Celebrating Local NC Food: Pork Tenderloin with the NC Pork Council

My grandmother, whom we affectionately called "Nan", LOVED pork tenderloin. She wasn't necessarily the world's greatest cook, although she made a killer dish called skillet dinner, the most rockin' pound cake you've ever eaten, and a sirloin tip roast that would melt in your mouth...

Her biscuits though? Hard as a rock... coffee? Don't even ask!

But pork tenderloin? She could knock it out of the park. I still haven't figured out EXACTLY how she made it, because it still never tastes quite the same when I make it... but it's still one of my favorite dishes!

When the NC Pork Council emailed me several months ago I was surprised and intrigued. I LOVE supporting local North Carolina products and I was more than happy to be on board with the NC Pork Council as one of their NC bloggers and recipe developers!

Pork is a North Carolina tradition. It's especially prominent here in Eastern NC. You'll find pork barbecue restaurants in nearly every town, each with it's own special sauce or way of cooking the pig just right. Another reason I like pork is that many cuts are great in the slow cooker. They can cook for long periods at a low & slow heat and turn out great. It's perfect for someone like me as a commuter who works 40 hours a week.

However, this month's product is pork tenderloin. A lean and very tender cut that you probably don't want to put in the slow cooker. As tenderloin cooks fairly quickly and you really don't want to overcook it. It will dry out very fast. Tenderloin is also great marinated and has a very mild flavor.

I will be highlighting one pork product per month and creating a gluten-free recipe to go along with it. The recipe this month is for simple pan-seared pork tenderloin with homemade brown gravy... almost the way my grandmother made it! I wish I knew EXACTLY how she made it! lol But this is pretty darn close and very tasty.

Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin with Homemade Brown Gravy

free of gluten, dairy, and soy

created by Carrie of Gingerlemongirl.com

printer-friendly recipe

Tenderloin Ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds fresh pork tenderloin, sliced into 1" medallions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon grease
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Gravy Ingredients:

• 2-3 tablespoons pork tenderloin pan drippings
• 4 tablespoons brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce (if you can tolerate soy)
• OPTIONAL: 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil to finish gravy

Directions: 

1. Heat a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet to medium high heat. Add olive oil or bacon grease and cook until sizzling. Add 4-5 pork medallions to the pan at a time. Add salt & pepper to each medallion and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the pork is richly brown and caramelized and the juices in a medallion run clear. Set cooked tenderloin on an oven-safe plate in a warm oven. Repeat until all medallions are cooked. 
2. In the same pan whisk in brown rice flour and cook for several minutes on low heat to cook out the "flour" taste. Slowly whisk in warm water and turn heat up to medium-high. Continue to whisk until gravy thickens and will coat the back of a spoon. When the gravy is thickened as much as you'd like it, stir in Worcestershire sauce and taste to see if it needs additional salt or pepper. TO finish the gravy you can also stir in 1 tablespoon of butter or additional olive oil to give the gravy a velvety consistency. 
3. Serve pork tenderloin medallions and gravy while hot with gluten-free toast scrambled eggs, and slices of fresh tomatoes. 

GLG Disclosure: 

This post is part of a new monthly series featuring local NC pork products sponsored by the North Carolina Pork Council. The NC Pork Council provided me with a gift certificate to purchase pork products and create a recipe to share. The opinions and photography in this post are completely my own.

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Yellow Cupcakes Recipe

My friend Pamela posted a message on facebook the other day asking for basic grain-free, gluten-free cupcakes. Eggs were fine, sugar was fine...she just wanted a grain-free cupcake that she could serve to friends and family.

When she asked I was intrigued. I knew Pamela was also intolerant to coconut (as I am) and many grain-free cupcake recipes call for coconut flour. I knew that was out for Pamela and I wondered how we could come up with a fluffy, delicious cupcake that her gluten-eating guests would enjoy.

I decided to play around with my almond flour scones recipe to see what I could come up with. I always liked the texture of that recipe and how easy it worked. I like the combination of almond flour with arrowroot starch. It gives a good crumb to baked goods and it just "feels" like you're eating a wheat-based dessert. I loved that with that recipe in particular it looked like a regular scone, was not only gluten-free but lower in carbs than your average gluten-free baked good.

