Product Review: Cook Simple's Cowboy Chili Meal (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Non-GMO)

Product: Cook Simple's Cowboy Chili Meal 

I feel like I can hear the sound of the dinner bell at the chuckwagon ringing away with this review! I was first introduced to Cook Simple's Cowboy Chili last year when I received a box in a Taste Guru monthly box. I tried it and really enjoyed it. It was a simple healthy chili that could be made in about 20 minutes for a quick, healthy, and easily gluten-free dinner!

I've bought this boxed meal several times since, and I'm always amazed at the quality of the meal and how healthy it is for a boxed mix. The box comes with directions on the pack and a packaged mix of dried beans, spices, and vegetables. You add a can of diced tomatoes, 1 pound browned ground beef, and 2 1/2 cups of water and voila... dinner 20-30 minutes later! You could easily make it vegetarian by using another can of beans or garbanzos in place of the ground beef (I actually added some leftover garbanzo beans I had in the fridge last night!), and it's already dairy-free... which is rare option for packaged gluten-free foods.

And because I'm sensitive to a lot of tomatoes (I can handle small amounts) I actually use canned pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree instead of the tomatoes... you can't tell the difference! (And bonus fiber! woohoo!) As you will see below, for such a great tasting dish the ingredient list is very small and mainly consists of dried vegetables and beans!

Nutritional Info: 

• Calories: 140 per serving (as packaged, with 1/4 pound 85% lean ground beef = 384 cals total)
• Total Fat: 0 grams (as packaged, with additional 1/4 pound 85% lean ground beef = 17 grams total)
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams (as packaged, with additional 1/4 pound 85% lean ground beef = 77 milligrams total)
• Sodium: 85 milligrams (as packaged, with additional 1/4 pound 85% lean ground beef = 160 milligrams total)
• Total Carbohydrates: 20 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 1 gram
• Sugars: 11 grams
• Protein: 1 gram (as packaged, with additional 1/4 pound 85% lean ground beef = 22 grams total)

Ingredients:  

Red Beans*, Quinoa, Black Beans*, Tomato*, Onion*, Peppers*, Zucchini*, Chili Powder (chili peppers*, salt, spices, garlic*), Sea Salt, Spices, Spinach* 

* = Dried  (from Cooksimple.com)

Thankful Thursdays - Gratitude for good friends

Life amazes me some days. As an introvert, I can sometimes shut myself off from the world, not meaning too... just because it's part of who I am. I don't need company very often and I can get lost in my own world of writing, books, thinking, and creating... and simply forget that I need to connect. That "connection" is so important for my mental health, for sharing laughter, and for remembering that you're needed and part of your community. 

Last week was rather crazy. We had 3 days of constant tornado warnings, torrential rains, and just downright freaky weather. Thankfully nothing happened, and I'm glad we have systems in place these days to let us know when bad things can happen... however it meant feeling very stressed nearly all week. Then on Friday we needed to run into town to get a few things done before we left for the weekend. 

On the way into town... the car stalled. Just stalled... Michael was able to get it started and get it to our local auto parts store. It was too late to take it to a car repair shop and we needed the car for traveling and for work the following week. Turns out it was the alternator. We called the regular folks... Michael's brother, his sister... but knew this repair job probably might need more professional help... and thankfully I remembered our good friend Jaime had a very handy auto-mechanic husband! 

My friend Jaime and her girls, who are AWESOME at
singing the FROZEN soundtrack!! 

I called Jaime up and asked if they were doing anything. And amazingly it just happened to be a free night on their schedule. Her husband Jeremy was home and they said if we could get the car to their house, Jeremy could help Michael install the new alternator. So we were able to get there. As soon as we got there, Jaime asked us if we were hungry.

We were starving... we had actually been on our way to dinner and it was 7pm. She made us hotdogs on gluten-free buns (her daughter has celiac, and that's how I know them!)... and as I was sitting on that porch with the humble dinner of a hotdog on my lap... I seriously could have cried. 

I just felt SO incredibly grateful. 

Grateful for gluten-free hotdogs and friends who offer them. For folks who welcome you to their home in the midst of a crisis (even though they think the house is a mess... Let me tell ya Jaime, your house was fine! You live there! If the house isn't a mess... then it's just a museum!)... and for the simple pleasure of knowing in this crazy world, you can still count on people. 

Thank you so much Jaime! Thank you for that hotdog, for sharing stories and rocking on the front porch while the husbands fixed the car (well YOUR husband mainly! lol)... and for being such a wonderful friend. I value you so very much!

My friend Amy and her family

The next day we headed to Richmond, Va. to visit my lifelong friend Amy and her family. We've been friends since elementary school and those kinds of friends are awfully hard to find, let alone, keep!

It was such a relaxing visit with her family. We played games with the girls. We played with their kitties and dogs, and hamsters... (these are our kinda people! haha!) Amy and her husband prepared us simple, healthy, and naturally gluten-free meals and we just felt so well fed. 

In so many different ways. 

At one point in the weekend we were all taking a big family walk around their neighborhood and I just felt waves of gratitude coursing through my mind and my body and I just didn't even know how to explain it. 

It just felt good to know we had such faithful friends, such caring people in our lives. Friends who once again, welcomed us into their home, took the time to feed us gluten-free meals, and just enjoyed our company. 

I think it just all rang true for me, because I know what depression and loneliness feel like. I know how hard they are to work through in life. And in moments like this weekend, I'm reminded of all the goodness in life, of the friends who surround us with their support, and their love and the reminder that life is so much more. 

Whiskey (grey tabby) and Charlie (orange tabby) are also grateful for good friends!

Have you had any moments of incredible gratitude lately? 

