Gluten Free Favorites

Fried Eggs over GF Thanksgiving Stuffing

Posting here so I can save/share.  I'll add favorite recipes soon.  If you want to follow my Pinterest, all recipes pinned are Gluten Free or easily converted.   

https://www.pinterest.com/jenned/_saved/

A lot of people don't understand what Gluten Free is and even seeing the words "Gluten Free" on a package of corn tortillas will turn them off.  *Hint:  'real food' does not contain added wheat to make food stretch farther.  Paleo does not contain wheat, or any grains.  You just need to read labels which wasn't an issue for me since I have a few serious allergies and I've always done that.  There are apps, Facebook Groups, and some websites that are pretty accurate.  But just because one thing is okay for one Celiac/Gluten Sensitive person, does not mean it's okay for someone else.  I find my favorite recipes and convert them, or replace them with something else.  Instead of chocolate chip cookies, I have fallen in love with Macarons.  

Gluten Free Restaurants

Local(Mesa, AZ):

Twisted Sugar - Dangerous find.  They have regular cookies plus they make fresh GF Sugar Cookies and you tell them what kind of topping your want.  Smores, Pink w/Sprinkles, Salted Caramel, Snickerdoodle, Swizzle Sugar, Lemon, etc…  

Surf City - Power & Ray, All made in house, fresh chips, GF bread(they even toasted it right), or you can have any of their sandwiches turned into a salad.  Green Hornet Salad and Figs Pig are my favorites.  Just ask and they have great suggestions.

Oregano’s - I’ve only ever tried their Big Rig Pasta with chicken added.  Oh my!  

BabbO Italian Eatery - Also make great GF pastas, and mushroom entree that is to die for!

Barrio Queen - Mexican food has lots of options.  Their Tamale Trio is AMAZING!

Fudge Shoppe - In Florence.  Cory is super sweet and they will get you what you need!  Their salads are huge!

Bella’s - Ellsworth & Guadalupe - I just get the sandwiches lettuce wrapped, and their Antipasto Salad is fantastic!  

Arriba’s - The manager suggested their enchilada made with a corn tortilla and queso sauce because their green and red sauce is made with a wheat roux.  Great suggestion, it was really good!

Chains:

Costa Vida - They are great with GF, change their gloves, know their menu.  (Cafe Rio which is similar was rude to me and the manager waved her hands in the air and told me I couldn’t eat anything, it was in the air, as they were making their homemade tortillas.  Haven’t been back, don’t care to).

Thai Chili to Go - Most items on their menu are GF including some new chicken breast pieces that are batter fried.  Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, Pad Siew are my favorites.  

Red Robin has GF buns or you can do lettuce wrap, so do Culvers, In n Out.  Bun Free options that are safe can also be found at Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr.

Salad & Go  - Salads, and their Chicken Dumpling soup is surprisingly GF, yum!

Chick Fil A - Just don’t get battered items or the wraps, I’m pretty sure most other items are safe or easily tweaked with modifications.  Waffle Fries are cooked in a designated GF fryer.  I sought out their GF bun supplier!  They taste like a sweeter whole wheat roll, but super soft and SO good!  I would consider going in with someone to buy a stash of them for my freezer!

Denny’s - I can’t say for all locations but Queen Creek has GF English Muffins, and has several options.  

Los Favoritos - I don’t have issues with their nachos or tacos, unsure about rolled tacos.

GF Pizza:  Domino’s, Mod, Barrio’s, all good options.  Hint, reheat leftovers in a non-stick frying pan to crisp up the crust.  GF crust can get cardboardy and tough, but toasting it up in the bottom of a pan with a little non-stick spray or butter can crisp it up and actually make it taste better than when it was fresh.

Taco Bell - limited here, but it’s not really Mexican food anyways.  But their crunchy tacos are fine and power bowls.  

Panda Express is a no go.  The only safe(and I question that) is white rice and steamed vegetables.  Although I didn’t have a reaction to their teriyaki grilled chicken.  

Shopping:

Sprouts - Lots of GF options, more than TJ’s imo.  They carry GF cupcakes(their seasonal strawberry cupcakes are my favorite), they carry GF bread, tortillas, pie crusts, breaded fish fillets, sausage, frozen meals, frozen donuts, meringue cookies, pretzels, snacks, pasta, graham crackers, animal cookies, licorice, etc….  And they label almost every aisle item that is GF as such on the price tag.  Of course produce is GF.  Sprouts also makes GF Fried Onions(like French’s in Green Bean Casserole).  These are AMAZING!!!!

Home Goods & TJ Maxx always have snacks, pastas, misc. Items that are fun to try.

Amazon and Thrive Market:  Favorite place to get Gluten Free Items.

Kitchen Items to Stock:

GF Crackers:  Nabisco Good Thin GF varieties, corn and the vegetable are my favorite, Hu brand, Diamond Almond Crackers, Snack Factory Pretzel Chips, Lay’s chips(I believe all Lay’s chips are GF, Fritos, Cheetos, Poppables, Tostitos, Stackables, etc…  Kettle Chips, Veggie Stix, Miss Vickie’s Chips, Ruffles  

Canned Tuna, Chicken Breast, Deviled Ham, Hummus, Cream Cheese, etc…  Dippable items instead of sandwiches.