So here's what I came up with! Please note the intial recipe does have a bit of an "eggy" flavor, almost like a rich pound cake (thanks for reminding me of that Dad!)... While I like the flavor, I was concerned that it might be off-putting to other cupcake lovers... so I've included notes at the bottom of the recipe on how to only use 2 eggs, so the cupcakes won't have as strong of an egg taste. If you try the "less eggs" version, I'd love to know how it turned out for you and what substitute you used! Despite the "pound-cake" type flavor, the cupcakes themselves are quite light & fluffy, which is a feat with almond flour baked goods!

Also... use whatever frosting you prefer! If you need grain-free, lower sugar frostings, check out the frostings from Elana's pantry... honestly, I was a fan of these lovely cupcakes just the way they were without a fancy frosting!

Fluffy Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Yellow Cupcakes
Free of gluten, dairy, grains, soy
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Printer-friendly recipe

Yields: 12 Cupcakes or 1 - 9” layer cake

Dry Ingredients:
223 grams/ 2 (packed) cups, blanched almond flour
94 grams/ ¾ cup arrowroot starch
150 grams/ ¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
154 grams/ 3 large eggs (see option for 2 eggs in notes below)
121 grams/ ½ cup + 1 tablespoon almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
61 grams/ ⅓ cup light-tasting olive oil (or other mild tasting oil)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and spritz liners with non-stick cooking spray or brush with olive oil or coconut oil.
2. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients.
3. In a small bowl whisk together all wet ingredients. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until you have a wet batter.
4. Spoon batter into greased cupcake liners until ¾ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
5. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before decorating with your favorite frosting.

Notes:

• To have a less “eggy” flavor, use 2 eggs and add an additional ¼ cup of any of the following: applesauce, pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, pureed sweet potatoes or butternut squash. To keep the cupcake tasting very vanilla-y, use applesauce instead of the other options. 
• Milk: Use whatever milk substitute you would like. If you can use dairy milk, feel free to use that as well. 
• Sugar: Feel free to use coconut palm sugar or unrefined cane sugar in the same amount as the sugar. I'm not exactly sure how to use honey or maple syrup, as you would need to adjust the liquids in this recipe as well. 
• Egg-Free? NO idea... I haven't tried it completely egg-free, and I'm not sure how well it would work... however, if you try it and it works out well for you, please let me know how you did it!

Country Church Photography: Union Grove Freewill Baptist Church

I saw the little sign for this church while I was taking a drive last week. Intrigued, I went back on Saturday to take a walk around. This one is quite different from the others I've found so far.

This little church shows how much beauty there can be in simplicity. There are no outward symbols of their faith, such as crosses or statues. The grounds are well maintained and lush with green grass. I love the little round window above the doors.

When I walked around the property and found this sign, I felt more connected to the parishioners here. The church had been rebuilt in 1945. I love this keystone dedicated to their history and their faith.

I didn't notice the contrast on this photo until I was editing pictures at home. I love how the shadows begin exactly along the fence-line. The church had this small cemetery on the back grounds.  The flowers on this very old gravestone were new.

I also love how this church sat exactly at a bend in the road. You could see the sign from either direction, and it was such a beautiful place surrounded by tobacco fields on a tiny back country road.

And my sweet Max joined us on the ride. This cat LOVES LOVES LOVES to take a ride! He was safe and secure in Micheal's lap and he was pretty intrigued by the lovely little church too!

Frugal Accomplishments - April 2014

free image courtesy of Pixabay.com

I realized yesterday that I didn't do a Frugal Accomplishments post for April. So here ya go! Here are a few things we did over the month to continue on a money-saving, (gluten-free) frugal-living journey! 

• Cash Only - Continued using cash only for all purchases outside of gas and our monthly Amazon order. This one trick helps us cut extra spending probably more than ANYTHING else we do! If you only have a limited supply of cash, things that you thought you "needed" suddenly don't seem very important anymore. 

• $1000 Emergency Fund - FINALLY established and we didn't touch it all month. That was a major accomplishment. We technically had it the past several months, but always ended up having expenses that we needed to dip into it for. Thankfully in April we were able to keep it intact and didn't use it. 

• Frugal Exercise - I finally started exercising again (I've been "fighting" this exercise thing for the past 2 years! lol) But I FINALLY gave in to start walking again, I just wanted too to be honest. I think it was finally the right time. And we had to do this on a budget. I'm wearing the same tennis shoes I've warn for two years, I'm walking outside on days it's not too hot, and I'm using old leslie sansone walking dvd's in the living room on other days. I listen to books on tape when I'm walking outside (I do think my audible subscription is completely worth the money!), and I'm getting lots more fresh air and sunshine. Some days I even do my walk at work around the Duck Pond! :-) 

• Frugal Exercise Seminar - My work offered free attendance to an online webinar during work hours that was about fitness, why it's important, and the benefits of starting an exercise program. While I didn't really get anything new out of the program, I appreciated that my work offered it to people for free and we could attend it during work hours. It was a nice break and a good reminder why I need to start exercising on a regular basis. 