A gluten-free weekly menu template for 365 days

BIG BIG BIG THANK YOU TO my sweet friend Jaime who kept my blog post open when it first went live (and therefore had a copy of the text) after I accidentally deleted it via my smarty-pants phone, which is obviously still smarter than I am! THANK YOU JAIME!!! You rock star You!

Okay... back to our regular programming...Let's try this again, shall we? 

Right before the holidays I upgraded to a smarty-pants phone. Something I had avoided for years mostly because I didn't want a more expensive cell phone bill. I knew I would love the ease and versatility of a smart phone, I just hated the thought of spending so much money on a device that I rarely, if ever, would actually use for phone calls. I actually avoid most of those at all costs!

But, as I suspected, I love the phone. Now, I barely spend any time on my netbook. Which can be a problem when you enjoy writing and online journaling.

Soon after getting the phone I discovered blogger had an app, so I had to try it. I'm hoping it will give me the opportunity to blog more often in 2014. Granted the posts may be short and sweet and with a few less pictures and even more grammatical errors (you're welcome!)

And since simplicity is one of my favorite things, it might just work swimmingly!

Over December I started getting really serious about making a weekly menu and being as frugal with our finances as possible. Actually, the frugality started a few months prior... but now groceries are getting into the act full swing as well as everything else!

At any rate, I realized that creating a menu every single week can be overwhelming to me...so after reading a few blogs and books on frugality I realized I could make one weekly menu that we could basically follow all year long. Flexibility is key. Foods can always be rotated and changed...but just think: the entirety of 2014 menus in one go! For me it has been such a huge weight off my shoulders.

As you will see below it's really just a template for creating easy meals any day of the week.

Simply come up with 8 - 15 of your favorite meals that you make really well and that your family loves and create different variations that be used in rotating weeks. I'm going to write more about this method in the weeks to come, but here is our basic template we've been using the past few weeks.

A Gluten-Free Weekly Menu Template for 365 Days:

- Sunday: roast or casserole or large amount of protein to use with several meals + green veggie.. [ie - roast chicken & green beans]

- Monday: soup [in cold months] or salad [in warm months] + gf bread or starch

- Tuesday: international [spaghetti, lasagne, tacos, stir fry, curries, etc...]

- Wednesday: tuna salad or salmon cakes or other easy fish entree + veggies + starch [bread or crackers for salad/sandwiches]

- Thursday: breakfast for dinner [oatmeal, fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage]

- Friday: FREE SPACE FRIDAY

- Saturday: leftovers or burgers/hotdogs or homemade pizza or quiche.

What's on your menu this week?

Gluten-Free Book Review: The Everything Guide to Gluten-Free Living

This is another book review I've been meaning to share with you for months! My good friend Jeanine Friesen, creator and author of "The Baking Beauties" a wonderful Canadian gluten-free food blog, has written a brand new book called, "The Everything Guide to Living Gluten-Free."

(...and I know I'm biased, but I'm thrilled this book is published by Adams Media, the publishers I work with as well and who also published my gluten-free slow cooker cookbook!) 

In the very beginning of the book Jeanine states, "...a gluten-free life isn't all about loss and restrictions. It is also about variety and abundance and finding new ways to enjoy your life."  THIS is why I love Jeanine. She believes in being positive and finding the best possible outcome even when you're diagnosed with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity or a wheat allergy. This book will give you an incredibly positive outlook on life gluten-free.

Complete with chapters on why people go gluten-free, an in-depth look at Celiac disease, and what gluten is and ALL the places it can be found. Jeanine's guide will give you tips and hints for every aspect of going gluten-free. There is an entire chapter on starting a gluten-free diet. How to organize and stock your kitchen gluten-free. How to go shopping gluten-free. How to eat out and travel gluten-free. If you want a complete all-in-one guide, Jeanine's book is the best resource for your gluten-free lifestyle!

And then on top of all that, Jeanine also includes 100 incredible recipes for starting a gluten-free diet. Recipes such as:

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
• Cheesiest Macaroni and Cheese
• Baked Chicken Fingers
• Lean Beef Stroganoff
• Waldorf-Inspired Quinoa Salad
• Baked Mexican Rice Casserole
• Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
• Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Fluffy Raspberry Frosting

So do those sound good? I thought so! Jeanine's new book is NOW available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and probably your favorite online retailer! Please check out her new book, buy a copy, and please please please leave her a review once you've picked one up! 

Seriously, "The Everything Guide To Living Gluten-Free" is one of the best resources to have on hand if you are gluten-free. I hope to donate a few copies of this to my local library very soon! 

What's the most important tip you could give to someone who is newly gluten-free? 

Please share your thoughts in the comments below! 

Gluten-Free Book Review: Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide & Cookbook

Back in December my friend Hallie Klecker asked me to review her newest e-book. A wonderful collaboration written with Alisa Fleming, author of Go Dairy Free. This book, "Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide & Cookbook" is exactly that: a perfect place to start when you go gluten-free and dairy-free.

What I love about this amazing little book is that it not only gives you a full description of what gluten-free and dairy-free REALLY means... it also gives you list after list of foods you can eat, foods you should avoid, shopping lists, a menu planner, etc... this book is a one-stop-shop for learning how to fully become both gluten-free and dairy-free.

Hallie and Alisa have also created 75 delicious recipes that will get you started on your gluten-free & dairy-free journey. How do these recipes sound:

• Banana Cream Pie Shake
• Cranberry Walnut Breakfast Biscuits
• Maple Apple Turkey Sausages
• Weeknight Chicken & Vegetable Chili
• Fresh Salmon salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing
• Florentine Flatbread "Pizza" 
• Chicken Curry in a Hurry!
• Chewy Dark Chocolate Brownies
• Maple Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Then, in addition to all of the mouth-watering recipes, you'll also receive meal planning tips and hints which show you how to cut down on prep time and make weeknight gluten-free & dairy-free cooking fast and easy. 

