Bowl Party tonight, but then we accidentally found a recipe for flourless chocolate cake, so this is what ended up happening today:

Recipe coming tomorrow!...

Banana Nut Bread Deliciousness

2010-02-07T14:24:00.000-06:00

I love my husband! I woke up this morning to the smell of warm banana nut bread in the oven. How amazing is that? We use Pamela's Baking Mix to make a lot of breads, muffins, etc. since it's less expensive than buying the individual ingredients and it's premade for us :) This bread honestly does not taste like it does not have gluten. Either that or my taste is adjusting to gluten free. Hm. Well, we sure loved it! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar or honey (we always use honey!)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup banana, mashed
1-3/4 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts

1. Beat together butter, sugar or honey, eggs and banana.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.

3. Pour into a large greased loaf pan.

4. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

6. Enjoy!

*Click here to get some Pamela's Baking & Pancake mix for yourself. This is the cheapest place I've found, and if you use subscribe and save to have it delivered at intervals (every 1, 2, 3, or 6 months) you get an even more discounted rate! Super good deal for a versatile gluten free mix!

Garlic Red Potatoes

2010-02-06T15:16:00.000-06:00

Boy, do I love potatoes. Mashed, broiled, boiled, baked, roasted, any way is good with me. This recipe is a huge favorite in our house.

Ingredients:
2 lbs red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup butter, melted (to cut back on saturated fat, use Smart Balance butter blend sticks)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 lemon juiced, or 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place potatoes in 8x8 baking dish or equivalent
3. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, garlic, and lemon juice.
4. Pour over potatoes, stirring to coat
5. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over potatoes
6. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
7. Uncover and bake and additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown

*I use extra cheese and just sprinkle until well covered
*Larger potatoes will take longer, easily over an hour sometimes
*For extra crispiness, I broil the potatoes for the final 5 minutes, making them nice and brown
*To easily get lemon juice out of a lemon, roll the lemon on the counter or on the warm stove before cutting it open. A warm lemon releases its juice much easier than a cold one

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Fudge

2010-02-06T15:07:00.000-06:00

Okay, seriously, this is AMAZING fudge. I give it to all our family members at Christmas and it's always a huge hit.
I could eat it every meal of the day.
It's addicting.
Make at your own risk.
It's super easy, no thermometer or fancy ingredients.

Ingredients:
4 Cups sugar
1 jar marshmallow creme
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 T butter
24 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 bags)

1. Line 13x9x2 inch pan with foil, extending foil over the edge of the pan. Butter foil lightly, set aside.
2. In heavy 4 qt. saucepan, stir together sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk, and butter.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a FULL rolling boil. Boil and stir and additional 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Immediately add chocolate chips, stirring until smooth.
5. Pour into prepped pan.
6. Cool until firm
7. Use foil to lift fudge gently out of pan, cut into squares.

*The entire process takes 20-25 minutes, so be prepared to stand, stirring, uninterrupted for awhile, or take shifts with someone else.
*Your arm will be exhausted, keep stirring!
*I pour the mixture into my stand mixer at the end, add the chocolate chips, put the mixer on low, and give my arm a rest. It gives me a break and makes the fudge extra smooth as well!
*Never put the fudge in the fridge to cool. This dries the fudge out, making it crumble. Cooling it at room temperature leaves it creamy and rich.
*Enjoy!

Herbed Lentils and Rice

2010-02-06T14:52:00.001-06:00

Meat is expensive! I decided to start doing 1 night a week without meat on the menu. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and fell in love!

Ingredients:
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (we use Swanson)
3/4 Cup dry lentils
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1.5 T onion powder
1/4 Cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 dried thyme (or ground thyme)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 black pepper

1. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray
3. Cover and bake 1 1/2-2 hours or until lentils and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring twice

Yummmy!!
*If you really need to cut back on sodium, use 1.5 cups water and 1.5 cups chicken broth.
*You can also switch the amounts of lentils and rice if you like more rice.
*You can also add 1/2 cup cheese to the original mix and bake it in if you need more cheese

Better than Wendy's Chili

2010-02-06T14:45:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe online a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try. Wow, was it amazing, turned out SO much better than I could have imagined. We used fresh ingredients, but you could substitute canned in a pinch. I think fresh tastes better, but that's just me :) Give it a try!