• Frugal traveling: SW VIRGINIA GLUTEN-FREE EXPO - This was the 2nd time I've attended this Expo in my hometown of Roanoke, VA and I really enjoyed it. We made the trip frugal by staying with friends for the weekend (instead of a hotel) and we ate lots of frugal meals we packed ourselves and stuck to our cash supply for anything we needed to purchase during the trip. I was given some great gift-cards for speaking at the conference, so we treated ourselves to some gluten-free groceries from Kroger's along with some fun stuff from Amazon. 

• Re-purposing leftovers - I turned leftover chili into meat for tacos. We added leftover rice and corn to scrambled eggs for breakfast. I saved all leftover pieces of bread or cornbread to make sausage stuffing for a meal later. 

• Make-Ahead Breakfasts for Work- Several weeks in a row I made 2 loaves of Luce's GF Artisan Bread on Sunday nights. I sliced up the loaves and froze them and we had bread with boiled eggs or mini quiches for breakfast at work. I want to do this again this month! There's something wonderful about simple bread & eggs for breakfast during the week! 

photo from http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mini_mushroom_sausage_quiches.html

Quick Mini Quiches (No Crust!)

Created by Carrie Forbes of gingerlemongirl.com

• 10 eggs
• 1/2-3/4 cup chopped pepperoni
• 1/2 cup chopped green peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1-2 teaspoons dried sundried tomatoes
• 1-2 teaspoon dried shallots
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning

Mixed it all together and then spooned into very well greased muffin pans. (it made 18 mini quiches) baked them for about 18 minutes at 350 degrees until they were puffy and golden brown on top. We have each had two each morning for breakfast with gluten-free bread. Super easy, super tasty! (Photo from eating well.com, but they looked alot like that!!)

• Pantry/Freezer "Shopping" - For most of our meals over the month of April I FIRST "shopped" in our pantry and freezer before shopping the sales at Food Lion. This really revamped how I made meals for the month and I plan on doing pantry/freezer cooking a lot more often. It definitely kept our grocery bills down. 

• Essential Oils for Holistic Health - I've been using essential oils for several years, but in the past few months I really "upped' our usage of them to help with headaches, seasonal allergies, and in our aroma diffusers in place of candles in our house. I use several different brands of oils. My favorite "brand" is Doterra, but they are very pricey. I know quality is important in purchasing therapeutic oils, but budget also has to be considered, so I found another brand called Eden's Garden to use especially when I'm diffusing oils and adding them to homemade cleaners, etc... Either way, essential oils are a great tool to use. I've been reading a kindle version of this book to learn more about the best ways to use essential oils: The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. 

How have you been frugal this month? 

Thankful Thursdays: Walking the Duckpond

This is Fred & Ned. I've just named them. Cheryl says that Fred looks like he needs some moisturizer on that shell!  I see them nearly every time I walk at the duck pond at work.  They love to get sun on this spot every day. There's a small bridge above it and it's fun to stop and look down at them enjoying the warm weather.

Depending on the time of year you can see all sorts of wildlife at the pond. From turtles to ducks to squirrels, etc... it's a fun place to go when you need a walk or to take a break from the work day.

It's a relaxing place in the midst of a busy medical campus. I've been trying to walk here several times a week when I'm work. It breaks up the day, it lets me enjoy the sunshine, and along the way see these furry and feathered critters every week, which definitely makes my days better.

photo from ECU Division of Health Sciences

I'm really thankful to have a beautiful place like this to retreat too during my work day! The pond is about 1/3 mile around so 3 times around (or 3 laps) makes 1 mile. I keep track of my laps by using this string of beads that I made when I visited my friend Amy a few weeks ago.

It can be the most simple things that bring us great joy every day! I'm thankful for the pond, my string of beads made with good friends, and all these wonderful critters I see on each walk!

What are you thankful for today?

