The Gluten-Free Homemaker

I originally posted this naturally gluten-free recipe last December so if it looks familiar, you may have seen it already.  I’ve added a picture to tempt your taste buds.  The cranberries in this recipe make it a perfect appetizer for the holidays, and you will love the combined flavors of the  ingredients.  My niece gave me this recipe, and it's an interesting twist on salsa and chips.

We don’t like hot peppers so my recipe uses green chilies.  Feel free to substitute a hot pepper if you like.  I’m sure a sugar substitute would also work well in this recipe.  The ingredients are not items I always have on hand, so I have to plan ahead when I make it, but it is very simple to put together and is always a big hit.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Cran-Apple Salsa

 Ingredients
12 oz. fresh cranberries
3 medium apples, cored
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded
1 small red onion
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. apple juice
3 Tb. fresh cilantro, minced
2 Tb. canned green chilies
1 tsp. lime zest
Tortilla chips

Instructions
A food processor is easiest, but you can certainly chop the ingredients by hand.  Finely dice the  cranberries, apples, red pepper, and onion. Combine all of it in a serving bowl and add the sugar, juice, cilantro, chilies, and lime peel. Stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.

View Printable Recipe

The theme of this week’s “What can I eat that’s gluten free?” is holiday party food.  Be sure to check back Wednesday for more ideas and to enter your link.

Tasty Tuesday has an appetizer theme this week as part of the Bloggy Progressive Dinner. 
Thursday, Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free is hosting the Holiday Food Fest with a theme of Holiday Cocktails, Mocktails, and Appetizers. You won’t want to miss those either.

Labels: appetizer and snack recipes

No Internet.  No cell phones.  Mountains, trees, and farms.  The smells of fall.  The beauty of nature.  Really delicious food.  Family.  Fun.  Card games. Hugs.  Smiles.  Laughter.  That was my Thanksgiving, and it lasted four days.

I’m back now, and just wanted to say hello.  I don’t have a recipe for you, but I will soon.  I wish I had food pictures for you, but unfortunately my camera battery was low and I saved it for pictures of people.

My brother loves to cook.  It’s a hobby for him, so he is happy to do most of the cooking when we get together and give us wives a break.  I couldn’t keep myself out of the kitchen completely, though.  My brother does a great job of meeting various dietary needs of the family.  Most of what he cooked was gluten free.  The little bit that wasn’t, I didn’t miss.  Here is a list of some of the things we ate over our four days together:

• oyster stew
• fried oysters (not gf)
• potato chowder
• roast turkey breast
• ham
• mashed potatoes w/gravy
• autumn casserole (the one I told you about last week)
• green beans cooked w/ham
• ratatouille
• rice pilaf w/raisins & pine nuts
• mahi mahi stuffed with crab imperial (wonderful!)
• butternut squash soup
• apple pie (not gf)
• pumpkin pie (gf)
• fudge
• sausage
• eggs
• hash browns
• fried apples & onions

Oh, it was all so good.  And I didn’t get sick!!!  Best of all though, was the time we had together as family.
I am thankful for my family, and I’m thankful for my cyber friends.  Whether rowdy and fun or quiet and peaceful, I hope you had an enjoyable holiday also.

Labels: miscellaneous

Welcome to this weekly carnival of gluten free eating ideas.  Please join in by visiting the links below and adding your own.  If this is your first time participating, you can read the guidelines here.



Next week the carnival will have a theme of party foods.  With holiday parties coming up, we could all use some new ideas.  Share an appetizer, main dish, dessert, or drink – anything you might serve at (or take to) a holiday party.  Of course, as always, the theme is only a suggestion.  You can link to any gluten-free eating post you like.

This week I thought I would highlight a couple of people who were late in linking up last week, just in case you missed theirs.  Both look great, so be sure to check them out.  You can view all 21 links from last week here.

Similar to my own entry this week, Caitlin of Blooming Rose has a Chicken Pot-Shepherd’s Pie. Nancy of The Sensitive Pantry has Banana Walnut Oat Pancakes. Yadi of The Gluten Free Diaries has Pumpkin Bread.

My entry for this week is:



Chicken (or turkey) Pot Pie  - I use green beans instead of peas and add my biscuit dough on top.





I will be offline the rest of the week enjoying time with my family. Thanks for participating and have a wonderful, safe, gluten-free Thanksgiving!

1. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Glorious Grain Muffins) 2. Linda@KitchenTherapy (Cornmeal Upside Down Cake) 3. Katrina @ Gluten Free Gidget- Picadillo

4. Shirley @ gfe (Thanksgiving--the gfe way) 5. Heather (Slow-Cooked Mexican Chicken) 6. Yadi- GF Flaxseed Sandwich Bread

7. Julie Christine @ Bair Homestead (Rainbow Jello) 8. Caitlin@Blooming Rose(Chicken Pot-Shepherd's Pie) 9. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (prepping for the month!)

