Gluten-free Beginnings

Chicken Stew

2011-12-24T17:46:00.002-05:00

I made this on Christmas Eve for a nice comfort-food meal before our Christmas Eve church events. It was also a way to make an Americanized version of a Ghanaian Christmas tradition (my daughter researched Ghana's Christmas traditions because friends of hers just had their new brother and sister adopted from Ghana arrive home on the morning of Christmas Eve this year and my daughter wanted to make something that was a Ghana tradition). I looked up a traditional Ghana Chicken Stew recipe and it did not look appetizing. So, I looked for an American chicken stew instead. Here's an adaptation of what I found.

3 cups red potatoes, cubed
3 cups carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
4 celery stalks, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
1 cup freshly chopped onion
1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 recipe of condensed cream soup
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place all items into crockpot, stir until everything is coated with the cream soup. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

**It will seem very thick initially, but as the chicken cooks, its juices will render out and create a little bit of liquid. This creates about 6 servings.

Adapted from: http://www.food.com/recipe/crockpot-chicken-stew-422135#ixzz1hUibHMGC

Mint Squares

2011-12-24T16:02:00.002-05:00

This can be made either with chocolate or with carob.

Mint Squares

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

4 eggs

1 cup Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3-4 TBSP carob powder (or unsweetenedcocoa powder) - I used Chatfield's carob powder

1 tsp. vanilla

***

3 cups confectioner's sugar

3/4 cup melted butter or margarine

4 TBSP peppermint extract (I used Simply Organic)

3-4 drops green food coloring

***

2 -12oz. bags GF chocolate chips (or whitechocolate chips if doing cocoa/chocolate-free)

7 TBSP butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.

2. Mix sweetened condensed milk andcarob/cocoa powder in a small bowl.

3. Mix sugar, butter, eggs, baking mix,carob/cocoa mixture, and vanilla with an electric hand mixer untilmixed well.

4. Bake for 33-35 minutes.

***

5. Once cake portion has cooled, mixconfectioner's sugar, melted butter, peppermint extract, and greenfood coloring.

6. Spread over cooled cake.

7. Put into freezer for about 15minutes until layer has firmed up.

***

8. Melt chips and butter in a saucepanover medium-low heat.

9. Spread over mint layer. Chill beforecutting and serving.

Tilapia Packets with Garlic Cheese Sauce for Crockpot

2011-12-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

3-4 Tilapia fillets or other white fish
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann's is gluten-free)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 Tbs. of lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Stir the sauce together (all ingredients except the fish).

2. Put a little sauce on the foil, place fillet on top and then top fillet with more sauce. Then wrap into a foil packet. Repeat with remaining tilapia and sauce.

3. Place all the packets in the crockpot, stacking them on top of each other. If using frozen tilapia, heat on high for about 30 minutes before lowering the temperature to your crockpot's low setting. Cook for an additional 4 hours until fish is flaky.

4. Since you are doing this in packets, you can also add small potatoes to your crock pot to cook, if you have room and would like potatoes with your meal. I'm choosing to serve brown rice with our fish.

Crock Pot Lasagna

2011-11-16T18:32:00.001-05:00

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 jar (24 oz) of your favorite gluten-free spaghetti sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese (I think most kinds are GF, but this one says so right on their website)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
6 Tinkyada lasagna noodle sheets
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I use Kraft in the canister)

1. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Add tomatoes and spaghetti sauce. Simmer 5 minutes and allow flavors to mix.

2. Mix ricotta cheese and one cup of mozzarella cheese in a small bowl.

3. Combine remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella with parmesan cheese.

4. Spoon 1/3 of ground beef mixture into a 5 Qt. crock pot. Break 3 dry lasagna noodles in half (or into smaller pieces if necessary) and arrange them over the beef mixture. Top with half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer of beef, noodles, and ricotta. Finish with the remaining 1/3 of beef mixture and top with the mozzarella/parmesan mixture.

5. Cover crock pot and cook on low for about 4-5 hours.

**I have found that if I cook it longer than 4-5 hours, the noodles get kind of mushy, but 4 hours is usually perfect and 5 hours is still OK; 6 hours is really kind of pushing it, though.

Corn bread

2011-09-06T18:44:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:

1/4 cup stick butter or margarine, softened
3 TBSP sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix
2/3 cup GF yellow cornmeal - Hodgson Mills is one brand
2 tsp GF Baking Powder (I use Clabber Girl)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in sour cream and milk.

2. On low speed, beat in all remaining ingredients, just until mixed.

3. Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Homemade GF Chili

2011-09-06T18:25:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:

1TBSP vegetable oil
3lbs. ground beef
salt
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4TBSP San-J wheat-free Tamari
2TBSP chili powder (more if you like more heat)
2tsp ground cumin
2tsp oregano
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 bottle (12 oz) Chili Sauce
1 1/2 cups beef stock (I use 1 1/2 cups of warm water and mix in 1 1/2 tsp. of Herb-Ox bouillon)

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil on medium-high. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Season to taste with salt.
2. Add chopped onion, peppers, and garlic. Stir for 3-5 minutes. Add tamari. Cook an additional 3 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add corn, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, chili sauce and stock.
4. Simmer for 30+ minutes, stirring occasionally.

Rice Krispies

2011-06-29T12:17:00.003-04:00

Did you know??? Have you seen??? Rice Krispies are now Gluten-free! I was just in my grocery store this week and was wandering in the regular cereal aisle because part of my family really loves Cinnamon Chex. I'm not entirely sure how it caught my eye, but those GF-labeled Rice Krispies caught my eye! We had to buy a box. My daughter was so over-the-moon excited. She had them plain yesterday morning and then added fresh blueberries to them this morning. So very exciting!

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

2011-06-29T12:06:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:
*3-4 medium sized red potatoes, cleaned and thinly sliced.
*2TBSP butter
*2TBSP corn starch
*2/3 tsp salt
*Pepper to taste
*1 cup milk
* 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Cook potatoes in large saucepan until tender. Drain.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add corn starch, salt and pepper. Stir until well blended. Add milk and 1 cup cheese. Stir continuously over medium-low heat until sauce thickens.

3. Pour cheese mixture over potatoes and stir to coat potatoes.

4. Pour into greased casserole dish or 11x7 baking pan.

5. Bake in oven at 350-degrees for 20-25 minutes.

**Makes about 4 servings.

Quinoa & Chicken

2011-06-10T19:24:00.000-04:00

*Serves 4*

1 cup quinoa

2 cups chicken broth

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips.

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp. fresh minced garlic

4 TBSP olive oil

1 zucchini, diced

1 tomato, diced (I used a can of diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained, since I didn't have any fresh tomatoes)

4 oz. feta cheese

1-2 tsp. basil

1. Rinse quinoa and place in small saucepan with chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer until all liquid has been absorbed.

2. On med-high, saute onion and garlic in 2TBSP olive oil until onion is translucent. Add chicken and cook most of the way through.

3. Remove chicken from pan, add 2TBSP olive oil, tomatoes, and zucchini. Cook until zucchini is tender. Add chicken back to pan. Add feta cheese and basil. Let flavors mix for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Serve over quinoa.

This is very yummy, very flavorful, and isn't heavy at all.

Quinoa Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2011-02-27T18:18:00.002-05:00

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup raisins
1 medium apple, cored and finely chopped
1/2 TBSP thyme
1 TBSP parsley
1 pork tenderloin
salt
pepper

1. Put quinoa and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer until all liquid has been absorbed.

2. Mix raisins, apple, thyme, and parsley into the quinoa. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cut off silver skin from the pork tenderloin. Butterfly (cut) lengthwise. Pound thin, about 1/2-1/4 inch.

4. Spread about half the quinoa mixture on the pork tenderloin. Roll pork tenderloin and tie with butcher twine in about 3-4 places.

5. Season top of tenderloin with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. On a baking sheet, cook in the oven at 375-degrees for about 20 minutes or until pork is cooked to an internal temperature of 155-degrees.

6. Slice tenderloin and serve with the extra quinoa mixture as a side and a veggie of choice.

Snickerdoodle cookies

2011-02-27T17:39:00.002-05:00

1 package (15 ounces) yellow gluten-free cake mix
1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), cut into tablespoons
1 large egg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar (see below)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375˚F. Set aside 2 ungreased baking sheets.

2. Place the cake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse once to combine. Add the butter to the processor and pulse until the mixture is crumbly, 15 to 20 pulses. Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until the dough comes together in a large ball, 10 pulses.

3. Scoop the cookie dough into 1-inch balls, roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture, and arrange 12 balls on each baking sheet, 2 to 3 inches apart. If you want crisp 3-inch cookies, press down on the balls with the bottom of a small glass to flatten them. If you prefer chewy 2 1/2-inch cookies, do not flatten the balls of dough.

4. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake the cookies until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Using a metal spatula, immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely, 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Sugar:

1. To make your own cinnamon sugar, stir 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon into 1/4 cup of granulated sugar.

Creamy Dairy-Free, Gluten-FreeTomato Soup

2011-02-05T18:22:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

1 12oz. can tomato paste
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes
3 slices of your favorite gluten-free bread, cubed with crusts cut off
1 small cooking onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP sugar
2-3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I made my own stock, but you can use herb-ox bouillon, if necessary)
salt
pepper

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, mix together tomato paste, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, 1/2 cup broth, bread cubes, and sugar. Bring to a slight bubble.

2. Pour into a blender, add olive oil, and puree. Be sure to hold the lid on tightly and remove lid slowly when finished pureeing, as the heat can cause pressure build-up.

3. Clean out your stock pot and return the puree to the pot. Add more broth slowly to desired consistency. Add less broth for a thicker soup. Add more broth for a thinner soup. Return to a boil.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can garnish with fresh basil or parsley.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

2011-01-12T10:38:00.003-05:00

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (Serves 6)

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray
1 ½ cups uncooked white rice
1 16-ounce bag frozen corn (I subbed one can of corn, drained)
2 cups (8 ounces) low-fat shredded cheese blend
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups nonfat milk
½ cup water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Put the rice, corn, cheese, chicken, and onion in a large bowl and mix together. Combine
the sugar, salt, and chili powder. Sprinkle the chili powder mixture and paprika on top of chicken mixture.

Pour the milk and water into the baking dish.

Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 1 ½ hours or until the cheese begins to bubble.

Remove foil and bake 20-30 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

US Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-21T14:47:00.005-05:00

I just want to remind you all that if you have found a gluten-free frozen turkey, or if you bought a fresh turkey and put it in your freezer, you should be pulling that out of your freezer today and starting the thawing process. The recommendation is 5 pounds per day. So, if you have a 20 pound turkey, it will take at least 4 days to thaw. If your turkey is only about 10-15 pounds, you might have a little leeway if you don't pull it out to begin thawing today, but don't forget to pull those turkeys out of the freezer and give it ample time to thaw before Thanksgiving. If it completely thaws by Tuesday, it will still be good for Thanksgiving on Thursday.

I also have some great recipes here on Gluten-free Beginnings that you might be interested in using for your Thanksgiving meal:

http://glutenfreebeginnings.blogspot.com/search/label/Thanksgiving

You can also make up your own mashed potatoes from scratch by peeling and boiling potatoes and using a potato masher. Just a tip: don't use beaters or blenders, necessarily because the starches will combine too much and make your mashed potatoes into gluey potatoes.