Product Review: gardenlites™ Veggie Muffins

Product: gardenlites™ Veggie Muffins

Last week I received a big box of gardenlites™ Veggie Muffins to try. I was sent five different varieties (was rather blown away by that! I was expecting maybe 1 box! lol), and Michael and I have tried two of them so far. Since they were individually packaged, we took them with us to work for snacks and/or for breakfast. ALL of the muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free, and are PACKED full of vegetables! What I really love (in addition to the allergen-free goodness) is that these muffins have 5 grams of fiber EACH, plus 3 grams of protein! 

They are low in sugar and the main ingredient in each muffin is a veggie! So far we have tried the Carrot Berry Muffins and the Blueberry Oat Muffins. Next on my list to try is the Zucchini Chocolate Veggie Muffins! The company doesn't necessary market the products as gluten-free, because they want them to be seen as a healthy baked item for all folks, not just the gluten-free crowd!  

To give you an example of the nutritional info (which you can also EASILY find on the gardenlites website - I love that!), here's what you'll find in the Carrot Berry Muffins, which are so far my favorite variety: 

Nutritional Info: 

• Calories: 120 for one muffin
• Total Fat: 2 grams
• Cholesterol: 20 milligrams
• Sodium: 250 milligrams
• Total Carbohydrates: 24 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 5 gram
• Sugars: 11 grams
• Protein: 3 grams

Ingredients (for the Carrot Berry Veggie Muffins):  
Carrot, Pasteurized Egg Whites, Pasteurized Whole Eggs, Evaporated Cane Juice, Brown Sugar, Soluble Corn Fiber, Corn Starch, Sorghum Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Canola Oil, Dried Cherries (cherries, rice flour), Dried Blueberries (blueberries, sugar, sunflower oil), Dried Cranberries (cranberries, rice flour, sugar, sunflower oil), Baking Powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), Potato Starch, Cinnamon, Salt, Vanilla Extract.

Other Current Flavors Include: 

• Golden Corn Veggie Muffins
• Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins
• Zucchini Chocolate Veggie Muffins
• Blueberry Oat Veggie Muffins

Having these muffins in the freezer the past week has been a nice treat! When I needed a quick breakfast or snack, I grabbed one from the freezer. You can allow them to defrost on the counter or just pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to have a warm, "fresh-from-the-oven" tasting muffin!

I love that vegetables are the first ingredient in these gluten-free treats.  It can be pretty easy to incorporate fruits into other foods and baked goods, but vegetables can be a challenge. I think kids would really enjoy these muffins and they would be perfect for lunch boxes.

The muffins are quite moist and have a tender crumb. They are individually wrapped, which makes them very convenient. Also, for those concerned about the environment, they really don't have a lot of extra packaging which I really appreciated.
 
The gardenlites website is extremely consumer-friendly and easy to navigate and you can easily find where to purchase gardenlites products, along with ALL the ingredient and nutritional info for each product they carry (simply click on each product!). I really appreciate that they make it so easy for a consumer to find their information. I feel like when companies are proud of the products they carry, they are open and completely transparent about sharing their information.

These are muffins I would definitely purchase when they become available in my area!

GLG Disclosure: 

The product samples were sent to me by Gardenlites.com. to review on my blog if I CHOSE to do so. 

This is NOT a sponsored post and I did NOT receive monetary compensation. 

The opinions and photography in this post are completely my own.

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)

A Perfect Cup of Tea: How to Brew Loose Tea Leaves and Blends

When I was a kid I hated coffee and tea. Couldn't stand it. I didn't even like the smell! Over the past few years though, I've become a fan. I would say I'm a "seasonal" tea drinker! I tend to veer towards coffee in the in the fall and winter and tea in the spring and summer.

Last week I received a wonderful gift in the mail from my friend Jodi who lives in Vero Beach, FL. She sent me 4 samples of tea from her favorite local tea shop: Tea and Chi. Several years ago I found a little black, cast iron Chinese tea pot (similar to this one) and it's been my favorite vessel for brewing loose tea leaves. However, I don't have any local tea shops close by to purchase fresh, whole tea leaves and blends. So Jodi's package was a very welcome surprise!

And Jodi just so happened to find a blend she thought I'd absolutely love...

Well she was right! (Along with being a lemon & ginger tea blend...:-) Rooibos is a red tea that is naturally decaffeinated so it's perfect for a cup of hot tea in the evening. The same night Jodi's package came, I dug through the kitchen cabinets to find my Chinese tea pot and and I made a pot of tea.

I love the packaging that Tea and Chi places on their bags of whole tea leaves and blends. They tell you the type of tea you have, how much dry tea to use per cup, how long to brew it, what ideal temperature to brew it at, and then if it contains caffeine or not.  Brilliant, my friends. Just brilliant!