Labels: What can I eat?

Cooking meat for dinner and having leftovers for a second dinner is a great way to save time.  I like roasting a chicken and using the leftovers in various gluten free recipes, but many chicken dishes can also be used with turkey.  This is one of those, and with Thanksgiving only two days away, you’ll likely have leftover turkey to use this week.

I have a confession to make.  I can’t remember the last time I cooked peas.  I have never liked them.  The only peas I can stand to eat are the small baby peas.  I used to cook them occasionally just so the kids would be exposed to them, but I seem to have quit doing that.  One of my kids hates peas.  When he was younger he would hold them in his mouth forever, unable to swallow without gagging.  Not liking peas myself, I had mercy on him.  I guess that’s part of the reason I don’t cook them.  The rest of the family eats them, but nobody particularly loves them.  The only exception to my dislike is split pea soup, which I only began eating in recent years.

Traditional chicken pot pie recipes call for peas.  I use green beans instead, but if you are a pea lover, feel free to use them in place of the beans.  They won’t require as much cooking as the beans, though, so you can just add them in with the chicken.

Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 2 Tb. butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 1/2 c. thin green beans, cut in pieces
• 2 c. chicken, cooked and chopped
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 3 Tb. rice flour
• 1/8 tsp. ground thyme
• salt & pepper
• 1 drop biscuit recipe

Instructions
In a large skillet, melt the butter and cook the onion, carrots, celery, and green beans until the onion is transparent and the other veggies are tender.
Add one cup of the chicken stock and the chicken.  Heat through.  Whisk together the other cup of stock and the rice flour.  Add to the skillet with the thyme and salt & pepper to taste.  Heat and stir until it is thickened. Place the veggie mixture in a greased 2 quart casserole dish. 
Make the biscuit recipe and spread it over the top of the dish. 
Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes.  Use a knife to see if the biscuit dough is done at the center.


This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesdays.

Labels: chicken, main dish recipes

“Whole & Healthy Grains for Every Meal of the Day” is what you will find in this new 448 page cookbook, which Bob’s Red Mill kindly sent to me for review.  While it is not a gluten free cookbook, it does contain many gluten free recipes which are marked as such.

Because the book starts with breakfast foods I was initially disappointed in the number of gluten free recipes.  Only 8 out of 42 recipes in that category are gluten free.  It only got better from there however.  There are many gluten-free recipes in the salads, soups, snacks & sides (fewer here), main dishes and even sweets categories.  In fact, almost all the main dishes are gluten free.

I have only just begun to try the many healthy recipes in this book.  Here are a few I have made so far, one I even plan on making for Thanksgiving.



Pennsylvania Dutch
Baked Oatmeal - You of course need to use gluten-free oats for this recipe.  I’ve made baked oatmeal before, but I really liked the apples in this recipe.  Variations are also given for peach or berry baked oatmeal.




Chicken Tamale Pie   - This recipe uses ground chicken or other ground meat.  I used beef.  It uses a corn mush crust on the top and bottom.  My family enjoyed it.





Autumn Casserole with Yams and Cannellini Beans  - I loved this.  With the beans it can be served as a main dish.  I plan on serving it without the beans as a side dish at Thanksgiving.  It contains yams, cranberries, apples, and pecans along with other tasty ingredients.
If you enjoy whole grain healthy meals, you will like this book.  Many of the recipes use beans which my family is not fond of.  I used them in the autumn casserole, and they didn’t mind too much, but I know that my family would not care for a lot of the recipes.  However, this book has more than 350 recipes which means there is something for everyone. We enjoyed the recipes I tried and I look forward to trying more.

The book is attractive with red recipe titles and dividing lines.  Picture symbols are used to indicate recipes which are gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan.  There are a number of basic recipes provided for things such as millet, quinoa, or brown rice along with recipes that include those ingredients.  There are also occasional boxes of information on particular ingredients such as teff flour, amaranth grains, and polenta.

My only criticism of this book is that the print is too small. The pages are nice and big with plenty of white space, which I like, but I would rather that some of that space be used for a slightly larger font.  My forty something eyes which don’t even require glasses, had to keep moving closer to my cookbook holder to read the print.  Even my teenage son couldn’t read the fractions listed in the ingredients without getting up close.  I have to say, though, that the autumn casserole was worth having to move up close to read.

You can purchase this cookbook from Bob’s Red Mill or Amazon (where you can take a look inside the book) for just under $20.  Bob’s Red Mill is also offering to giveaway a cookbook to one lucky reader.  To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite whole grain.  Be sure to leave an email address if your name does not link to a blog where I can contact you.  The giveaway ends Saturday, November 28 at 11:00 p.m. eastern time.

