Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Ham and Pineapple Cheese Dip

Today I'm grateful for my husband. Honestly there is not enough I can say on here about him. But basically I'm grateful for who he is. He's an honest, righteous, loving, gentle, thoughtful, hardworking, funny man. He can make me laugh, even when I'm mad. He's never yelled at me (in anger) in the 7 years we've been married. He is definitely a tease, and he knows how to keep life interesting. He is a wonderful father who loves to play with his kids, but is also consistent with them. He supports me in my parenting. He loves my cooking (usually). He deals with a glutard everyday. He is one amazing man and I love him. Thanks hun!

Ham and Pineapple Cheese


This recipe was given to my by my awesome brother Alex. So thanks!

1 package of softened Cream Cheese
1/4 shredded cheese
1/4 cup crushed pineapple drained
1/4 cup chopped ham (lunch meat or bacon bits work too)
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Mix all the ingredients together and serve with nut thins or glutino crakers.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Favorite Cherry Apple Jello!

Favorite Cherry Apple Jello
1 8 oz. pkg Cherry Jello
2 cups boiling water
2 cups chilled orange juice
4-5 apples shredded
 
Boil water, mix in with Cherry Jello until dissolved.

Add orange juice. Place shredded apples in a 9x13 pan.



Pour jello mix over apples and make sure they are all covered so they don't brown.

Chill for several hours. Enjoy!


This recipe is brought to you by my wonderful mother. Given to her once again by my grandmother. I think my Thanksgiving and Christmas are very shaped by my mother and her mother.
 
Today I am grateful for my mother. She raised six of us kids with my dad and did an amazing job. Sometimes I feel like I can never accomplish all that she did with our family growing up. Most of my memories are all positive. I'm so grateful that I have her in my life as an example and as a source of wisdom and knowledge. I can ask her for advice or support and she is always willing to give it. But she also lets me learn on my own much of the time. I had the wonderful privlege of living with and right next door to her for three years. It was three of the best years of my life. She helped me with my kids. She provided companionship and love. We cooked together. She helped me when I had newborns. Most of all she was my best friend. I have since moved away, only 45 minutes, but I'm so glad for the relationship I've cemented with her and for the constant example she is to me of love, service, kindness, and motherhood. Thanks mom!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Gluten Free Stuffing

Sorry yesterday I sort of took a day of rest/ it was a full day of church and another family birthday dinner. But I think I need to get this stuffing recipe up before Thanksgiving!!
Once again I'm fairly simple when it comes to cooking some of these Thanksgiving dishes. Especially because there is so much to prepare. So I don't go as far as to make th bread, the use it for sutffing. I just use the whole foods brand gluten free sandwich bread. You can even buy whole foods brand gluten free frozen stuffing bread. But I think it's cheaper to buy the bread and cut it up yourself. Just make sure you do NOT buy the light white sandwich bread because then you'll have mush, not stuffing. For those of you not near a whole foods, you might be able to try it using Udi's bread, I just haven't tried it before.

Today I am grateful for all the many options of buying gluten free food. Especially gluten free food that tastes somewhat normal!

So for the stuffing I usually just cut up a bunch of onions and celery and cook that and some garlic in some oil. Then I add that and some chopped nuts to a few cups of bread chunks. Then I pour the chicken broth over the mixture and stir. I also add seasonings generously. - Seasoning salt, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder, salt and pepper. Keep adding more broth until it's adaquately moist. Then I bake it in the oven at about 350 for about 45 mins or so until it looks brown. I know this isn't a very adaquate recipe, but I've never really written it down. I will write down exactly what I do when I make it and update it after Thanksgiving. Sorry!!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chiffon Pie!

Here is another of my dear grandmother's delicious recipes, plus a pie crust recipe adapted from "Gluten Free Baking Classics". I like this pie because it's light and fluffy. It's also tasty with whipped cream. I've seen recipes for whipped cream made with coconut milk so it would be dairy free.

Today I'm thankful for babies. Despite keeping me up for nearly two hours last night. He's learning to crawl and he sits himself up and then can't lay back down. Or he backs himself through the crib bars and can't roll over etc. But I just LOVE babies! I love their sweet innocent smiles. I love when only mommy can make it better. I love when I can figure out what's wrong and fix it. I love snuggling them and kissing them. I love making them laugh. I love swaddling a newborn and watching them drift off to sleep in my arms. I love it when they are asleep. I love watching them learning new skills like crawling, clapping, smiling, walking, etc. I'm just grateful for babies and the perspective of sweet innocence they bring into life.

