The only Pinterest idea I've used so far...

I love Pinterest and can spend hours looking at awesome ideas which I would absolutely never use (due to time, cost of materials, or because I'd rather be reading a book or cooking... lol)

But when I was cooking on Sunday evening... I remembered this little Pinterest tip...

Just use an old clothing (usually a skirt or pants) hanger with clamps to hold a magazine or cookbook (or as I have here, a print-out of a soon-to-be published cookbook) at eye level while prepping food and recipes in the kitchen... just awesome!

This Week's Menu - Slow Cooking on Sundays

I just started a new series on the blog entitled, "How to be gluten-free on a TIGHT budget" on my first post, I shared a recent shopping trip. We spent $42.77. 

Here's what we got: 

I know, the english muffins are NOT gf... those are hubs -- he has breakfast
"McMuffin" sandwiches every day during the week.
Those waffles though definitely ARE GF and after the BOGO sale + a coupon
they were .89 a box! :-) 

The grocery items were what I needed to make the recipes on our meal plan for this week. I've gotten into the habit of cooking on Sunday nights or Monday nights (whichever is easiest) and I cook for the entire week: breakfasts, lunches, dinners, (and what I hope to incorporate this month) afternoon snacks. 

One of the keys to cooking everything one night a week is using my slow cookers. Newer slow cookers cook hotter and faster than older ones (especially on high heat), so I can cook as many meals as I have slow cookers and in 3-4 hours they are all cooked and ready for the week ahead. 

Most of the meals I made this week are from my upcoming slow cooker cookbook! 

This Week's Menu: 

Dinner & Leftovers for lunch each day: 

• Saturday (We had a family cookout!) -- grassfed burgers, french fries, broccoli salad, cooked apples, AWESOME GF brownies (from The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide, Pt. 2) and ice-cream
• Sunday -- Leftovers
• Monday -- Slow cooker swedish meatballs with gravy (pg. 71 from "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook) & gluten-free toast served with a caesar salad
• Tuesday -- Skillet meal of sauteed yellow squash, onions, carrots, and sausage
• Wednesday -- Slow cooker barbecue chicken & white beans (pg. 245 from "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook) served with green beans and sweet potatoes
• Thursday -- Slow cooker meal of sausage & spinach quinoa (pg. 253 from "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook) served with a green salad
• Friday, Saturday, Sunday -- weekend cooking with friends! Happy Labor Day! 

Breakfasts:

• For Carrie -- soaked oatmeal (I'll post about this soon!) with dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds + 1 fried egg and 1 slice bacon (made enough for each morning at work this week.) 
• For Michael -- a homemade "McMuffin" each morning -- made from one english muffin with a fried egg, 1 slice of turkey bacon, and 1 slice of cheese. He's hooked on these, but says he has a much better day when eating these than Poptarts... go figure.. lol

Check out hundreds of more menus at Org Junkie.
For specifically gluten-free menus, check out the roundup at Angela's Kitchen today!

What "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" is all about

My new cookbook, "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" will hit the bookstore shelves and your favorite online stores like Amazon, Books-A-Million, and Barnes & Nobles in less than two months (on October 18th, 2012.) I'm SO SO SO very excited about this and I would love for this book to be shared with every gluten-free family on the planet! (Okay, that might be a little extreme, but I can dream right? lol) The book will be available initially as a paperback, but e-book formats will be available as well (soon after publication, if not immediately after!)

"Hot Chicken Buffalo Bites" from "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook"
This photo is from Sarah of Celiac in the City, she tested many recipes for me
including this one! 

A Few Highlights:

• The book contains (of course) 300+ gluten-free recipes and nearly EVERY recipe can be adapted to be casein/dairy-free as well if it's not already listed as dairy-free! All, but a very few were tested using dairy-free ingredients such as almond milk and daiya cheese (even if it's not listed as such!) so rest assured this book super helpful for those with multiple food allergies and intolerances!
• The book contains about 40% "whole foods" recipes -- meaning over 125+ recipes in the book are for naturally gluten-free foods like fresh vegetables, meat, chicken, eggs, rice, potatoes, etc... all things are generally frugal options in the grocery store and make very healthy meals!! 
• There are also gluten-free "quick food" options using helpful and easy-to-find convenience ingredients such as gluten-free pasta, canned vegetables and fruits, etc... 
• There are GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE BAKED GOODS included in this book! YES! You can make homemade gluten-free BREAD AND CAKE in your slow cooker!
• The book contains chapters for kid-friendly foods AND recipes that use 5 Ingredients or Less (not including salt/pepper)... super easy, kid-approved meals for every day of the week! 

