Gluten Free Pizza...Yum!

When I went gluten free,  I  just gave up pizza.  There are lots of from scratch GF crust recipes out there, but I had not given any of them a try. So  I was thrilled to pieces when I found Udi's GF pizza crust.  I've made pizza with this crust a number of times, always with turkey pepperoni.  But last night I made it with GF Italian bulk sausage, and it was sooooo delicious! Here are the simple ingredients I used, but you can add whatever GF toppings you like!

1 Udi's GF pizza crust
Classico Traditional Sweet Basil Pasta Sauce in the jar (or whatever GF sauce you like)
1 lb GF Italian Bulk Sausage, cooked and drained(I used Ingles Market brand...says GF right on the label :))
Mozzarella Cheese Block grated (as much as you like)

Sit out crust to thaw.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place crust on baking sheet
Cover crust with some of the pasta sauce
Sprinkle cooked sausage evenly over pizza
Grate cheese over top

Place in oven and bake according to Udi's crust directions, about 7 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted on top.  I bake mine on a Pampered Chef stone pan, and cook it about 10 minutes, just watch it closely.

Let cool, slice, and enjoy!!

Linked to Allergy Free Wednesdays http://laurasglutenfreepantry.com/

Eating Gluten Free in Blowing Rock, NC

My hubby and I made a trip up to Blowing Rock, NC this past weekend.  This was my first trip since going gluten free, and I have to say with a little meal planning and restaurant research, eating gluten free was totally doable!

We knew there was an Outback right down from our cabin, so that's where we headed on Friday night.  Outback has a separate GF menu and has become one of my go-to restaurants.  This, however, was the best GF dining experience I've had since going GF!  To start, we had an awesome waiter who was very knowledgeable about the gluten free menu and meal preparation.  I asked about the chance of cross contamination on the grill and he suggested that they could cook the chicken on foil for added safety! YEAH!  When he brought the food out, he made a point to tell me that the chef who prepared the dish has a wife with Celiac Disease!  So of course, he would know the importance of keeping everything GF!  Such a great Outback experience!

Saturday morning we ate in for breakfast....I've decided that a kitchen is a must-have for a Celiac on vacation!  What a life saver!  We stopped in at a local restaurant for hubby to grab a bite to eat, then made the short walk back to our cabin for my lunch...some of the chili beans I had prepared beforehand!

For dinner I had called a few places and asked if they had GF items and how they accommodated GF needs.  I called three restaurants and we decided to try one that said they were very careful about cross contamination for those with Celiac Disease.  When we got there however, the waiter was not sure what items were GF, and even after checking with the chef, seemed uncertain.  The GF choices were extremely limited.  So...we politely said we'd have to go somewhere else.  I think this was my first time leaving a restaurant since going GF, but I'm glad we did because we ended up at a wonderful place and had a fabulous dinner!

It's another restaurant I had called beforehand, The Best Cellar.  Our waitress was rather new, so I asked if there was a manager or someone who knew the menu well who could tell me about GF options. A waitress came out who was very familiar with the GF options, and hubby and I both decided on the filet.  It was covered with peppercorn...delicious! I ordered mine without the cream sauce.  I also asked if they cleaned their grill for GF items, she checked and said they could do that too!  For sides I had the mashed potatoes and the asparagus without hollandaise.  The meal was fabulous!!

Never be afraid to speak up for yourself and ask questions when you have Celiac Disease. It's a must, and in my experience, servers are very willing to do whatever they can to create a good experience...just always make sure you speak up politely :).

We ate in for breakfast again on Sunday.  For lunch, we wanted to try a popular place off the main street, The Village Cafe.  We previewed the menu, and I was certain I could find something gluten free.  When I asked the hostess if they had a table available, I also asked if they had gluten free items.  She said they could certainly accommodate me.  She even checked with the chef to see what soups were GF.  Once we were seated at our perfect little table on the patio, she came and said that the Black Bean and Smoked Chicken Chili was gluten free.  Since she was there, I asked her what else on the menu was safe.  Among other  items, she listed the Caesar Salad.  That made my decision easy....Soup and salad, please...without croutons, of course! :)  She even told me next time we come, to call a couple of days ahead and the chef would be sure he had some GF soups on hand!  WOW :)

What an awesome trip!  If you've never been to Blowing Rock, NC, you should definitely make the trip if you're not too far away!  Such a wonderful little town with great shops and some great gluten free options too!

Bacon & Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

I found this recipe for mashed potatoes with bacon and cheddar on Pinterest.  It looked so yummy I couldn't wait to try it!  The potatoes are so creamy, and with the addition of the bacon, cheddar and scallions...oh my goodness!  There are quite a few steps in this recipe, but they're super simple and so worth the effort!

Here's the link!  http://www.sippitysup.com/mashed-potatoes-bacon-cheddar

Linked to http://vegetarianmamma.com

Good Morning Mom! GF Breakfast & Brunch Ideas for Mom's Special Day

Mother's Day is Sunday of course, and here are a few breakfast ideas from GFSG and around the web for Mom's special day....gluten free, of course!  Here's a picture of me and my sweet kiddos last Summer...This was about 3 months before my Celiac Diagnosis.