Ingredients:
2 lb ground round (beef)
29 oz tomato sauce (about 4 small cans) (I use Hunt's)
2 cans kidney beans with liquid (I use Best Choice or Bush's)
2 cans pinto beans with liquid (I use Best Choice or Bush's)
1 medium onion, diced
2 green chilies, diced (we used Anaheim, less spicy, but still gave the chili a nice kick)
3 medium tomatoes, diced (about 1.5 lbs)
2 teaspoons cumin
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups water

1. Brown ground beef and drain off fat
2. Crumble beef into small pieces
3. In Large pot, comine all ingredients and bring to a simmer (this may take awhile)
4. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2-3 hours, the longer the better

*Add any type of cheese you like on top, although this chili is so yummy you don't really need to add anything.
*We omitted salt to keep it lower sodium and only used canned beans and salt free tomato sauce to keep down the sodium as well.
*This recipe made 2 meals for our family of 3, and we eat a LOT, so it could easily last 3 meals for the same size family!

I'm back and ready to go!

2010-02-06T14:12:00.000-06:00

I'm back, after quite awhile, actually! I have a lot of yummy recipes I've discovered and I'm going to start listing my favorite gluten free products.

I've been fighting off a sinus infection for the past 2 months, I do this every winter, it's just this winter, my body is still trying to heal from being damaged from gluten and it's been harder on me than usual. I'm tired a lot from fighting off the infection, but I'm hanging in there, waiting for Spring!! :)

I'll start posting some of my favorite recipes today, separately, so they're easy to find. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Report & Pineapple Pork Roast Recipe

2009-11-29T11:51:00.000-06:00

So I had a pretty good Thanksgiving. We went to my mom's on Wednesday and she was so awesome, calling me every few minutes to make sure everything she made was safe for me to eat. I made a sweet potato and a green bean dish and they were super yummy!

We went to Matt's grandma's Thanksgiving on Thursday and I stuffed myself, it was so good! However, that night I started feeling sick to my stomach and ended up with stomach cramps and nausea all night and the entire next day. I'm still fighting some nausea now and I'm so frustrated because I don't know how I'm supposed to eat at anybody's house anymore. I know everyone tries really hard to keep gluten out of things, but it's just EVERYWHERE. It's in everything, and unless you're living the gluten free lifestyle and you're paranoid about gluten everywhere, you'll miss gluten in things. Oh well. I learn as I go.

I'm a little bummed because I just busted our food budget again this month. We went way over last month because I didn't know what to buy and had to get some expensive gluten free items until I learned what was and wasn't safe. I've done a lot better this month, but unfortunately, gluten free foods are super expensive. We got some gluten free pizza dough mix to make pizza last night(which was awesome, by the way!), but the dough mix cost 5.50, the pepperoni 3.80, and the cheese 2.00. That's a pretty expensive meal for us, as I try to keep our meals less than 5.00. Thankfully, the pizza was huge, and I ended up putting most of it in the fridge for lunches for the next few days, so it'll last for awhile. I guess it wasn't too expensive, since it'll last us several days.

On a happy note, my little Nathan is 2 years old today!! We had his birthday with Matt's family yesterday and he got some fun new toys to keep him busy. We made our White Chicken Chili for everyone and it went over very well--they loved it! :) Seems like I just had the little guy yesterday. I can still remember bringing him home from the hospital...and now he's a 2 year old toddler, talking and interacting with us. Wow.

I tried Quinoa the other day and love it!! Matt loves it, too, and I think we'll be making it pretty often around here...it's kind of crunchy and has a really good flavor! We made pork roast with pineapple and cranberries in the crock pot and it turned out SO well!