Chex Rice and Corn varieties and Cheerios.

GF Frozen Waffles(Vans are my favorite), they can also be used in place of buns and bread for sandwiches and burgers.  I love to do this, turkey, cranberry sauce, pesto, swiss cheese, Best Foods Mayo.  The waffle holds the condiments in from making a mess.

GF Oreos!  Although I prefer Glutinos or Walmart’s brand.  Nabisco was late to the party with their GF Oreos and they’re gummy. :(  

Delimex Taquitos - They have a few varieties that contain gluten, I just get their plain beef or plain chicken taquitos.  They don’t say GF, but they don’t list wheat as an allergen.

Sourdough is not Gluten Free, but some people who can’t eat wheat seem to do fine.  I tried San Luis Sourdough my daughter brought me from a road trip from California.  I used to work across the street so I know how they make it.  I would stay away from big companies like Orowheat or Pepperidge Farm since they are mass produced, they may not let the yeast ferment enough.

Bread - The only ones I eat are Canyon House and believe it or not, Sam’s Choice found at Walmart.  This might even be better than Canyon House.  Don’t let bad GF bread go to waste though.  I recently made homemade GF Croutons and they were so good the hubby polished ‘em off and said he could eat them all day.  I don’t like Schar brand breads at all except their Ciabatta Rolls toasted.

Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Flour.  I’ve tried all kinds of “special” flours, Bob’s has been the most available, best price, and had most success with.

Cake Mixes:  Krusteaz, Betty Crocker, and Pillsbury make good GF mixes & muffins, everything else is overpriced and I’ve had a lot less success.  You can add dry pudding mix to make it richer.  

Red Lobster GF Biscuits - Yum!!!!!

Corn Tortillas or Gluten Free Mission Tortillas.  I use Mission GF Tortillas in my enchiladas.  Just make sure the enchilada sauce is also GF, some are, some aren’t.  

Candy:  Skittles, Gummy Bears, Runts, Dots, Tootsie Rolls, Lifesavers, Peppermint Patties, and surprisingly Hershey’s Cookies n Cream Drops(only the “Drops”).

Stay away from licorice, Werther’s, seasonal versions of Reese’s and other candies(they outsource to factories that cannot guarantee GF production).

We have an air fryer and that has been the best way to cook GF burritos, chicken tenders, meatballs, etc….  No added oil, but GF bread and breaded items need to be cooked again.  I make my toast in the air fryer by just adding a little bit of butter to the top before instead of after.  GF bread does not soak up liquids.

Thai Kitchen Foods make a rice noodle type Ramen packet, healthier, but not enough noodles and twice the price.  

Glass Noodles are made from yam and are GF, they are great!  

OreIda makes almost all of their potato products GF, including their tater tots.

Immaculate Baking GF Cookie Dough

Things I keep on Hand:  Nuts, GF Granola, a few frozen meals, fruits and veggies, lunch meats and cheese to make roll-ups, jerky, popcorn, dry cereal, soups, GF Ramen Cups

We also try to meal prep on the weekend, cook proteins up and store in zip bags to throw a quick meal together.

Sunbasket Meal Plans:  We subscribed for a while, mostly just to get the hang of cooking strictly Paleo and get out of a rut, they came in bags with the ingredients you need and you pick your proteins.  Saved us money even though it was a bit expensive because we were too tired to cook each night or plan to cook so groceries went to waste.  

GF to Stay Away from:

Cauliflower Pizza - it’s just disgusting.  

“Real Good” brand products.  Everything I’ve tried has the weirdest texture and gave me a bathroom problem, and tastes very processed.  

Daiya GF/DF products, nasty fake flavors

Pillsbury GF Cookie Dough-weird texture and doesn’t taste right.

Latest Project

I started working at a high school last year as the Attendance Secretary and Admin Assistant to the Assistant Principal/Athletic Director.  I LOVE that job!  An opportunity came up to master another aspect and I began the 2017-18 school year as the Registrar because the previous Registrar moved over as the Athletic Secretary(thank goodness she's still nearby to answer all my questions).  We just got done with our fall break and I had a project in mind that I just had to do.  I couldn't wait to get started.  I'd painted a wall in our home similar to this one(it's somewhere here on the blog).  But I had shelves and family photos in mine.  So the AS rearranged her office as well and now we're working on a project to upgrade her office as well.  When the new Assistant Principal said, "You can paint if you want," she had no idea what she was offering.  I moved the filing cabinets that were against that wall across the room with the rest of the bank of them.  There will be a table for new families to sit around in front of the wall.  I just feel when you're welcoming new students to school, their first room should not look like a record room, but should be welcoming.  I have a map of major colleges and universities that as I send transcripts out I'm going to poke a flag pin into the school.

Four Years!

One of my new favorite things:

Hak's

I searched their website and all of the products listed are Gluten Free except for the Hak's Thai Chili Tamarid Sauce.  These dressings are awesome and perfect for your purse when eating out and not knowing if you can have their dressing or sauce.

