Gluten Free Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

My mom has made Cheddar Garlic Biscuits for years, and I've always LOVED them! With just a few changes, they can easily be made gluten free! Here's the simple recipe...

Ingredients:

2 cups Gluten Free Bisquick
1 cup milk
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
about 2 spoonfuls of mayo
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine the first 4 ingredients and mix with spoon till a soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto a  baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes. (Watch carefully so they don't burn) Mix together melted butter and garlic powder.  Spoon over warm biscuits. Enjoy!

Back to School Again... Tips for Parents of Nut Allergy Kids

As a mom to three kids with nut allergies, the start of school is always a little stressful for me.  At Meet the Teacher, I always make the teachers aware of their allergies and talk about how to help them at school.  I like to also send a "Safe Snack Bag" to keep at school, just in case someone brings in a class snack for a birthday party, etc. so that my kids will have a treat they can eat :) 

Even though we have lived with nut allergies for 6 years now, as the start of school approaches, I still remind my kids about how to avoid nuts at school.  We even practice what to say if someone offers them food at school. so they'll know how to respond. 

Here is a letter I also send to my kids' teachers with a list of safe nut free foods.  It's helpful to have on hand to refer to through the year... You can find nut free lists online.  I made mine from a list I found and mainly included snacks my kids like. So these are definitely not the only nut free snacks available :) You just have to double check labels  :)

(This list is NOT gluten free, only nut free :) )

Hi,

Since ___________ is allergic to all nuts, I thought it might be helpful if you had a list 
of some snacks that are safe for him if you need snacks for class, etc. Since ingredients 
can change, we always double check labels too. He cannot have anything that contains 
nuts and we also stay away from products that have any mention of nuts 
("manufactured in a plant with nuts", "may contain nuts", etc.) We also do not let him 
eat baked items brought in from students or from bakeries.  If you ever have any 
questions please let me know :) 

Thanks for all your help!

Skittles

Hershey plain chocolate Kisses

Wonka Nerds

Laffy Taffy

Air Heads

Tootsie Pops and Tootsie Rolls

Junior Mints

Lifesaver Gummies

Smarties

Whoppers

Sweet Tarts

Dum Dum lollipops

York Peppermint Patties

Twizzlers

Starburst

Kraft Marshmallows

Oreos (Original, Name-Brand)

Chips Ahoy (Original Name-Brand)
Goldfish Crackers (Name-brand)

Cheez-its

Creamy Chicken Casserole

I've been trying to find new recipes that my picky food allergy family will eat. This has not been an easy task! But lately I've decided to just keep it simple.  I found a super easy chicken casserole recipe at allrecipes.com and changed it up just a bit.  It turned out wonderfully! And even better the kids and Hubby LOVED it!

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breast cooked and diced.

1 carton Pacific Foods Gluten Free Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

1 8 oz sour cream

I small onion diced

frozen green peas

shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

instant gluten free rice

Directions:
Combine chicken, soup, sour cream and onion. Stir till well mixed.

Fold in a small amount of frozen green peas, as many as you like.

Pour mixture into greased baking dish and top with shredded cheddar.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve over cooked gluten free rice.

**I usually double this recipe so I'll have plenty for leftovers :)

Dr. Pepper Pie

My kids LOVE this simple pie! The original recipe was for Root Beer Pie, but my son begged me to make one using Dr Pepper, and it turned out yummy! 

1 carton Cool Whip (8 oz) thawed

3/4 cup cold Dr Pepper

1/2 cup milk

1 package (1 ounce) Jello instant vanilla pudding mix

1 gluten free graham cracker crust

Directions

1. Set aside and refrigerate 1/2 cup Cool Whip for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk the Dr Pepper, milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Fold in half of the remaining Cool Whip. Spread into GF graham cracker crust.
2. Spread remaining Cool Whip over pie. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
3. Dollop reserved whipped topping over each serving; 

Holiday Parties....Keeping it Gluten Free

So the time of year is upon us...holiday parties are coming up! This is certainly a tough time for us with Celiac Disease! I've thought of a few tips that might help make it a little easier this Christmas...

Eat something before you go...
Don't go to the party hungry....Eat a yummy gluten free meal before you go. While you may still crave the glutenous treats at the party, it's easier on a full tummy!

Make your own gluten free dish to take to the party...
Make one or two of your favorite treats to take to the party. That way you know there will be something you can eat safely. :) I even make sure to go ahead and get my serving first, so there's no chance of cross contamination.  :)

Make a bee line for the fresh fruits and veggies...
Anytime I go to party, I head straight for the fresh fruits and veggies! You may have to avoid the dips that accompany them, but the simple fresh produce is your best gluten free option :)

Never be afraid to sneak a peek at labels...
If an item like chips or dip is store bought and you think there's a chance it might be gluten free...don't be afraid to take a look at the label to see if it is! Or ask the host if you can look at the container :)

"When in doubt, go without"...
Now I have heard this quote ever since going gluten free...and it's a great one! Though it may be tempting, don't take a chance on a food you're not sure of....It may be tasty now, but you'll be paying the price later...and it's sooo not worth it!

Host your own party...
One way to make sure you'll have lots to enjoy at your holiday party is to host one yourself! This one's a lot of work, but you'll be sure to have goodies you know are safe, even if other folks bring some dishes of their own :)

Hopefully these tips will help you navigate through this holiday season, taking your focus a little off the food,  so you can focus more on sharing this special season with family and friends  :)

God bless you this Christmas!

Peppermint Bark

This is the easiest dessert recipe ever, but it's soooo amazing!! Here's how you make Peppermint Bark....

Ingredients (There are only 2!!)

1 box Bakers White Chocolate
Candy Canes

Directions

Unwrap the candy canes (about 3) and place in a zip bag. Close it up and with the back of a heavy spoon ( I use my ice cream scoop) smash the candy canes to bits! This is kind of fun :)  Set aside.

In a microwaveable bowl, break apart white chocolate and microwave according to package directions till melted.

Stir the candy cane bits into the chocolate while its hot.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the wax paper and spread out in an even layer with a spatula.

Place in refrigerator for a few hours to harden.

Once hard, take bark off of wax paper and break into medium size pieces.

You can make a small batch or large batch...I usually have to make more than one recipe, it doesn't last very long at our house!

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Lasagna

Here is an incredibly simple recipe I found on Facebook for Crockpot Lasagna! With just a few changes it can be done gluten free...and it doesn't take long at all to cook, so it's great for a quick weeknight meal!

1 pound ground beef

Mueller's Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles

2 jars gluten free pasta sauce (I use Classico Tomato Basil)

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp (or more) grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef and drain. 
Spoon 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce in bottom of 4 quart crock pot. 
Mix remaining sauce with beef.
Add just a little salt and pepper. 
Place 2 uncooked lasagna noodles on sauce in crock pot.  
Spread 1/3 meat mixture on top of noodles. Spread 3/4 cup cottage cheese over meat. 
Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese. 
Add another layer of uncooked noodles (I break the noodles apart and place evenly over cheese layer)  1/3 meat mixture, the remaining cottage cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. 
Place another layer of uncooked noodles, meat mixture, and mozzarella cheese. 
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. 
Cook on low for 3 hours and check for doneness (I stick a fork in lasagna to see if noodles are soft) If needed cook an additional 30 minutes.