Here's the recipe:

1 3lb boneless pork roast
2 teaspoons seasoned salt (we used garlic and onion powder and Spike seasoning)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, undrained
1 1/2 Cups chopped dried cranberries (I couldn't find any gluten free, so we used fresh rinsed cranberries)

Rub pork roast on all sides with seasonings and place in crock pot. Pour in pineapple with juice and sprinkle in cranberries. Cook for 7 hours on low. (We did 5 hours on high and it was really tender)

Super yummy!

Have a great day, I've got to work on my menu plan for next week!

White Chicken Chili

2009-11-21T12:04:00.000-06:00

Well, the last week was rough, but this week is looking up.

I got my results back from the lab and I do have a gluten sensitivity, so no gluten for me for life. The trial diet is over, it's now my permanent diet. The testing did not indicate a milk allergy, so I think I'm safe there, but it is possible I still have a slight sensitivity to milk and it may not have shown up. Next week I'm going to get my Vit D, iron, and B12 levels checked. I think I'm deficient in a couple vitamins, so I'm taking extra D and B12 right now. This would definitely explain the achiness and exhaustion I feel every day. I'm excited I at least have a starting point now. Whew!

I made the most amazing recipe last night!!! I got the recipe a year ago from a woman at my church and never made it, but I started planning my meals last week and was looking for gluten free recipes I had. The recipe is for White Chicken Chili and it didn't have any gluten, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Wow!! It's so good! I bought some Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread mix last night and we made the cornbread to go with the chili. What a hit! Here's the recipe:

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
1 lb great northern beans (dry) or canned
4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast ( I used 2 lbs)
1 T Olive Oil
2 Medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 4 oz. can chopped mild green chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken stock/canned broth
3 cups grated monterey jack cheese

Soak beans overnight in water in fridge
Cook chicken and put in crock pot or large stock pot
Add beans to chicken
In saute pan, heat olive oil
Add onions, chopped garlic, and green chilies. Saute 2 minutes
Add cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Saute 2 more minutes
Add to beans and chicken
Add chicken broth
In crock pot or on stove, cook until beans are soft (for us, 2 hours on the stove was perfect)
Top with cheese and sour cream

So so so yummy! Next week is nice because we have 2 Thanksgiving dinners and I only have to plan 3 meals. I only plan 5 meals/week because we end up eating leftovers or at a family's house a couple nights a week.

On another positive note, I bought an awesome bread machine yesterday at Bed Bath and Beyond! They didn't have it in stock, so they're shipping it to me, but it'll be at my house within 2 weeks and I can make yummy warm gluten free bread every week!! I suppose things are looking up this week, at least for today. :)

I'll post more gluten free recipes as I find more yummy ones! Have an incredible day! I know I will!

Janie

Holding it Together

2009-11-14T12:26:00.000-06:00

Some days are harder than others. For me, the past few days have been really difficult. My husband's work only has 2 assistant managers, and the other manager has had the H1N1 flu for the last several days, so Matt has had to work for him. A lot. And he's had to keep up with his classes at school and his schoolwork. In the past week, he has worked 60 hours and been at school for 12 hours. I've barely seen him and I'm so sick of it.

I've been feeling bad for several days now. I'm so tired I can hardly get out of bed in the morning. My house is a disaster and I don't have the energy to do anything. We don't have a dishwasher, so dishes are piled up the kitchen and just doing one load a day wears me out. I can't keep up.

Weeks like these make it feel like my world is coming down around me. I know it's not, and I have a lot to be thankful for, but it feels like everything is coming apart and I'm trying so hard to hold it together.

I started nursing school this fall to get my degree to become an RN. This would allow us to save up to build our own house within 8 years. However, things quickly changed as soon as I started school. I started getting sick. Everyday. I couldn't keep up with the work and I was falling behind fast. I couldn't focus or concentrate to read my books and I was having a hard time staying awake in class. I dropped my classes 2 weeks in and my dreams suddenly came crashing down on the floor. I'm stuck at home again.