Recipe:

Chopped Chicken, a handful of dried cranberries, some slivered almonds, pepper, a shake of onion powder, chopped red bell pepper, a few Tablespoons Best Foods mayo, and one packet of hak's spicy thai salad dressing.  

Combine.  Serve with jicama chips or lettuce leaves(endive are great for dipping!).

Four Years of  GLUTEN FREE living!  I hope this doesn't turn you off right away, this isn't one of those gluten is evil, gluten makes you fat, gluten is of the devil posts.  Nope.  Just, "This isn't nearly as hard or as weird as people think!" posts.

Why?:  Dr. Oz(I'm not a fan) came on and I couldn't get to the remote to change it for a bit because I was in the middle of something, which I'm glad now happened.  The lead in was about surprising symptoms why you might be gluten intolerant.  I do not have Celiac Disease that we know of, but it's possible, I cannot be tested, yet.  I had all of the symptoms mentioned except bloating.  My tummy seemed fine, but in hindsight, they weren't.  Couldn't lose weight(probably because every diet included adding more whole wheat and grains into your diet), lingering headaches(not migraines, but always kind of in the back of my head), arthritis, keratosis pilaris(skin) etc.....

I decided to give it a 100% attempt, give it my all, for just 2 weeks.  At the end of 2 weeks I was feeling so much better.  So I tried 2 more, and when the family and those around me said I was walking faster, had lost weight, and looked happier I knew I was going to try it until my next check up with my allergist.  At this time I was still on Xolair injections(for those with high IGE levels that triggers allergic induced asthma), Advair(the max dosage), Singulair, Claritin, Albuterol inhalers(which became ineffective due to a formula change years before), and using essential oils for allergies as well.  I realized when November came around and we were out of state for Thanksgiving, I got the flu, I had not used my rescue inhaler ONCE since I had gone gluten free.  I had been on medications for asthma and allergies since I was 18 months old.  I'm 47.  That is a LONG time to have asthma and deal with medicine.  I had been hospitalized over a HUNDRED times for asthma and pneumonias, and hundreds of ER visits, long term use of steroids that caused many painful and long term side effects that also affected the quality of my life growing up.  So, going a few days was miraculous in itself, but going 6 months?!!!!  We were onto something.

Next check up, the Dr. didn't want to change anything quite yet.  I agreed.  But he did let me go down a dosage level of the Advair.  I explained to him how I had also tried some cookie dough in a moment of weakness and been exposed to wheat again and I felt like I had been hit by a Mak truck for about a day and a half.  Every joint ached, I had a headache, I hurt ALL over.  I had tried it again 2 weeks after that, same thing, and I got itchy all over.  I have followed a wheat free diet perfectly.  I read every label, prepare food myself, or read labels(discreetly), eat before I go somewhere, and check with restaurant employees after doing my research ahead of time.  I can write a whole other post on the jokes and very not funny reactions I get from people/restaurant employees who mock this gluten free, wheat free NEED of mine.  I am NOT one of those people that demand special attention, I merely ask so I can decide if I want to chance it.

I have a pet peeve of those parents of children with food allergies that demand an entire school eat peanut free.  Let me explain.  This is MY allergy, and relying on other people to make my life safe is irresponsible.  That child will be let down by someone who is uneducated or irresponsible and have a reaction.  I grew up with other food allergies, sulphur dioxide and MSG.  Those were life threatening.  I learned very young that I am the only one who can be sure of my safety in elementary school.  I was the only child with an inhaler(which had to be left in the office at that time, we were not allowed to carry our EMERGENCY inhaler on us!).  I have had reactions when I was not careful, it was ON ME.  I would never ever try to make someone else, a party hostess, room mom, etc... ever feel bad about not providing allergy free treats or food for me.  Learning how to be free of certain ingredients is difficult and takes A LOT of study, and there is a lot of FALSE information out there!

"Rice Krispy Treats", you would think were gluten free, but there is malt added to make their texture even more appealing.  I had people close to me try to convince me they made them just for me because they were gluten free, and it sucked trying to explain to them after they put work into them just for me because they cared about me that they were still not safe and I couldn't even have "just one bite?"

DO NOT RELY ON OTHERS.  THEY MEAN WELL, BUT IT IS NOT SAFE.  TEACH YOUR CHILD, PREPARE YOUR CHILD AHEAD OF TIME, HELP THEM GROW AN INDEPENDENT ATTITUDE SO THAT OTHERS DO NOT MOCK OR MAKE FUN OF THOSE WITH ALLERGIES ALSO.