Also if you live near a Whole Foods they sell a premade pie crust that is pretty good that I do a lot of times just because it's easier.


Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1 Tbsp)
2/3 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/4 Cup canned pumpkin
3 egg yolks (save whites off to the side)
1/2 C milk (I used almond milk)

Blend all of this in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it boils. Remove from heat and place pan in cold water. Cook until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.

Beat the egg whites until foamy, gradually adding 1/2 cup sugar. Carefully fold into the pumpkin mixture.

Pour into a cooled pie crust. Chill in fridge until set. (2 hours). Top with whipped cream.


Pie Crust

1 cup and 2 Tbl brown rice flour mix
2 Tbl sweet rice flour
1 Tbl sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbl shortening or coconut oil (or unsalted butter for dairy eaters)
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 375 and grease pie pan and dust with rice flour. Mix all the dry ingredients in  your mixer. Then add the shortening or oil, mix until crumbly. Add egg and mix on low until the dough holds together. (It should not be sticky). Roll the dough inbetween two sheets of wax paper until its 1 inch thick. If dough is sticky refridgerate for 15 mins. Take off wax paper and put into pie pan. Prick crust and bake for about 25 minutes. (or 10 min for baked pies) Keep an eye on it so it doesn't get too brown.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Rolls!

I wish I could claim these as my own but I was once again lazy and used my good friend Pamela! Basically I used the Pamela's Bread mix recipe on the back of the bag and they turned out quite delicious! My husband even told me to quote him, "They taste just like regular rolls!" I wish I was clever enough to have come up with this recipe on my own but alas I have yet to master that skill. But for those of you still new to the whole GF baking thing, this might just be the ticket for your Thanksgiving rolls. Simple, tastey and not too expensive.

Today I am thankful for friends. I feel kind of bad that I keep pawning my kids off to different people for sanity's sake, among other things. But I'm so grateful for wonderful friends who are willing to help watch my kids. I'm also grateful for all the wonderful people in my life who have been so helpful in my own journey with being a glutard. Many of my friends have bent over backwards to make food for us and make sure it's gluten free. Which isn't always easy. So thank you to all you wonderful friends who have helped me with my children and ever  made me something gluten free. I greatly appreciate it :)





Thursday, November 15, 2012

Mashed Sweet Potatoes (and gravy tips)

So I really like my sweet potatoes salty. I'm not a huge fan of the sweet, sweet potatoes. Ironically enough... Anyway so last year we made mashed sweet potatoes, along with regular and everyone really liked them. Also if you are trying to make your Thanksgiving feast gluten free, make sure you use corn starch, or arrowroot starch as a thickener to your gravy.


  Today I am grateful for my love of cooking. Kind of weird, but I love, that I love to cook. The way I see it is we all have to eat, so why not take the time and effort to make it taste really good. I know not everyone feels that way, but I do. I love to cook and bake and create something that is just delicious!



 

4-5 med sized baked sweet potatoes
1/4 cup sour cream
3 Tb butter
Salt to taste

Mash it all together and voila!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Happy Birthday to Me!

Since today is my birthday I decided to make myself a delicious fall treat:) Pumpkin Roll! It's one of my favorite desserts and reminds me of my dear sweet grandmother who has since passed. She was an excellent baker and cook of all things fresh and especially of all the tasty holiday goodies. So this recipe was passed to my mother and on to  me. So on that note today I'm grateful for two things, first for my grandmother. She was an example of a wonderful mother. She was organized, and dedicated to many things. She had amazing gardens, made beautiful quilts - which she quilted all my hand - and she was a great cook. She exercised and volunteered at her library. I'm so grateful for her patient loving example and hope to be somewhat like her someday.