Labels: reviews

Last Christmas I gave a number of food gifts.  I combined them all in a nice basket, but of course I don’t have a picture.  I thought I would highlight a few of the ideas I used, though, and I do have a couple of pictures of individual things.



Roasted Cinnamon nuts – just click the link to see the recipe I used.  You can find other recipes online.  Some are spicy too.  They are easy to make, and most people enjoy nuts.  Nuts can be expensive.  I bought large bags of them at BJ’s which made it more economical.




Herbes de Provence – For some reason I can’t find the recipe I used for this, but recipes abound on the internet.  Most use lavender, which I wasn’t able to find, so I used one that contained thyme, basil, oregano, and rosemary.  I specifically bought spices in jars that I liked so I could use them to package the mix.  I made the labels on the computer and printed them onto label paper (which I happened to have). The bottle show is the one I’m using, but the ones I gave away were full.














Vanilla extract – It takes several months for this extract to reach a good flavor, but even though it wouldn't be completely ready in time for Christmas, you could still give it as a gift and tell them is needs to sit a couple more months before use.   I started making vanilla well before Christmas, but had trouble deciding how to bottle it.  I looked in craft stores and didn’t find anything I liked.  I ended up buying salad dressing just for the bottles.  I don’t have a picture of them, but they were round glass bottles.  The salad dressing was put into canning jars and the bottles were cleaned thoroughly.

I think food gifts are an excellent way to go at Christmas, especially if you don’t know what some one has/doesn’t have or what they need/don’t need.  Everyone eats!  Just remember to take into consideration special diets and eating preferences and whether or not someone is likely to use it.  A single man who never bakes isn’t likely to appreciate the vanilla extract, but might love home made cookies!

For more edible gift ideas see Gluten-Free Holiday: Gifts of Good Taste and The Holiday Food Fest (not necessarily gluten free).

Labels: gluten-free recipes, miscellaneous

A Recent Experience

For the first time ever, my husband and I left our kids home alone overnight.  Two nights to be exact.  We escaped to the beach where we shared a huge house with seven other couples.  We had a great time with our friends, and friends they truly are.  They understand celiac disease.  Many of them knew me when I was diagnosed and saw how weak and thin I was.  These are not people who say, “Oh come on, a little bit can’t hurt you.”  And yet, I got glutened. As understanding as they are, as kind as they were to prepare gluten-free food, they are simply not used to being as careful as I have to be to avoid contamination.

I’m pretty sure it happened during dinner Friday night.  I took a dessert for that meal which consisted of fixings for soft tacos.   I made a taco salad.  The meat was prepared with individual spices, and the lettuce, tomato, cheese, and chips were all gluten free.  I served myself first before the flour tortillas were opened.  I was quite confident that all was fine.  Maybe it was, but at some point I ingested gluten.

Saturday morning I was riding in the car with my husband.  We were headed into town to pick up a few groceries.  Suddenly, my stomach felt upset and I grew tired.  Very tired.  That’s always my signal that I’ve gotten glutened.  My husband picked up one thing then headed back to the house.  I dragged myself up to my bed where I  slept for four hours and dreamed that I was so tired I couldn’t stay awake.  My digestive symptoms weren’t too bad, thankfully, but I felt in a fog the rest of the day.  I prepared the main course that night, but still had to be careful because wheat bread and pasta were being served.  As you can imagine, I was extremely cautious, and everything seemed to go okay with that meal.

Going back a few months, I remember when we were asked to join this group at the beach.  My first response was, “No.  It will be too hard to eat.”  But who wants their social life to be controlled by celiac disease?  I didn’t, so we decided to go.  A few days before the trip I got really nervous.  “How will I manage with so many people sharing one kitchen?”  Then I told myself, “Just be careful, and it will be fine.” 

I was careful.  It wasn’t fine.  It’s not anyone’s fault.  My friends did all I could ask them to do.    When I was feeling well, I greatly enjoyed the time with my husband and friends, but always hanging in the back of my mind was the thought that I had to be careful.  I had to avoid any contamination.

Questions

The question is, if I’m given the opportunity to do something like that again, will I do it?  I’ll have to weigh the benefits versus the risk and that nagging concern.  Looking back on that weekend, was the enjoyment and refreshment worth the worry and the auto immune reaction?  Was it worth the intestinal damage that inevitably took place inside my body? 

I asked my husband what he thought.  He said we should do it again, but not in the same way.  If it was worth it to me, I would need to prepare my meals ahead of time and take a microwave or other countertop oven for reheating.  I think I could live with that.  It’s not the same as sharing the same meal with my friends, but it beats not being with them at all.