If you prefer mashed potatoes "easy style", Betty Crocker has her Potato Buds that are gluten-free. They even state that in large letters on their label!

Our family doesn't do a green bean casserole. We just serve a side of frozen, french-cut green beans heated with a bit of butter. But, if you want to try your hand at a green bean casserole, you can check out this recipe from Gluten Free Mommy.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Apple Crisp

2010-11-21T14:02:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Steel Cut Oats **
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples
1/2 cup white sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (McCormick is gluten-free)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir until crumbly. Press half the oat mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with sliced apples.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine white sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla. Cook, stirring, until thick and clear, 10 minutes. Pour over the apples. Cover apples with remaining crumble mixture.
4. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

**Do not eat this if you are Celiac and sensitive even to gluten-free oats.

Quinoa & Chicken

2010-11-16T17:52:00.004-05:00

I wasn't sure I wanted to try quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) a second time. The first time I tried it, it was made for us the way rice is made. It was bland and there was a LOT of it (a lot more of those left overs than anything else). It took me a long time to decide to give it a try again and actually make it myself.

I did a little looking into better ways to prepare it, came across a couple different recipes, I changed them a bit, and made my own meal.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
1 large carrot, diced into very small pieces (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 stalks of celery, diced into very small pieces (about 1/2 cup)
3 cloves garlic
2 TBSP olive oil
1-2 TBPS minced onion
parsley
salt
ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa very well in a fine mesh strainer and place in a bowl of cool water for 2-4 hours (if you are in a hurry and can't soak the quinoa for 2-4 hours, at least rinse the quinoa very well - it has saponins, a naturally occurring coating on the outside, which can give a bitter taste, if not rinsed well).
2. In a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat, cook the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the olive oil until chicken is cooked through and carrots and celery are cooked, but not mushy.
3. While the items in the skillet are cooking, drain quinoa, place in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and about 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and once water comes to a boil on high, reduce heat to medium high and simmer for about 15 minutes until all liquid has been absorbed.
4. Stir quinoa into the chicken and vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in a sprinkling of parsley just before serving.

This serves about 2-3 people. You can double the recipe for larger groups.

One recipe I saw added finely diced red and green bell peppers to the chicken, celery and carrots mixture. We left these out, as they are not a favorite item in our house.

2010 Halloween Candy List

2010-11-01T10:28:00.003-04:00

For those who are sorting through kids baskets today, here is a list I found that is pretty comprehensive for most allergens. Be careful when looking at each item on the list though. Some are "wheat-free", but not "gluten-free" - some don't contain wheat, but they contain barley malt. So, please read all the information given for the kind of candy you are researching. This list has definitely helped my daughter to have a reasonable amount of candy, but my husband is also happy that he has his own stash that my daughter and I can't touch!

http://www.anewkindofnormal.com/2010/10/halloween-2010-gluten-free-candy-list/

Potato Soup

2010-10-14T15:53:00.003-04:00

This is a recipe I got from a friend of mine. It's hearty, yet simple to prepare:

6 cups chicken stock (you can just measure out 6 cups of water and add 6 tsp of Herb-Ox bouillon if you don't have any homemade stock)
5 lb. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-2 tsp fresh garlic
1 cooking onion, chopped
bacon - Oscar Mayer is a Kraft product and will list allergens specifically on the label (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Saute onion in butter (2-4 TBSP) in a large stock pot.
2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil
3. Add potatoes & garlic
4. Simmer until potatoes are cooked
5. Mash potatoes with a potato masher until soup is creamy
6. You can add cooked/crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese to it, if you choose, or be creative with what you'd like to add to your soup.

Chicken Fried Steak with Sawmill Gravy

2010-10-06T18:36:00.004-04:00

Chicken Fried Steak*
2 thin cut t-bone steaks (or thin cut steak of your choice)
1/3 cup + 3 TBSP Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup Southern Homestyle Cornflake Crumbs
2-3 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
Crisco

1. Cut steaks into 4 equal pieces (about the size of a deck of cards).
2. In one bowl, coat steak in 1/3 cup baking mix, in a second bowl beat the egg and dredge steak.
3. Combine cornflake crumbs, 3 TBSP baking mix, and Montreal Steak Seasoning in a 3rd bowl. Coat steak in the cornflake crumb mixture.
4. Melt approx. 1/2-3/4 cups of crisco in an electric skillet at exactly 325F.
5. Place steaks in skillet and cook until both sides are crispy and internal temperature is at least 135F.

Sawmill Gravy**
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix
1/2 cup chicken broth (I just added 1/2 tsp Herb-Ox chicken bouillon to 1/2 cup warm water)
1/2 cup half-and-half
salt
ground black pepper

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan with baking mix. Cook on medium until a roux forms, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Slowly add chicken broth and half-and-half.
3. Season with salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper.
4. Stir until thick and not runny. Serve over chicken fried steak (or fried chicken).

*You can also use this recipe to make fried chicken. The best chicken to use is organic boneless skinless chicken thighs. You may need to increase the flour to 1/2 cup and increase egg to 2 eggs, depending on how many thighs you get.

**This can also be served over mashed potatoes, fries, or biscuits, too.

I served my chicken fried steak with Betty Crocker's Potato Buds and french style green beans.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2010-07-26T16:47:00.006-04:00

This is a recipe I adapted from http://www.food.com - my family loved it!

Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cut in half to create 8 chicken cutlets
1 Tbsp fresh minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup feta cheese
1 3/4 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (I used these and they worked beautifully)
2-3 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare chicken for stuffing.(You can either, slice 4 thick chicken breasts in half and make 8, or beat 4 chicken breast until thin and wide).
3. Mix bread crumbs and steak seasoning together.
4. Cook spinach in garlic and oil on top of stove until done.
5. Add in feta cheese and mix well.
6. Distribute spinach mixture onto each chicken breast.
7. Wrap chicken around mixture and secure with a toothpick.
8. Roll each breast in bread crumbs until well coated.
9. Place in glass baking dish and pour butter over them.
10. Cook for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 and serve.

**If you have extra filling left over, you can serve the extra as a side dish, but I had just enough to fill my chicken.

Stir-Fry

2010-06-08T10:17:00.003-04:00

Like my entry below stated, our family has rediscovered an enjoyment of stir-fry. There are a few ways to make a stir-fry and it's really quite easy.

Ingredients:

*1 lb. beef (we've done top round roast or sirloin), cut into thin strips or small cubes (about 1/2 inch) ***
*1 package of fresh stir-fry vegetables or frozen Birdseye Stir-fry vegetables (be sure that all ingredients are vegetables and don't contain any frozen noodles)
*1 recipe of gluten-free Teriyaki Sauce
*1/2 cup rice, uncooked

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to directions.
2. Place all ingredients into a large skillet (with lid) or a wok.
3. Heat on Medium-High heat to cook your meat through and make sure veggies are cooked.
4. Lower heat to Medium and let simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to combine.
5. Serve over rice.

***chicken or turkey can be substituted for the beef, if you prefer, just be sure to cut your meat into thin strips or small cubes and poultry must be cooked to 165-degrees via meat thermometer to be considered safe for consumption. Beef needs to be cooked to at least 135-degrees for safety, but preferably to 145 or 155-degrees.

If you like some heat to your meal, you can also create a "hot sauce" that goes well over your stir-fry:

Approx. 2 TBSP French's Spicy Brown mustard
San-J Wheat-free Tamari (amount as needed for spice and quantity)

Put mustard into a small bowl. Add a very small amount (perhaps 1/2 TBSP) Tamari to the mustard and mix well until smooth. Continue adding Tamari a little bit at a time and mixing until you reach your desired spice level and quantity. If you add more mustard, you will need to create a second bowl. Adding mustard straight to a larger quantity of the Tamari will cause the mustard to clump, instead of mixing together well.

Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce

2010-06-08T10:07:00.002-04:00

Our family used to eat a lot of stir-fry a number of years ago and then got out of doing that for a while. We've rediscovered stir-fry, now that I know about San-J Wheat-Free (and also gluten-free) Tamari. I can make my own Teriyaki sauce at home and use that with our meat and veggies and then serve it over rice.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup San-J Wheat-Free Tamari
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
2 TBSP ketchup (Heinz is gluten-free)
1 TBSP white vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions:

Mix all ingredients right before serving as the ingredients tend to separate if you mix and then leave them to sit.

A wonderful homemade pizza crust

2010-05-03T08:14:00.003-04:00

I was searching through my kitchen last night trying to figure out what to make for dinner when I thought of the idea of pizza, but I didn't have a frozen gluten-free pizza or a pizza crust mix and the last time I tried making pizza crust from scratch, it turned out to be the most awful-tasting thing ever. I went on a search for gluten-free pizza crust recipes and came across many people who raved about this recipe or that recipe. I took a look at the various ingredients and some of them called for unflavored gelatin. "I don't keep that in the house!" I thought. On to the next recipe, which called for unflavored sparkling water. "Really? That's not one of our household staples either!" On to the next recipe idea. I had all the ingredients, but really? FOUR egg whites? There had to be something a little simpler. So, I kept searching until I found this recipe*.

I substituted Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix, since that's what I had here at home, but I kept all the other ingredients the same. I don't own a pizza stone, but I used a pizza pan, or one could easily use even a cookie sheet. I just poured a very small amount of olive oil onto the pan, spread it around with my fingers, and then put the dough onto the pan. You could spread the dough with your fingers, but, although it said to knead until not sticky, I never found that state of non-stickiness. So, I sprayed a piece of waxed paper with g-f cooking spray and used the waxed paper to press the dough evenly into the pizza pan.

We topped our pizza with g-f sauce and cheese, but you could get creative and top with veggies, crumbled ground beef, or any of your other favorite toppings. Just be sure that if you choose pepperoni, you do your research for gluten-free pepperoni.

*Here's the recipe in print from the site I linked to above:

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/3 c. milk (soy, cow, or rice)
1 tsp. sugar

2 1/3 c. Gluten-free all purpose baking mix (I used Pamela's baking & pancake mix)
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp salt

2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cider vinegar

Cooking Instructions:
1. Put your pizza stone into the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat the milk in the microwave so that it is warm. Combine the milk with the sugar and yeast in a small mixing bowl. Let your liquid mixture sit and “proof” while you get the dry ingredients ready.

3. Combine the flour mix, salt and xanthan gum.

4. Add the oil and vinegar to the yeast mixture, which should have some air bubbles by now. Then add all of liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and mix well with your hands.

5. Place the dough onto a heavily floured rolling board (I use rice flour) and knead the dough for several minutes, working in the rice flour until you dough is pliable and not sticky.

6. Roll the dough out into a circle that is approximately 1/8″ thick. Move the crust to the hot pizza stone and bake at 400 degrees until the top of the crust gets just a hint of color.

7. Remove the crust from the oven. Add all of your toppings, and then put back in the oven to bake until your toppings look well done (e.g. cheese starts to brown).

Yields: 8 large slices

Homemade Nachos

2010-04-12T08:23:00.003-04:00

I was at a loss for what to make for dinner one night that was pretty quick and easy. I started out with some tortilla chips, shredded some cheese, heated in the microwave and then topped with salsa. I've gotten more and more elaborate as I've gone on and found that heating in the oven makes for even better nachos. My family has enjoyed them more and more each time I make them.