There are countless sources online(only look for reliable ones though!) that can help you learn to deal with food allergies.  I keep a list of favorite places and menu items so when I'm on the go with friends and family I have a choice in an instant.  And then I ask AGAIN with the server if it is still gluten free.  Supply companies change their ingredients, restaurants change their supply companies, and they may just change things because of time or money.  Even if you order something that is known to be gluten free, just remind them, "I need this gluten free".  Certain restaurants, and even in Disney World(awesome!) will "red flag" an allergy and they may fry your french fries in a dedicated fryer that does not share with items like battered chicken, etc....  Disney World brought out my hamburger with a gluten free bun on a special colored tray and they used a dedicated fryer on the opposite side of the regular fryer for my fries.  It had a special skewer in the middle of the hamburger making sure I knew it was a GF bun.  There is a lot of cross contamination, especially in sandwich shops.  I will give a shout out to Costa Vida since they are one of my new favorites.  As soon as the food preparer hears me say, "and I need this gluten free please", they put on fresh gloves, prepare the meat and corn tortilla behind the normal station, but in front of me so I can see it.  They will fix any error immediately and with a happy face.  Whoever trains these servers should be given a huge thank you.  I have never been given any grief.  (It was hectic once and they said they'd bring my salad out to me, they did, but it had a flour tortilla in the bottom instead of corn.  When I explained the order mistake they immediately started a new one without any issue whatsoever.  If "I" had stuck around to watch I would have noticed and corrected it then.  Please don't be mean to restaurant servers, ever.

Anniversaries

Today is the 25 year anniversary of my grandpa's murder.  No arrests.  No news.  Focus on the positive.

I had some lyrics from Frozen pasted on here, about letting it go and no more fears, distance....  But yeah, not feelin' it anymore.  I've already shared how important my grandparents were to me, I've shared how much I want the @%$$%^%^  put away that did this.  It feels like no one cares.  I need closure.  I know his case continues to go forward and stay in contact with those working on it.  Majorly let down this morning to find NONE of the local news sources are sharing how horrific the anniversary of this event is to those that knew and loved grandpa.  (KSBY, KCOY, The Tribune/sanluisobispo.com)

Back to positives.

"Coincidences" or unusual things always seem to start up just before the anniversary.  I won't speculate why, but these reminders are almost always very sweet!  A few weeks ago my daughter was doing genealogy and we found Grandpa Frank(a veteran) and Grandma Iva's original wedding license online.  Two days ago I found a Veteran's hat in a lobby, and yesterday my daughter found another Veteran's hat alongside the road.  We turned it into Vets.  It's being reunited.  Little things that just remind me of the man who I wish was still in my life, that my husband had gotten to meet him, and that my own children would have sweet memories of.  This is also the anniversary of the first time Todd called and asked me out.  I had just gotten home and found out about my grandpa when he called so I shot him down.  But then he was like glue, and didn't leave my side.

It is also their wedding anniversary the 10th!  Happy Anniversary Frank & Iva.

http://frankgove.blogspot.com/

GF Bang Bang Shrimp

Macarons!

I love, love, love macarons!  I loved them before I went gluten free, it’s just one of those dreamy treats I didn’t have to give up.  I tried a recipe from Pinterest for my first try, tasty, but there were some improvements to be made.  This recipe turned out perfect, and of course, I had to change it a little.

This had to be one of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received.  I was at a Christmas party for our church and I eyed a plate, the ONLY plate, of Macarons and by the time I sought out the person who brought them to ask if they were gluten free, they were gone.  I asked her how hard they were to make, and she said she’d tried several and loves them too.  The next week she brought over this recipe book because I had asked her about them.  And it wasn’t only thoughtful, but this book is AWESOME!  They have printable pdf files of templates too on a CD included in the back of the book.  SO cute!  You can buy it HERE.

Measure by weight, not volume!

Basic Recipe (my changes in BLUE)

200g powdered sugar

110g almond flour

100g egg whites aged at room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

35g superfine sugar

4-6 drops lime doTerra essential oil

Dab of green food coloring paste

Measure all of the ingredients with a digital scale. 

Preheat oven to 320’ for at least 30 minutes.

Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into a bowl together.  Combine well using a wire whisk and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, beat egg whites until opaque and creamy.  Add pinch of cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.  Slowly add superfine sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Add food coloring his point if you choose to use it.

Fold and stir the powdered sugar/almond flour mixture into the egg whites, adding 1/3 of the mixture at a time.  The mixture will be the texture of thick cake batter, but fluffy and light.  Add the macaron mix to a piping bag with a tip #12 attached.  Pipe onto silicone mat or on parchment paper circles.  Tap the cookie sheet to release bubbles and help the mix spread out within the circles.  Allow to set 30-40 minutes(I found 20 minutes too short to leave an adequate skin).  They will get a skin and look dull.  This skin helps them rise up rather than spread out.  Turn oven down to 300’.  Bake one cookie sheet on the bottom rack at a time for 10-12 minutes, rotate the pan halfway through to allow steam to escape and evenly distribute heat.  Cookies should NOT brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  Peel the cookies off of the parchment or silicone mat to finish cooling. 

Divide the cooled cookies into pairs of like sizes.  Pipe the icing into the center with enough of it to go to the ends, but not spill out.  Refrigerate overnight for best results.

Icing: 

2 sticks softened/room temperature(not melted) butter (I prefer salted)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ Tbl. Rum emulsion flavoring

2 tsp. almond emulsion flavoring

Beat all of the ingredients in a large mixer bowl on high for several minutes.  Scrape the bowl as needed.  Add more milk or powdered sugar to get a thick consistency.  Cover and let sit 15 minutes and beat again.  A cake decorator taught me if you did this then you don’t have to sift the sugar. 

Lime Curd:

½ cup sugar

Zest of 3 limes

½ Cup Fresh lime juice

4 egg yolks(now you get to use those egg yolks up.