What Do You Think?

Food is a huge part of so many social activities.  It is inevitable that having celiac disease will affect one’s social life.  For many people, that’s the hardest part of dealing with the disease.  How does it affect you?  How do you handle social situations?  With the holidays approaching, your experience might help someone.

Labels: celiac disease

Welcome to this weekly blog carnival of gluten free eating ideas.  Please browse through the links and add your own.  If this is your first time linking up, please read the guidelines here.



I’m very excited that this carnival has been growing recently, and I appreciate all of you who have participated.  Since I’m now posting my recipes separately, I thought I would use this post to highlight a few links from last week. There were several breakfast recipes which you should take a look at, if you haven’t already.

First, we had TWO mouth watering recipes for pumpkin pancakes from: Lauren at Celiac Teen  Cinde at Gluten Free Taste of Home Second was a post full of healthy, gluten-free breakfast options with great photos from: Iris at The Daily Diet Tribe

I have two submissions this week. 




Spaghetti Squash Casserole






 


Cheese Sauce









I look forward to seeing what you post each week, and even if I don’t use your idea or recipe exactly, it often inspires me in some way.

1. Brian (GF Green Bean Casserole) 2. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: Raw Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut Cashew Frosting 3. Katrina @ Gluten Free Gidget- Oat So Good Bread (GF/DF) 4. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang- Pancetta Sage Sausage 5. Sandy@A Little Bit of Heaven-The Perfect Breakfast 6. Debbie (Millet grits) 7. Amy @ SS&GF (Ancho Chili-Espresso Rubbed Pork Tenderloin)

8. Chelsey - Fresh Corn Tortillas 9. Kim - Gluten-free is Life- (Overnight GF Oats) 10. The Cooks Next Door (Thanksgiving) 11. Janelle - Chicken Tortilla Soup 12. Kim, The Food Allergy Coach (Tapioca Apple Pudding) 13. Heather @Celiac Family (Red Beans and Rice) 14. Cheryl@SomewhatCrunchy (PorkorChicken in Coconut Sauce)

15. Lauren of Celiac Teen (Maple Snickerdoodles) 16. Shirley @ gfe--Special Turkey Breast 17. Chaya - Wild Rice with Vegetables 18. Sweet and Savory - Cheese Latkes 19. Caitlin (chicken pot-shepherd's pie) 20. The Sensitive Pantry - Banana Walnut Oat Pancakes 21. Yadi- GF Pumpkin Bread

Labels: What can I eat?

I don’t make sauces or gravies very often, but with Thanksgiving and other holidays just around the corner I thought some of you might be interested in a gluten-free cheese sauce recipe.

I made this the other night to put on cauliflower.  I’m not a big fan of cauliflower, but I bought a head of it a couple of weeks ago with some recipe in mind.  I then forgot where I saw the recipe and the cauliflower just sat in my refrigerator.  The other day my husband said, “I keep seeing that cauliflower in the frig, but it never shows up on my plate.  Why don’t you just cook it and serve it with cheese sauce.”  So that is what I did.

This sauce uses sweet rice flour.  If you don’t have any you can use rice flour or even corn starch.  Sweet rice flour is worth having around, though.  You don’t need a lot, but it’s great for thickening sauces, gravies, and soups. 

Gluten-Free Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 c. milk
• 1 Tb. butter
• 1 Tb. sweet rice flour (or rice flour)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 oz. or 3/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions
In a small saucepan, whisk together the milk and flour.  Add the butter and salt and heat on medium high heat, whisking frequently, until the sauce starts to boil and thickens a little.  Reduce heat and stir in the cheese.  You can add more cheese if you desire.  Stir until the cheese is melted.

Labels: other recipes

It seems I can’t just leave a good gluten-free recipe alone.  I have to tweak it to see if I can make it better, usually healthier.  The way I often do that is by increasing the amount of whole grain slightly and decreasing the starch by an equal amount.   I’ve done it with French bread, and French bread rolls.  This time I did it with these delightful drop biscuits.

My family of guys likes having bread with a meal.  Not always, but often, and it goes well with the soups and stews I make during the colder months.  I usually rotate between a few recipes, and these biscuits are a favorite.  I can remember years ago making drop biscuits from Bisquick.  They were quick and easy and we liked them, but they weren’t great.  These biscuits take a little more time since I don’t have a mix, but not much more, and they are so much better!

They are not your typical flaky, buttery biscuits, but they are wonderful.  They have a delightfully soft texture.  My family loves them, and they didn’t notice any difference when I made this change.  I haven’t tried this recipe with other flours.  I think it would work, but it is the sorghum that makes them nice and soft.

Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

• 1 c. sorghum flour
• 1/2 c. potato starch
• 1/4 c. tapioca starch
• 1 tsp. xanthan
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tb. sugar
  
• 1/4 c. butter, softened (or vegetable oil)
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 c. milk (sub. should work)

Instructions
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In your mixer bowl, combine the butter, egg and milk. Add the dry ingredients and beat on high about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and make sure it is mixed well.

Spray an ice cream scoop with cooking spray and drop the dough by scoopfuls onto a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees about 12 minutes until golden brown. Makes about 10 biscuits.

View Printable Recipe

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Labels: bread recipes

This week Alta at Tasty Eats at Home is hosting the Holiday Food Fest that is happening on Thursdays in November and December.   This week's theme is favorite fall or Thanksgiving dishes.  I can't believe that with a food blog, I don't have any great entries.  The truth is that my brother, who loves to cook and is great at it, cooks for us at Thanksgiving.  I mostly contribute in the dessert area.

That leaves me with favorite fall dishes, but I don't have anything particularly fallish either.  However, one thing I love about fall is eating soup on a cold evening.  This is one of our favorite soups. Truly, every member of my family really likes it. With meat and potato in it, you can serve it as a main dish, and if you have meat and potato guys like I do, they are sure to love it.

I'm submitting this recipe to the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom which has a Food Allergy/Special Diet theme this week. Be sure to check out the other recipes.  This is also submitted to Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang where you can find other recipes with carrots.

I posted this recipe a year ago, so you may have already seen it in the recipe index.  I bet most you haven't, though, and because it is so good, I decided to republish it.


This recipe is adapted from one in Bette Hagman's book More from the Gluten-Free Gourmet.

Gluten-Free Potato Chowder

• 1 lb. bulk sausage, cooked
• 1 c. onion, chopped
• 1 c. carrot, shredded 
• 1/4 c. butter 
• 4 c. potatoes, sliced 
• 3 c. chicken broth 
• 1 c. milk 
• 2 Tb. rice flour 
• salt and pepper to taste

In the bottom of a large saucepan, saute the onion and carrot in the butter. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are cooked. With a hand potato masher, break up the potatoes until they are only small lumps.

Add the rice flour to the cold milk and blend with a fork. Add to the potato mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add the cooked sausage. Heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8 - 10 people.

Notes: One of the nice things about soup is that you can easily adjust the amount of ingredients to your taste. I never worry about measuring the vegetables exactly. If I have more than one cup of carrots when I'm done shredding, I put it all in. Bette's recipe includes frozen peas added after the meat is added. The soup is then cooked a couple of minutes more. Peas would ruin it for my family :).

Labels: soup recipes

If you are on a gluten-free diet and have a blog, please share with us something gluten free that you like to eat.  Simply write a blog post with the idea, recipe, menu plan, or review and link that post here using Mr. Linky below.  If it’s your first time participating you can read the guidelines here.  If you don’t have a blog, you can still participate by leaving a comment.

For more dinner ideas, you can visit The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Facebook page.  Most nights I post what we’re having for dinner and others tell what they are having in the comments.  It’s a great place to find ideas and inspiration.

Last week we had a great round up of gluten-free soup recipes.  Be sure to check it out if the weather is cold and you are looking for something to warm you. Our next theme week will be December 2 – party food.  There is only a theme on the first Wednesday of the month.  Other weeks anything goes, but I tend to stick to dinner ideas.  Here’s my recipe for this week:







Baked Macaroni & Cheese


Please remember to leave a link back here somewhere in the text of your post.  Thanks for participating! 

1. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (How to Peel a Butternut Squash) 2. Melanie (Pumpkin Spice Cake) 3. Merlene @ FridgeForagers.com (cabbage casserole) 4. Meredith ('Thai' Chicken Soup) 5. Kim - Gluten-free is Life -Blueberry Chia Muffins 6. Cheryl@SomewhatCrunchy (Best Split Pea Soup EVER) 7. Health Home & Happiness (Easy Lunch)

8. Shirley @ gfe--Uncondensed Chicken and Rice Casserole 9. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang- Gluten & Dairy Free BBQ Jalapeno Poppers 10. Alta Mantsch (Orange Chicken) 11. Jennifer @ Feeling Better Gluten Free (Lasagne Style Spaghetti Bake) 12. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Lighter than Air Pumpkin Pancakes) 13. Gluten Free Taste of Home (Pumpkin Pancakes) 14. Brian (Chicken with Cider Barbecue Sauce)

15. Heather (Marinated Flank Steak) 16. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: Coconut Rice Hot Breakfast Cereal 17. Katrina @ Gluten Free Gidget- Buckwheat Tabbouleh and Hummus Wraps 18. cottagesweet (tofu delight) 19. Comfy Cook - Stuffed Shells with Eggplant Tomato Sauce

Labels: What can I eat?