Ingredients:

1 large bag of corn tortilla chips (Tostitos and Santitas are gluten-free)
1- 8oz. brick of cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pound ground beef/turkey, browned & drained
1 jar black bean dip (Wegmans brand and Amy's are gluten free)
1 avocado, mashed*
1 jar of salsa (you can use Amy's again or pick a plain tomato salsa of your heat strength)
sour cream
refried beans

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef/turkey and then mix in black bean dip (or leave meat plain, if you prefer).
2. Spread a layer of tortilla chips onto a cookie sheet or on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Spoon half of the meat mixture onto tortilla chips. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on top of meat mixture.
3. Repeat step 2 with another layer of chips, meat, and cheese.
4. Place in 400-degree oven until cheese is melted.
5. Top with avocado, salsa, refried beans, and sour cream.

You can add or remove any of those ingredients on the list to suit your tastes. If you prefer to leave off the cheese or not melt the cheese, that's also possible. It would be a little more like tacos or a taco dip. You can even build your own plates - put out the various ingredients and have people put chips on their plate and add whatever ingredients they would like to their tortilla chips.

*If you prefer to have your avocado made into guacamole, you can make your own, or you can stir in a salsa verde to taste. Herdez is a brand that is made by Hormel, who says they list the top 8 allergens. Wegmans also makes a wonderful salsa verde. Trader Joe's has a salsa verde that is gluten-free as well.

Reuben Sandwiches

2010-03-15T09:10:00.003-04:00

My family isn't huge on having corned beef and cabbage in the traditional way (my mother-in-law calls it "boiled dinner" - not the most appetizing name). Being that I don't hold an ounce of Irish in my body, yet I'm half German, we do Reuben sandwiches on St. Patrick's Day. We still get the corned beef and cabbage (in the form of sauerkraut), but in a little different way.

Gluten-Free Reuben Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 corned beef brisket
1 can/package sauerkraut (we use the Silver Floss/Krrrisp Kraut without incident)
Swiss Cheese
Gluten-Free Thousand Island Dressing
Gluten-Free bread (we use Gluten-Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread)
McCormick Brand Pickling Spices

Directions:
1. Place Corned Beef Brisket into crock pot, fill with water to just cover the brisket. Sprinkle Pickling Spices into the water (as much or as little as you want - I use a lot because it adds fantastic flavor). Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. Remove corned beef from crock pot and thinly slice. Build your sandwich on your gluten-free bread (we have a toaster OVEN** that we place our bread slices into with swiss cheese on one side to melt - do NOT use a toaster, as the slices will be vertical and the cheese will melt into the toaster and may cause a fire or ruin your toaster). After melting your cheese, put some Thousand Island Dressing, sauerkraut, and corned beef onto your sandwich. We often will cut our sandwiches into fourths because the gluten-free bread is pretty crumbly and it's easier to pick up a smaller piece of sandwich than a larger piece.

**If you do NOT have a toaster oven, but would like to melt your cheese onto bread, you can use a small fry pan/skillet on the stove. Place your bread into the pan and your cheese on top of the bread. Put the stove burner to medium heat. Place a lid onto your pan and let the cheese melt and your bread toast.

Clam Dip

2010-01-31T18:57:00.002-05:00

My mother-in-law makes a clam dip that is fantastic and I made it the other day following her non-specific recipe amounts. I will do my best to put amounts in my recipe, but much of it is "taste-based" and you add more or less of the various ingredients depending on what tastes good to you.

Ingredients:

16-24 oz. gluten-free sour cream (Daisy is one brand that is gluten-free)
1/2 - 3/4 cup Heinz Ketchup
fresh horseradish (to taste) ***
1-2 small cans of Bumblebee canned minced clams or Snow's minced clams, drained

Mix all ingredients and serve with gluten-free potato chips (Lays is a great brand and is gluten-free).

***I used Altman's brand horseradish. I don't know whether that's a local brand or not. But, I looked at the ingredients of all the jars of horseradish and chose the jar that listed the fewest ingredients, and had nothing artificial added. This brand lists: horseradish roots, vinegar, and salt as the only ingredients. I know some are sensitive to vinegar, but this had nothing else added that would be a warning flag to me. It seems to have agreed with my digestive system, as well as my daughter's digestive system.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2009-12-11T14:44:00.001-05:00

My husband's favorite thing in the whole world is Pineapple Upside-down Cake. Since going gluten-free, we haven't made it. It's just been too troublesome and the yellow cake mixes either were too much cake or too involved to make it taste good (and ended up being too expensive to make it worth the trouble). But, Betty Crocker's Yellow Cake Mix makes it SO simple!

Ingredients:
1 Betty Crocker Gluten-free Yellow Cake mix
2 TBSP margarine or butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 8-ounce can pineapple slices, drained and halved
1 TBSP water

Directions:
1. Melt margarine in a 9x1.5 inch round cake pan (I just do this on the stove burner in the pan...use oven mitts to touch the pan as it can get hot).
2. Stir in brown sugar and water.
3. Arrange pineapple slices in the pan.
4. Prepare batter from cake mix according to the package instructions.
5. Carefully pour cake batter over the pineapples.
6. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Loosen sides, invert onto a plate. Serve warm.

Serves about 8.

Egg Nog

2009-12-08T14:22:00.004-05:00

It's getting to that time of year for Christmas products. Here are some eggnog brands that are gluten free:

Gluten free Egg Nog brands...
*Upstate Farms
*Silk Nog (soy milk, dairy-free, egg-free)
*Hood
*Ronnybrook Farms (can be found at Wholefoods and other locations - their egg nog is found in the milk section on their website and is included in their gluten-free statement of milk products)
*Byrne Dairy just wrote to me and indicated that their Eggnog AND Holiday Nog are both Gluten-free (see note below****)

If you have another brand of eggnog at your store that is not on this list, please contact the company and ask them before you consume. I could not find a statement on the websites of Land O' Lakes, Parmalat, or Borden that stated for sure that their products were gluten-free, so I did not include them in this list. The listed brands have right on their website that their products, including their eggnog flavors, are gluten-free. Always check on store brands of products. Many times a store brand label is really a national brand that has your store's name/label on it. So, perhaps ask what brand their eggnog is and you can determine in that way whether the product is gluten-free or not.

(****Dear Ms. Mansfield,
I am writing in response to your email received this morning. Both Byrne Dairy Egg Nog and Holiday Nog are gluten free. Thank you for contacting us.

Bill Byrne
VP Quality Assurance
Byrne Dairy Inc.)

2009 Halloween Candy List

2009-10-31T14:27:00.004-04:00

It's Halloween again! Here's an updated list of gluten-free candy from Surefoods Living. It was just put up a couple weeks ago, but as always, definitely double check labels and if you're in doubt, then definitely pull it out of the kids' Halloween baskets and either toss it out or give it away to someone who can eat it.

There's so much candy out there that IS ok for our GF kids these days. Halloween doesn't have to be a sad time...just explain to your child that you will separate their candy and give them the kinds they can eat and then perhaps you can take them out for a special non-candy treat in exchange for the candy they can't eat. OR, if you have some left-over Halloween candy that you passed out to neighborhood kids that is safe for your child, you can always trade them a piece of that candy for the candy they can't have.

I wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween!

Beef Minestrone Soup

2009-10-04T20:43:00.004-04:00

This recipe is from the Wegmans Menu Magazine, but we've adjusted it slightly to create a gluten-free version for our family.

About 1.5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup rice flour
2 Tbsp pure olive oil
1-2 potatoes, cubed
2-3 carrots, cut
1-2 celery stalks, cut
1-2 leeks, cut
cabbage, coarsely cut
1 zucchini, cubed
1/2 onion, coarsely cut
salt and pepper
32 oz. gluten-free beef stock (or Herb-Ox beef bouillon)
1 can (14.5 oz) gluten-free diced tomatoes
24 oz. gluten-free smooth marinara sauce
3/4 cup Schar brand Anellini Soup Pasta
1 can (15.5 oz) gluten-free garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach

You'll Need: 6-8 qt slow cooker, large braising pan

Directions:

1. Create a pan-searing flour with rice flour, pinch of salt, and dash of pepper.

2. Dust beef with pan-searing flour; pat off excess.

3. Heat oil in large braising pan (or large skillet) on MEDIUM-HIGH until oil faintly smokes. Add beef; sear 10 min until all sides are paper-bag brown.

4. Transfer beef to slow cooker; don't discard pan drippings. Add 4 cups of vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celery, leeks, onion, cabbage, and zucchini) to pan with beef drippings; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 3 min; add to slow cooker. (Any left-over veggies beyond the 4 cups can be frozen for future use or used for something else.)

5. Add stock, tomatoes, and sauce to slow cooker. Cover, cook 4 1/2 -6 hours on HIGH or 8-10 hours on LOW.

6. Add dry pasta and beans 30 minutes before end of cooking on HIGH (45 minutes before end of cooking on LOW).

7. Add spinach to slow cooker; stir to blend well. Allow spinach to lightly wilt, about 2 min.

Chicken Spaghetti

2009-08-30T18:47:00.009-04:00

This meal was a hit tonight with my family. It kind of has an alfredo taste to it, but it's neat that it's a baked/casserole-like dish. It's definitely a recipe that takes some time to put together and then bake, but it's well worth the effort. Probably something you'd want to start preparing about 2 hours ahead of when you want to eat.

Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 chicken breasts or equivalent (I used boneless skinless, but, you can use bone-in or thigh meat)

2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces

1/2 large vidalia onion, cut into small pieces

black pepper (to taste)

1/2 tsp. fresh minced garlic (or garlic powder, to taste)

1 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Double Recipe of Condensed Cream Soup

16 oz. spaghetti (I use Tinkyada's Spaghetti)

1 cup broth reserved

1. Bring chicken along with onion, carrots, pepper, and garlic to a boil in large pot of water. Simmer until chicken is cooked. Temp chicken to 165-F.

2. Save broth to boil spaghetti, but reserve one cup.

3. Hand-shred chicken once it's cool enough to handle.

4. Cook spaghetti in remaining pot of broth and drain. Set aside along with chicken.

5. Mix carrots, onion, condensed cream soup, 1 cup broth, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, black pepper in a large bowl.

6. Add drained spaghetti and chicken. Pour into a 13X9 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 4oo degrees. Top with mozzarella and bake about 10 minutes - until mozzarella is melted.

Blondies

2009-08-08T13:50:00.003-04:00

While on our vacation to the Boston area last week, we visited a Whole Foods. It was my first time going into a Whole Foods store and my first impression was that it looked like a typical supermarket. How awesome! The only difference was that it was a whole grocery store that carried products that the Nature's Marketplace within our Wegmans grocery store carry...and a whole lot more. We easily spent $60+ grabbing this item and that item off the shelves that I hadn't ever seen out our way.

One of the items we bought and just tried last night were the Namaste Foods brand Blondie Mix. I opted to make the whole package (9x13 pan) all at once rather than breaking it up into two 8x8 pans. I'm glad I did, because I think an 8x8 pan of Blondies would have been completely devoured a day later, so at least I have some for a couple of extra days.