Pinch of salt

¼ cup butter, room temperature

½ cup white chocolate chips

Whisk all of the ingredients except the butter and chocolate chips in a small saucepan.  Over very low heat, bring to a simmer whisking the entire time.  It will thicken up as it begins to bubble while still stirring.   After it’s thick, remove from heat and add white chocolate chips.  Stir until they are completely melted and incorporated.  Allow to cool until just warm enough to melt butter.  Add 1 Tbl. of butter at a time and incorporate all of the butter. I didn’t like the look of orange yolk color with the specks of green zest so I added some green food coloring.   Set aside until cool.

When the Lime Curd is cool, add 1/2-3/4 cup to Buttercream Icing and mix well.  Spoon icing mix into a piping bag with another #12 tip. 

Prepare your cooled cookies to fill with icing by pairing them up with like sizes and shapes.  Turn one of the pair over and pipe icing into the center. 

Refrigerate cookies in a tightly sealed or covered container overnight for best results. 

One of my experiments was too ugly to photograph, but yummy enough to gobble up, lavender macarons with lemon icing.  There are countless variations, but I'm partial to anything with citrus in it.  You can even add mashed berries to icing, or even mascarpone cheese/pudding mix(you need something help it stay together).

Enjoy!!!!

Happy Birthday Ally!

photo session

My wedding

Our first cruise

Our first cruise

My little squishy

1/7/74-1/4/92

What I'm sharing is sacred to me.

Some days, I just need my sister.  I know she’d know what to do, I need her patience, and humor.  I’m the big sister, and I rarely admitted I needed her.  We fought like sisters do, but when we got along, we got along and laughed and nearly(okay, maybe sometimes did) pee our pants(a little).  Her laugh was contagious and even if I was pissed off at her, she’d still make me laugh because she was so funny.  She laughed at herself, she made people feel comfortable and like they were the most important people to her, and she found a way to make a personal connection with everyone she met, like an inside joke only shared between the two.  She wasn’t afraid to be goofy or to dish it back if you gave her crap.  She gave everyone multiple chances, she didn’t understand the word, “grudge”.  She also loved people something fierce.  She was your cheerleader and blocker all in one.  She wasn’t competitive so she was self-motivated.  She backed you up, hated drama and bickering, and wasn’t afraid to walk away from friends when they were fighting without picking sides.  And then it was like it never happened.  She was quick to forgive and forget.  She was super excited to finally pass big sis up in height, shoe, and bra size.  The hair was always bigger with adequate amounts of hair spray, lots of blonde, fluffy hair.

On September 25, 2013, I took my oldest daughter to the airport to serve a mission for our church.  On our way we had to stop at the Stake President’s office for her to be officially set apart as a full-time missionary.  It was about 6:30 so it was cold.  We all went into the office and met with him and talked about missionary work, and I kind of expected Ariel to change her mind.  But, something very special happened while the Stake President began the prayer.  We all had our arms folded and eyes closed.  I literally felt like there were people walking into the room, I could even see the room grow brighter through my closed eyelids.  I opened them to peek and it was still just us.  No one else was looking up like they felt the same thing I did.  But I closed my eyes again and I could feel the warmth of hands on my shoulders, I recognized them.  They were Ally’s, and a very calm, peaceful sentence came into my mind, “I’ve always been with them.”  I knew she was my childrens’ guardian angel.  I know those that pass on visit, but I felt she rarely left.  It was an instant, almost tangible event.  I hadn’t even been thinking about Ally having been so wrapped up in getting Ariel prepared to leave and the talks, open house, and final details that needed to be done before she left.  That experience left me nearly speechless for the next few hours.  We pulled over to an empty lot before we pulled up to the gate to give final hugs and take a picture.  Then when we pulled up to the gate she got her bags and left us.  Just walked right in through those glass doors with a big smile and a few tears.  I expected her to run back and jump in and scream, “Go!  Go!  Go!  I changed my mind.  Go!” 

I sat silently while we made our way back home and typed up my experience that happened that morning right away.  I finally told Todd through tears and he said he realized I was processing something big, but he hadn’t had those same feelings.  I started an email to Ariel to tell her about my experience too but didn’t send it.  About a week later I sent it and finally got a response from Ariel.

“Man do i have a lot to tell you. I hope i can get it in in this short time. Where do i start though? Okay so last friday and saturday were kind of rough. I dont know what was going on. Sister Meredith and i both felt like something was up. We discussed it and Decided that i should get a blessing so i asked Elder Yates to give me a blessing. He was scared and i wasn’t sure why. But anyways so that night i got a blessing and in the blessing i heard exactly what i needed to hear. Then at the end of the blessing elder Yates said something along the lines of " Your family and friends in spirit paradise are watching over you. They love you and are proud of you" Yeah i was already crying and then i burst into tears. Poor Sister Meredith had no idea what was going on. Then i explained the whole thing about you feeling the room fill up when i got set apart. So Saturday night after that we went home and of course we cried and Sister Meredith was in tears to.  It was special though and exactly what i needed to hear.”