I'm also extremely grateful for GLUTENZYME! Today of all days of course I mess up and get gluten... TWICE! (I think, or the second time was just a second wave of pain from the first... 5 hours later...?? i don't attempt to understand my body... well sometimes I do, but I usually fail.) Anyway, when I start to feel the cramping up my back and through my abdomen, the nausea without the vomiting, and the extreme fatigue I run to my cupboard and take a glutenzyme pill. Then I lay down for a while a rest, and usually after an hour or two the pain subsides and I can move on with my day! So for any of you who have severe reactions this little bottle of pills is well worth the investment. And usually I only use one every few months. But they save me when I do use them! Well enjoy this lovely, delicious pumpkin roll recipe. I will do Pumpkin pie tomorrow or the next day.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll

3 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Pumpkin
1 Tb Lemon Juice
3/4 C Brown Rice Flour mix
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 375. Beat 3 eggs for 3 minutes, until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice. In another bowl mix the dry ingredients. Fold the dry mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Lay some parchment paper over a jelly roll pan, or cookie pan. Dust with a little brown rice flour. Pour mixture onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle 1 Cup chopped pecan on top (optional). Bake for 15-20 mins. Turn upside down onto a dish towel sprinkled with a little powdered sugar. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and carefully roll it up in the dish towel. Cool in fridge for about 15 mins. Unroll and frost. Then roll back up (without the dishtowel), and cover with saran wrap. Store in fridge.
And ENJOY!
 
 
 
Filling
1 cup Powdered Sugar
6 oz Cream Cheese
4 Tb butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
Beat until spreadable. Spread in roll and roll back up.

Cinnamon Rolls

So there's a brand of gluten free mixes that I usually love. Actually so far they have really never let me down. At least not taste wise. But this recipe didn't quite rise as much as I'd have liked. They were a little dense. But the taste was good. I just followed the recipe on the back of the Pamela's bread mix for cinnamon rolls. These would make a great holiday fun breakfast that's fairly quick and easy. Because let's face it, around the holidays sometimes you just want easy.

There is a picture of the mix, and then my creation below.

Today I'm grateful for our budget system - mvelopes. Our car battery died yesterday and I was totally not stressed about it because we've been saving money in our car maintenance envelope for months. So we could afford to fix it. It's so nice to have envelopes with money in them for different things.
Dough before rising
Baked rolls

Finished product

Monday, November 12, 2012

A Week of Thanksgiving

I've decided to do a Thanksgiving special. The holiday's can be one of the hardest times of the year to stay strong as a glutard. I'm here to help! There are tons of resources out there with some really great gluten free recipes and menu ideas and I hope I can be a source of some of those. I'm going to try to post one recipe every day until Thanksgiving. Life gets a little crazy with a house full of kids and trying to keep up with all the holiday excitement myself, but I will do my best. I also want to continue in my endeavor to be more positive, so as I post the recipes I'll also do a small segment on what I'm grateful for.

Today I am grateful for my religion. As I was sitting in church the other day I realized that being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is who I am. It's who I've always been and who I always will be. My grandparents, great-grandparents and even my great, great, great grandparents (Brigham Young) were mormons, and I hope to pass along the sweet and simple testimony that this gospel has to offer to my children, and my grandchildren and so on. I know that God lives, and I know that He loves me and has a plan for us and for each of our lives. I know that especially when life is hard I can turn to my Savior for strenth and guidance. I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon, and the great lessons I've learned from it. I'm so very grateful for our wonderful prophet President Monson, who is the ideal example of charity. I'm also grateful for the testimonies of my friends and family, and the strength they have been to me throughout my life.

The first recipe I'm going to provide is actually one I made up on Saturday. I was trying to put some snacks together for the long drive up to the temple, and I quickly threw this together. Hopefully I've got the measurements right, if not leave a comment on the recipe if for some reason yours doesn't turn out, but I was quite pleased. So this could be an appetizer or just a sweet holiday snack to have around, OR it would also be an ideal gift for those of you who AREN'T glutards, to give to your glutarded friends. :)

Honey Cinnamon Chex Mix

Enjoy!

Honey Cinnamon Chex Mix

I made this up Saturday morning, and who knows there might be a better recipe on the Chex website. But if for some reason this recipes fails you let me know. Also if you are making this for a glutard make sure you use the CHEX brand, some of the off brands are NOT gluten free!

2 T Butter Melted
2 -3 tsp Cinnamon Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Honey
Dash of Salt
4 Cups Chex
1 cup almonds, or mix of nuts
You could even add pretzels if you want.

Mix the butter, cinnamon sugar, honey and salt together. Then pour over the chex and nuts and toss to coat. Either cook in the microwave for 3-4 minutes on high, or bake in the oven at 250 for about 45 mins stiring every 15. Let cool and then serve.