Now I'll be perfectly honest, I didn't take the temperature of my boiling water. However, I did only let my water just come to a rolling boil before pouring it over the tea leaves.

My particular pot came with a mesh metal strainer. You simply place 1-3 teaspoon of dried whole tea leaves and pour the hot water over it. Allow it to brew for several minutes as directed on your package. For the Lemon Ginger Rooibos, allow it to brew for 4-6 minutes.

I measured out 2 cups of hot water after it boiled to make sure I had the correct ratio of water to tea leaves. Then I poured it over the tea. Easy as that.

And voila... 4-6 minutes later, lovely warm fresh brewed hot rooibos tea. I prefer tea with plain ol' sugar. Sometimes honey, but honestly I just like sugar in my tea. Sometimes with green tea, I prefer it with no sugar at all. I generally use about 2-3 teaspoons of sugar in a large mug of tea (about 16 ounces). I don't want it syrupy sweet, just sweet enough to taste.

Jodi also spent the past few months creating this gorgeous throw for me! I LOVE a long throw, a cup of hot tea and a good book! Thank you so much Jodi! 

So far, from the batch that Jodi sent, I have tried the Lemon Ginger Rooibos, the Magnolia Oolong, and the Florida Sunshine Rooibos. The Florida Sunshine smells amazing when you brew it! It has just a hint of citrus, and the scent when you open the tea package is refreshing!  I've used the Magnolia Oolong for an iced tea, and while I'm generally not a fan of things that taste very floral, this tea is so delicately floral and fresh that I've really enjoyed it! I've brewed the tea fresh, added a little sugar, stirred it until it melted into the tea and then poured it over ice. Really delicious!

Another great thing about freshly brewed, whole tea leaves like this is that you can often reuse them at least 2-3 times. The green tea leaves below are Magnolia Oolong. I've used this batch of tea twice so far, and I'll probably use it at least one more time before adding the leaves to our compost pile in the back yard.

You can keep wet tea leaves in the fridge for up to 2 days, or you can just allow them to air dry on a paper towel on the counter and use them 2-3 times (allowing them to dry between uses.)

There's just something relaxing and therapeutic about making fresh tea from real, whole tea leaves! Thank you so much for such a thoughtful gift Jodi! I plan on trying the Five Peak Green Jade tomorrow.

Do you like to use fresh dried tea leaves? 

Do you have a favorite tea shop that you go too? 

Country Church Photography: Lebanon United Methodist Church, Eastern NC

This beauty of a small church is on an old country road several miles from our home. It's tiny and from the website it looks like it has an attendance of about 25 folks a week (that's probably a good Sunday!), but I just love these places. I feel like I'm at home at all of them and they make me feel closer to God. I'm sure it's because I grew up in a church similar to this where my faith was established. I'll always be a United Methodist girl at heart! 

This little church is just gorgeous. I've seen it from afar for over 7 years and this week was the first time I stopped to check it out. They still had the Easter wreaths on the front door and the church has meticulously maintained grounds. 

I have no doubt that the small congregation of this church is dedicated to making sure their small place of worship remains a beautiful part of the country landscape. It's a peaceful place. 

Mollie's laser vision...

.... she also likes to hang out in cardboard boxes... 

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? 

New Gluten-Free Products at ALDI Grocery Stores

I first visited an ALDI grocery store after I had graduated from college and was living in my tiny little first apartment. It was perfect for me because I was BROKE and I needed affordable groceries. I lived off canned and boxed foods at the time and ALDI was a perfect fit. Tons of cans of vegetables for less than .40 a can, I made a lot of vegetable soups and had lots of canned fruits along with rice, pasta, and even fresh veggies for incredibly good prices. ALDI was a lifesaver for me, especially when my budget incredibly limited before I was married.

I stopped frequently shopping at ALDI when I went gluten-free in 2007 mainly because they didn't offer many gluten-free items other than naturally gluten-free foods.

HOWEVER, I found out this week that for a LIMITED time ALDI will now be selling an incredibly diverse line of gluten-free products. The supply is limited and you should probably run out and grab these items before they are gone. IF you really enjoy the products, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go to ALDI'S website and leave them a message saying you'd LOVE to have these products available ALL the time. I get the feeling that many of these products are name brands we pay big bucks for in a regular grocery store.