Gluten Free Pancakes http://www.lifetimemoms.com/food-family-recipes/mothers-day-pancakes-gluten-free-recipe?cmpid=CNP_LTMAffil_LindaEtherton

Coconut Caramel Sauce http://glutenfreefix.com/coconut-caramel-sauce/2329/

Banana Pancakes http://glutenfreefix.com/3-ingredient-banana-pancakes/2403/

Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/10/pumpkin-waffles.html

Banana Cinnamon Waffles http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2012/04/banana-cinnamon-waffles-gluten-free-vegan.html

Blueberry Muffins http://www.elanaspantry.com/blueberry-muffins/

Coffee Cake Muffins http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/coffee-cake-muffins/

Strawberry Vanilla Muffins http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/04/gluten-free-strawberry-vanilla-muffins.html

Sausage Spinach Quiche http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/04/sausage-spinach-cheddar-quiche.html

Breakfast Casserole http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/02/friday-favoritesbreakfast-casserole.html

Cinnamon Sauteed Bananas http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/cinnamon-sauteed-bananas-oh-thank-you.html

Enjoy!...& Happy Mother's Day!

Linked to Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2012/05/allergy-friendly-lunchbox-love-51112.html

Tips on GF Shopping and more from the Ingles Dietician...

I thought this was a great article from inspiredrd.com featuring a Q&A with Leah McGrath, the Ingles Markets Dietician.  Thought I'd post a link to it here...great information!

http://inspiredrd.com/2012/05/gluten-free-grocery-shopping.html

Carrot Egg Scramble

I love scrambled eggs and when I found this recipe for carrot egg scramble at Raia's Recipes, I thought it was a nice twist on a classic dish.  It turned out soooo yummy! 

3-4 organic baby cut carrots grated or very thinly diced
3 tsp. milk (or a little more~about 1 tsp of milk per egg) I just estimate :)
3 eggs
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 - 1 c. shredded or thinly diced cheddar cheese
dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl with wire whisk.  Melt 1 tbsp GF butter in skillet over medium heat. Pour mixture into skillet. Cook eggs till done, stirring/flipping till cooked.

Here, I actually split the original recipe in half to make a single serving.  I made just a few other changes to the original recipe from Raia's Recipes.  Here's a link to it...

http://raiasrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/07/carrot-egg-scramble.html

Jalapeno Cheddar Grilled Cheese....my new favorite GF sandwich!

A while back I ran across this recipe for a Jalapeno Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwich at As Good As Gluten, and since then it's become my favorite GF sandwich!  WOW is it yummy!  Here's the oh so delicious link to this fabulous sandwich...

http://asgoodasgluten.blogspot.com/2012/04/jalapeno-cheddar-grilled-cheese.html

Here's what I use...
2 slices of Udi's gluten free sandwich bread 
·2 tsp butter
·3-4 slices of cheddar cheese cut from block
·as much Philadelphia Neufchatel cream cheese as you like :)
·6-10 slices of pickled jalapenos (I use Mt Olive Brand)

I will say that trying to cook the sandwich in a skillet can get a bit messy, with the flipping and all, and I've found that the cheese doesn't quite melt all the way....so I cheat a little.  I melt some butter in the pan and brown just the two slices of bread on one side.  Then I move the bread to a plate, add the ingredients (as much of each as you like) and assemble...

Spread an even layer of cream cheese on one piece of bread.  top with jalapenos, then cheese slices.  Top with other piece of bread. Then stick that baby in the microwave for about a minute ....the result....ooey, gooey cheesy goodness.  I love to dip my sandwich in a little GF Ranch dressing  sometimes too! Enjoy!


Linked to... 
Gluten Free Fridays at http://vegetarianmamma.com/
Gluten Free Wednesdays http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/

Gluten Free Strawberry Vanilla Muffins

I found a cranberry vanilla muffin recipe a while back that I've been wanting to try.  But since I'm not wild about cranberries, I though I'd use strawberries instead....and since I had some wonderful strawberries from the local farm here, I thought I'd make them this morning!  They turned out soooo yummy!

I did make a few changes to the original recipe. Here's a link to the original recipe from Once a Month Mom.

http://onceamonthmom.com/gluten-free-recipe-makeover-cranberry-vanilla-muffins/

Here's what I did...

Ingredients....

• 1 cup sorghum flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon gf baking soda
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg 
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon gluten free vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tins w/ GF butter or use paper liners  Set pan aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk the dry ingredients together well.  Mix in the wet ingredients, except strawberries until batter is smooth using a mixer.  Do not over beat.  Fold in fruit.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 full with batter.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes at 350 until muffins are done, using a toothpick or thin sharp knife to see if batter is baked through.

Linked to...
Gluten Free Wednesdays
Allergy Free Wednesdays
It's a Keeper Thursdays

GF Cookies that are just, well...awesome!

The other day I was headed out for the day and since I knew I'd be gone for a while, I stopped by the store to grab a few GF snacks to have on hand. I noticed that Enjoy Life had a variety of snacks that I had not seen before, so I grabbed a box of their Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are by far the BEST GF packaged cookies I have tried so far. They are just delicious! My kids, who aren't gluten free, LOVE them too :) I was so pleased to see they are nut free as well, so my kids can enjoy them. Here's a link to the Enjoy Life website.

http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/soft-baked-cookies/

GF Strawberry Cobbler.....yum!

Every year around here, folks wait with great anticipation for strawberry season....that's because we have a local farm here that has, by far, the BEST strawberries ever! They are just unbelievably wonderful! Well, my Dad stopped by yesterday with a fresh basket of them. I had been wanting to try a gluten free version of my go to cobbler recipe with these strawberries, so that's what I did!