So Matt tried going to school to get a degree so he could get better working hours and a better job. That's not working out so well. He's spending so much time doing schoolwork and in school, he's not able to spend enough time with Nathan and I. He's so stressed, he'd dropping to part time school next semester.

So at this pace, we won't have degrees until we're 30. Wow. Really? How on earth did this happen? We had our whole lives planned out and now nothing is going the way we'd wanted. I know nothing usually goes the way you plan, but I don't even know what to look forward to now.

I WANT to be able to go back to school.
I WANT to stop being sick and just feel normal again.
I WANT us to get good jobs and be able to save up and build or buy a beautiful house in the country.
I WANT to be able to travel with Nathan.
I WANT to have more kids someday.

How on earth do I make these things happen when I'm sick all the time, uninsured, Matt having a job with crappy hours, being stressed all the time, not having any close friends to talk to, neither of us being able to go to school full time? I just want to give up so badly.

I feel so helpless, I think that's the worst feeling right now. I like to make sure I have things under control. That's what makes me feel secure. Right now there are very few things under my control and that just makes me crazy. I really need a good day. I do have them, but they are few and far between.

For now, I have to just keep breathing in and out and try to make it through another day. I can't break. I have to keep trying desperately to hold it all together.

My song of the day: Defying Gravity by Glee Cast

My Food Problem Part 2

2009-11-09T14:08:00.000-06:00

So I'm actually feeling a bit better on my new gluten free diet. My stomach doesn't hurt like it used to and the nausea started fading a week after I stopped eating gluten. My stomach doesn't swell up anymore either, which is wonderful. I'm still exhausted, though. Not quite as much, but I get tired very easily still. And I get joint and body aches occasionally. However, from what I've read, the fatigue and aches are not caused by the gluten, but rather, from nutritional deficiencies. I'm going to have some bloodwork done soon to test for anemia, just in case my red blood count is down, too.

I'm very frustrated because I really just want to feel better now. Patience is not my strong suit and I tired of being sick. I sent in lab work last week to test for gluten and casein(milk) sensitivity, so I'll have the results back within 2 weeks and I'll have a definitive answer to what's going on with me.

On a positive note, I'm finding that eating gluten free isn't quite as impossible as I thought it might be. Emotionally, first week was bad. The second week was worse. But this past week, I've been learning to accept this a little bit more. It's painful to even watch commercials on tv that advertise pasta or pizza or cinnamon rolls because I know I won't be eating them anymore. At least not the ones they're advertising. I can always make gluten free versions of these things, but they just don't taste quite the same and I have very picky taste buds!

So far, the foods I've been surviving on are: orange juice, grilled chicken, salad w/Kraft dressing, garlic potatoes, fried rice w/soy sauce, Dinty Moore Beef Stew, Green Giant frozen veggies, carrots, bananas w/peanut butter, yogurt, Blue Bunny Ice Cream bars, Dark Chocolate Ensure, popcorn, beef taquitos, and chips w/fresh salsa. Sounds yummy, but it gets a little old when you eat the same thing every day. I'm finding new recipes, though, slowly, and I've found that I'm eating healthier than I ever have before. Most of the foods I'm eating are not processed and I'm making a lot of it myself, so I know exactly what is in everything. I'm loving fresh garlic and lemon juice, which I didn't use much before, but now I put it on everything for flavor. Delicious!

One thing I'm very concerned about is if the testing determines that I'm sensitive to casein. Casein is the protein in milk and if I do test positive, this indicates a milk allergy. This would be beyond devastating for me, because since I've got gluten free, I've actually been able to introduce some dairy back into my diet. If I cut out dairy, I can no longer have ice cream, yogurt, Ensure shakes, or even ranch dressing. I've gone through enough just trying to adjust to cutting out gluten, I'm afraid of what cutting out dairy might do to me. We'll find out the results in a couple weeks, though, so we'll see what happens. Crossing my fingers here.