They are super moist and really easy to make. I literally had them mixed up and in the oven in about 5 minutes. I think the only thing that I wasn't expecting was the flavor. They aren't bad tasting, just not what I remember a "Blond Brownie" tasting like. I think it might be the Arrowroot flour used in the ingredients. Again, it's not a BAD flavor, just different than I was expecting. We all love them here and we highly recommend them if you can find them. Namaste Foods has a store locator function on their website and I was able to locate stores in our area that carry some of their products. I just don't know which of their products those stores carry.

More from Betty Crocker!

2009-08-05T20:24:00.005-04:00

After tasting the yellow cake and finding it delicious and my daughter and husband giving two thumbs up to the brownies, I went online to see about gluten-free frosting. Betty Crocker is going to begin labeling their pre-made frostings as gluten-free. They have their gluten-free FAQ's HERE. What a real blessing this company has been to those of us who are living gluten-free! I can make my daughter a birthday cake that tastes good and use frosting that most kids are familiar with! How wonderful!

Betty Crocker is baking GLUTEN FREE!

2009-07-22T22:24:00.003-04:00

Well, Betty herself may not be baking gluten-free and certainly not all of their products, but apparently they have a new line of baking mix products out there that are gluten-free. Now, I have not gone looking for them in my local grocery store yet, but I certainly will be! I'm not sure how many grocery stores have come to realize that Betty is making and selling gluten-free products yet, but hopefully we'll see them around the stores soon!

If anyone finds the products and gives them a try, please let me know how they taste. I personally can't try the devil's food cake, chocolate chip cookies, or the brownies, since I am also sensitive to chocolate, so you won't find a review of those products from me, even if I can find them in the store. I really would like to give the yellow cake mix a try though, and if I find it and try it, I'll let you all know how it tastes!

General Mills is AWESOME!

2009-07-10T13:35:00.003-04:00

I posted quite a while back that Rice Chex were gluten-free, but now I have just learned that we all have a wide range of "Chex Cereal" available to us! We can also choose between: Corn Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Strawberry Chex, Chocolate Chex, and Cinnamon Chex! Just be sure to check the box at the store, as the stores may be trying to get rid of their old stock (without the "Gluten-free" banner on the front of the box). How wonderful that we now have a choice of some "mainstream cereals" available!

Boring Burger Blues?

2009-07-10T11:19:00.005-04:00

Are you getting bored with plain burgers? You can always dress it up with some cheese on top, but even that can get rather boring after a while. How about getting creative?

First off, you're going to need a bun, right? Check out The Grainless Baker. They make some really yummy hamburger buns! You can also check this site out. I haven't tried the buns, but you can order them and give them a try.

You can then get some ground beef (choose your desired fat percentage) and 1-2 TBSP of water to each pound of ground beef, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Use a 1/3 cup measure and measure out a portion for a ground beef patty. Split that portion in half, flatten half and then put some shredded cheddar cheese on top. Flatten and place the other half of the ground beef mixture onto the cheese, pinch the edges so that the cheese is INSIDE your burger. Put that burger on your grill until the internal temperature is 165F.

Some great toppings for your burger are: pickles*, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, sliced avocado, more cheese, and don't forget that Heinz Ketchup is gluten free, as well as French's mustard!

*Vlasic Pickles are gluten free. You can go to their website, click on "About Us" and then on "Q&A" to find their statement concerning their pickles being gluten-free.

Did you know???

2009-06-17T12:30:00.003-04:00

Starbucks has a gluten-free baked good! It's a Valencia Orange Cake and it's individually wrapped. All you need to do is go to a Starbucks location (most locations carry them, but you might want to call ahead, especially if it's a small shop in a mall that might not carry the full variety that a stand-alone store might), ask for a Gluten-free Valencia Cake, and pay them $1.95! I ordered mine with some orange herbal tea and it was fantastic! They do have almond slivers on the top, so if you have any nut allergies, you would want to stay away from them, but if you simply cannot have gluten, this is a wonderful item.

One thing that Starbucks has NOT done is market this product very well. So, if you like Starbucks and want to see them feature this item and market it properly, so they can increase their business among people with a gluten-intolerance or Celiac Disease, be sure to tell your local Starbucks that you would like to see them market the gluten-free products a little better. I even went onto Starbucks' website and sent an e-mail telling them that I thought they were doing a wonderful thing and that they should do more to promote their product and the fact that they are willing to cater to people with gluten sensitivities. I encourage anyone else who wants to try this product to go support Starbucks and give them YOUR feedback as well!

All In One Dinner

2009-06-02T18:12:00.003-04:00

The vague title had me intrigued. The ingredients were all things I had or could obtain fairly cheaply from the grocery store. And it sounded fairly simple to put together and cook up in the oven. I gave it a shot and the reviews were good. My family likes it. My husband said it reminded him of what you might use to stuff peppers or make stuffed cabbage. It's got a lot of substance and a lot of wonderful flavors.

Ingredients:
1 10-oz. box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 green pepper
1 onion
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup grated gluten-free Parmesan Cheese
3/4 tsp. gluten-free chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400-F.
2. Squeeze the spinach dry. Place it in a large bowl.
3. Chop the green pepper and onion into small pieces. Add them to the bowl.
4. Sprinkle ground beef into the bowl (raw).
5. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, rice, cheese, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and water. Stir well to blend, breaking up meat and spinach with the edge of a spoon.
6. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish (I used an 11x7 oblong) with non-stick spray or lightly grease with olive oil. Place the mixture in the casserole dish. Pack it down lightly, and smooth the surface.
7. Cover the casserole with an oven-safe lid or foil. Bake for 1 1/4 hours (temp should be at least 165-F).

**This recipe is from the "Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Cookbook for Kids and Busy Adults" by Connie Sarros. This cook book is a wonderful addition to my kitchen. Lots of simple recipes that use ingredients that most of us keep around the house, rather than lots of unusual or expensive ingredients and complicated assembly.

Cheeseburger Pie

2009-06-02T12:16:00.004-04:00

I've made this twice for my family. I adapted it from a recipe given to me from a friend. The first time around I had to fudge around with the proper amounts for the "bread" portion (baking mix to water ratio), but I just made it again the other night with "proper" amounts of everything and it turned out fabulous!

Ingredients:
1lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup G-F All Purpose Baking mix (I use Arrowhead Mills)
1/3 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4-1/2 cup milk (start with 1/4 and slowly add more as needed)
2 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400-F
2. Brown beef and onions, drain. Stir in salt.
3. Scoop into a greased pie pan (I use a small amount of olive oil).
4. Sprinkle cheese on top of beef mixture.
5. Mix eggs, milk, and baking mix (combined with xanthan gum). Consistency should be similar to pancake batter (not too runny, but still able to "pour"). Add milk in small amounts until desired consistency.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

***We serve this with diced fresh tomatoes and organic leaf spinach over the top with a little G-F ketchup on the side for dipping.

Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

2009-05-19T10:39:00.003-04:00

This is a recipe that was made for my daughter and me this past weekend and most of the guests enjoyed this version instead of the store-bought angel food cake (made with wheat flour). This is slightly more dense than a store-bought non-gluten-free angel food cake, but it's still very good!

Ingredients:

*1 cup gluten-free flour (recommendation was to use 1/4 cup millet flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup white rice flour, and 1/4 cup sweet rice flour, but the one made for us was made with Pamela's G-F Baking Mix)
*1 tsp Xanthan Gum
*12 egg whites, room temperature (to maximize volume of egg whites)
*1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
*1/4 tsp salt
*1TBSP vanilla
*1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Separate egg whites in a stainless steel bowl and let them come to room temperature.
3. In a separate medium bowl, sift gluten-free flour, salt, xanthan gum, and 3/4 cup of sugar.
4. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Beat until the egg whites form soft peaks. Beat in the other reserved 3/4 cup of sugar about 3 TBSP at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Slowly fold in flour mixture about 1/4 cup at a time. Once the flour mixture is combined, fold in the vanilla.
6. Slowly pour the batter into a tube pan (Bundt cake pan or similar) and spread the batter evenly. Run a knife through the cake to eliminate any air bubbles.
7. Bake for 50-55 minutes until top is golden and sides begin to pull away.
8. Cool for 10 minutes. Run the edges of a knife along the pan and pull out the insert to the tube pan (if you have one). Run a knife along the bottom of the insert and invert onto a cake plate. Serve with topping of choice!

We served ours with strawberries and Reddi-Whip...very yummy!

Some of the best cookies ever!

2009-04-28T10:42:00.003-04:00

I just got back from my weekly grocery shopping excursion and I found a "new" product stocked on the shelf. I'm not sure if it's a new product all together, or just new to my store, but I thought I'd pick up a package and give them a try. They are Pamela's Simplebites Mini Ginger Snapz (click on simplebites). So delicious! You definitely need to have will power to only eat a couple and then put the package away for another time. If you enjoy ginger snaps, these are probably the closest I've tasted to "regular" ginger snaps. Super yummy!

Homemade Split Pea Soup

2009-04-19T15:45:00.004-04:00

I must admit, I was a bit intimidated to make pea soup from scratch. I've never done it before. I know my mom has made it before and it really is good. But, we had some left-over ham and I thought I'd give it a try. It's turned out quite well. So, I'm sure I'll make it again at some point.

Ingredients:
1 package gluten-free split peas (16 oz.)
6-7 cups water
ham, cubed
ham bone
4 carrots, cut and diced
4 celery stalks, cut and diced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Prepare peas per package directions (some say to rinse and soak them first, other brands don't require soaking, but only rinsing). Mine, I rinsed well, removed any pea shells, and then just added to my water. I simmered them on medium heat in a large pot for about 45 minutes until they started getting soft.

2. Add carrots, celery, onion, cubed ham, ham bone, and pepper. Let simmer at medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove ham bone.

3. From there, I transferred the soup from the pot on the stove to my crock pot and set it on high for about 2 hours and then reduced to low. You can also just keep this on your stove on low for several hours until peas get very soft. Stir occasionally.

4. Stir before serving. Pea Soup freezes well, if you have left overs.

This recipe makes about 6 servings.

Baked Ziti

2009-04-04T11:25:00.004-04:00

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 (26 ounce) jar gluten-free spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 oz) plain diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or we used Monterey Jack cheese and that worked well)
1 package (16 oz) Tinkyada Penne Pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (you can use fresh or Kraft is gluten-free)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Boil pasta according to package directions, drain.
3. Mix together in a large mixing bowl: sauce, tomatoes, 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Pour sauce mixture over pasta and mix until pasta is coated. Pour into 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan Cheese over top. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot.

Wegmans Grocery Store Chain

2009-03-31T12:16:00.003-04:00

I know that this doesn't help the majority of the world, but if you happen to live near a Wegmans grocery store, they are wonderful with their gluten-free selections and labeling of their mainstream products that are gluten-free. Wegmans has locations in NY, PA, MD, NJ, VA and locations coming to MA. Here's a list from their website of all of their "Wegmans Brand" products that are gluten-free.

Hopefully this will be of some help to those who live nearby a Wegmans grocery store chain.

Another Yummy Nut Thin Snack

2009-03-24T09:56:00.003-04:00

I'm sure this is not the most healthy of snacks, but I've been taking Almond Nut Thins (or you could use any rice cracker) and spreading cream cheese (Philadelphia - plain cream cheese is gluten-free...it it a Kraft product) on top. Perhaps I'm a little crazy for really loving this combo, but I shared some with my daughter and she thought they were equally as yummy. She was disappointed when the cream cheese ran out. But, I have just returned from the grocery store with a new container of cream cheese and a fresh box of Nut Thins. We can go back to our snacking now.