What is my go to cobbler recipe, you ask? Well I'll tell you.... :) Paula Deen's awesome recipe for Peach Cobbler is one I made a lot before going GF. It's kind of your basic cobbler recipe with a few extra steps that make it extra good!! Here's the original recipe

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/peach-cobbler-recipe/index.html

Here's what I did to make a GF version :) ....

Ingredients

• 4 cups capped and sliced strawberries
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons GF butter (a GF butter stick works best)
• 1 1/2 cups GF flour mixture (See note)

The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour. Since I don't have self rising GF flour, this is what I did...I combined 1 1/2 cups Betty Crocker All Purpose GF  Rice Flour, 2 tsp Clabber Girl GF Baking Powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Put these three ingredients together in a bowl, stir well and use as you would self-rising flour. ~ Found this helpful tip online here http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-self-rising-flour-substitute-29318

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the strawberries, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a baking dish and place in oven to melt.

In a separate bowl mix remaining 1 cup sugar and flour (measure 1 1/2 cups from the flour mixture you made earlier ~ don't just throw in all the flour, as the mixture turns out being more than the recipe calls for) and then add milk slowly to prevent clumping.

Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir.

Spoon fruit on top, then gently pour in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using.

Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until done.

I used an 8x8 baking dish, and the cobbler began pouring out over the sides and making a mess, so use a larger deeper dish if possible :) Also I baked mine for about 35 minutes and it turned out great!

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with GF ice cream or non-dairy frozen dessert :)

Linked to...

Allergy Free Wednesdays http://glutenfreepantry.blogspot.com/2012/04/allergy-free-wednesdays-blog-hop-week.html

Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2012/04/allergy-friendly-lunchbox-love-4612.html

Gluten Free Wednesdays

A Celiac Update :)

I know a while back I wrote a very depressing post about going back to the Dr because I didn't feel that I was seeing any change in my symptoms....Well it hit me that I didn't really share the test results or any new news...and of course, I know you are all waiting in antipation to hear :) he he...Well just in case you are...I am happy to say the updated Celiac profile definitely shows improvement...4 out of the 5 tests fell in the negative range now and the 5th was down 30 points :) Yeah! Another test did show that I have low vitamin D, so I take a D supplement now :)Glad to report that as of last week, I have seen a definite improvement in my symptoms! And just in case you're wondering, April 2 will mark 5 months since diagnosis and the start of my GF life :) So, if you're not seeing improvement yet, just hang in there :)

GF "Smothered" Nachos

One of my favorite Southern Living recipes before going GF was the Smothered Enchiladas. Here's the original recipe from Southern Living http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/smothered-enchiladas-10000001033063/

I found this recipe again when I was going through some things recently and saw how easy it would be to make it gluten free with just a little tweaking! To make it even easier, I just threw all the ingredients together the other night and served it with nachos...turned out tasty!

Here's the recipe...

1 pounds ground beef

1-2 tbsp taco seasoning recipe I use this one http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreemixes/r/gftacoseasoning.htm

Mt Olive diced jalapenos

1 container Pacific Natural Foods GF cream of chicken soup

1 8 oz. sour cream

1-2 cups Cheddar cheese grated

GF nachos

GF Salsa

Brown ground beef in a large skillet until is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in taco seasoning and cook on low till combined; set aside.

Stir together soup, sour cream, and some diced jalapenos...careful, adding too many will make it spicy!

Pour half of soup mixture into a small baking dish.

Spoon beef mixture evenly over soup mixture.

Top evenly with remaining soup mixture and cheese.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Once cheese is melted, cover with foil for a bit so cheese won't burn. Then remove foil the last few minutes of baking.

Spoon some onto plate, pour salsa on top if desired, and serve with GF nachos.

Oh so simple... Black Bean Soup

For lunch today, I just tried this incredibly easy black bean soup recipe from Carol at Simply Gluten Free....Unbelievably simple and sooooo delicious! I did not have any fresh limes so I left the lime juice out, but it was delicious even without it! After pouring it into the bowl, I crumbled some GF tortilla chips in the soup too...

Here's a link to the recipe

http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2009/11/blender-black-bean-soup.html

Yucky week....awesome weekend!

I just realized how long it's been since I posted a recipe, or posted anything! This week Hubby and I were sick, so I didn't feel like cooking or eating much of anything! I'll get back in the kitchen next week... can't wait to try a GF version of a "lasagna" recipe from Southern Living I used to make a lot. I'll share that with you soon!

Now that we are feeling better, I am so looking forward to this weekend! I am attending the Extraordinary Women's Conference with a group of women from my church. This is a two-day conference with Christian speakers and musicians. Expecting a wonderful time of worship and I can't wait to see what blessings God has in store! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend too :)

Stuffed Peppers....oh my goodness!

I found this little gem on one of the recipe swaps last week and couldn't wait to try it out....

Of course, for me to try a recipe, it has to...

1. look delicious

2. have ingredients that I've actually heard of

3. have simple steps!

This recipe is all three! The steps really are simple, there are just quite a few of them. But don't let that scare you away... I promise you, the end result is TOTALLY worth it! ...And Hubby loved it too!