Would you like a copy of this book? (And you absolutely should!)  I'm giving away one electronic kindle copy of this book! Simply leave a comment on this blog post letting me know why you'd like this book and what recipe you would try first! 

*******************

The Giveaway:

• I am giving away one brand new electronic kindle copy of Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide and Cookbook. 
• This giveaway is open to everyone. 
• One entry per person.
• Enter by leaving a comment below on this post AND please include a way for me to contact you -- your email address preferably.
• The giveaway begins March 27, 2013 and ends on March 31, 2013  at 11:00 pm eastern daylight savings time.
• No purchase is necessary.  Odds of winning are based on the number of entries.  
• The winners will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email.  The winners will have 24 hours to respond.  If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen.

GLG Disclosure: 

Hallie Klecker provided me with an electronic copy of 'Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide and Cookbook' for the purpose of sharing an online review, if I chose to do so. I am personally purchasing the new e-book that is being given away. This is not a sponsored post and I did not receive compensation. The opinions in this post are completely my own. 

Farewell to Florida -- Tips for Making Gluten-Free Guests Feel At Home

It's been real, Florida. And we'll be back.

6 days in Fleming Island, Fl. Complete with Winn Dixie stores that have separate gluten-free sections, a Mellow Mushroom, Chick-Fil-A, and... oh yeah.. beaches. Beaches are good.

We ate well here. Mostly in my sister-in-law's kitchen. Grilled ribs, twice baked potatoes, gluten-free pancakes, gluten-free pulled pork barbecue, coleslaw, homemade black-eyed peas... I could go on!

And we not only ate well here, we were welcomed here. We felt at home.

Want to know how to make a Celiac or somebody who's gluten sensitive or allergic... or ANYBODY with food allergies --> feel at home?  Here are a few tips, all of which were put into practice without any help from me by my husband's wonderful sister Lisa and her family:

• Offer naturally gluten-free foods for meals that the whole family can enjoy.

• Going out to eat? Ask the gluten-free guest where they would like to eat. If you have favorite places in your area call them ahead of time and ask if they have a gluten-free menu. 

• Ask your gluten-free guest ahead of time what types of snacks they enjoy. If you can find gluten-free crackers, chips, and even cookies available in your local stores: surprise your guest with a gluten-free item. 

• Have lots of healthy, naturally gluten-free snacks available such as: fresh fruits and vegetables, roasted nuts like pecans, peanuts, or cashews, boiled eggs and/or cheese sticks in the fridge, etc... 

• If you are making regular meals WITH gluten along with gluten-free meals... make SURE to prepare the gluten-free meals FIRST with clean utensils, bowls, chopping boards, and cookware, on a freshly cleaned surface. 

• Don't make a big deal about it. Sure, it takes some preparation and extra thought, but help your guests to feel normal by not making a big deal out their dietary restrictions. If they want to talk about it and share with you, awesome! But many gluten-free folks can feel like they are "putting people out" or making things difficult by having to be different. This is especially important when you have gluten-free kids visiting! They need to feel like normal kids, not "the problem" kid... 

• Relax. Many people have multiple food sensitivities and/or food allergies that can be a challenge. If that's the case, ask your guest if they would prefer to cook for themselves and ask for suggestions on how you can help (ie... purchasing certain groceries, what special equipment they might need, etc...) In some cases it may be easier to allow your guest to have full control over his or her menu while they are visiting. Don't be offended if they cannot eat your food, they are simply looking out for their health and don't want to be sick while they are enjoying your company! 

What are your tips for feeding guests with strict dietary requirements? Do you cook for them? Buy groceries? Allow them to cook for themselves? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

Top Ten Gluten-Free Meals and Snacks on the Road

When my dad was sick the past few months we did a LOT of traveling and eating on the road. As we all know when you eat on the go it can be expensive, (for gluten-free folks, especially) it can be hard to find, and it can be super frustrating when you have a variety of food sensitivies and/or allergies.

On our recent trips I have found quite a few options for eating gluten-free on the road! In no particular order here's my favorite top ten snacks and meals I eat when we're traveling:

1. boiled eggs -- you can either make boiled eggs or you can find them pre-made at many different gas stations and grocery stores. A single serving portion of a healthy, lean protein. 
2. fruit -- bananas and apples can generally be found at most gas stations and can ALWAYS be found in grocery stores on the road. Again they are automatically in single servings and travel well and have a healthy punch of fiber and natural fruit sugar. 
3. nuts/seeds -- super awesome protein and fiber all rolled into one delicious bite-sized, travel friendly package! Also can be found at most gas stations and grocery stores. Watch sodium counts though, as some are absolutely loaded with salt. My favorite? Roasted cashews. 
4. Go Picnik Gluten-Free Meals -- These meals have been an absolute LIFESAVER over the past few months. Not only have they saved me money by not eating out, but they are portion controlled, shelf-stable (no refrigeration required!), contain no high fructose corn syrup and contain healthy servings of protein, fiber, and fruit along with a piece of gluten-free chocolate! Make SURE when you are buying them to purchase the GLUTEN-FREE varieties! 
5. Glutino crackers with Sunbutter (or peanut butter) -- If the Go Picnik meals are out of your price range you can just take along a jar of sunbutter and a package of glutino crackers  -- still a bit pricey, but overall cheaper than the Go picnic meals and everybody loves "peanut butter" sandwiched crackers! Quick, easy, shelf-stable and relatively healthy! 
6. gluten-free beef jerky -- READ THE LABELS! Many varieties of beef jerky are NOT gluten-free, but quite a few ARE and they are becoming easier to find in gas stations and grocery stores. One brand in particular that I like is: Jack Links Beef Jerky.
7. Wendy's chili and a side salad or baked potato -- When I want a hot meal on the road Wendy's is one of my favorite places to go. I generally go for the simple and frugal options of a small chili and a baked potato. Wendy's also has many salads that are gluten-free and you have many of the grilled sandwich options without the bun. Check out the Wendy's gluten-free menu options for more information. 
8. Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken nuggets and waffle fries or a fruit -- My other favorite choice for a hot meal on the road! I generally have grilled chicken nuggets with a side salad and/or a fruit cup and their homemade lemonade. Chick-Fil-A also offers gluten-free FRIES because they cook their fries in a dedicated fryer. If you are unsure of the actual store policy make sure to check with a manager before you order (and check their gluten-free menu), but I've never had problems with cross-contamination at Chick-Fil-A. A definite winner for the gluten-free community! 
9. KIND Bars or Glenny's Fruit & Nut Bars -- It's now a rare trip when I don't see KIND bars or Glenny's Fruit & Nut bars in gas stations on our trips. KIND bars are generally about twice as much as the Glenny's bars, but I love both and always enjoy having them as an option when we're traveling. I've seen these most often in Sheetz gas stations and in the healthy/organic sections of grocery stores. 
10. McDonald's scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, and fruit smoothies -- Yep... McDonald's...the bane of the American industrialized food industry... but honestly (especially since I've been gluten-free) having the option of ordering scrambled eggs & sausage on my way to work has been a huge help more times than I care to mention. Is it healthy? NO. It's an option... and sometimes you just WANT an option. So take or leave it... know it's available and when you're dying to get breakfast on the road. And the smoothies rock (and you can ask them to leave out the yogurt if you are intolerant to dairy)... probably have more sugar than a coke... but there you go. Feel free to check McDonald's allergen statements frequently as products can change. 

Do you agree? Disagree? What are your favorite gluten-free GO TO foods when you're traveling? Share in the comments below! 

My gluten free kitchen at Celiacs in the House

I'm SO excited today!!

My tiny little kitchen is being featured as a guest post on Wendy's blog, "Celiacs in the House."

Need to figure out how to maximize storage space in a tiny area? Feel like your kitchen's messy... go visit my kitchen, it'll make you feel better! I promise! :-)

Wendy started this series several weeks ago as a way to learn about how other people cook, decorate, and store things in their gluten free kitchens.

If you're nosy as I am, you'll LOVE being able to peek into other people's kitchens through this series! Thank you SO much for featuring my kitchen Wendy!

How to keep a box of raisins fresh

Up until a few years ago I was a serious raisin hater. Didn't want them in cookies, didn't want them on my salad, didn't want them plain, didn't want them in fruit cake... raisins = blah. Somewhere in the past two years my brain decided to like raisins. Don't ask me why. Maybe adults have to like raisins (is it in the manual I never received?)... I haven't figured it out. But now, I like 'em. I'll toss them in my oatmeal, add them to a salad, definitely eat them in cookies, and now I really want to make Laura's caramel raisin pudding.

I started buying these large containers of raisins last winter when I made oatmeal on a daily basis for breakfast. But I quickly learned once you open the box of raisins they DRY out fast. And nobody wants a SUPER dried out, icky raisin. Trust me, they aren't tasty.

So a few months ago when I bought another box of raisins I figured something out. If I put them in ziplock baggies they stayed fresh. Duh.

But to keep the whole box SUPER fresh, I divide the raisins into 4 ziplock baggies. Squeeze all the air out of the baggies and zip them closed.

At this point (if sticky stuff weirds you out like it does moi) you might want to wash out the raisin box, since it will have sticky raisin residue on it. Then stuff in the four baggies of raisins. That way you only have to open 1/4 of the "box" of raisins at a time and all the remaining raisins will stay super fresh until you need them.

You're welcome. Now go make some of Karina's oatmeal raisin cookies. Clara swears by them!

Now you won't have to spend sleepless nights worrying over super dried out raisins. I'm glad I could help. :-P

This Week's Menu - Working the Plan

So last week, with Cheryl's encouragement I made a plan to exercise along with my meal plan. I'm happy to say that I exercised 4 days last week and I'm very proud of that progress! Having a designated plan for my workouts really did make a big difference. I hope to have the same success this week! I didn't lose any weight, but I'm actually taking a break from the scale for a while. I think I can become number obsessed...and right now it's more important for me to make exercise a priority than worry about the numbers.

Last week I also mentioned that I was going to make my baked oatmeal in the slow cooker to have a prepared breakfast. A few people asked for better directions on how to do that. Here's what you do: Mix up the baked oatmeal batter as directed. Grease the inside of a stoneware insert of a small 3-4 qt. slow cooker. Pour the oatmeal batter into the slow cooker insert. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. The top will not get super brown, but the sides should become crisp & golden and the baked oatmeal will be firm all the way through. It's a super easy way to prepare the dish without using your oven.

The meal plan this week is similar to past weeks. I'm relying on easy meals to make sure I can make it to the gym or get my exercise in at home. Lunch, as always, is planned leftovers (meaning, I generally try to make enough food at dinner to ensure we have lunches the next day.)