I wondered later if friends of ours, 2 young girls who were killed in a train accident shortly before were there as well.  Ally would be kindred spirits with Kelsea and Savannah.  Really, if they were in school together, I know they’d be hanging out together.  Ariel had befriended their mom, Jayna, after they passed and she was like a 2^nd mom to Ariel.  I ALWAYS felt blessed to have Ariel spend so much time there, never jealous.  I felt like, I like to daydream, that Ally sent Ariel to Jayna because she knew how awful losing a child is and Ariel seemed to inherit Ally’s traits.  Ariel seemed to have a way of showing up at Jayna’s at the just the right moment.  Ally has been influencing my family all this time.   

Eric is much more like me than Ally.  But he has her way of making you also feel important and making a personal connection.  Also like Ally, Casey knows how to laugh at himself.  His laugh is contagious, you get him on a roll, and you forget what you were laughing about because his laugh is funny in itself.  Kenzie is also influenced by Ally in her passion for a particular style.  Not Ally’s style, but that girl knows exactly what she likes and doesn’t like.  She came up with a design of a building that brought goosebumps.  Ally used to dream of and drew up plans for a building with a dance studio for each of us, a craft studio, a daycare, and more.  Something I think she envisioned in downtown SLO and she said I was in charge of all the interior design and architecture.  Kenzie came up with something too, including a theatre.  She also will simply walk away from her friends when they’re fighting and come back to them when they’re done.  She’s also the funny one, you don’t expect it and she’ll deliver a doozy and just get you with her sarcasm.  Improv and theatre are her outlets.  And she is the queen of improv, commanding the stage as soon as she walks out. 

She was my roomie for nearly 17 years.  I recall our finally getting our own bedrooms but every other month we’d put the beds and clothes all in one and make the other room a play room.  Then we’d move the beds back to have our own rooms again, and the cycle went on and on.  Decorating and rearranging was the best part.  Those beds are matching captains beds that our grandpa made for us.  My kids STILL use them.  I got to celebrate 17 of her birthdays with her.  And she cried when people sang Happy Birthday to her. 

I don’t have to go to the cemetery to feel her.  She isn’t there.  She’s right here with me whenever I look into my kids’ eyes.  When I watch them just being themselves.  When I need her.  When I am doing the things that make me a better woman.  I can also feel her in my home, where we laugh and do things that families do.  When I’m watching a movie.  When I’m eating raw bell peppers, which I never used to like.  When I see my kids’ friends do silly things together, TP’ing, playing at the school park at night, making posters for firemen who saved our town, trying on goofy outfits in the stores, and on our trip to Hawaii.  So many special times that I know she’s still influencing my family.    

I miss the girl time she would have gotten in with my girls and I.  She was supposed to come stay with us after she would have graduated high school to help take care of our newborn.  When Ariel was just beginning to coo and smile she used to make faces and talk to a picture of Christ and one I had of Ally.  I believe the veil is very thin for children and she recognized her angel from before she came to earth.  Ally taught her all about us before she came to us and the first time she called her dad a butthead I heard Ally’s voice, that was her nickname for Todd. 

For all of you that knew Ally, I hope you write your memories down and do share them(especially the silly ones).  

Happy Birthday Bree Butt.

Gluten Free Honey Chipotle Enchiladas

Gluten Free Honey Chipotle Enchiladas

Shredded Pork

Large Corn Tortillas

Diced Onion

Coconut Oil

Crushed Garlic

Gluten Free Enchilada Sauce(red or green)

Honey

Chipotle Sauce(gravy) from a can of Adobo Chilies

Lime & Cilantro doTerra Essential Oils

Grated Pepper Jack Cheese

I wanted enchiladas but one of my kiddos is not a fan.  I promised this child she would at least like these, and she did actually eat one and said they weren't bad.  I came up with this kind of as I went along so there are no step by step pics either.  And they were gone before I knew it so no plated culinary food porn, sorry.  Let me know what you think if you try them.

Pan fry each tortilla on each size with coconut oil until soft and pliable.  Set on dish and cover with damp towel or plastic wrap loosely while frying the rest of them.  Empty 2 large cans of enchilada sauce into aa measuring bowl.  Add 1-3 Tbl. of Chipotle Sauce, around ¼ cup of honey, 3 drops lime essential oil, 1 drop cilantro essential oil.  Mix with whisk and set aside.  Sautee onions with a little bit of coconut oil and salt to taste until almost translucent.  Add crushed garlic and cook a few minutes.  Set aside.

Assembling the Enchiladas:  TIP:  Spray 9x13 pan with a little bit of non-stick spray.  Then drizzle honey across the bottom in spaced and thin ribbons.  This will act as the “glue” to hold the rolled enchiladas in place!  You do not need to coat the tortillas on each side with sauce, we’re skipping that step. 

Spread a little bit of shredded pork in a line down the center of one tortilla.  Next sprinkle a little bit of onion, next shredded pepper jack cheese, and a spoonful of enchilada sauce.  Roll up and lay seam side down in the baking dish.  I was able to get a dozen in one pan.  Pour about 2 cups of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, add more pepper jack cheese over the enchiladas and bake another 15 minutes, until cheese is gold and bubbly.  Let cool about 15 minutes.  Additional garnishes if you like, olives, cilantro, sour cream, cotija cheese, onions, etc….