I stuck to the original recipe with a few minor changes. Instead of the cayenne pepper, I used a couple of dashes of red pepper flakes that I had on hand. I used dried minced garlic and added some salt and pepper. I grated part of a block of Monterrey Jack cheese and just diced up some jalapenos on top of the cheese.

I also got a little carried away and put the cheese and diced jalapenos on before baking the peppers instead of waiting till the last 5 minutes, but they still turned out great. Just make sure you cover the peppers while they bake. Then I just removed the foil and baked a few minutes longer.

I cut this recipe in half and still had enough filling for 6 pepper halves. I just added a little more crushed tomatoes to the meat mixture when cooking.

As always, just make sure all the brands you use are GF! 

Here's the fabulous recipe with beautiful step by step pics too!

http://mamaldiane.com/?p=1210

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to...

http://glutenfreehomemaker.com

SO Delicious is so delicious!

Have you tried SO Delicious? This frozen dessert is delightful! The first flavor I tried was Mocha Fudge....scrumptious! It's gluten free and dairy free. Another great flavor is the Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean. It's gluten free, dairy free, and soy free. Both are yummy. There have other varieties as well, but I always make sure it says GF on the labeling. So if a flavor doesn't plainly say (and even when it does :)) be sure to check the ingredients!

This post is linked to Allergy Free Wednesdays

A Recipe from Southern Living...Tarragon Chicken Salad

Our Southern Living magazine just arrived in the mail, so I thought I'd flip through and see if there were any recipes that were GF or could be made GF...sure enough, I found one! This chicken salad sounds delicious...I'll be trying it soon!

Tarragon Chicken Salad

1 tbsp butter

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's is GF)

3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (I also just checked and McCormick has dried tarragon leaves that are GF, you just have to use less if you use dried, maybe around 1 tbsp)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apples

1 cup celery diced

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

salt and pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in a small skillet over med-low heat.

Add pecans and cook, stirring constantly 6-8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.

Whisk together mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir in chicken and next 3 ingredients just until blended.

Add salt and pepper to taste

Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours.

Stir in 1/2 cup toasted pecans just before serving.

Sprinkle with remaining pecans.

This recipe is linked to...

Allergy Free Wednesdays http://glutenfreepantry.blogspot.com/2012/02/allergy-free-wednesdays-blog-hop-week-6.html

Gluten Free Wednesdays http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2012/02/gluten-free-wednesdays-22912/

It's A Keeper Thursdays http://www.everydaytastes.com/2012/03/01/its-a-keeper-thursday-recipe-project-swap-3/

Friday Favorites...Eating GF in the Outback!

These days there are many restaurants with gluten free menus. And most of the time servers are very helpful when I tell them I have a "gluten intolerance". If I do tell them I have Celiac Disease, most of the time they say they know someone with Celiac too... There are about four restaurants where I regularly go to eat gluten free, but time and again, I have had the best experience at Outback Steakhouse! They have a great gluten free menu and in my experience, a very helpful staff. Before CD, my favorite menu item was Alice Springs Chicken....and guess what? It's on the GF menu! All I have to do is substitute something in the place of the fries, which are not gluten free. Although I do miss my Bloomin' Onion, for the mostpart I can eat the same at Outback as I did before going gluten free! Love it! And believe me, I eat till my little heart is content and my tummy is stuffed! Here's a link to their great gluten free menu http://www.outback.com/menu/pdf/glutenfree.pdf

What are some of your favorite places for eating GF??

Easy No Oats Gluten Free Meatloaf

Growing up, meatloaf was one of my favorite meals and it still is. So when I went gluten free, I searched for a great gluten free meatloaf. Early on, I found this tasty recipe from glutenfreefrenzy.com http://www.glutenfreefrenzy.com/2009/10/oatmeal-meatloaf.html Just like my mom's, this one uses oats...gf, of course. I made this delicious recipe, but found I didn't feel so good afterwards. I later read that some folks have trouble with even GF oats....So I wanted to find another recipe that used a different ingredient. Enter the Pioneer Woman's Favorite Meatloaf http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/09/my-favorite-meatloaf/ which uses white sandwich bread. Substitute a little GF Udi's, and you've got a great consistency! I LOVE the addition of bacon and the topping Pioneer Woman adds to hers...I love the flavor from Gluten Free Frenzy...so why not throw my favorite parts of both together in one great dish? It turned out so delicious!!

Here's what I came up with...

Ingredients for meatloaf:
3-4 slices of GF white sandwich bread (I use Udi's White Sandwich Bread)
1 cup or more of milk
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is GF)
1/2 of an onion, diced
salt/pepper
a few dashes dried minced garlic
a few dashes dried oregano
a couple of dashes chili powder
a few dashes dried parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Ingredients for Pioneer Woman's meatloaf topping
3/4 cup ketchup
1/6 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground mustard (dry mustard)
tabasco to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put bread slices in a single layer in a small baking dish. Pour milk over them. Let bread soak for several minutes. (I also add a little extra milk and flipthe bread over once while it soaks so all the pieces get covered)

After bread has soaked for several minutes, remove from milk. Combine bread, meat and all other ingredients for meatloaf in a separate large bowl.

Wash hands well, and mix all ingredients with hands till combined.

Shape into a loaf and put on broiler pan or put into meatloaf loaf pan. If using a broiler pan, Pioneer Woman suggests lining the bottom pan with foil for easy clean up! I didn't line the pan the first time I did this and, oh my goodness.....just line the pan :)

For sauce topping combine ingredients in small bowl and stir together until combined. Spoon out enough to cover the top of the meatloaf into a separate cup and reserve the rest for later...

Bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, coat meatloaf with more of the delicious sauce...NO DOUBLE DIPPING :) ~You should still have a little sauce left for topping the meatloaf when it is served, which is oh so yummy!~

Bake for 15-20 more minutes until done. And I highly recommend using a loaf pain with a draining piece at the bottom. This helps keep your meatloaf from sitting in all the grease as it cooks.  I love this one from Temptations...(yes I'm a QVC junkie :))

Slice and enjoy! Don't forget to use your extra sauce...delicious!

Serve w/ your favorite side...some of my favorites...mashed potatoes, oven steak fries, orange spiced sweet potatoes, or spiced apples :)

Linked to Gluten Free Wednesdays at glutenfreehomemaker.com

Super Easy Chicken Casserole....

One Christmas, my aunt put together all my Grandmother's recipes in a book and gave it to me.... What a special gift. I found a simple and delicious chicken casserole recipe in there and I made it a lot before going gluten free. With just a few changes, here is my GF version....

Ingredients:

2 cooked chicken breasts diced

1 container Pacific Organic Gluten Free condensed cream of chicken soup

8 oz sour cream

salt & pepper

Onion powder

GF chicken broth

GF Brown rice

Combine cooked chicken, soup, sour cream,

a few dashes of salt, pepper and just a sprinkle of onion powder

Pour in a little chicken broth a little at a time and stir (don't make it too soupy)

Pour into baking dish.

Cook at 350 degrees uncovered for 40 minutes or until heated through.

Prepare rice according to directions and spoon casserole over rice.

Enjoy!

Linked to Make It Gluten Free Tuesdays at http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/

Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole

I love breakfast casserole. It is my favorite breakfast dish ever. But every time I tried to make it myself, I never could get it quite right. That was until my cousin shared her breakfast casserole recipe with me. It's delicious! Here's the recipe GF!

2-3 slices of GF bread (I use Udi's GF white sandwich bread and may use 4 pieces, since they are smaller than the regular loaves)

1 lb GF bulk sausage, browned and broken up (I use Ingles Markets Gluten Free Italian Bulk Sausage)

1 cup shredded cheese

6 eggs

2 cups milk

Tear bread into pieces and place in bottom of baking dish.

Sprinkle cooked sausage over bread.
Sprinkle grated cheese over sausage.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk together.

Pour over bread, sausage, and cheese.

Refrigerate. You could refrigerate overnight and cook for breakfast. I have also put this together in the morning, refrigerated it all day and cooked it for supper.

Cook for 1 hr @350. (I usually cook it about 5 minutes longer, just keep an eye on it till it's done)

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to...

Gluten Free Wednesdays http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2012/02/gluten-free-wednesdays-2-22-12/

Frustration....

That's what I'm feeling. As of today I have been GF for 3 1/2 months. As I have written before, the beginning of all this was very scary for me, but I accepted Celiac Disease and moved on, finding great GF recipes and learning that this was very doable....But now I'm feeling the same fear and frustration I felt in the beginning....I expected a complete turn around once going GF...no more "issues", more energy, a whole new me....that hasn't happened. I have not cheated, not once...and while I have noticed some difference, the same "issues" are still there. I went to the Dr yesterday to see if we could figure this out, and he tells me he's only ever had one person for whom the GF diet didn't work...frustration. We talked about what it could be, he ordered some tests, said to try fiber....and I wait...I thought that maybe someone else might be going through this too??

Friday Favorites...GF Storage

Recently, a few different GF bloggers have shown their pantries neatly organized with labeled storage containers for all their flours and baking products. After seeing this, I realized that the quart size zip bags in which I was storing mine weren't cutting it! And every time I went to use them, flour got everywhere, making a huge mess....uughhh! The gift of organization is one that I do not possess...I'm a self proclaimed clutter-bug! But it was clear, I needed to do something about my flour situation! So I turned to my favorite storage containers....Lock-n-Lock!

This brings up another confession I must make to you... I am a QVC junkie...which is where I first discovered Lock-n-Lock. I love to shop the Q, Shoot, I don't even have to buy anything, I love just watching the Q~which Hubby does not understand at all!

Anyway, back to storage....One year for my birthday, Hubby surprised me with two sets of Lock-n-Lock from QVC. I don't think he had any idea how excited I would get over storage containers....To this day, it ranks as one of his best gifts ever, I was so thrilled to get them...and still use them all the time! So what better containers to use than Lock-n-Lock for my GF storage...and they work great! I actually picked up these three new containers at the grocery store, but here's the link to any Lock-n-Lock you could ever want from QVC :) http://www.qvc.com/

Loving my new gluten free lip gloss from Red Apple Lipstick!

When I went gluten free, I realized I would have to change lipsticks, as mine was not GF. I found some great lip balms...Carmex and Made On lip balm are great...but I missed wearing a color on my lips....It's like that song, "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile..." I felt like something was missing. Then thanks to the Celiac Diva, I discovered Red Apple Lipstick, who makes GF lipsticks and glosses! I recently ordered their newest shade of gloss, Brandy Candy....LOVE IT! Here's a picture of me sporting the new shade....and this was after I'd had it on for a couple of hours! Check out the website here http://www.redapplelipstick.com/ lots of great colors to choose from!