On a different note, I heard a gorgeous song yesterday in a store and actually remembered the lyrics to look it up today. Sounds silly, but my brain has been so fuzzy for so long that I haven't been able to remember much of anything if I don't write it down immediately. Thank you, gluten. Anyway, the song is Falling for You by Colbie Callait and you should definitely download it.

Matt got called into work tonight because his coworker's son has the H1N1 flu, so I'm heading out to my parents to let Nathan play outside while the weather is still beautiful. My poor mom has been wracking her brain trying to find something to make that I can actually eat. It's so much harder eating at other peoples' houses.

Have a wonderful day! I know I will!

My Food Problem

2009-11-06T09:29:00.000-06:00

So I have a serious problem with food. No, I don't have an eating disorder, but I still can't eat many foods. Food makes me sick. Literally. I noticed earlier this year that I started feeling sick often and thought maybe it was because I wasn't eating healthy enough. So I started eating better, but I was still getting sick. In May of this year I became very sick and couldn't get out of bed some days. I was nauseous, exhausted, my stomach was cramping like I had the stomach flu, and my heart rate was 145 almost continually. I went to the doctor, who ran numerous tests, all coming back normal. My doctor suggested I stay away from dairy. So I did. And I got better. Kind of. My stomach stopped hurting, but I was still tired and didn't feel well most of the time.

Then, about 6 weeks ago, it got worse. I started getting full body aches and getting exhausted again. I couldn't concentrate and my brain felt fuzzy. Nearly everything I ate made me nauseous and my stomach was starting to swell up a bit after I ate. My joints ached and I felt so sick everyday. I don't have health insurance, so I started researching online to find out what was going on. I came across something I had suspected back in May. Celiac disease. It's a condition where your body does not digest gluten and it triggers an immune response, affecting your entire body. In addition, if it goes on long enough, it can cause malabsorption, leading to deficiencies in many nutrients.

It broke my spirit just reading about the condition because I had researched it before and knew what would happen if this was what I had. No more gluten. Ever. Gluten is in wheat, rye, barley, and several other grains. It may sound simple to just cut out gluten, but it's an extremely trying journey, emotionally and physically. I kept telling myself it couldn't be gluten, it just couldn't. I couldn't handle having to give up 80% of what I eat. But I kept getting sicker and I had to give it a try.

I went gluten free on October 1, 2009. It's been almost 3 weeks now and it's been the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life. And I have a 2 year old, so I know difficult! :) The first thing I did was clear out our pantry and try my best to replace everything with gluten free options. Not quite as easy as it sounds. About 90% of foods in the store contain gluten, so it's like a treasure hunt trying to find gluten free options. To make matters worse, these items are generally at least twice the price of items I usually buy, so I've blown our food budget 2 times over this month. In addition, many gluten free mixes and foods taste terrible! I am extremely picky about my food, so for the first week or two, I hardly ate anything. A lot of baked potatoes and vegetables, but nothing that actually fills me up.

I'm exhausted typing, so I will continue this later. In my next blog, I'll talk about how I'm feeling on my new diet, how I've been learning to find gluten free foods and the emotional aspect of instantly giving up things I've eaten my whole life.

Starting Out

2009-10-27T15:55:00.000-05:00

I've always wanted to blog. I suppose now is as good a time as ever to begin, so here goes! :)

I'm married to my high school sweetheart, Matthew. We just celebrated our 3 year anniversary a few months back and our son will be 2 next month. I feel like my life has become a whirlwind over the past few years and I am in so many places I never thought I would be. Matt and I always talk about how we make plans, but in reality, we rarely end up where we plan. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it requires the ability to change and accept new things, which is not my strong suit. In any case, I thought it would be a creative idea to start chronicling our lives and see what happens. I love writing and have a hard time finding a good place to write, so I will begin with this blog. Enjoy!