Also I added some Honey Kix that I got at a discount store here. They aren't labeled Gluten Free but I've been ok with them... ?? Up to you.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Play-Doh or Poison?

Who here looks at or smells play-doh and starts to hyperventilate!?!
Well I certainly do. It was a sad day when I realized I was letting my kids play with pure poison on my kitchen table. But is that really any different than them eating crackers or toast? The only thing for me is that play-doh seems a lot more sticky and imbedding than just toast crumbs. It gets in the cracks and crevices and when I clean it up it feels like it's in my skin. (Kind of like using a lotion that has wheat in it. But that's a story for another time. ) anyway, for me play-doh provides hours of play time for my kids, and uninterrupted cleaning time for me. But is it worth the mess and possible poisoning? I don't know. Some days, like today, I think it is.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Garden of Eden

So I've taken a little hiatus from my blog the past couple of weeks. I think I had the flu, all three of my kids had ear infections at one point or another, as well as some other sickness, teething, or other. And we had my in-laws come to visit. So it's been a bit of a crazy time for us.

I was laying in my bed the other night feeling angry. See when I get sick I get angry. I get mad at myself for touching whatever germ it was that got into my body. I get mad at my body for not being strong enough to fight it off. My husband RARELY  if ever gets sick, so I get mad at him for being so healthy all the time. I get mad that my house is a complete disaster and I'm just too sick and tired to do anything about it.  I feel awful when I pass the illness on to my kids, or visa versa. And I get mad when all the vitamins and suppliments I'm taking still aren't strong enough to kick it. Mad that the food today is so complicated and altered, sometimes I feel like everything that passes my lips could somehow or another be labelled as "bad for me." Basically I just get mad about life. So, point is I was mad, and for some strange reason I thought to myself, why can't we just live in the garden of eden. Perfect weather, all the food and plants there were perfect, Adam and Eve had perfect bodies, and life was just so simple and wonderful and easy! (I know totally random weird thought...)

Then I got to thinking that even though life was so great for them, they didn't even know how good they had it. And I remembered that the whole purpose of this life is to get a body, and experience it. Good and bad. Adam and Eve couldn't have kids either, and that's my whole life and existence right there. Kids. They had things so easy, and yet they didn't know what they were missing. So after that I tried to be more grateful and positive about how the past two weeks of sickness is just going to make me that much happier when I feel better! (if and when that ever happens.) And then the stomach aches and nausea and bloating have continued through all of this and I definitely lose my determination to stay positive.... anyway, through it all I  have made some very delicious recipes. So I will get back on the Glutard Girl wagon and start getting some tasty food up here for ya! So that through our trials we might enjoy a few little things in life:)


First I did make mini banana muffins, but before I even had time to think about taking a picture they were devoured. Yeah that's how good they are, and I only got like 4-5:( (mini... remember) So I might wait to post those when I have a picture, since pictures make all the difference. But I did make my favorite fall staple for my freezer!

PUMPKIN OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies





Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Gluten Free
(I also made mine corn free, and dairy free. There are no eggs in the recipe. I'll put both options on there)
Recipe from my mother, adapted by me

3 C Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar (or your sugar of choice)
3 C Pumpkin (one large can)
3/4 C butter softened
3/4 C oil (I did 1 1/2 Cups Olive oil for dairy and corn free)
4 C Gluten free flour (brown rice flour mix below)
or for those of you not "glutarded" my mom does 4 1/2 C whole wheat flour
4 C Rolled Gluten free Oats
1 T Baking Powder (see below for corn free baking powder)
1 T Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Salt
2 cups Chocolate Chips (I used
"Enjoy Life" Chocolate chips)
(nuts optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix sugar, pumpkin, butter and oil well. Add rest of ingredients, chocolate chips last. Cook for 8-10 minutes. (I cooked mine for closer to 12 but it depends on your oven etc.)


Corn Free Baking Powder recipe
1 part Baking Soda
2 parts Cream of Tartar
2 Parts Arrowroot Starch

(I've seen so many different versions of this.... this is the one I did and it worked fine)

Brown Rice Flour Mix
6 or 2 cups brown-rice flour (extra finely ground)
2 or 2/3 cup potato starch
1 or 1/3 cup tapioca flour/starch
4 tsp or 1 1/2 tsp Xantham Gum

Depending on how big you want your mix to be. For the cookie recipe you need a big one.