The Eagle Has Landed...

It's about dang time. I can't wait to make rice krispie treats with these. They also really do Snap, Crackle, and Pop just like the original! I think I bought these at my WalMart Neighborhood Grocery store or Harmon's. Enjoy!

Happy New Year! Better Known As: Back to School!

For those of us with school aged children, right now we're either feeling elation or depression that school is about to start. Or maybe a mixture of both. I always struggle with both feelings, since we have a great time all together in the summer and it's hard to be alone when they leave. However, I can't say it's not going to be nice to have a few hours a day where I don't have to listen to the Angry Birds theme song. School starts for us Monday, and here's a quick recap: we've been making rock collections, going to the zoo, going to see the "Up" house in Herriman, chasing a puppy, and generally laying around.

When it gets time to send my children back to school, I find myself in the midst of preparations of Herculean proportions to bring order back into the chaos that summer inevitably falls into. I make detailed checklists of morning, after school, and bedtime routines so people know what to do when (I have yet to have a year where my checklists actually improve the morning rush), clean off the backpack/coat hangers, haul in boxes and boxes of food from Costco as though "The Big One" is coming over the horizon, and take stock of large and small things in a feeble attempt to make the morning rush and afternoon free-for-all easier. Ha. At least I'll get an "A" for effort.

This morning I made crepes for my daughter who was going to her first day of middle school, and I thought I would just make a few for her and do the rest of the batter later, because I was for sure going back to bed after she left. But the gluten free flour tends to thicken the batter as it sits, so I ended up making up the rest of them, and then another batch on top of that, and put them in the freezer for a quick on-the-go breakfast option for me or the kids. (Tip: I put paper towels in between each crepe so I can just pull out as many as I need without defrosting the whole batch. 20-30 seconds in the microwave should defrost them.) I thought this was a clever time saver, if I do say so myself. I've also learned that the best way for me to utilize big meat purchases from Costco is to break them up into dinner-sized portions, wrap them in foil, and label with the ever-present Sharpie.

Usually I make up a weekly meal plan right before I go to the grocery store, taking stock as I make the list. This year I decided to try something new. I divided the days into meal types, and then listed five or six meals for each day that could fit with my schedule and my plan. For example, Monday I always do a dinner with rice as the side dish. Tuesday is Mexican-ish, Thursday is Breakfast for Dinner, Friday we usually go out so the kids make their own dinners. I wrote down what the evening activities are on each day, so I can keep in mind if I need something everyone can eat at different times, or if we have time to sit and relax. In my Excel sheet I used cute colors and fonts, and since I just barely figured out how to use Scribd, hopefully you'll be able to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Weekly Meal Plan

Basically, my idea was that as long as I knew what options I had for each night, I have a little more flexibility and can still roll with the punches. Then when I do my grocery shopping, I have a little more of the big picture so I can shop for sales on things I use all the time, plus staples for the week. Maybe this will help some of you out this fall if you're struggling getting back into the groove of making dinner. Conversely, some of you may be suffering from convulsions looking at my detailed spreadsheet. That's ok, too. How do you get ready for the fall rush? Do you have any special gluten free traditions or shortcuts that make your heart rate slow down? Please share in the comments box if you do!

Happy eating (and reading, and writing, and arithmeticing...)!

Brands Matter...Especially Gluten Free Ones

I have been making these Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Cookies for a long time. They are one of my favorites, adapted from Giada deLaurentiis' recipe, and I almost always use Grandpa's Kitchen flour, and Micelli's whole milk ricotta cheese. I'm not sure why, but this time when I made them I chose King Arthur's Gluten Free Flour, and WalMart brand original ricotta cheese. Epic fail. Whatever! There's nothing I hate more than wasting ingredients, but I hate almost as much using the wrong ones! Don't think this is a negative review of King Arthur at all, I actually really like their gluten free products. But for this recipe, I don't know if the flour or the cheese caused the pancake-like cookies and dry flavor. I blame WalMart. They're an easy target. But it got me thinking: how many people out there have tried my recipes and think they are gross because they don't have the same brands that I do? How many people have quit reading because they're tired of hearing how great something is and their roomate told them it tasted like sticks? I hope not many. But I am feeling sensitive to brands lately. I think I'm going to try to make an effort to use the most widely available ingredients to everyone, and then I can sleep at night. So, I confess, I am a brand snob when it comes to my food. Are you a brand snob, too? What brands of gluten free food can you not live without? Leave me a comment, I'd love to know if they are the same as mine. And, as I was looking through the archives to link back to this recipe, I noticed I haven't ever published my version of them. So here it is:

Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Cookies
adapted from Giada deLaurentiis' original recipe

2 1/2 cups gluten free flour (I like Grandpa's Kitchen...they are light and fluffy when you use it)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick soft butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 15 ounce container of whole milk ricotta (it has to be whole milk or they won't turn out)
zest of 1 lemon
3 tsp lemon juice (about the juice of 1 lemon)

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. In a medium bowl mix together gluten free flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside. Combine butter and sugar in a stand mixer and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each one. Add ricotta cheese and lemon zest and juice. A little at a time, add flour mixture. Spoon dough onto cookie sheets or use a small scoop. Batter will be thick but moist. Bake 15 minutes, let rest on cookie sheet for 12 minutes before removing. Cool on a wire rack. Spread glaze on top of cookies with back of a spoon and let harden, about 15 minutes.

Happy eating!