Once I get 3000 "likes" on my GingerlemonGirl.com facebook page, I will be giving away 2 copies of "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" along with a brand new 4 quart slow cooker (my favorite size!)

My Favorite little red 4 quart slow cooker! You'll get a chance to win this soon!
I just need 3000 likes on my facebook page! Can you help me share the link? 

A Handful of Recipes From the Cookbook: 

• Gluten-Free Cornbread
• Blueberry French Toast Casserole
• Swedish Meatballs with Gravy
• Fingerling Potatoes with Herb Vinaigrette
• Comforting Chicken and Rice Soup
• Lone Star State Chili
• Easy Italian Spaghetti
• Tamale Pie
• Chicken and Gluten-Free Dumplings
• Rotisserie-Style Chicken
• Meatloaf-Stuffed Green Peppers
• Spiced Apple Cider Turkey
• Simple Tomato Soup
• Cheesy Toast Casserole
• Slow Cooker Yeast/Sandwich Bread
• Creamy Hot Fudge Sauce
• Maple Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Intrigued? You can PRE-ORDER the book now at the lowest price on Amazon! It's currently less than half the retail price!! Please share with your friends and family!! 

Review: Zema's Madhouse Gluten-Free Foods

A few months ago Jill Motew, founder of Zema's madhouse foods contacted me and asked if I'd like to try some her products. I told her I'd love to try the pizza crust. So Jill sent me a super cute package of Zema's Gluten-Free Rosemary-Millet Focaccia & Pizza Crust Mix.

Then life went a little haywire for me and I didn't get to try Jill's mix until a few weeks ago.  We tried it one afternoon when I got home from work late and I didn't have anything planned for dinner.

Jill's mix is super healthy and contains lots of whole grains and healthy seeds like millet & chia. She doesn't use any gums in her mix, so it was very wet dough (compared to other gluten-free pizza doughs I've tried.) One thing I really liked about Jill's mix was that it contains enough mix to make a LARGE pan of pizza or focaccia. We used a 9x13 pan and the batter made a really thick dough.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the dough, but it made a very thick crusted pizza. Over the past 5 years of being gluten-free my taste buds have changed and I now prefer a thin (almost cracker-like) crusted pizza, so for me personally, I think I would have enjoyed this mix more as a thick, chewy bread stick or garlic bread as opposed to a pizza crust. But if you're a fan of a very thick-crust pizza, Jill's mix is for you!! The pizza made a very filling dinner and we had plenty of leftovers to stick in the freezer to take for lunches at work!

I love Jill's simple packaging and her food philosophy. The company strives to use healthy whole grains, no refined sugars, and they are free of most food allergens! Go Zema! If you want to support a family owned business that believes in super healthy gluten-free living, please check out Jill's great company!

Raleigh, NC Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo 2012

On Sunday August 12th I attended the first Raleigh, NC Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo. There were over 30 vendors (myself, included), cooking demonstrations, door prizes, an appearance by Mrs. Shannon Ford, the winner of Mrs. USA 2011, and around 750 attendees. It was a fantastic event organized and headed by Mrs. Nikki Everett, owner of ECHO Event Solutions and founder of the Charlotte ROCK Gluten-Free Support Group.

Gluten-Free Expo Director Nikki Everett with
Pam King from the Maryland Center for Celiac Research
at the Charlotte GF/AF Expo earlier this year.
Photo courtesy of Jeff SanGeorge/Gluten-Free in NC

Nikki became aware of the needs of the gluten-free and celiac population when her daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2008. Nikki immediately started a local gluten-free support group and in the same year organized and began the first Charlotte, NC Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo. The expo was an instant success and Nikki immediately started planning for more events. Eventually more and more people asked her for events closer to where they lived in other parts of the country. Nikki eventually quit her job as a hair stylist and began a company called "ECHO Event Solutions" and started planning additional gluten-free & allergen-free expos around the country in places like Omaha, Nebraska and New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Raleigh Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo took place from 2:30pm - 7:30pm on Sunday August 12th at Cobblestone Hall in downtown Raleigh. The facility was a beautiful old building surrounded by the cobblestone streets of the quaint downtown. Around 750 attended the event and had the opportunity to try many different gluten-free foods and beverages from companies all around the US.