One evening last week I had a craving for macaroni and cheese.  It is such a comfort food, but not one I’m in the mood for very often.  I had seen a couple of good looking recipes recently, but I only wanted it made one way – like Mom’s.  What is more comforting than eating a tasty dish your mom has made for years?

Mom doesn’t have an exact recipe, so I had to come up with the amounts.  Sadly, I forgot the butter.  It was still good, but didn’t taste quite the same.  I think Mom usually uses more butter than what I put in the recipe, but it doesn’t take much to give it that buttery flavor.  You could cut back on it or leave it out as I did if you’re concerned about the calories, but remember it is macaroni and cheese.

As for the pasta, macaroni is one of my least favorite shapes.  I love penne, but decided to use spirals this time.  I used Tinkyada brand (as always), but any gluten-free pasta should work well.

Mom’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 16 oz. gluten-free pasta
• 8 oz. evaporated milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• salt & pepper
• 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
  
  

Instructions
Cook and drain the pasta according to package instructions.  Spray or butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Combine the milk and eggs.  Put half the pasta in the dish.  Drizzle half the butter over the pasta, then half the milk mixture.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Put half the shredded cheese on top.  Repeat the layers.  Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or until the egg mixture has set.

Note:  I’m guessing at the amount of cheese.  Use as much or little as you like.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

Labels: egg, main dish recipes

Last Friday I was shopping at BJ’s and saw a big bag of beautiful cranberries.  I almost picked them up, then decided not to, then picked them up.  I didn’t know what I was going to do with them, but they were calling to me.  A couple of days later I was wondering what the theme was for this week’s Friday Foodie Fix, so I stopped by The W.H.O.L.E. Gang and saw that it was….cranberries!

I was excited about trying some new cranberry recipes this week until I realized that I had a very busy week with little time to go to the grocery store or do any baking.  I had to make something, though.  I’ll tell up front that my first “something” was a flop.  Yes, I do have flops.  I decided to make muffins and saw another recipe that paired cranberries with pumpkin.  That sounded good so I quickly went about throwing together a muffin recipe.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take into account the moisture in the pumpkin when I decided on the amount of milk I would use.  They were way too wet and heavy.  They never cooked completely on the inside and ended up in the trash.

The next day I went to the grocery store and picked up some oranges thinking to use them in a cranberry recipe.  This time I took my time putting together something I would like, and here is what I came up with.  It is delicious.  I love the flavor combination, and it’s easy to make.

Coffee cakes are generally a little sweeter than I like to eat for breakfast, especially with a topping, but this one has enough whole grain, nut, and berry goodness that I even ate it for breakfast.

Gluten-Free Cranberry-Orange Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 4 Tb. butter, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 c. brown rice flour
• 3/4 c. millet flour
• 1/2 c. potato starch
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. orange juice
• zest of one orange
• 1 1/2 c. cranberries
• 1 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Topping

• 1/2 c. gluten-free flour mix
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 3 Tb. butter, cold

Instructions
In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy.  Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Add them to the egg mixture alternately with the orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour.  Stir in the zest, cranberries, and pecans.  Spread the batter in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. 

Combine the topping ingredients with  a pastry blender and sprinkle on top of the batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Note:  My nuts were closer to being ground than chopped because my food processor was dirty and I decided to use my Magic Bullet.

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This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.

Labels: breakfast recipes, cake, dessert recipes

Here is October’s roundup of links.  There are lots of great gluten-free recipes and ideas here, so be sure to look for any you might have missed. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Even those who are not on a gluten-free diet often need inspiration, but with dietary restrictions, figuring out what to eat can be even more challenging.  I hope this carnival gives you ideas and inspiration.

The first Wednesday of each month has a theme, but the theme is only a suggestion.  Any ideas are welcome.  The theme for December 2 will be party food.  Let’s give each other ideas for the holiday parties that will be coming up that month.

October 28 - Mexican Casserole

1. Gina (Tomato Sauce)
2. Iris: Spicy Chicken Tacos (and a giveaway)
3. Kim, The Food Allergy Coach (Flourless Pancakes)
4. The Happy Housewife ~ Beans and Rice
5. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (Chicken Spinach Pesto Soup)
6. GingerLemonGirl - Potato & Spinach Enchiladas
7. Clara, Gluten Free Onion Rings
8. Chelsey ~ White Wine Marinara Rosee over GF Pasta
9. Lauren of Celiac Teen (Poached Eggs)
10. Brian (GF Chicken Fried Steak)
11. Chaya - tomato mac and cheese
12. Chaya - Faith's Salad
13. Shirley @ gfe--gluten free easily--Crockpot Jambalaya
14. Gluten Free Gidget ( Halloween-y Pumpkin Bean-y Soup)
15. Suzy Johansen (chocolate mocha smoothie)