Gluten-free Soup

2009-03-18T13:06:00.003-04:00

My daughter and I just sampled some soups from Kettle Cuisine that just showed up in our grocery store's gluten-free freezer section. My daughter tried the "Chicken Soup with Rice Noodles" and I tried the "Angus Beef Steak Chili with Beans." We give those two varieties two thumbs up (I did get a chance to sample the chicken soup, but my daughter didn't want to try the chili, since she's not a fan of beans).

Kettle Cuisine has a few other varieties of soup that I'm sure are equally as delicious. I just wanted to be sure to share this brand, since we found them to be quite yummy. The portion sizes are probably just the right size for a lunch and can be microwaved right out of the box in the bowl it comes in. It was probably a bit small of a portion to be eaten alone as a dinner meal, so perhaps serve with a gluten-free sandwich.

Yummy Snack

2009-03-18T12:07:00.003-04:00

I'm just starting out the gluten-free diet myself (my daughter has been gluten-free for nearly a year and a half now) and was looking for a snack for myself that would meet my need to "crunch" and still be gluten-free and yummy.

I bought some of Blue Diamond's Almond NutThins, sliced some Muenster Cheese on top of the crackers, popped the plate of cheese crackers in the microwave for 10 seconds until the cheese was bubbling and enjoyed. Crunchy, salty, cheesy. YUM!

Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread

2009-03-06T20:31:00.004-05:00

Here's a recipe I was sent from a friend who found this on allrecipes.com. I have yet to try it, but from the reviews on the site, it sounds like most people enjoyed it.

Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread

"Searching for recipes for a gluten-free diet can be challenging during the holidays. Here is a recipe for Irish soda bread that I have adapted over time for St. Patrick's Day. The recipe calls for rice and tapioca flour instead of wheat and it still tastes yummy! Good if wrapped and left overnight, but I think it tastes great right out of the oven. Serve with butter or jam."

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 cups white rice flour
* 1/2 cup tapioca flour
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 1 cup buttermilk (I imagine you can also do 1 cup milk + 1TBSP vinegar to sour the milk)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
2. Combine the rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and buttermilk . Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into the cake pan.
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Wrap bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let stand overnight for the best flavor.

Stuffed Cabbage

2009-02-09T13:02:00.006-05:00

Here's another light meal that my family enjoyed the other night.

Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage
1lb. ground beef
1/3 cup rice, uncooked
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce (Hunts is gluten-free)

Directions:

1. Cook up the rice; mix with uncooked ground beef.

2. Heat up electric skillet with about 1.5-2 cups of water (to cover the bottom of the pan) to about 350-degrees (or on the stove, in a large skillet, heat up to med-high). Water should be simmering. You may have to replenish the water from time to time as you are cooking the cabbage, since it steams the cabbage and may steam itself dry.

3. Carefully remove each leaf of cabbage, put a couple of spoonfuls of ground beef mixture into the center of the leaf, wrap leaf around the beef mixture, place seam-side down into water. Continue until all beef mixture is used.

4. Cover and cook until internal temperature is 165-degrees and cabbage leaves are soft

5. Serve with warm spaghetti sauce over the top.

***This can be served along with gluten-free bread or gluten-free rolls on the side.

A great meal to warm you

2009-02-02T09:02:00.003-05:00

We had this meal the other night and it was a hit. It warmed our bellies on a cold night and just made us all feel cozy warm.

Turkey and Veggies Over Potatoes

Ingredients:
~3-4 lbs. turkey meat (we prefer dark meat) cooked and shredded
-double recipe of chicken/turkey gravy (you can use the drippings of the turkey and add bouillon if needed)
-2 cans mixed vegetables, drained
-6-7 servings of mashed potatoes (we use Betty Crocker Instant)

Directions:

1. Cook up turkey and shred it by hand (or cut up if you prefer). Add to large pot.
2. Stir in gravy and vegetables. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve over hot mashed potatoes.

Homemade Guacamole

2008-12-22T10:13:00.003-05:00

Here's a simple recipe I came across for a simple homemade guacamole that can be used in the taco dip recipe, as a dip by itself, or in any number of other dishes that call for guacamole.

Guacamole Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

2 medium Ripe Avocados, halved, pitted, and removed from peel
1- 2 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Chunky Medium or Hot Salsa (Pace is gluten-free)
1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Sprinkle avocado with lemon juice.

2. Mash avocado with fork.

3. Fold in chunky salsa and sea salt.

4. Refrigerate until serving.

Here are a couple more baked goods to try!

2008-12-20T14:42:00.003-05:00

Bob's Red Mill has a couple of recipes you can try using their gluten-free oats, if you don't have a sensitivity to pure oats (grown and harvested separately from wheat). I have not personally tried these recipes, so I can't weigh in on how they turn out, or taste, but they are on my list of items I would like to try relatively soon. Although, I don't know that I'll get to them before Christmas. They have a recipe for Oatmeal Banana Bread and a recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Christmas Goodies

2008-12-18T10:14:00.006-05:00

My daughter LOVES to bake treats, especially at Christmas time. Since I'm not great in the baking department, most of our treats come from pre-mixed packages of gluten-free treats. You still get to bake, but someone else has figured out the proper ratios of flours and whatnot.

We love making the sugar cookie mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen. The only word of warning is that unlike gluten-filled sugar cookies, these ones don't roll out nicely on your counter to use cookie cutters and then lift them onto the cookie sheet. BUT, fear not, you CAN still make cookie cut-outs with this mix. Just place a bit of the dough directly onto your cookie sheet, flatten the dough with your hand, use the cookie cutter, and while the cookie cutter is still in place, clear the extra dough away from the cutter. Lift the cookie cutter and voila! you have a cookie in whatever shape you want it! Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake, and then frost or add sprinkles. And speaking of sprinkles, my grocery store just started carrying this brand of gluten-free sprinkles! We haven't tried them yet, but I was oh, so excited about them! How awesomely wonderful!

I've also used this cake recipe to make a birthday cake for Jesus...and you can just make your own frosting, or Cherrybrook Kitchen makes a frosting mix (which I've used and found to be pretty much the same thing as making my own, it just costs more because someone else has done the measuring and packaging). You can also make cupcakes from this recipe and just serve those at a Christmas party.

I plan on making some Christmas wreath cookies as well (see recipe below). They were always a favorite when I was growing up and I knew I had to make sure I figured out a way to make them gluten-free.

Christmas Wreath Cookies

Ingredients:
6 cups Nature's Path Honey'd Corn flakes
1 pkg. (approx 40) large Kraft marshmallows
1/3 cup stick margarine or butter
1 tsp. green food coloring (Both Wilton and McCormick have said their colorings are gluten free)
Red colored sugar crystals (again, Wilton and McCormick are fine)

Directions:

1. In large saucepan/pot, melt margarine or butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring.

2. Add corn flakes. Stir until well coated.

3. Using a 1/4 cup dry measure coated with cooking spray or butter/margarine, evenly portion warm cereal mixture. Using buttered fingers, quickly shape into individual wreaths. Sprinkle red sugar crystals on to resemble holly berries.

***This can also be formed into one large wreath and then served on a plate for people to cut portions from.

Gluten free baking!

2008-12-08T12:43:00.003-05:00

Wow! It's been over a month since I last posted something here! It's been busy getting ready for the holidays. I'm hoping that I can offer some great cooking and baking ideas for the upcoming holidays.

For now, here are some baking supplies that are gluten free. As always, be sure to read labels to be sure that nothing has changed in the ingredient list, but this list is from the Celiac Forum. Hopefully it will give you a good idea of what is gluten-free in the mainstream baking aisle at your grocery store!

Pot Roast

2008-11-01T16:31:00.003-04:00

I have another yummy crock pot meal to share. It's getting to be that time of year where the crock pot gets used quite often at my house.

I go to the grocery store and buy a chuck eye roast (not to be confused with a chuck roast...definitely make sure it's a chuck eye). Usually I try to make sure I'm getting something in the 1.5-2 pound range. It feeds our family of 3 quite nicely with a little bit of left-overs.

I put the roast in to the crock pot straight from the package, but you can coat it in a thin layer of olive oil and dust with some rice flour and pan sear on all sides (about 2-4 minutes on each side) just to brown the outside and seal in any juices before putting the roast into the crock pot. I add about 2 cups of water to the crock pot and two tsp. of Herb-Ox Beef Bouillon granules. Then you can add whatever veggies you would like. I usually put in baby carrots and cut up half an onion. I've also added snow peas and diced up potatoes on occasion. This really will do well with whatever veggies you would like to add.

Set crockpot to low for 6-8 hours. When I don't add potatoes to the crock pot, I will often make mashed potatoes to serve on the side.

Chuck Eye roasts are fairly fatty, but the fat makes the roast very moist and it pretty much melts in your mouth. Very yummy and simple meal!

Homemade Butternut Squash

2008-10-22T20:44:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash, 2 1/2 to 3 lbs.
2 TBSP butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 TBSP pure maple syrup (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. Cut squash in half through the stem end (top to bottom), remove seeds. Place cut sides down on baking sheet. Bake until easily pierced with a knife, 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. Spoon the flesh into a bowl. Add butter and syrup. Puree in blender. Add milk a little at a time to thin out the squash.

Cranberry Sauce from a can!

2008-10-22T20:37:00.002-04:00

Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce is gluten-free! Enjoy your cranberry this Thanksgiving!

Gluten-free Stuffing/Dressing

2008-10-22T20:22:00.003-04:00

This is another recipe that I knew I HAD to make gluten-free. It's just not Thanksgiving without stuffing (or dressing, if that's what you call it). So, I found a great recipe for homemade stuffing and just subbed gluten-free bread for wheat bread.

Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 loaf of Ener-G brown rice bread, cubed up and dried in the oven
1 stick butter
3 medium onions, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
2 cups chicken broth (you can use 2 cups of water with 2 tsp. Herb Ox Chicken Bouillon mixed in)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cube bread, spread on a cookie sheet, warm in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 250-degrees F.
2. Melt butter in large skillet and cook onions and celery until soft (10-15 minutes) then mix in the herbs, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the bread with the onion/celery mixture and chicken broth to coat. Put the bread mixture into a large greased baking pan and cover with foil.
3. Bake at 375-degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through. Remove foil and bake for about 5 minutes to brown up the top (you can even put it under the boiler for a couple minutes, if you prefer).

Pumpkin Pie and Pie Crust

2008-10-22T20:04:00.006-04:00

Last year at Thanksgiving, I was very new at doing gluten-free and I needed to make Thanksgiving as "normal" as possible, especially since we were going to my In-law's to celebrate with them. Pie is a huge thing. We had to have pie! It wouldn't have been fair to have everyone else eating a delicious pumpkin pie, while my daughter sat and watched and ate some boring cookie or something. I was on a mission to make a gluten-free pie. Our store didn't have any gluten-free pie shells, so I made my own pie shell. I didn't really know how to make something other than pumpkin pie, since I could only make a cookie-based crust (kind of like a graham cracker crust).

If you can get your hands on some gluten-free graham crackers, you can substitute those for the cookies in the crust recipe. Jo-Sef makes some really good gluten-free graham crackers.

Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients:
1 box of Pamela's Gluten-free Shortbread Cookies (or you can use the ginger cookies for a different flavor)
6 TBSP margarine, melted
2 tsp. sugar

Directions:
1. Crumb up cookies in food processor. Toss all ingredients together.
2. Press into 8 or 9 inch pie pan

Pumpkin Pie Recipe (from Libby's)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 eggs
1 can pumpkin (Libby's is gluten-free)
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 gluten-free pie crust

Directions:
1. Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in small bowl
2. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar/spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
3. Pour into pie shell
4. Bake in pre-heated 425-degree F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350-degrees F. Bake 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for two hours.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

2008-10-19T21:31:00.003-04:00

Another recipe from Kraft's recipe magazine.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes (1 1/2 pound)
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. package) Philadelphia light cream cheese, cubed
2 TBSP fat-free milk
1TBSP brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup pecans (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425 F. Cut potatoes length-wise in half; place cut sides down in foil-lined 15x10 baking pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until tender.

2. Scoop out centers of potatoes into bowl, leaving 1/4 inch thick shells. Add cream cheese, milk, sugar, and cinnamon to potatoes; mash until blended.

3. Spoon potato mixture into shells; top with nuts. Bake 8 minutes or until potatoes are heated through and nuts are toasted.

Sweet Potato Fries

2008-10-19T21:27:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Cut sweet potatoes into wedges.

3. Cover baking sheet with foil; cover foil with olive oil. Spread wedges onto foil; drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. Bake 20 minutes, flip wedges over and bake 20 more minutes. Let cool before eating.

Shrimp Pomodoro Pasta

2008-10-19T21:10:00.004-04:00

This is a recipe snagged from a Kraft recipe magazine. It's easy to make gluten-free.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette (here's one that is gluten-free, but you can also check out Newman's Own and Kraft - check the labels)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups Tinkyada Penne Pasta, uncooked
1 pound cooked, cleaned shrimp
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Kraft is gluten-free)

Directions:
1. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add dressing, onions, and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package.

2. Add shrimp to sauce; cook 2 minutes or until heated through.

3. Drain pasta; toss with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

Popcorn Balls

2008-09-24T18:07:00.003-04:00

I just found this recipe and thought this would be a GREAT one to make for holiday cookie exchanges, bring to a holiday party as a great gluten-free treat, or to just make and share with the family at home. I think this is going to be one of our holiday treats this year.

POPCORN BALLS

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter

1 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows (Kraft brand are gluten-free)

1/2 cup brown sugar

nonstick spray

prepared non-butter microwave popcorn

1 cup Craisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup mini M&M's (optional)

softened butter

Directions:

Melt butter in medium pot over low heat. Add marshmallows and brown sugar. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

Lightly coat a large bowl with nonstick spray. Add popcorn, then drizzle marshmallow mixture over popcorn and stir.

Add Craisins and nuts. Toss with a spoon. Allow to cool slightly, then add M&Ms.

Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Wash hands, smear them with softened butter and use them to form popcorn mixture into balls. Place balls on waxed paper. Leave a little space so they won't stick together as they harden.

Offer the treat to family and friends so you can all crunch away!

Melon Pops

2008-09-24T18:01:00.002-04:00

Here's a fun treat for kids to make (with adult help, of course)! You will need some popsicle molds to make them.

Melon Pops

Ingredients:

Watermelon
Fresh Fruit (grapes, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit)

Directions:

Using a blender, puree watermelon and pour into Popsicle molds.

Drop in chunks of fresh fruit, insert caps and place in freezer.

Allow Popsicles to freeze overnight.

Zucchini Muffins

2008-09-14T11:06:00.007-04:00

My mom found this recipe for gluten-free zucchini muffins and while we were visiting this weekend, we decided to give it a try. They turned out really well and even have sustained the dreaded "cool-down" and "next day eating". I've found that so many times, gluten-free baked goods tend to taste wonderfully when they come straight from the oven, but once they cool or when you go to eat them the next day, they are rather dry, crumbly, and really don't have that same flavor.

These zucchini muffins do break apart a bit when eating them, but that's only because they don't have the gluten to hold them together as much. The Xanthan Gum works a bit, but definitely not the same as gluten that you find in wheat flour. The difference between some other baked goods I've tried and these muffins is that they are MOIST! We are definitely liking them here at our house!

Zucchini Bread (Gluten-Free)

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 ½ cups freshly shredded zucchini
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ cups Gluten-Free Baking Mix (I used Arrowhead Mills)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum for each cup of flour

Shred the zucchini and chop the walnuts in a food processor and set them aside.

Use a mixer to beat the eggs and add the sugar, oil and vanilla. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Slowly pour in the flour and xanthan gum until well mixed. By hand, mix in the zucchini and walnuts. Pour into lined muffin tins and bake at 350F degrees for approximately 35-45 minutes (or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean). Let cool.

Sundaes for Dinner

2008-09-05T12:15:00.006-04:00

We had a re-creation of a State Fair idea from this summer for dinner one night. We each built our own "Sundae", but using dinner foods. This served 5 of us.

Ingredients we used:

*6-7 servings of Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes (or you can make your own mashed potatoes from scratch). Betty Crocker's boxed Potato Buds are Gluten-free.
*2 cups of gluten-free beef gravy
*1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drain grease
*8 oz. cheese, shredded (your choice...we used Monterrey Jack)
*16 oz. Sour Cream
*4-5 TBSP melted butter
*small package of cherry tomatoes
*1 onion, sliced and sauteed
*1 small package mushrooms, sliced and sauteed

Directions:
1. Prepare mashed potatoes according to the box (or boil up your potatoes and mash them). Place potatoes into individual bowls or plates that have a bit of a lip to them. Pasta bowls work nicely.
2. Prepare gravy and mix ground beef into gravy. Pour over potatoes.
3. Top your mashed potato sundaes with cheese, onions, mushrooms, butter, sour cream and top with a cherry tomato.

Enjoy your Sundaes for dinner!

Gluten-free Waffles

2008-08-19T12:38:00.005-04:00

If you have a waffle iron that has been collecting dust, or you're thinking you'll need to get rid of it because there's no way you can ever have yummy homemade waffles again on a gluten-free diet, please, pull that waffle iron out again and clean it up (gotta make sure there's no gluten-residue)! Grab yourself a box of Arrowhead Mills Gluten-free Baking Mix. There is a wonderful waffle recipe on the back of the box (although I used less liquid than they suggested because otherwise it was going to be too watery...use your best judgment and just add the liquid slowly as you're mixing). We tried it a few nights ago and it is wonderful. We couldn't tell the difference between those gluten-free waffles and the ones I used to make with regular wheat flour.

Be sure you use Canola oil or Olive oil brushed on the waffle plates between each waffle you make, otherwise the waffles will stick to the waffle iron. We just use a basting brush for that purpose. It works quite well.

If you are looking for some really yummy syrups that are gluten-free, Maple Grove Farms (go to their FAQ's to find more information about Celiac-friendly products) of Vermont makes all sorts of flavored syrups. They even have a gluten-free pancake mix available!

Start of School...Lunch Ideas

2008-08-17T21:00:00.005-04:00

My daughter will be starting school in a couple weeks and I've been trying to think of some ideas to keep things fun and new for her lunch box. Here are some ideas I've come up with:

**Bar-S Bologna rolled up, cheese sticks, cubes or slices, and a piece of fresh fruit

**Deli meat (gluten-free brands - Hillshire farms is gluten free, along with some other brands) on buttered gluten-free bread, cheese, and fresh fruit

**Peanut butter on "Nut Thins" (Blue Diamond brand), carrot and celery sticks sticks, and yogurt

**Frozen gluten-free waffles, toasted and cut into waffle sticks to dip into syrup

**Amy's frozen macaroni and cheese can be heated up and put into a thermos

Some snack ideas:

**Lay's Products are gluten-free, so you can include potato chips, Fritos, Doritos, Funyuns, Cheetos, and Tostitos in a lunch box, too. Pace Salsa and Ortega chunky salsas are gluten free. Bison French Onion Dip is Gluten-free.

**Velveeta is gluten-free (a Kraft product), so you can make Velveeta and salsa for a cheesy dip with a little zip.

**Celery or Carrot sticks and peanut butter is a wonderful snack.

**Mi-Del makes some really good cookies, as does Pamela's

**Jennies Coconut Macaroons are really yummy and gluten-free

**Kinnikinnick makes donuts! We love the cinnamon sugar kind, but they also have chocolate dip and vanilla dip, which we haven't tried yet, but I hear they are very good. They must be kept frozen until ready to microwave and serve, but we recently microwaved one and put it in a baggie for later and it was still really good.

I will add more ideas as I come up with them.

Cracker Jack

2008-08-02T14:11:00.003-04:00

Want to enjoy some Peanuts and Cracker Jack on one of these nights when the baseball game is on and have the munchies? You can have some homemade Cracker Jack and it's not too hard to throw together for a party or just for a snack for the evening!

Cracker Jack

Ingredients:
4 Quarts Popped popcorn
1 Cup Spanish peanuts
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Brown sugar
1/2 Cup light Corn syrup
2 Tablespoons Molasses
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2. Combine popcorn and peanuts in a metal bowl or on a cookie sheet and place in preheated oven.

3. Combine all remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Stirring over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil.

4. Using a cooking thermometer, bring the mixture to the hard−ball stage (260−275 degrees). This will take about 20 to 25 minutes.

5. Remove the popcorn and peanuts from the oven and, working very quickly, pour the caramel mixture in a fine stream over them. Then place them back in the oven for 15 minutes.

6. Mix well every five minutes, so that all of the popcorn is coated.

7. Cool and store in a covered container to preserve freshness.

Honey Lime Dressing

2008-08-02T14:07:00.003-04:00

For anyone who has gone to Chili's Restaurant and enjoyed their honey lime dressing, here's the recipe that you can make right at home. It's got all gluten-free ingredients, so you can enjoy it anytime you want!

Honey Lime Dressing

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/4 Cup honey
1−1/2 Teaspoon sugar
1 Teaspoon sesame oil
1−1/2 Teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1−1/2 Teaspoon lime juice

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Cover and chill.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2008-08-01T11:01:00.004-04:00

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Chicken base (can use Herb Ox chicken bouillon granules - 1/4 tsp. in 1/4 cup water)
3 cups diced Yellow Onions
2 tsp. ground Cumin
2 tsp. Chili Powder
2 tsp. granulated Garlic
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 cups Masa Harina
4 quarts Water (divided)
2 cups crushed Tomatoes
1/2 lb. processed American cheese, cut in small cubes
3 lb. cooked, cubed chicken

Directions:

1. In large pot, place oil, chicken base, onion and spices. Saute until onions are soft and clear, about 5 minutes.

2.In another container, combine Masa Harina with 1 quart water. Stir until all lumps dissolve. Add to sauteed onions, bring to boil. Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking 2−3 minutes, stirring constantly. This will eliminate any raw taste from Masa harina.

3. Add remaining 3 quarts water to pot. Add tomatoes; let mixture return to boil stirring occasionally.

4. Add cheese to soup. Cook stirring occasionally, until cheese melts. Add chicken; heat through. Makes 1 1/2 gallons or 16−20 servings.

Corn Tortillas

2008-08-01T10:57:00.003-04:00

Shauna from Gluten-free Girl has a great and easy recipe for making corn tortillas from scratch.