Gluten Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I have to give credit where credit is due!  EmilyK has THE best bread recipe hands down.  It's even gluten free.  This recipe is soft, moist, sweet, and melt in your mouth good.  THIS is her GF Pumpkin Bread recipe that I drew inspiration from to make the coffee cake shown.

I doubled the recipe and used butter instead of shortening.  I added a yummy pecan topping, and my house smells like Fall.  Oh, cut the salt in half if you use regular butter.  It ended up taking just over an hour to cook, just test with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean.  I use Pamela's Gluten Free Artisan Flour.

Pecan Topping
1 heaping cup of chopped pecans
1/4 cup Pamela's Gluten Free Flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbl. cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter, diced

Cut all of the ingredients into a medium bowl with a pastry cutter or your hands.  Spread evenly on top of coffee cake batter.

I'm b-a-c-k!

Things have been crazy.  We've moved to a new town, bigger job, more for the kids to do, closer to big city, rehomed our dog, and getting ready to be empty nesters.  Living 45 minutes from a beach has squashed my landlocked syndrome.  We're also 2 hours closer to the town we both grew up in.  No snow, no marathon long heat waves(seriously, the last few days have been the hottest and we can still open up in the evening, and no mega fires like the Rim Fire which kept us indoors for a month, school closed for a whole week, stores had to close, etc....  And we are eating SO much better again being in the Central Coast.  We were commenting how there is food EVERYWHERE.  We ate at a Farm 2 Table restaurant last night, came out and realized they weren't flowers adorning the front planters, they were tomato plants.  Wondered if they were there instead of the complimentary breath mints ;)

So, my first blog post in over a year?  A recipe of course!!!  2 years ago I went gluten free, I won't go into all the details, it was not for weight loss(although that was a nice perk), but in the end we discovered I'm allergic to wheat.  So, I got tired of making one meal for me, a meal for the family, and wasting so much time.  No, I don't force my family to eat gluten free, but they don't miss it when I do sub a meal or dessert, and they don't mind being test tasters.  And eating gluten free here is SO easy!  Veggies and fruits are way cheaper than the Sierras, we even have a farm fresh produce store just blocks from me.  So, here's a sample of a gluten free meal that doesn't miss anything.  Now if I can stop the family from asking me if it's gluten free.  Uh, duh.  I've been doing this for over 2 years now, if I eat wheat children, you will know!  RME

Tri-tip, rubbed with Santa Maria Style Dry Rub, hubby cooked it to perfection.

I call them California Beans.  It's close to the Santa Maria Style beans I grew up with that did not have tomato and chili in them.  So, I pulled this out of a hat, I was more than happy with the results.

Sorry about the presentation.  I really wasn't planning on snapping one, except to make my son jealous who is out of town.  But then as we ate, we were all silent because it turned out so wonderful and I knew I had to write this one up.
(Tri-tip, Pico de Gallo, California Beans, GF Udi's rolls with garlic butter)

Santa Maria Dry Rub

3 Tbsp Kosher salt

3 Tbsp finely ground black pepper

3 Tbsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp. cayenne

3 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp. dry rosemary (or fresh, finely minced)

2 teaspoon dry sage

Jen’s California Beans

2 lbs. small red or pinquito beans, cleaned, soaked overnight

4cups beef stock

1 Tbsp. each:  ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

1 lb. cooked ground beef

1 lb. cooked ground Italian sausage

1 lb. cooked chorizo

2 Tbsp. each: minced dry garlic and onion

1-2 Tbsp. kosher salt(to taste, don’t blame me if it’s bland or too salty)

1 Tbsp. Santa Maria Dry Rub

¼ cup balsamic vinegar or whiskey

Sort and rinse beans and put in large stock pot on stove.  Cover with at least 6” hot water.  Bring to a boil with lid on for 20 minutes.  Turn off heat and do not remove lid.  Let sit overnight.

Drain beans in large colander and rinse.  Add to a crockpot that will hold at least 8 qts.  Cover with beef stock to cover beans 2”.  Add ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder.  Cook on High 4-5 hours.  Add cooked meats, dry garlic and onion, salt to taste,  Santa Maria Dry Rub seasoning, and balsamic vinegar or whiskey(or both).  Cook another 3 hours on low.  Add more beef stock if there is not enough liquid as you check periodically. 

Pico de Gallo

Fresh diced tomatoes

Fresh Minced Onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

Juice of 1 lime

Fresh cilantro

Kosher salt & pepper to taste

Mix it all together, that's it.

Gluten Free Favorites...

Beach Bags

I bought this fabric months ago, I just had to have these cute little snorkeling turtles.  I figured I'd come up with something soon enough.  And I did!  When I saw this PATTERN at Jillilly Studio I knew exactly what I was going to do.  The turtles are Timeless Treasures Michael Searle Sea Turtles and Clothworks Waterlilies collection.  The pattern was very easy and fast.  I ended up not using different fabrics for the pockets, but I think they still turned out too stinkin' cute.  We're ready for the beach.