October 21 – Our Favorite Chili and Corn Bread

1. Alea @ Premeditated Leftovers (Swiss Steak)
2. Alea @ Premeditated Leftovers (frosted pumpkin cookies)
3. Ari@Food Intolerances Cook (Mini Chicken Meatloaves)
4. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (Pork & Vegetable Spaghetti Arrabiata)
5. Gluten Free Gidget (Poulet and Potatoes)
6. Kim, The Food Allergy Coach (Kale Chips)
7. Amy @ SS&GF (Pumpkin Dog Biscuits)
8. Shirley @ gfe (Cheesy Chicken Zucchini Bake--gf or gf/df)
9. Heather @CeliacFamily (Cilantro Lime Shrimp)
10. Alisa (Grain-Free Cauliflower "Risotto")
11. ATXglutenfree (pork with POM wonderful sauce)
12. Brian (GF Pumpkin Cheesecake)
13. Iris at The Daily Dietribe (Basil Thai Noodles)
14. Lauren of Celiac Teen (Turkey Pot Pie)
15. Gina (Pesto)
16. Naomi (blueberry pie - use the crust for other pies!)

October 14 – Cornmeal Crust Pizza

1. Lauren of Celiac Teen (Pumpkin Cupcakes)
2. Iris at The Daily Dietribe (Chocolate Cake)
3. Brian (GF Meatloaf)
4. Gluten Free Gidget (Fire Roasted Tomato Soup)
5. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (Petite Pumpkin Loaves w/Currants)
6. Kim, The Food Allergy Coach (Veggie Fritters)
7. Jen @ Feeling Better Gluten Free (Pumpkin Cookies)
8. Ari-Food Intolerances Cook (My New Favorite Whole Grain GF Bread)
9. Trish @ Gluten Free in SLC (Ranch Pork Chops GF)

October 7 (breakfast theme) - French toast & other links

1. The Happy Housewife (Potato Soup Healthy & Delish!)
2. Trish @ Gluten Free in SLC (Grilled Glazed Chicken Drummies)
3. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (Bacon Weave Hash Brown & Egg Stack)
4. Gluten Free Gidget (Kimchi Nori Rolls)
5. Celiacs in the House (Breakfast Bowl)
6. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (Chicken Gumbo)
7. Pam (product reviews)
8. Heather @Celiac Family (banana coffee cake)
9. Elizabeth (chocolate chip pancakes)
10. Jessie @ Blog Schmog (mushroom soup)
11. Brenna Kater, the Oceanskater (GFDF Crepes)
12. Iris at The Daily Dietribe (Hearty Apple Cinnamon Waffles)
13. Lauren of Celiac Teen (Quinoa Flake Waffles)
14. Shirley at gfe (Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole & Volcano Pancake)
15. Chaya (Rice Kugel Muffins)

Labels: What can I eat?

The first Wednesday of each month this carnival has a theme, and today it is soup.  If you don’t have a soup recipe to link up, that’s okay.  Anything is fine, the theme is just a suggestion.  If this is your first time participating in the carnival, please read the guidelines here.



Once upon a time this wife, mother, and blogger used to be an elementary school teacher.  My first year teaching, the principal decided to give me a very challenging 4th grade class, full of behavior problems.  It wasn’t just that I was a new teacher, this class was know for being a bad group since they started at the school.  About the time Halloween came around, the newness of the school year had worn off, and I was still learning how to handle these kids (I did manage it eventually).  Things were not going well.

For Halloween, the school had a poem writing contest.  Each class was to write a gory poem about a witch’s brew, and the winner would get a little party at the end of the day on Halloween.  My class did a pretty good job with the poem, and I think those in charge were feeling sorry for me, so we won the contest!  At the end of the day, they brought in our very own witch’s brew.

I think it was made with orange cool aid, spaghetti noodles, grapes, and maybe something else.  If that doesn’t sound appetizing to you, imagine trying to eat it after having written a poem about a brew filled with eye balls (grapes), and guts (spaghetti).  No, it wasn’t really a treat for the kids.  In fact, one of them threw up.  Then another.  Then another.  Then another.  Till it was most of the class.  It was the end of the day too, and kids had busses to catch.  Ahhh!!!  Thanks so much for choosing us to win this contest!