Over the next two weeks I hope to test out these products I picked up on Monday night to let you know what I think of them and how they worked out. If you try any of the products I didn't pick up (like the dessert baking mixes or the frozen products, I'd LOVE to know what you think of them! PLEASE send me an email or a comment on this post to let me know what you tried and what you thought of it!

THE BEST thing about these great products SO FAR, quite simply is the GREAT prices (and the fact, I'm pretty sure they are name-brand items just re-branded by ALDI.) Below I've listed what I paid for each product. These products are at least half the price if not 1/3 less expensive than what you would pay in any other grocery store for gluten-free products.

Gluten-Free Penne Pasta (like Heartland brand) $1.29 (10-12 servings) for 16 ounces

Gluten-Free Multigrain Snack Crackers (like Crunchmaster) for $1.49 for 4.25 ounces

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix for $2.99 for 16.5 ounces (makes 1 large pizza)

Gluten-Free Baking Mix (like Gluten-Free Bisquick) for $2.99 for 16 ounces

Gluten-Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar Cheese Mix (Like Kraft Mac & Cheese) for $1.49 for 6 ounces

Gluten-Free Rosemary & Olive Oil Multigrain Snack Crackers (like CRUNCHMASTER brand) for $1.49 for 4.25 ounces

GLG Disclosure: 

I purchased these gluten-free products from ALDI on my own dime because I wanted to try them out. I was not compensated or given free product by ALDI grocery stores or asked to do a review.  

The opinions and photography in this post are completely my own.

Product Review: Cybele's FREE-to-EAT Oatmeal Raisin Gluten-Free Cookies

Product: Cybele's FREE-to-EAT™ Oatmeal Raisin Vegan & Gluten-Free Cookies

I bought a box of these cookies at my local Food Lion grocery store a few weeks ago. I bought it on a shopping trip to replenish my desk drawer at work. I always try to keep a few gluten-free options in my desk for that inevitable 3 pm snack attack!

I was excited to find Cybele's cookies in my local grocery store. We don't exactly live in a gluten-free abundant area, so whenever I find a new snack that fits my dietary criteria it's fun to give it a try.

My first thought about these cookies was the box was quite small (which really isn't that unusual for gluten-free baked goods). It has about 12-13 cookies in it and suggests 2 cookies per serving. The box of cookies cost $4.59, which in my experience really isn't too bad a price for gluten-free products. This means the cookies were about .38 a piece.

Nutritional Info: 

• Calories: 110 (for two)
• Total Fat: 4 grams
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 85 milligrams
• Total Carbohydrates: 20 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 1 gram
• Sugars: 11 grams
• Protein: 1 gram

Ingredients:  Gluten-Free Oats, Raisins, Brown Sugar, Organic Palm Oil Shortening, Gluten-Free Flour (Brown Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca Flour), Evaporated Cane Juice, Water, Fructose, Golden Flaxseed, Brown Rice Syrup, Grap Juice, Rice Dextrin, Vanilla Extract, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Cinnamon.

I have to tell you that when I tried the cookies, I wasn't sure what to expect. MOST packaged gluten-free cookies are very hard and crisp... which generally I don't mind. I like a crisp texture now more than I did in my pre-gf days... however it's nice to find a soft cookie.

THESE cookies were truly fabulous! 

They were soft and chewy! The texture was really good for a packaged cookie! The cookies were perfectly moist and the raisins, big and delicious. I felt like the company didn't skimp out on the fruit, which was nice. You had a bite of raisin with nearly every bite! You can taste just a hint of cinnamon in each cookie and they were definitely sweet, but not overly sweet.

I love that Cybele created this recipe using oats and flaxseed, along with being dairy-free AND egg-free! Quite a feat for a GOOD gluten-free cookie! These cookies are ideal for kids with food allergies because they are "top 8" free, so no peanuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish. SO a great option to take to school functions and for weekly lunches! They are also baked in a dedicated gluten-free facility so you can rest assured they are free from cross-contamination!

If you wanted too, I think you could easily microwave the cookies for about 5 seconds to give them a warm, "fresh - out - of - the - oven" flavor.

They were really pretty cookies and they looked homemade, not like a store-bought cookie.

I will definitely buy these cookies again, I think they would be great to have at home in the back of the cabinet for a time when you have unexpected company and need a nice dessert!

GLG Disclosure: 

I purchased these cookies on my own dime because I wanted to try them out. I was not compensated or given free product by Cybele's FREE-to-EAT Inc or asked to do a review.  

The opinions and photography in this post are completely my own.