Breakfasts & Snacks This Week: 

• Chocolate hemp shakes
• celery w/ peanut butter or almond butter
• rice cakes with peanut butter or almond butter
• boiled eggs
• ham & turkey rolls
• mixed nuts
• baked oatmeal with added raisins, ground flax seeds, and sliced almonds

Dinners This Week: 

• Monday - Sauteed turkey sausage with red & orange peppers & broccoli
• Tuesday - GF sandwiches OR cereal night
• Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner: scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, toast, and fruit
• Thursday - Ground turkey & quinoa skillet meal
• Friday - Homemade GF pizza with salad
• Saturday - Out to Eat, GF Support Group Meeting

What are you having? 

Workout Plan This Week: 

• Monday - 1 hour water aerobics class
• Tuesday - 1 hour with trainer
• Wednesday - 1 hour with trainer
• Thursday - 45 minutes/3 miles with Leslie Sansone DVD
• Friday - OFF
• Saturday - Jillian Michael's "frontside" workout for beginners (starting with a more basic workout, the Shred is KILLING me! lol)

This Week's Menu with my first exercise plan

Had a great conversation with my nutritionist, Cheryl on Sunday morning. I shared that it can really be a challenge for me to fit in menu planning (and following it) ALONG with exercise into my daily routine and to do them both WELL. Cheryl suggested that maybe I should come up with an exercise plan along with my meal plan. That made a lot of sense to me. So my goals this week are to follow both plans as well as I can.

Our meals this week, like always, are simple. I don't have time to be a "chef" and fuss over fancy meals. I think that is why using the slow cooker really appeals to me. I love the idea you can toss ingredients into a pot, turn it on and 4-8 hours later there's a meal ready! No mess, no hassle, no fuss.

I'm hoping to make a "baked oatmeal" casserole in the slow cooker when I get home this afternoon so that I can have a ready made breakfast the rest of the week. I haven't had much success in making oatmeal dishes over night in the slow cooker (they always become a soggy, gooey, burned mess!) -- but I can throw something in to cook for two hours without any problems! :-)  Lunches this week (as always) are leftovers, sandwiches & fruit, or soup made in the slow cooker.

This Week's Snacks & Breakfast:

• chocolate hemp shakes
• baked oatmeal
• boiled eggs
• steamed veggies with rice
• celery with peanut butter or almond butter
• rice cakes with peanut butter or almond butter
• mixed nuts

This Week's Menu:

• Sunday - slow cooker rotisserie chicken, roasted potatoes, and steamed broccoli
• Monday - Heather's Chili (leftover from freezer)
• Tuesday - GF sandwiches (GF support group meeting tonight!)
• Wednesday - Salads with grilled chicken -OR- out to eat with our nephew
• Thursday - Breakfast for dinner (gluten free pancakes or toast, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, fruit)
• Friday - Red & Ready Spaghetti with steamed broccoli or green beans
• Saturday - Slow cooker beef stew

This Week's Workout Schedule: 

GOAL this week -- work out at LEAST 3 times, and if all goes well, 5 times. 

• Monday - 45 minutes cardio = 15 minutes treadmill, 15 minutes ARC trainer, 10 minutes recumbent bike, 5 minutes row machine
• Tuesday - 45 minutes -- 3 mile walk with Leslie Sansone video
• Wednesday - 45 minute water aerobics class
• Thursday - 60 minute workout with trainer
• Saturday - 1-2 hour outdoor walk and/or 45 minute Leslie Sansone video

A frugal gluten free gift idea

Here's a super easy & frugal gift idea for you.

For Father's Day I decided to give my Dad a bunch of my homemade gluten free chocolate chip cookies. It may seem silly since he doesn't follow a gluten free diet himself... but he loves these cookies! Why not make a gift out of them? I also gave him a jar of homemade pickles I canned last summer and some of my favorite cooking seasoning.

I found an old tin that I was about to recycle and I colored a label on white paper with cookies on it. I glued the label to the tin. Taped an additional label on top and made a batch of my gluten free chocolate chip cookies. I made the cookies super small -- bite size really -- so the whole batch would fit in the tin without being smashed or broken. It worked great.

Michael and I also made homemade cards to go along with all the other homemade treats and I think for my Dad it was one of the best gifts I had ever given him.

So when you can't think of anything to give, or if you need to give someone a gift but don't have a lot of money to spend... make a batch of bite-size gluten free cookies! The people you love will be so impressed at how much time & thought you put into their homemade gift.

What are your favorite types of frugal, homemade gifts?

This Week's Menu - Retro Microwave & Slow Cooker Meals!

Great weekend at home, great session with my nutrionista of awesomeness (Cheryl Harris), and a great day of meal prepping on Sunday!You can't ask for a better weekend than that!

It was a big weekend for my slow cookers, I made three separate recipes: a breakfast casserole on Saturday night (ready for Sunday morning), and then on Sunday evening: a beef roast with veggies and a sweet potato & apple side dish! The best reason for using the slow cooker this time of year is to save your whole house from heating up, and it's the whole "fix it and forget it" concept. I love that!

This week my focus is getting back into my Monday-Friday routine of meal planning & exercise! Traveling, family emergencies, and having time off really threw me for a loop last week! I really enjoyed my time off of work... but it's amazing how much it changes your routine!

Last night I made the week easier by preparing a few recipes ahead of time:

• Made ground beef taco filling for Monday (along with prepping all taco toppings)
• Made meatloaf for Wednesday
• Made fruit-sweetened almond flour muffins for breakfasts
• Made a loaf of gluten free bread 
• Prepared breakfasts & lunches for two days and placed them in the fridge in my easy lunch boxes

Breakfasts & Snacks This Week:  fruit-sweetened almond four muffins, berry hemp shakes, rice cakes w/ almond butter, fresh blueberries & raw almonds, leftover slow cooker breakfast casserole (Check out my facebook page for recipe ideas on slow cooker breakfast casseroles or try Stephanie O'Dea's recipe!)