Well, I hope your brew soup, is more appetizing than that witch’s brew.  I’m sure it is, and I’m looking forward to reading about it.  My submission for this week is:





Creamy Vegetable Soup

1. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (fried okra) 2. Alta (beef stew) 3. Julie Christine (boiled tater tot soup) 4. Brian (GF Clam Chowder) 5. Gina (Oxtail Soup) 6. Heather (White, Chicken Chili)

7. Chelsey - Chunky Potato Chowder 8. Kim, The Food Allergy Coach (Sweet Potato Sausage Stew) 9. Naomi (sausage lentil soup) 10. Rachel (Roasted Squash and Carrot Soup) 11. Rachel (Sausage and Black Bean Soup) 12. Gluten Free Taste of Home (Coconut Spinach Soup)

13. ComfyCook - Spinach Sausage Soup 14. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: Autumn Squash Soup 15. Trish @ Gluten Free in SLC (gluten and dairy free corn chowder) 16. Shirley @ gfe--Everything Soup

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Labels: What can I eat?

Thanks to this soup I have proof that people’s tastes can change for the better.  About five years ago, I made a slow cooker version of this soup that was very similar to this recipe.  I thought it was delicious!  However, the rest of my family did not like it.  Not one of them.  I ended up taking some to my mom who also loved it.

For my husband, the problem was the sweet potatoes.  He’s an Idaho boy and grew up on Idaho potatoes, not sweet potatoes.  He doesn’t like them.  Or, I should say, didn’t like them.  In the past year he has tried and liked sweet potato fries.  What a surprise!  I decided to give this soup a try again, and was hoping he would think the chunks of sweet potatoes were carrots.  He was not to be fooled, but surprise again!  He liked it!

Not only that, but everyone liked the soup!  In fact, as I was preparing it and while we were eating it, I heard comments like, “Mmmm, that smells good,” and “Hey, this is really good.”  I couldn’t help but smile, and after everyone had told me they liked it, I told them the story from five years ago.  I hope it’s an encouragement to those of you with picky eaters.

I varied the recipe slightly by using celery instead of broccoli, which we like but I was out of.  Also, I did not include regular potatoes and I cut the amount of butter in half.  I served this soup with drop biscuits as a meatless meal.  The soup was packed with vegetables which we found quite filling.  My guys wouldn’t like meatless more than once a week, but they’re okay with it sometimes, especially when it tastes yummy. 

This recipe could easily be made vegetarian by substituting a vegetable broth for the chicken broth.  For you dairy free folks, milk is added to this soup giving it the term creamy, but I’m not sure creamy is really the right word.  I like the taste the milk gives it, but the soup would be good without it.  You could just add extra broth, or use a milk substitute.

Gluten-Free Creamy Vegetable Soup

• 4 c. chicken broth (I used Pacific brand)
• 2 Tb. butter (or substitute)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut in 1/2 in. pieces
• 1 large zucchini, cut in chunks (or 2 small)
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp.pepper (or to taste)
• 2 c. milk (or substitute, or omit and increase broth)

In a large pot, melt the butter.  Sauté the onion until almost tender.  Add the chicken broth, the vegetables, and the seasoning.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are done.  Add the milk and heat just until hot.

Note:  I don’t like mushy zucchini so I added the potatoes first and let them get started cooking before adding the large chunks of zucchini.

This post is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.  Stop by and look for some naturally gluten free recipes or inspiration for making one.

Labels: soup recipes

There are very few foods I miss since being on a gluten-free diet.  One of them is bran muffins.  The kind made from All Bran cereal.  I don’t miss them a lot, but I miss them a little.  I remember getting up in the morning at my grandmother’s house to find warm bran muffins in the crock pot.  I loved them with a little butter.

These muffins are great breakfast muffins.  The texture is soft, and I love the combination of flavors--grains, apple, and spices.  The spices are subtle, so add more if you like. If you don’t have all the flours, you can substitute a gluten-free flour mix for the total amount of flour, or substitute brown rice flour for one or more of the whole grains.  These muffins were best when fresh and still warm.  They dried out more than most of the muffins I’ve made, maybe because of the buckwheat flour.  I didn’t let that keep me from eating them the next day, though.  They can be warmed in an oven with a dish of water to add moisture, or in the microwave.  Adding a little butter helps too.

Gluten-Free Multi-Grain Apple Muffins

 
Ingredients

• 1/2 c. sorghum flour
• 1/2 c. millet flour
• 1/2 c. buckwheat flour
• 1/2 c. potato starch 
• 1/3 c. sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 Tb. baking powder
• 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. apple pie spice (or just use cinnamon)
  
• 1/4 c. oil or melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. milk or substitute
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped

Instructions
In a medium sized bowl combine the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl or glass measuring cup combine the wet ingredients and add to the dry ingredients.  Mix until all the flour is moistened. Fold in the chopped apple. I used a large apple and could barely get all the batter into the muffin cups.  A smaller apple would work better, or part of a large one.  Spoon the batter into a  greased muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees for 18 - 20 minutes.

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This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.

Labels: bread recipes, breakfast recipes