Those are the ginormous beach towels/bath sheets in there with room to spare.  The drawstring does come up over the top, I just scrunched it down so you could see it.  My mom wants me to make one for her with winery fabric for a silent auction for her high school reunion.  I see tons of uses for these bags, including a picnic bag!  I can see a blanket in there and plenty of room for goodies and utensils.  Seriously cute bag.  Thank you Jill Finley for this PDQ Pattern!

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

5lbs. peeled white potatoes(if you use red or golden then they taste better if you leave the skins on)

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter, cubed

Salt & Pepper, a few red chili flakes, 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, 1 Tbl. minced dried onions

Spray the crockpot with non-stick spray.  Add potatoes and pour chicken broth/stock over them.  Put the butter over the top randomly, sprinkle generously with salt(about 2 tsp.) and pepper, sprinkle the red pepper flakes over and the minced onion.  Cook on High for 4 1/2 hours.

Mash potatoes with a masher, adding in

milk as needed(about 2 cups)

1/4 cup butter(or more)

1 stick of cream cheese(1 8oz. package)

1 clove of garlic, crushed

more salt and pepper to taste

Turn off or on "warm" until ready to serve.

Note:  I've seen several recipes online and this is just the way I ended up doing the mashed potatoes.  They can get "dense" so just add a little more milk and/or butter and mash again.  But the more you mash them up the stickier and starchier they will get.  And if you add sour cream to dishes that are too hot, it will curdle and look disgusting. Purely eye appealing reason for why I opt not to add the sour cream, they're still fine though.

Drunken Wild Rice and Devil Chicken (Slow Cooker, Gluten-Free)

Have you tried a dish that made you dream about it?  The kind that you can't get out of your head until you get to eat it again?  Mushroom Risotto does that to me.  

I was throwing together some wild rice, chicken pieces, onions, etc.... into the slow cooker yesterday, and wowzers!  It filled the fill.  And, surprisingly, NO mushrooms.  So, this is what happens when you combine 2 recipes into one.   Don't judge, the alcohol cooks out, and the flavor, the FLAVOR, cannot, mmmmmmmmm. Leftovers were even better than last night.  

3 cups Bob's Red Mill Wild Rice Mix, rinsed

1 large red onion, chopped fine

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

2 Swanson Vegetable Flavor Boost Packets(if you are highly sensitive to gluten this could be a trigger)

   or Wyler's Gluten Free Vegetable bullion cubes, dissolved in a small amount of water

1 recipe SOS Mix, prepared(equals 1 can cream of chicken soup)

2 cups red wine

1 cup water

2 Tbl. minced garlic

2 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breast and thigh combo pack

Devil Chicken Spice Mixture

     2 Tbl. Paprika

     1 tsp. ground fennel seed

     1 tsp. All-Purpose Spices

     Pepper to taste

Grease the inside of slow cooker crock.  Add rice, onion, artichoke hearts, flavor boost, SOS Mix(prepared), red wine, water, and garlic.  Mix gently.  Generously rub chicken breasts and thighs with spice mixture and layer on top of rice.  Start with chicken breasts and layer thighs on top if needed.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.  

SOS Mix:  http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/soup-or-sauce-sos-mix.html

Soup or Sauce [S.O.S.] Mix

Ingredients

2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk3/4 cup cornstarch1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon (regular or low sodium)
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes2 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a recloseable plastic bag, mixing well.
Equal to 9 (10.5 oz) cans of cream soup.

Combine 1/3 cup with 1 1/4 cup cool water in a sauce pan.  Bring to boil stirring often, until thickened.

Where's Our Luggage?

That's the question of the day!  Still waiting for it to get back from Alaska.

Mr. D and I went on a short 2 day cruise last week.  We gave our luggage to the right person, we got on the ship and our luggage got on A ship, just not OUR ship.  Our luggage was finally found on a the other ship which was going on a 10 day cruise to Alaska.  It should dock on Wednesday(5/23) back in San Francisco and Princess assures me they will FedEx our bags straight to my house.  Crossing my fingers as I keep discovering things we're missing.

In the mean time you can follow it on the ship's bridge cam HERE.

Sesame Ginger Dressing

2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup light flavored oil(I used a light flavored extra virgin olive oil)
1/3 cup raw agave syrup
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
6 drops doTerra Ginger Essential Oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a shaker or blender and mix well.  Refrigerate any unused dressing.

Lime & Cilantro Blender Salsa

To a Blender Add:

1 medium onion rough chopped

2 jalapeno peppers rough chopped(leave seeds if you like heat)

2 cloves garlic pressed

Pulse until finely diced or minced.

Add:

2 14.5 cans petite diced tomatoes

1 14.5 can of tomatoes with green chilies(or rotel)

1 14.5 can of Italian stewed tomatoes

2 Tbl. Brown Sugar

1-2 tsp. kosher salt(to taste)

1 generous tsp. cumin

½ tsp. red chili flakes

4 drops doTerra Lime Essential Oil

4 drops doTerra Cilantro Essential Oil(depends on taste)

Pulse and blend until you like the consistency.  Taste test of course and add more doTerra oil or spices to your liking.  This makes just over 2 qts., which still does not last long in our house.  Store in the refrigerator.

I don't have a picture yet, I will later though :)

To order doTerra oils from me, go HERE.

PRINT HERE