Lunches This Week: Leftovers from dinner taken in my favorite Easy Lunch Boxes (nope, they don't pay me a dime & they didn't even send me a sample, I just bought them & fell in love!)

Dinners This Week: 

• Sunday: Slow Cooker Roast Beef (used recipe for "Perfect Beef Roast" from Jaime Oliver's 2009 cookbook, "Jamie's Food Revolution" -- pg.192 and cooked it on low for 6 hours.) served with steamed broccoli & mashed sweet potatoes
• Monday: Ground Beef Tacos (taco salad for me) with lettuce, tomatoes, corn tortillas, and black beans. 
• Tuesday: GF Sandwich or Panini night -- Gluten Free Support Group Meeting!!  
• Wednesday: Microwave Meatloaf with peas & carrots. 
• Thursday:  Quick Chicken & Veggie Stirfry using frozen veggies & chicken, served on quinoa for me, brown rice for hubs.
• Friday: Breakfast for Dinner: Scrambled Eggs, Turkey Bacon, fruit sweetened almond flour muffins and blueberries
• Saturday: Gluten Free Cookout with our GF Support Group! Bringing Udi's hotdog & hamburger buns for everybody! 

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Check out more awesome gluten free meal plans this week at Cheryl Harris' Gluten Free Goodness, the theme of the week is "simple meals!" I'm not sure I make anything BUT simple meals! :-) 

And for amazing meal plans of all kinds, please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie. 

This Week's Menu - A day late

I've learned over the past few weeks that my body seems to handle small amounts of white cheeses & greek yogurt very well. I'm thankful for this as it's an additional source of gluten free lean proteins in my diet. 

Breakfasts this week:

My nutritionist of awesomeness Cheryl Harris' Millet Cereal, soft-boiled eggs, rice and/or hemp protein shakes. The chocolate shakes, I simply mix the protein with almond milk & a few ice cubes. For the berry shake, I like to make Ashley's Morning Smoothie and just add a few tablespoons of this protein powder. It's delicious!

Snacks: 

Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds, Babybell Cheese and/or cheesesticks, greek yogurt, apples, bananas, carrots & hummus, rice and/or hemp protein shakes

Lunches: Dinner leftovers or gluten free sandwiches + apple slices

Dinners: I've got the ingredients for all these dinners this week, so we can pick and choose which dinner we want! Somehow we're eating a lot of turkey this week! lol

• Turkey Burgers on homemade GF buns with green beans, and carrot sticks
• Grilled Halibut? (I think that's the fish I bought?? lol) with broccoli & steamed brown rice or millet
• Mock Chicken Parmesan with Angel Food chicken and spaghetti sauce. Served with green beans or salad and brown rice pasta
• Turkey hotdogs (since I made gf hotdog buns this week!) served with baked beans & homemade coleslaw
• Breakfast for Dinner: scrambled eggs, fruit salad, gluten free toast, turkey bacon 
• Friday Homemade Gluten Free Pizza night! 
• Easy Tuna Melts using my husband's tuna salad of awesomeness. Served with an easy spinach & mandarin orange salad. 

Sunday night preparations for the week:

1. Made 2 batches of dough of my honey oat bread. With the first batch I made an actual loaf of bread. After it cooled, I sliced it, wrapped it in plastic wrap, placed it in a ziplock bag and then froze the entire loaf. With the second batch, I made 4 hamburger buns using english muffin rings (or you could use emptied & washed tuna cans) and I made 4 hotdog buns using heavy duty foil shaped into oblong rings (like this great example). 
2. Placed my frozen fish & frozen turkey burgers in the refrigerator to defrost so they would be ready for cooking any night this week. 
3. Sliced 4-5 apples and placed them in bags so we could just grab them in the mornings as we headed out the door. 
4. Prepared the millet cereal & the boiled eggs in my rice cooker and then placed everything in sealed serving containers so I could just grab these items for breakfast as I headed out the door this week. 

What's on your menu this week? What have you done to make meals easier to prepare for your family this week? 

Menu Plan Monday - Thanksgiving 2010

Menu Plan Mondays! Here's something I haven't posted in ages.... when I first started my blog, I used to try to post my gluten free menus once a week. To be honest after a while it felt monotonous. We eat very simply during the work week and generally our meals are anything but memorable.

But I also know the value of planning meals and at least knowing what can be made easily and quickly. So here's to a Menu Plan Monday. This will probably not be a weekly feature but I'd love to see your menus too! Leave a comment, shout out your menu on the Gingerlemongirl Facebook page, send me an email. I'd love to hear from you!

What are you making this week? 

• Monday: 20 Minute "Turkey" Chili -- except I'll just be using ground beef from the freezer and if I have time I'll make "mock" gluten free cornbread to go with the chili. 

• Tuesday: Roasted chicken sandwiches on Udi's bread with a tomato & romaine salad. (I buy chicken from a local farm and it's usually in the form of basically a turkey breast, but it's chicken, so I roast the whole thing, and then use the chicken breast either by itself, or slice it for sandwiches, soups, salad, etc...)  -- I told you we were boring!

• Wednesday: RTFN -- Raid the Fridge Night. We're leaving bright & early on Thursday morning to see our family for Thanksgiving. So Wednesday night will be raiding the fridge to try to get rid of any leftovers that could spoil while we're gone. 

• Thursday: THANKSGIVING!!!! I have leftover gluten free dressing and gravy to take with me to eat at Thanksgiving, along with all the traditional favorites: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, TURKEY, pumpkin pie! I will either be making Karina's pumpkin pie to take with us, or I'll make a traditional Libby's pumpkin pie with (my all-time favorite) Bette Hagman Pie Crust. The Libby's pumpkin pie tastes GREAT made with almond milk to make it casein free. I use original unsweetened almond milk and it's thick and creamy and works great as a milk replacement!