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2005/08/making-corn-tortillas-by-hand.html

(Masa Harina is a gluten-free item)

Chili Powder

2008-08-01T10:50:00.004-04:00

For those who are unsure of what is in commercial chili powder or can't find one in your grocery store that you like, you can make your own:

Chili Powder

3 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. red or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix well. Place in an airtight container. Adjust red pepper to taste for a hot or mild blend. This makes 2/3 cup.

Dill Potato Wedges

2008-08-01T10:43:00.003-04:00

Dill Potato Wedges

Ingredients:
7 or 8 new red potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1/4 pound butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. dried dill weed

Directions:

1. Wash potatoes well and boil until barely soft. Drain, and cut potatoes in wedges. Melt 1 stick of butter, in large frying pan (use only real butter) and saute garlic for about one minute.

2. Add potatoes and the rest of the seasonings. Pan−fry the potatoes until they are lightly brown.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2008-08-01T10:38:00.003-04:00

Broccoli−Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, fresh
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornstarch, mixed with 1 cup cold water
1 pint half and half
1 pound Velveeta (this IS gluten-free)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Steam or boil broccoli until tender.

2. Place half−and−half and 2 cups water in top of double boiler.

3. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Heat until cheese is melted. Add broccoli.

4. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl.

5. Stir into cheese mixture in double boiler and heat over simmering water until soup thickens.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

2008-07-20T16:02:00.004-04:00

Gluten-Free Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg of Mrs. Leepers rainbow rotini
1 recipe of cream soup
1 can Chicken of the Sea tuna
frozen peas, cooked - you choose how much you want to include in your recipe. You can also sub corn instead of peas, if you prefer.
salt and pepper to desired flavor (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil pasta to desired tenderness, drain.
2. Mix in cream soup, tuna, and peas/corn
3. Serve with or without salt and pepper for flavor.

Weight Watchers Yogurt

2008-07-06T09:39:00.004-04:00

My sister-in-law sent me a message saying that as she was shopping, she noticed that the Weight Watchers Yogurt is gluten-free. It's a good source of vitamin A & D, Fiber and Pre biotics and probiotics and at only 1pt or 100 calories. She said that she likes the cherry or amaretto cheesecake flavors but they come in all varieties and are fairly inexpensive.

4th of July Meal (or just a nice summer dinner)

2008-07-04T18:12:00.005-04:00

We just finished our 4th of July grilled dinner meal. It was FANTASTIC!

We had a Sirloin steak on the grill, homemade macaroni salad, and corn-on-the-cob grilled beside the steak.

Sirloin Steak

1. Choose a nicely marbled steak (you can ask for assistance at the meat counter).
2. Lightly coat with olive oil.
3. Rub on some Montreal Steak Seasoning (by McCormick) or just rub on some salt and pepper.
4. Grill to 145 degrees.
5. Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting slices from the meat to allow the juices to distribute evenly.

Corn On The Cob

1. At your grocery store (or veggie stand), check the tops of the corn (pull back the husks slightly) to make sure that the kernels are plump.
2. At home, soak the corn in water while still in the husks.
3. Place on the grill and roast for about 10-15 minutes until husks are blackened and corn inside the husks are hot.
4. Remove husks before eating (I had mine without butter on it...it was plenty sweet and flavorful).

Macaroni Salad

1. Boil 8oz. Tinkyada elbow macaroni until tender, drain and rinse with cool water until macaroni is cold.
2. Boil 2 eggs, remove shells and dice into small pieces
3. Mix 1 cup mayonnaise (Hellmanns is Gluten Free), 1 tsp. yellow Mustard (French's is Gluten-free), 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper in a small bowl.
4. Mix together macaroni, eggs, and mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle paprika on top and serve.
5. If you prefer to add onion and green pepper, just add about 1/4 cup of each to the mixture. My family just prefers not to have those ingredients in a macaroni salad, so I didn't add them.

It was a nice summer meal that everyone enjoyed!

A favorite lunch or snack

2008-06-06T09:17:00.003-04:00

My daughter used to love peanut butter on saltines in the days when she was not gluten-free. I had found these crackers that are similar in look to saltines. I bought them, but they are really expensive at my grocery store (nearly $9/box). We use them for soup and my daughter only gets two crackers per bowl of soup. I wasn't going to use them to spread peanut butter on whenever she got a craving for peanut butter crackers. It was just too expensive of a snack (or a lunch). But, she was still asking over and over for peanut butter crackers. I came across Blue Diamond's Nut Thins (we usually get the almond kind) and I thought I'd try those as a cracker substitute to spread peanut butter on. They work beautifully! And under $3 a box, I feel much better about using them. Plus, my daughter is at an age where 5-6 crackers spread with peanut butter is pretty filling if it's paired with a fruit and her standard slices of cheese she has with every lunch meal.

You can also use plain rice crackers if you prefer not to use the nut/rice crackers that Blue Diamond makes. My grocery store carries this brand of rice crisps/crackers and I just got the "natural" (plain) kind for my daughter, but they come in a variety of flavors, if you prefer a flavored cracker. I imagine they would work well with cheese slices or a gluten-free dip, such as Bison Dips, as well.

Spaghetti With Diced Tomatoes

2008-05-17T20:41:00.008-04:00

Ingredients:

gluten-free spaghetti (4 servings worth)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 small can sliced olives, drained
cheddar cheese, cubed
olive oil

Directions:
1. Cook spaghetti, drain, and mix in 2-3 TBSP of olive oil to keep spaghetti from sticking together.
2. Add tomatoes, olives, and cheese to the spaghetti, toss.

Did you know?

2008-05-11T17:39:00.003-04:00

Rice Chex are now gluten-free! Just be sure to check the front of the box. Some stores may still have some of their old boxes on the shelf. They have now switched their formula from using Barley Malt to using Molasses.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

2008-05-11T17:27:00.005-04:00

My daughter and I just tried this recipe and so far, they taste really yummy. I'll have to give another review once they cool. But, so far they haven't crumbled apart like other cookies we've tried baking from scratch.

Ingredients:

	1 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 cups rice flour 2/3 cup potato starch 1/3 cup tapioca starch 1-1/2 tsp xanthan 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup sour cream

	Instructions
In large mixing bowl beat together shortening and sugar; beat in eggs and vanilla. In medium mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture with sour cream; mix well. Cover bowl and chill bowl at least 1 hour. On rice-floured surface roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Do Not Overbake. Frost with Butter Cream Frosting. Color frosting with food coloring to desired colors.

This recipe was found at: Gluten-free Recipe Exchange

Gluten-free Hot Breakfast Ideas

2008-05-11T13:52:00.003-04:00

You can most certainly have eggs and gluten-free toast and butter. We usually add in some applesauce to round out that meal (or you can use fresh melon slices or any other fruit you'd like).

Bob's Red Mill makes a good gluten-free pancake mix and you can use real maple syrup OR you can saute up some thin apple slices with butter, sugar, cinnamon and allspice (or you can substitute nutmeg/cloves for the allspice). I'll post the recipe for that apple topping below. That's a favorite at our house. You can even add a touch of Cool Whip (made by Kraft) or Reddi Whip (in the can), if you desire - both are gluten-free items.

You can beat up some eggs and use some gluten-free bread and make some french toast as well. We prefer using the "Gluten Free Pantry bread mix" for our bread, and my daughter likes it with french toast. I'm not sure how it works with some of the other pre-packaged gluten-free breads, but you can certainly give it a try. Again, top it with real maple syrup.

You can serve these hot breakfasts with melon, strawberries, a homemade fruit salad, or applesauce (or any other fresh fruits you desire).

Recipe for Apple Topping

Ingredients:
2 medium apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 TBSP butter/margarine
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice (I sub ground nutmeg)

Directions:
1. Melt butter/margarine over low heat in small skillet
2. Mix in sugar, cinnamon and allspice
3. Add apple slices, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until apples are very tender.
4. Serve over pancakes either in addition to or instead of syrup.

**You can double or triple this recipe depending on how many people you are serving.

Some Great Gluten-free Mainstream Items and Some Other Favorite Products

2008-04-25T17:48:00.008-04:00

Heinz Ketchup is Gluten-Free (we had been getting an organic ketchup, but when we went out to restaurants, we wanted to make sure that our daughter could have some ketchup when we were out).

Many Lays products are Gluten-Free.

EnviroKids cereals are wonderful...and 3 of them are gluten-free - Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, Koala Crisp (chocolaty cereal), and Gorilla Munch (a lot like Kix, but gluten-free)!

Bar-S has many products that are gluten-free, including their bologna and hot dogs.

Bison French Onion chip dip is gluten-free (goes well with Lay's Potato chips).

French's Mustard is gluten-free.

Hellmann's Mayonnaise is gluten-free. It's listed right on the label at the bottom of the ingredient list. And more from their website: What type of vinegar is used in Best Foods® Mayonnaise? Is it gluten-free?
The vinegar used in Best Foods® Mayonnaise is distilled vinegar made from distilled alcohol and is gluten-free.

**Best Foods and Hellmann's are the same product.

Many Chicken of the Sea products are gluten free. The website link contains the items that are excluded from the gluten-free list. Be careful with many other canned tuna products...most contain vegetable broth that may contain gluten.

Rice Chex are now gluten-free.

Kraft products clearly list whether there is gluten (wheat, rye, or barley) on the ingredients list.

Gluten-free Candy list - updated Halloween 2007.

Ham with Yellow Squash

2008-04-25T17:38:00.002-04:00

Here's a fun spring or summer-time meal that's easy to make and makes good use of summer veggies.

Ingredients:

2 yellow squash
2 zucchini
about 4-5 TBSP butter or margarine
ham, cubed
1/2 cup rice, uncooked

Directions:

1. Cook the rice while preparing the rest of the dish.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter/margarine.
3. Slice zucchini and squash into thin discs, saute in the butter/margarine.
4. Add cubed ham and heat until warm.
5. Serve over a bed of rice.

Taco Dip

2008-04-06T21:54:00.005-04:00

Another family favorite:

Taco Dip

Ingredients:
1 can gluten-free refried beans
2 avocados
Lawry's guacamole mix or homemade guacamole
8 ounces sour cream
1 pound ground beef, cooked, drained, and cooled
2-3 tomatoes, diced
lettuce, shredded
1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
1. Mash avocados well and mix with guacamole mix.
2. In a 9x13x2 casserole pan, spread beans on the bottom. Layer sour cream, guacamole, ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese on top.
3. Serve with corn tortilla chips (Tostitos are gluten-free).

Meatball recipe II

2008-03-16T12:02:00.005-04:00

This is a little more flavorful and "kicked up" meatball. I've also found that it makes your house smell WONDERFUL!

Ingredients:

1 TBSP minced garlic
2 tsp. chopped parsley
1 TBSP dried basil
1 TBSP dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (can crumble Ener-G rice bread)
1 1/2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard (French's is gluten-free)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (can sub ground turkey)

Directions:

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well using your hands, making sure cheese is evenly distributed.
2. Roll mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place in 9x13 baking pan.
3. Bake at 350-degrees F for 20-25 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165-degrees F.