I love that we are wearing similar patterns! We're that much alike! haha!

One of my favorite parts of the Expo was FINALLY meeting my friend Debbie, author of the lovely (and locally NC) blog "The Gluten-Free Dish." Debbie is so inspiring. She cooks and bakes the way I want too (and am learning too) -- grain-free, low glycemic, low inflammation, with limited natural sugars (and no white sugar). I love her for her honesty, for her incredibly kind & loving heart, and her genuine faith. She's an amazing person and I'm so grateful we finally got to meet in person and give each other a big hug.

I was also thrilled to finally meet Jenni, the author of another local and absolutely adorable gluten-free food blog called "A Spoonful at a Time." (I so want those measuring spoons Jenni!!! lol) Jenni was actually at the Expo representing Triumph Dining, an awesome company which helps folks figure out which foods are gluten free at restaurants and grocery stores by offering print shopping guides, restaurant translation cards, and even a new shopping app for your smart phone. She had a very busy day selling Triumph's new gluten-free baking guides, written by Iris Higgins and Brittany Angell (more fellow gluten-free bloggers of awesomeness!) The baking guides SOLD OUT and Jenni did a fantastic job representing Triumph!

Another highlight of the day was spending some time speaking with Mrs. USA 2011, Shannon Ford. Shannon is a new representative of Nerium, International. Nerium is a gluten-free, anti-aging facial cream that has produced absolutely stunning results on wrinkles and fine lines and has truly shown to be a unique and effective product in the evolution of skincare. Shannon was very excited about being a new representative of the product and has some very exciting offers if you sign up to be a preferred customer through her Nerium website. I am hoping to try this product soon, as I'm not a big fan of make-up, but I am a true believer in taking good care of your skin. And I have to say Shannon was so incredibly nice, down-to-earth, and easy to talk too! I was thrilled to talk about our paleo lifestyles and now if only I could take up her exercise habits!

Visit Jeff's website: GlutenFree in NC 

I also had fun speaking with Jeff SanGeorge, a genius of social media marketing, fellow gluten-free blogger, and owner of a fantastic and comprehensive gluten-free resource for all North Carolinians: Gluten Free in NC! Jeff's website highlights gluten-free resources in every region of North Carolina from the mountains to the coast. If you are new to the area or trying to find resources for a trip or for gluten-free friends and family, please check out Jeff's incredible site. Jeff also is also the leader of a local gluten-free support/meetup group in Greensboro, NC. I think I'm going to have to crash one of their meet-ups sometime soon since the Greensboro Earthfare (and all the gluten-free goodies they sell) is/are absolutely AWESOME!

Next to our booth, Caper a local volunteer with NC FACES shared tons of information about food allergies and how to bring awareness to friends, family, schools, and restaurants. Caper was an absolute joy to speak with throughout the day. Both of her children have severe food allergies, so she knows first hand how important it is to spread awareness. NC FACES has an annual walk to raise funds and awareness for food allergies in children. This year the walk will be held at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, NC. For more information on how you can participate in this year's walk, please visit the NC FACES website: http://www.ncfaces.org/faanwalk. I am planning on being there and joining in. Food allergies in children is no laughing matter and the more ways we can bring about awareness the better!

My sweet friend Nancy, a member of our local
Gluten-Free Support Group made the awesome
pumpkin bread I was able to share with attendees!
Thanks Nancy!! Here's her recipe! 

I wish I could remember share about all the amazing people I met and all the incredible vendors who attended this year's first Raleigh GF/AF Expo! For more information on the event (and I certainly hope you will join us next year if you're in the area!) and a complete list of the vendors and their websites please read more at Nikki Everett's event page & blog.

This cracks me up.. yep.. that's me! Cindy Blye certainly
captured an interesting expression on my face as I'm leaning over
my vendor table... thanks Cindy! lol
But the hottie to the right there, hubs of course helping me out! 

Lastly, here's a great write-up of this year's Raleigh GF/AF Expo on The Examiner.com -- written by journalist Cindy Blye, Raleigh's Healthy Food Examiner.

Did you attend this year's event? What are your thoughts? What was your favorite vendor? What would you like to see at next year's event? Please share your thoughts below and I'll make sure to send them along to Nikki!

more fun pics from Cindy! lol!!
That was good beer though! We had the raspberry flavor!