My Simply Good "Shepherd's Pie"

The other night I set out to make this recipe http://www.recipes.co.nz/baked-potato?pid=885dd5e6-d3ad-4812-ba2c-6646c8247f1f a truly "meat and potatoes" meal I borrowed from the Gluten Free Chef. I started cooking the beef, then, partly out of laziness, instead of following the recipe, I thought I'd just plop some mashed potatoes on top like a shepherd's pie. The results were fabulous! Hubby commented that he thought it was the best gluten free meal I've made so far! Here's the recipe....

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or ground chuck
1 small onion diced
1 can diced tomatoes
dried minced garlic
dried parsley
chili powder
dried oregano
onion powder~just a little for extra flavor
salt & pepper
1 small can tomato sauce

4 or 5 russet potatoes

milk 

butter or butter substitute

Directions:
Brown and break up beef with onion until beef is no longer pink.

Drain beef and return to pot.

Add diced tomatoes, a few dashes of the herbs and spices and a little tomato sauce (not the whole can) to thicken the mixture just a little, and cook over med until heated through and thickened.

I didn't measure the spices, just added dashes till it felt right and taste-tested the mixture till it tasted yummy!

Peel and dice potatoes. Put in pot and cover with water.

Sprinkle with salt & pepper

Bring to a boil and cook over med-high heat until potatoes are tender.

Drain potatoes.

In med bowl combine drained potatoes, some butter, milk (a little at a time), and salt and pepper.

Beat with hand mixer till smooth. This is another recipe I taste-test to get just right.

Put meat mixture in the bottom of baking dish. Put mashed potatoes on top and spread till smooth. Heat for just a few minutes till warm in 350 degree oven.

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to...

Gluten Free Wednesday http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2012/02/gluten-free-wednesdays-2-8-12/

GF Ideas for the Super Bowl

I have found some great looking recipe ideas for GF Super Bowl party foods lately! Thought I'd share them along with a few from this site too!


Here are some recipes I've posted before that would make yummy party treats!




GF Chili Beans http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/gf-chili-beans.html

Black Eyed Pea Dip http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2011/12/pioneer-womanzannies-black-eyed-pea-dip.html

GF Oreo Truffles http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2011/12/yummy-gf-oreo-truffles.html

GF Chili Fries http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/gluten-free-chili-fries.html

Unbelievably Fabulous Fruit Dip http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2011/11/unbelievably-fabulous-fruit-dip.html

Here are some other great looking recipes from other blogs that you might want to try for your Super Bowl gathering...

Not Your Mother's Meatballs from Stephanie O'Dea http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/12/not-your-mothers-meatballs-slow-cooker.html

BBQ Beans from As Good As Gluten http://asgoodasgluten.blogspot.com/2011/12/aunt-julies-bbq-beans.html

Caramelized French Onion Dip from Fox in the Kitchen http://www.foxinthekitchenblog.com/gf-egg-free/2012/01/recipe-caramelized-french-onion-dip/

Super Bowls Ideas and Recipes from The Gluten Free Homemaker http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2012/02/super-bowl-recipe/

Buffalo Chicken Dip from As Good As Gluten http://asgoodasgluten.blogspot.com/2011/08/healthier-buffalo-chicken-dip.html

Buffalo Chicken Dip from Sticy Gooey Creamy Chewy.

This recipe is not specifically GF. So just make sure all brands are GF. I called Texas Pete and they said all their hot sauces are GF. Be sure to check your blue cheese dressing and other ingredients too. I will cook my own chicken when I make this...as of yet I have not been able to find a GF rotisserie chicken.

http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2012/01/26/buffalo-chicken-dip-recipe/

Caramel Nut Clusters from Fox in the Kitchen http://www.foxinthekitchenblog.com/gf-recipes/gf-sweets/2012/01/happy-new-year-and-a-recipe-turtles/

Friday Favorites....King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Mixes

You are probably already familiar with King Arthur Flour's line of gluten free products. If not though, you should give them a try! I love them! The muffin mix is yummy with blueberries added in, and I have even squeezed some fresh orange juice in with the mix before too :). And the brownies....oh the brownies...they are delicious! My family is coming over for dinner this weekend and for dessert I'm planning on serving the brownies with GF vanilla ice cream and GF chocolate syrup...tasty! These King Arthur Flour mixes are certified gluten free and made in a dedicated GF facility :). They also make other mixes too :)

This post is linked to Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love at http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2012/02/allergy-friendly-lunchbox-love-19.html

Gluten Free Chili Beans

Here's my recipe for chili beans...delicious on a cold day, or any day for that matter!

1-1 & 1/2 lb ground beef or ground chuck

1/2 of a medium onion diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (the reg 14 oz size)
1 can Bush's Best Kidney Beans rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons GF chili powder
salt and pepper

Brown beef with onion until meat is no longer pink.
Drain beef and return to pot.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, chili powder and salt and pepper.

Cook over medium heat. Once soup starts to boil, you can turn it down just a bit to medium low, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 40-45 minutes

Add more salt and pepper while cooking, if desired

Ladle chili into bowls and top with cheese and sour cream if you'd like, but it's totally yummy on it's own :)

Enjoy!

PS...this chili freezes wonderfully. Just ladle chili into ziplock freezer bag about 3/4 full. Seal halfway, push remaining air from bag and seal the rest of the way. Lay flat in freezer and store till ready to eat. Thaw in refrigerator, then heat and serve.