• Friday: Visiting with more family & friends, so we'll probably eat out. My favorite meal out of late (again boring) is steamed rice with steamed veggies from any Chinese or Japanese restaurant. 

• Saturday: A meal as un-Thanksgiving as possible: Gluten Free Spaghetti with Homemade Bolognese Sauce. To pretend it's healthy we'll make a salad and green beans to go along with it! 

• Sunday: Another Thanksgiving meal with Michael's family. Most likely I'll make my own food (maybe lots of cooked veggies -- butterbeans seem to be calling my name this time of year!) and bring it along to prevent cross-contamination. 

What are you making gluten free this Thanksgiving? Share your menu!

And if you need help planning a super simple & easy Thanksgiving meal, check out this little post that details my first gluten free Thanksgiving! 

Or if you'd like to see a few of my favorite gluten free holiday recipes, check out this list from 2009. 

Have a lovely holiday folks! Remember, as much as this holiday is about the food... Don't stress about it. Enjoy your friends & family and Give Thanks!! 

Carrie

October: Unprocessed - A Gluten Free Food Challenge!

"Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients." -- October Unprocessed website.

How often do you eat whole, real foods? Foods that don't come in a box, bag, can, or plastic wrapper?

If you read this blog, my guess is that you eat unprocessed whole foods on a somewhat regular basis. I like to cook after all.

I'm joining in with my blog friend Heidi, author of Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom  and FB friend Diane Bramos to challenge people to have at least one unprocessed meal a day.

I realize eating NO processed foods for an entire month could be slightly unrealistic. I'm not always great about making sure we have a homemade gluten free meal for dinner. I work full time, as does my husband. We have busy schedules... so this challenge is for me as well.

I'll be blogging about this process and the meals we make for the next 30 days.

I challenge you to join us.

One homemade meal a day with real ingredients for 30 days. Are you in? 

If you would like to join in with a guest post or a recipe to me try, please leave me a comment and let me know or send me an email! 

Here are a few recipes... or "food for thought" ideas in joining this challenge: 

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

Homemade gluten free chicken noodle soup with homemade gluten free noodles

Homemade slow cooked bolognese sauce for pasta -- recipe coming soon!

Homemade fruit smoothies: bananas, strawberries, blueberries, stevia, and water. Blend and enjoy!

Lower glycemic homemade chicken pot pie.

Gluten Free Breads Taste Test and Comparison - Rudi's, Udi's, and Nature's Own

At our recent gluten free support group meeting the main event was a "Gluten Free Bread Smackdown!" A taste test comparison between 3 major brands of gluten free store-bought bread, along with a homemade gluten free loaf.

Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery, Udi's Gluten Free Bakery, and Nature's Own Gluten Free were all kind enough to send our support group samples of each bread.

I have to say as far as customer service, Rudi's & Udi's went absolutely above and beyond sharing their full range of products. They also sent coupons and lots of great literature about their breads. Nature's Own was reluctant to send the bread simply due to the fact that the product is not available in our area yet.

We tried both the "white" and "whole grain" versions of each bread, along with a loaf of homemade gluten free whole grain bread for comparison.

Each person tasted 1/4 of slice of gluten free bread straight from the package. No toasting, no sandwich fillings. Each person was asked to rate the appearance, taste, texture, and overall quality of each type of gluten free bread. The system used for rating was 1-5. "1" being worst and "5" being best.

• The first brand to go around the table was Nature's Own. Many of our members were excited about trying Nature's Own because of the future possibility of the bread being available nationwide in grocery stores. Nature's Own bread is shelf stable and doesn't have to be refrigerated or frozen. It also has the longest ingredient list, many of which were not easily recognizable. Both loaves of bread rated high in appearance. The whole grain bread yielded the preferred texture and was rated higher overall.

• Udi's white & whole grain breads went around the table next. Udi's bread also has several hard-to-pronounce ingredients. The bread can be stored on the counter, but for best flavor & texture Udi's recommends keeping it in the freezer. Udi's bread was the lowest in calories and was by far the overall favorite of the group. Everyone loved the appearance and taste. Udi's white bread also had the highest texture rating of all the store-bought gluten free breads. The Udi's products were also the first to get snapped up by members to take home for further "testing." Overall, Udi's was the store-bought favorite of the entire group.



Here are the tallied results of the group taste testing!
Udi's came out #1 overall, while the gluten free homemade loaf came in 2nd!



• Rudi's was the 3rd bread to go around the table. The best feature of Rudi's gluten free bread is that all of the ingredients for the products could be found in your own kitchen. Rudi's bread, like Udi's, also needs to be stored in the freezer for best results. Unfortunately, Rudi's was the lowest scoring bread in our taste tests. The whole grain was preferred over the white, but many found it to be dry and crumbly. This bread would probably be best toasted.

• Lastly I brought a loaf of homemade gluten free whole grain bread as a final taste comparison. I was thrilled that the homemade bread came in 2nd overall, right behind Udi's "white" bread. It also tied 2nd place in taste with Udi's "whole grain" bread. And it came in 1st with the best texture, as it was slightly moist in comparison to the other breads and very pliable! It also had the fewest ingredients. The only downfall to the homemade bread was that it was the highest in calories and has a shorter shelf-life.

Katz Gluten Free Bakery was also kind enough to send samples of their products for our members to try. The cookies and muffins were a huge hit with the group! I had a hard time sharing the Chocolate Dipped Cookies as they were my favorite! Katz is a kosher, gluten free bakery located in Monroe, New York. They are a certified gluten free, dairy free, and nut free facility.