Eat Your Cruciferous Veggies! Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

Summer never fails me. I always crave fresh fruit and veggies all season long, and they happen to always be available. Funny how that works! I also never want to eat anything hot for dinner, which is actually a problem because I only know how to make hot dinners. I'm not saying this salad could replace dinner, but it's a pretty good way to fill up your plate. Also: my favorite kind of recipe as well...naturally gluten free! I'm giving credit where credit is due for this recipe, which comes from Traci's mom, who recited the whole thing to me without blinking an eye. She has made it that many times. It's pretty easy, and it makes a lot, so if you need to take something to a pot luck or family reunion, this is a good one.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad

3 stalks of fresh broccoli, cut into small florets (bite sized)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (bite sized)
1/2 to 1/4 red onion, minced
1 pound cooked, crumbled bacon
8 ounces shredded mozzarella

Dressing:
1 1/2 cup Best Foods light mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix dressing together until sugar dissolves. Assemble salad ingredients and pour dressing over the top. Mix well and cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to give flavors a chance to meld.

Happy eating!

Subway. Summer. Sickness. Stupid.

Apparently it's summer around here, which means the days are filled with a whole lot of hanging out and not producing. I highly recommend it. To bring an end to the saga of my personal summer real estate disaster, my husband and I decided not to move after all. It makes sense for too many reasons to list to take the house off the market, so I've been slowly unpacking the boxes and boxes (and boxes) of stuff that I diligently packed weeks ago. Luckily they didn't travel anywhere, so I've had minimal breakage. And I have to admit, it's kind of fun to take out the things you love and find a new home for them. Kind of like shopping the house, which I always forget about when I get a hankering for re-decorating. I bossed my husband around a bit and made him promise to pay someone to remodel my kitchen for me when the kids go back to school, and like a good boy he said yes. This should make for interesting blog fodder, so stay tuned.

In other unhappy news, I have a story (sadly, no photo and no recipe, either, but meaningful nonetheless) that should serve as a reminder to all of us who eat gluten free to use "constant vigilance," to quote Mad-Eye Moody. One of my favorite summer activities is going on dates with my husband, because we seemingly forget time together is important during the school year. We went to see the last Harry Potter movie (goodbye, Harry!) and afterwards we were a little sick from all the popcorn and soda but still wanted a light meal. We settled on Subway and I was fine with that because I usually get a salad there, no big deal. Here is where I want you to pay attention: you know how you go into a restaurant when you have celiac disease and you always choose between one of two or three menu items you have in your head? There's a reason for that! When you think, Oh I haven't had that in a while, I think I'll try it again...stop! Check ingredients! Use your smartphone or a satellite or something to double check because it probably is on the "not safe" list and there's a reason you haven't eaten it in a while! What did I order at said Subway? A Seafood Salad made into a salad. Um....apparently wheat and/or gluten are present in the seafood salad. I was not a happy camper for a couple of days. So a gentle reminder to everyone...don't mess with your pre-determined menu thoughts. It may seem boring, but check before you go or after so you know for next time what your options are. And now if you are wondering what salad you can order at Subway and not be stupid like me, check out their allergen list here. Soapbox sermon over.

Happy (and safe) eating!

Me and the Not Bummer Summer

I know it's been almost 20 days since I posted, and I'm here to tell you why. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, so here you go:
And I basically spend my days eating this for lunch:Sadly, after all this work and packing all of these boxes the buyers pulled out of the deal on our home 48 hours before closing, which in turn made it so we couldn't purchase the other home we had bought, so now we are back to square one with our real estate ventures. I'm basically avoiding all cooking (mostly because everything in my pantry and cupboards is in a box) and trying to avoid slipping into a deep depression by eating popsicles and fresh pineapple every day I can. I'm usually a pretty optimistic person and I'm sure I'll be sunshiny again soon. It's just that now I don't really know what we should do...do I unpack the boxes and concede defeat? Or do I leave them packed and keep up the fight? I'm sure an answer will present itself in the near future. In the meantime, here are some glimpses of how we've been spending our time otherwise.

Ballet recitals!Running through sprinklers on hot days and eating Otter Pops!

Having Spongebob birthday parties!

Taking a road trip with this guy!

Throwing rocks into a hole!I hope you are having a great summer as well, and hopefully some gluten free inspiration will come my way soon!
Happy eating!

Gluten Free Cheater's Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sometimes packing boxes and boxes of dusty crap makes you really want to take a break to refresh yourself. And sometimes you just miss a plain old ice cream sandwich in the summertime. I figured out a really delicious, cheating, non-cooking way to make gluten free ice cream sandwiches. I found these cookies from Kinnikinnick at Whole Foods the other day and thought they would be tasty on their own, but I think I like them better this way after all.

First, take the good old standby gluten free ice cream, Breyer's Natural Vanilla (for the record, it was my favorite ice cream before I was diagnosed as well) and let it sit out of the freezer for about 5 minutes, just until it gets soft. If you use hard ice cream for these the cookies will break. Use a small scoop to put a small scoop of ice cream on the bottom of a Montana cookie. Place the bottom of another cookie on top and gently smoosh. Place on a freezer safe plate or tray and return them to the freezer for about 20 minutes or until they are frozen well. Eat and enjoy! I think these would be such an easy dessert for a summer barbecue, and you can make up a whole bunch and freeze them ahead of time. I'm pretty sure there's other cookies that would work with this idea, like the Mi-Del Gluten Free Ginger Snaps with Breyer's Butter Pecan ice cream, Pamela's Lemon Shortbread cookies with Lemon sorbet or even a pineapple sherbet, and more that I haven't even thought of yet. It's going to be a great summer!

Happy eating!