This recipe is linked to...

Gluten Free Wednesdays at http://glutenfreehomemaker.com
Full Plate Thursday at http://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/2015/01/full-plate-thursday-1-29-15.html

This Week's Menu...

Here's my menu plan for this week...I know there are a couple of repeats from last week. I never got around to making the chicken chowder and the meatloaf...well, it was so good I couldn't wait to have it again!

Monday Chili Beans http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/gf-chili-beans.html

Tuesday BBQ pork, mashed potatoes, & spiced apples http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/spiced-apples.html

Wednesday Chicken Chowder http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/bacon-chicken-corn-chowder-from-gfe.html

Thursday Bistro Chicken, mashed potatoes & sauteed vegetables http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/bistro-chickenmade-gf.html

Friday Meatloaf, salad & sweet potatoes http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/recipe-from-pioneer-womanmy-favorite.html

http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/orange-spiced-sweet-potatoes.html

Friday Favorites....Made On Skin Care Products

One of my all-time favorite movies is The Sound of Music. The music and story are wonderful...and I've always had a crush on the Captain :) One of the most well-known songs from The Sound of Music is "My Favorite Things"...You know, "when the dog bites, when the bee stings..." Well each Friday at Gluten Free Simply Good, I'll be sharing my "favorite things". And while I'm sure the crisp apple streudel and schnitzel with noodle that Julie Andrews sang about were chock full of gluten, my favorites will be gluten free, and well, some will have nothing to do with gluten at all! :) I'd love for you to share your favorites too!

This week's Friday Favorite....Made On Hard Lotion and Skin Care Products

I had been searching for a GF lip balm and had seen Made On Hard Lotion mentioned in a few different GF blogs, and saw that they offered one. I visited the website and even contacted Renee by email to ask about her products... they are gluten free! I read in the testimonials how the Made On lotion had helped some folks with eczema. All three of my kids had eczema when they were babies, and my 18 month old still has a few patches on her sweet little feet that don't seem to want to heal. The doctor has always prescribed steroid creams and has told us to use moisturizing lotion. But I have never found a lotion that worked and always hate using the steroid creams! So I ordered the Beesilk Jr. to try for my daughter, and of course the lip balm for myself too :). I have been using the lotion on her for a couple of weeks and the patches on her feet are starting to improve, which makes me a happy Mama :) Check out the Made On website. You can read about Renee, the ingredients she uses, and see her products. http://www.hardlotion.com/gifts/

Do have a favorite GF skin care product that you love??

Spiced Apples

I LOVE this apple recipe! It comes from a great cookbook, Southern Living Everyday Menus. So easy and so delicious!!
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

8 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over med-high heat.

Add apples and remaining ingredients.

Saute 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender.

Linked to Gluten Free Fridays at http://vegetarianmamma.com 

Gluten Free Chicken and Rice Casserole

Here is one of my hubby's favorite recipes. His mom always made it and shared the recipe with me back when we were dating. He said the chicken and rice and my ranch dressing are what convinced him to marry me... :)

Anyway, the casserole is super simple. Here's the recipe made gluten free!

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breasts cooked and diced

1 carton Pacific Foods Organic Cream of Chicken condensed soup

GF instant white or brown rice uncooked (make sure it's labeled GF)

GF chicken broth (I use Swanson)

onion powder

Salt and pepper

Paprika (optional)

In medium bowl combine cooked chicken, condensed soup, about a cup and a half of rice, and about 10-12 oz of chicken broth. Stir.

You want the mixture to be soupy, as the rice will soak up the liquid while cooking, so I usually add a little more broth. And if I add too much I just add a little more rice.

Add in a few dashes of salt and pepper and onion powder . Sometimes I also add a little cheddar cheese too at this point. 

Once the mixture is combined, transfer to a baking dish. Sometimes I sprinkle just a little paprika on top before baking. It gives a nice flavor and looks pretty too :) Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes till heated through and bubbly.

This recipe is linked to...

Gluten Free Wednesdays at http://glutenfreehomemaker.com

This Week's Menu...

As much as I would like to be, I am not a very organized person. But I have found that when doing my GF grocery shopping, it helps to plan out meals for the week and have plenty of GF options on hand. I also love it when other bloggers post their meal plans for the week....So I thought I'd give it a try (I know it's already Tuesday, so I'm getting a bit of a late start, but let's consider this a trial run... :))

Tuesday: Stew Beef w/ Rice http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2011/12/gf-cream-of-mushroom-soup-yeah.html

Wednesday: Mexican Lasagna from Linda at The Gluten Free Homemaker http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2008/08/gluten-free-mexican-recipe/

Thursday: Bacon Chicken Chowder from Shirley at GFE http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/bacon-chicken-corn-chowder-from-gfe.html

Friday: Chicken & Rice Casserole, sauteed zucchini, and spiced apples http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/chicken-rice-casserole.html

http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2012/01/spiced-apples.html

Saturday: Potato Soup http://glutenfreesimplygood.blogspot.com/2011/11/potato-soup.html

Gluten Free Chili Fries

A few weeks ago, Linda over at glutenfreehomemaker.com posted a delicious looking recipe for cheeseburger fries.

Here's a link to her recipe glutenfreehomemaker.com/2012/01/cheeseburger-fries/

I made a few changes and came up with this version...gluten free chili fries....

