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