** We also serve these with gluten-free spaghetti and gluten-free spaghetti sauce.

Gravy

2008-03-16T11:53:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 tsp (or 1 cube) of desired Herb-Ox bouillon flavor (beef, chicken, vegetable)
2 TBSP corn starch
2 TBSP cold water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 1 cup water and bouillon to a boil, to create a broth.
2. In small bowl, mix corn starch and 2 TBSP water together to form a roux.
3. Slowly whisk roux into simmering broth. Whisk for approximately 1 minute to thicken into a gravy.

**I will use this recipe with chicken broth (or 1 cup of turkey drippings) at Thanksgiving. I've used the beef broth with meatballs as an appetizer.

Meatball recipe I

2008-03-16T11:40:00.004-04:00

This is a very simple meatball recipe and is quite basic. I've made it for spaghetti and I've also made a beef gravy recipe to serve as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (or sub ground turkey)
1/2 cup of gluten-free bread crumbs (or crumble some Ener-G rice bread)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small onion chopped
1 large egg

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400-degrees F
2. Mix all ingredients. Shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Place in ungreased 9x13 baking pan.
3. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until internal temperature is 165-degrees F.

**You can serve this over Gluten-free spaghetti (we prefer Tinkyada). Hunt's has gluten-free sauces of several different flavors, if you opt not to make your own sauce.

Turkey, Rice, and Vegetable Soup

2008-03-16T11:27:00.007-04:00

Ingredients:

1 large Turkey Breast (or you can use 2-3 chicken breasts), cooked and cubed or shredded
1 package frozen soup vegetables (or frozen mixed veggies)
4 cups water
3 tsp. Chicken bouillon granules or 3 vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 cup rice, cooked separately
Any spices, salt, or pepper that you would like to enhance the flavor (I didn't add anything)

Directions:

1. Pour water and bouillon into large pot on stove (or in the crock pot). Add turkey and soup vegetables.
2. If using a pot on the stove, simmer for 2-3 hours. If using the crock pot, set on low for 4-6 hours.
3. Add cooked rice about 10 minutes before serving to make sure it is the same temperature as the soup, but don't leave in too long, or it will overcook and get too mushy.

**This soup stores well in the fridge and reheats well for lunch the following day.

Meatloaf

2008-03-15T11:21:00.003-04:00

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lbs. ground beef (can use ground turkey, too)
1 chopped onion
1 egg
1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (if you don't have any, you can always crumble a loaf of Ener-G rice bread and freeze those crumbs)
1/2 cup Heinz Ketchup
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper, to your preferred amount for flavor

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients and put into a loaf pan.
2. Cook at 350-degrees for 30 minutes.

Pork Chop Casserole - CROCK POT

2008-03-15T11:15:00.004-04:00

Pork Chop Casserole

Ingredients:

4-6 pork chops (I use boneless, since they fit better)
3 cups water
One cream soup recipe
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup rice, uncooked

Directions:

1. Add pork chops to crock pot.
2. Combine water, soup, salt, and pepper and pour over pork
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Add rice with about 3 hours left to cook. This will soak up the remaining liquid, making it a rice casserole feeling. Adding rice at the beginning may make the rice too mushy, though.

Serve with your favorite veggie.

Quick and Easy Home Fries

2008-03-15T11:04:00.004-04:00

Quick and Easy Home Fries

Ingredients:

3 medium red potatoes, cut into tiny cubes
3 TBSP butter of margarine
salt & pepper to taste
Emeril's Rib Rub to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse potato cubes with cold water, drain well.
2. Melt butter/margarine in large skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in skillet, stir to coat with butter. Season with salt, pepper, & rib rub.
3. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook for another 10 minutes, turning frequently until brown on all sides and potatoes are tender.

Chicken Hotsy Totsy

2008-03-15T10:48:00.004-04:00

Chicken Hotsy Totsy

Ingredients

1 Small Jar Ortega Taco Sauce (you choose spice strength)
2 recipes of the cream soup
1 small bag of corn tortilla chips or Doritos
4 chicken breasts cooked and cut into bite size pieces
2 cups Colby-Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Mix Soups recipe and taco sauce together and spread on bottom of 9x13 or 11x7 baking dish. Layer tortilla chips/Doritos on top of mixture. Place chicken on top of chips and sprinkle with cheese.

2. Bake at 350-degrees F for 35-45 minutes uncovered.

Yummy Tilapia Recipe

2008-03-15T10:38:00.005-04:00

Parmesan Cheese Tilapia

Ingredients
4 Tilapia Filets
1-2 Eggs
1/2 cup Kraft grated Parmesan Cheese
Emeril's Rib Rub

Directions
1. Beat Eggs in small mixing bowl. In a second small mixing bowl, stir Parmesan Cheese and Rib Rub (as much as you desire for spice/flavor) together.

2. Dredge Tilapia filets in egg and then in cheese mixture.

3. Place fish in large fry pan/skillet and pan-fry until internal temperature of 125-degrees F is reached.

**I serve this often with rice and a side veggie. It gives the appearance of a breaded fish, but it has a much nicer flavor, in my opinion, plus it is gluten-free.

A family favorite side-dish

2008-03-11T17:42:00.007-04:00

Our family loves this Smushed Apples and Sweet Potatoes recipe. We served it at Thanksgiving (using a triple batch) and have served it with other meals as a veggie/fruit side dish.

The recipe is below:

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice (although I use nutmeg instead and it tastes great!)
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/8 cup of milk (which I omit because I prefer this less liquidy)

Directions:
1. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

2. Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Mix in the sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the apple slices, cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes, or until apples are tender.

3. Mix the apple mixture into the drained sweet potatoes along with the milk. Mix well using an electric mixer or just a fork until potatoes are mashed. I have a little gadget that I use to really blend the mixture, so it's the consistency of whipped mashed potatoes. It works really well - much better than an electric hand mixer.

My favorites...

2008-03-09T11:40:00.005-04:00

If you don't have a bread machine, you should invest in one. Gluten-free bread that is already made (frozen or not) is just pretty much inedible. I DO love to use the loaf of Ener-G Rice bread for bread crumbs, though. I just crumble it up (either by hand or in a food processor). But, my favorite Rice bread is Gluten-Free Pantry's Favorite Sandwich Bread. If you can buy a 2lb loaf bread machine, you can make this all at once (and I've found that separating the loaf into thirds and freezing 2/3 of the loaf at a time, I can get the max out of the loaf without it getting moldy).

I love Tinkyada's pasta products, but I've also gotten into Mrs. Leeper's "rainbow" rotini pasta, as well. I like to use the rotini when I'm making something like tuna noodle casserole, or something of that nature. And Mrs. Leepers also makes a line of "boxed pasta dinner" options (you know, like the Hamburger Helper). We've tried the Lasagna version and that's pretty good! I haven't given the other ones a try yet, mostly because I like to stay away from the higher sodium contents in boxed meals like that and I make more things from scratch.

My daughter loves pizza and that was one thing I've really struggled with making sure we can keep as an option. I tried making my own with different dough mixes and "from scratch" recipes. So far, the only good pizza we've found that we can make at home is Amy's Rice crust frozen pizza in our grocery's freezer section. If you follow that link, scroll down about half way. My daughter prefers the Spinach pizza rather than the cheese pizza, but I've tried both and they are both very good. The Spinach pizza actually is dairy-free as well.

For now, those are some of my favorite brands/products for meals.

Macaroni and Cheese

2008-03-04T13:03:00.002-05:00

This is a recipe I got from my mother-in-law and I tweaked it to make it gluten-free. It's very yummy and definitely much better than the gluten-free macaroni and cheese you can buy in the store.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked rice macaroni (we have used elbows or pasta shapes - both from Tinkyada)
1 serving of the Gluten-free condensed mushroom cream soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. Gluten-free prepared yellow mustard
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook macaroni to desired tenderness, drain.
2. Mix together: soup, milk, mustard, salt, and pepper
3. Pour soup mixture over macaroni and mix.
4. Stir in 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese.
5. Bake in a casserole dish (I use 11x7) at 425 degrees F until hot and bubbly.
6. Just before removing from oven, sprinkle the last cup of cheddar cheese on top and return to the oven just until melted.

An AWESOME recipe for Gluten-free cake/cupcakes

2008-03-04T12:50:00.002-05:00

We had tried the Gluten-Free Pantry's cake mix recipe earlier this fall. It was pretty dry and crumbly, but I went on the hunt for a recipe using that same cake mix, but modified to taste like "regular cake". We did a test run of it at Christmas time and it went over VERY well. I used it again for my daughter's birthday in January and no one could tell the difference. The recipe I used was from Catherine at Gluten-Free Guide. She was very helpful when I had some questions about the recipe.

This was, hands-down, the best gluten-free cake I have made. I plan on using the recipe again when my daughter goes to friends' birthday parties, but just making them in cupcake form, so all we have to bring is one cupcake.

As for frosting, I used a simple buttercream recipe using real butter, milk, gluten-free vanilla (McCormick's is safe) and powdered sugar. You can add food dye, if you would like a specific color. If you want pure white, you can use clear vanilla.

Here is the recipe Catherine posted on her blog, just in case something happens to her site:

Celebratory Cupcakes

Yellow Gluten Free Cupcakes (adapted from the Celiac Disease Delphi Forums)
1 package Gluten Free Pantry Old Fashioned cake mix*

1 package Jello vanilla instant pudding

1/2 cup sugar

4 extra large eggs room temperature

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 C orange juice

1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

*Do not follow the directions on the package

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat on high speed for two minutes.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill liners 2/3 to ¾ of the way full.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If making a cake, grease the pan first, pour in the mix and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (adapted from Domino Sugar)
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 stick (8T) of good unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons good vanilla extract
¼ cup of milk

Combine half of the sugar with the butter and beat on low speed. Add the wet ingredients and beat. Slowly add the rest of the sugar while mixing until combined. Beat on medium-high speed for at least two minutes until the frosting is smooth and creamy. If you want the frosting to be a little bit stiffer (better for decorating) add powdered sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time. Frost cupcakes with icing at room temperature.

Tip - I find if I am going to a party that cupcakes are difficult to transport already frosted. Instead I keep the cupcakes and frosting in separate Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers and then frost them quickly upon arrival. They may not be pretty but they will taste good. This recipe stood up against cupcakes made by a professional working at Martha Stewart! Making homemade frosting is key – it doesn’t take that much extra effort on your part but it will take your baked goods to the next level.

A major staple recipe at our house

2008-03-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest staples around our house before going gluten-free was Cream of Mushroom Soup. Once we went gluten-free, I wasn't able to find a gluten-free brand at my grocery store (which is really, pretty good at helping those who are gluten-free), so I looked online to see if there was a recipe to make my own. What I found was this recipe. It's very versatile and so far has worked in every recipe I've needed Cream of Mushroom Soup for. I will also post the recipe below, just in case, at some point that recipe gets removed or moved. I have also substituted vegetable bouillon for the chicken bouillon when I want something that tastes a little less "chickeny."

Oh, and in case anyone didn't know, Herb-Ox makes gluten-free chicken, vegetable, and beef bouillon.

Condensed Cream Soup

1 cup cold milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

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

Use in recipes to replace one can of cream of anything soup.

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup:
Stir in a drained 4 ounce can of mushroom pieces to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup:
Stir in 1/2 cup cooked chicken pieces to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Chicken Soup.

Condensed Cream of Celery Soup:
Stir in 1/2 cup sautéed chopped celery to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Celery Soup.