Here's what I used....

5 russet potatoes
butter
salt and pepper
olive oil
GF taco seasoning (I used this recipe http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreemixes/r/gftacoseasoning.htm but left out the cumin, cornstarch and sugar and cut up an onion to cook with the beef instead of adding onion powder)
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 of a medium onion diced

I used Rachel Ray's basic recipe for oven steak fries here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/oven-steak-fries-recipe/index.html

But I cut the spices down and just sprinkled the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and moved them around on the cookie sheet to coat. With the flavors in the meat, I though the extra spices on the steak fries were too much...

Also be sure to grease the cookie sheet before adding the fries and other ingredients, I just greased it with Earth Balance buttery spread.

Brown and break up the ground beef with the onion till beef is no longer pink.

Drain beef and return to pot.

Add about 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning to the beef and onion and heat over medium low heat. I also added just a little water to thicken the mixture.

When the fries are done, remove from oven and spoon meat mixture on top. I did not add cheese, but you could add some cheese or cheese substitute if you'd like. We topped ours with some GF ketchup. YUM!

This recipe is linked to It's a Keeper Thursdays at http://www.everydaytastes.com/2012/01/19/its-a-keeper-thursday-recipe-project-linky-40/

Bacon Chicken Corn Chowder from GFE....

Yesterday, Shirley at Gluten Free Easily posted her recipe for Bacon Chicken Corn Chowder. It looked delicious and simple. I actually had all the ingredients, minus the corn, already on hand, so I made it for dinner last night. It was so tasty...even without the corn. Here's the recipe http://glutenfreeeasily.com/bacon-turkey-or-chicken-corn-chowder-gluten-free-dairy-free-refined-sugar-free-and-more-free/

Shirley's directions are for the microwave, but I cooked mine on the stovetop, and she gives some tips for that too. Of course, I had to cook it longer, and as Shirley suggests, add more liquid. I'm not sure if I didn't add enough stock and milk, or if I added too much chicken. I think probably a little of both, so it turned out thicker and less soupy than I intended, but regardless, it was very good!

Cheater's GF Huevos Con Chorizo....

Before going gluten free, I loved to go to the local Mexican restaurant and order the huevos con chorizo....I think I could have eaten that amazing dish 3 times a day! Chorizo sausage and eggs with jalapenos drenched in salsa, oh my goodness! Yesterday I got a craving for this delicious dish. But not having any chorizo; not knowing if I could find GF chorizo if I wanted to; and never having cooked it in my life anyway....I used what I had on hand, gluten free bulk pork sausage. I was thrilled to find it complete with a big "gluten free" label while shopping this week. I looked at a number of recipes, and basically followed this one http://whatscookingmexico.com/2008/04/13/chorizo-and-eggs/ , with a few changes. Of course, my dish didn't quite have the kick of the original with the chorizo, but it was still yummy...

Here's what I used
1 lb GF pork sausage (bulk sausage, not links) ~I have also used GF Italian bulk sausage and it gave this dish a great flavor

1 small onion diced

5 eggs

almond milk or regular milk

salt and pepper

oregano

oil or GF butter

GF salsa

GF jalapeno slices

Here's what I did

dice small onion

brown and break up sausage with the onion until sausage is no longer pink
set aside

crack eggs into medium bowl

add about 4-5 teaspoons milk (about 1 tsp for each egg)

add salt and pepper

add a few dashes of oregano

whisk together

In a separate pan, heat oil or butter on med heat.

once oil or butter is heated, pour in eggs

spoon in the cooked sausage

scramble the eggs with the sausage till eggs are done

pour egg and sausage mixture onto plate

top with jalapenos and salsa

This recipe is linked to...

Gluten Free Wednesdays at http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/

It's a Keeper Thursdays at http://everydaytastes.com/

Allergy Free Wednesdays http://glutenfreepantry.blogspot.com/2012/02/allergy-free-wednesdays-blog-hop-week-4.html

30 Great GF Blogs from celiact.com

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I felt like I'd been turned upside down and dumped in the middle of nowhere all alone...I was lost. Even though more people are being diagnosed with gluten intolerances and sensitivities, it seems even doctors don't know that much about it. Mine, as wonderful as he is, had very little advice to give. He just told me it'd be a huge lifestyle change, that there was lots of info on the web, and that I couldn't have fried chicken or beer...(I now know there is so much more to living gluten free...)

Anyway, after three days of sobbing over the unknown, I picked myself up and starting combing the internet for anything I could find on Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet. One of the first blogs I stumbled upon was adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com/ Heidi even listed her email address. Desperate to talk to someone, I sent a letter to this gluten free mom, pouring out all my feelings and fears. I was shocked when I actually received a reply! Heidi's blog made going gluten free seem doable and not so scary.

The more I searched, the more blogs I found; a huge community of gluten free bloggers... And I can say they really were and still are lifesavers for me on this gluten-free journey! I started accumulating so many great recipes and info from so many different sites, that I needed a place to keep it all together.... and that's why I started this blog, that hopefully helps someone else along the way too!

celiact.com has created a list of their top 30 gluten free blogs. There are some of my favorites on it. There are also so many more great blogs that didn't make this list. Check these out!

http://www.celiact.com/blog/2012/01/04/79-best-gluten-free-blogs-and-gluten-free-info-sites