Many thanks to my local gluten free support group for being the guinea pigs behind the Gluten Free Bread Smackdown! You guys and gals are wonderful and make living life gluten free so much easier! Thank you so much for participating!



Gluten Free Disaster/Hurricane Preparedness

Today's guest post is shared with us from David Abed of Kinnkinnick Foods. It was originally posted at their blog entitled, "The Gluten Free Insider."  I think  for people who live in the southeastern part of the US, this post is especially timely. Even where I live in Eastern NC, we always have to think about preparing for hurricanes each fall and I know this information on preparing when you have food allergies is especially helpful! 

You're Celiac or have Food Allergies. Are you prepared for a natural disaster? 

With hurricane season upon us, floods and tornadoes in the news, and a 5.0 earthquake rattling southeastern Canada earlier this summer, it seems the perfect time to offer a few pointers to the gluten-free and food allergy community on how best to prepare for a natural disaster.

People seeking shelter in the Superdome before the
arrival of Hurricane Katrina. credit: wikimedia.org

A few basic facts: research shows that 72 hours is the average time it takes for grocery store shelves to be cleared in the wake of a disaster, and 14 days is typically how long it takes to restore regular food shipments. It is also important to remember that emergency aid groups like the Red Cross or government run shelters or evacuation centers will be unlikely able to accommodate any type of specialty diet. You and your GF or food allergic family members may have very little to eat if you are unprepared and find yourself in the midst of a disaster area. Yet all it takes is a few minutes of planning to ensure your family – whether following a GF diet or not – will have enough to eat and drink should the emergency last days or even weeks.

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit: (adapted from ready.gov)

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation 
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle, unbreakable mirror to signal for help 
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place 
• Moist towelettes,  hand sanitizer, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation 
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities 
• Can opener & utensils for food (if kit contains canned food) 
• Local maps 
• Cell phone and chargers
• Water proof matches or lighterFood, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food 

Needless to say, if an emergency strikes and you have someone in the house with Celiac Disease or food allergies, it’s essential you have appropriate foods in storage to consume on-site or take with you to a shelter.

As someone with special dietary needs, we need to do a bit more planning than for a normal supply kit. However, packing for an emergency is not all that different than packing for camping or backpacking. In fact, keeping your emergency supplies in a backpack or duffel is a good idea because it is easy to grab and its portability can be very important if you have to walk any distance to safety or a shelter.

The Basics

• Dehydrated or freeze dried food is best because it is light and easy to pack however finding dehydrated food that is gluten free can be challenging. Dehydrating your own food is not difficult and can be much cheaper. Most home dehydrators come with recipe books on how to dehydrate just about anything.
• Where dehydrated foods are not available, canned meats, fish & beans are a good option. Avoid prepared, canned meals as they are often mostly water and less nutrient-dense. You must be aware that all canned foods are heavy and bulky and you might have to carry them for some distance.
• Boil in bag meals and meal replacement beverages can also be an option if they are available. Again you’ll want to watch the weight.
• Dried meats and fruit (jerky, fruit leather etc) are an essential for any kit. They are lightweight, last a long time and have excellent nutritional value. Get low sodium meats if possible. Make your own beef jerky and fruit leathers to save money and ensure they are gluten free. Jerky Tips & Recipes
• Gluten free energy/protein bars are quite widely available and make a great addition to your kit.
• GF dry soup or bouillon cubes can be a good way to add flavor to your emergency meals.
• Rice is often suggested as a good staple for a gluten free emergency kit. I prefer Quinoa as it is far better for you from a nutrient standpoint, it cooks quickly (saving your limited fuel) and can be used for all meals (cinnamon & sugar quinoa for breakfast, cayenne, garlic & beef jerky quinoa for supper). If you want to use rice, get the quick cooking kind. Boil in bag rice is available which is very convenient. Brown rice is better nutritionally, but takes a lot of time and fuel to cook.
• Celiac.com suggests packing a small 3 cup rice cooker but you may be without power so I would suggest a small single burner camp stove or sterno stove with extra fuel. You can even make your own sterno stove. Always make sure you have adequate ventilation when cooking with any kind of combustible fuel.

Non-essentials

• Pepper, salt, sugar, other spices such as garlic, cayenne, chili, cinnamon. While you don’t need these, they can help make your rations taste a whole lot better. When backpacking, I store these in empty 35mm film canisters. They’re light, durable and water tight. Film canisters aren’t easy to find these days but you might be able to still get them. Ask at your local photography store. Or you can purchase them here. 
• Coffee, tea, chocolate mix, powdered milk. Again not, essential (and some may argue that coffee is) but can make your time waiting in a shelter pass a bit more pleasantly.

Keep all of your supplies in heavy duty, re-sealable plastic bags to keep them dry. Store your entire kit several feet off the floor so it won’t be damaged by flooding but not so high that it is difficult to get to. Check your kit every 3-4 months, check expiry dates and replenish with fresh supplies where needed.

Obviously, what emergency items you’re most likely to need should be based on what type of emergency you’re most likely to face (flooding, quakes, and so on). But there’s one item none of us can do without – preparation – so do your homework, know your options, involve your family, conduct practice drills and, most of all, stay safe!

About Kinnikinnick Foods 
Based in Edmonton, Canada, Kinnikinnick Foods is North America’s leading source of deliciously diverse baked goods products created for those maintaining a gluten, dairy and/or nut-free diet. Kinnikinnick runs the largest dedicated gluten-free and nut free bakery in North America. The company also writes “The Gluten Free Insider,” a blog dedicated to living and cooking gluten free.