Taco Soup

One of my favorite soups of all time - Taco Soup. I got this recipe from Terri on the Delphi Celiac Forum. Yum.

Taco Soup

1 & 1/2 lb. hamburger meat
2 Tbs. minced onion flakes
2 cups water
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
1 can pinto beans
1 can corn
1 package McCormick's taco seasoning mix

Brown ground beef and add onion flakes in a soup pot. Put other ingredients in. Simmer 20 minutes. Serve in large bowls with Mission Corn Tortilla Strips and a healthy covering of shredded cheddar cheese. VERY good and VERY easy to make.

Easy Bean and Ham Soup

Mom asked me to get her 2 packages of beans while I was at the store the other day, and then she asked me to soak the beans for her (since she was coming in the early morning to watch my kids yesterday). So I soaked 2 packages of beans. That's a lot of beans. So she made some soup for me in my Crockpot.

Easy Bean and Ham Soup

1 package of dried Great Northern beans (about a pound), soaked overnight
Some ham (I had a package of ham steaks - about a pound; or leftover ham)
Some carrots (I had some matchstick carrots left in the fridge - easy route, no shredding)
oh, and some water - kinda important :)

Cook in the Crockpot on high for about 5 hours (give or take). You'll want to taste it and see if it needs salt (depends on how salty your ham was). If you leave it on low for another couple of hours, you get mush (which some people like). We like to eat ours with some shredded mozzarella.

Donna and Heather

Though rather late, I wanted to post about meeting Donna Washburn and Heather Butt. I had previously met them at the National GIG Education Conference in Virginia, in June. We had them speak to us at our local GIG meeting on November 3rd. They are currently working on their fourth gluten-free cookbook! Check them out at www.bestbreadrecipes.com.
I had the privilege of having lunch with them and Betty Barfield (our branch president) at Carino's. They now have a gluten-free menu. I had a wonderful lunch of roasted garlic potato soup, jalapeño garlic tilapia, and sauteed green beans. As wonderful as the meal was, the company was even better. These two ladies are so vibrant and fun. The picture is Heather, me, and Donna. We'll see you at the next GIG conference in Dallas, Donna and Heather!

Turkey Quesadillas

Got leftovers? Need some ideas to use them up? Well, here's one for you: Turkey Quesadillas. Quick, easy, yummy, and it uses up stuff taking up space in your fridge.
Mom brought us some turkey and ham leftovers (at Braden's request). So we chopped up some turkey, stuck it on a corn tortilla with some cheese and another tortilla, and heated them up in a skillet. They were really good. We mostly had dark meat and used cheddar, but I had mozzarella with the only white meat in the container (this was my favorite). I'm not sure what happened, but there was only a tiny bit of salsa left in the whole house! That's okay, these were excellent with the leftover cranberry-orange relish. I had entertained the idea of putting corn in with the meat and cheese, but was afraid of a pint-sized mutiny.

Eight Biscuits

How can something so small consume such large amounts of food? Yes, Braden ate eight biscuits. (Say that 10 times fast). Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

I think that says it all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

All's quite on the western front. The guests have departed, the baby and husband are sleeping, and the older boy is playing quietly by himself. The only noise is the click-clacking of my keyboard.

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner! Andy's parents came over and shared our feast, and we had a fun time. Even though we weren't able to do as we had planned and go visit my brother (and the rest of my family), it was still a wonderful day.

Duck was the meat of the day. I was the only one at the table who had ever had duck before (once, a long time ago). I cooked it per the package instructions, and it came with an orange glaze (that I had verified as gluten-free with the manufacturer). Everybody liked it, but it's probably not something we ever need to do again. It is really a fatty meat, and doesn't serve a lot. We had small portions (which was good for us), and even had some leftover.

Cranberry-orange relish accompanied the duck. Basically, you chop up a bag of fresh cranberries in a food processor, and add sugar to taste (I probably used about a half cup, maybe a whole cup - I was just pouring it as I needed, lol). Cut up 2 oranges and stir into the cranberries. The sugar will cause the cranberries to juice as they sit, so if you want it real juicy, then make it ahead. If not, make it right before the meal. You can add chopped walnuts, but I couldn't find any in my freezer this morning.

The Slow-Cooked Sage Dressing was excellent, of course. We also had steamed corn, and a mixture of brown rice, steamed broccoli, and a Ragu cheese sauce. It was supposed to have been the cheddar one, but apparently we had used the last one up, so it was creamy parmesan or something like that. That part didn't make it into the picture.

The Grand Finale was apple pie, with a streusel topping. It was so good, that when I went downstairs to get my camera (to put pictures on this post), I ended up sneaking a tiny slice. So great was our feast, that no one, not even Andy, wanted ice cream (quite a feat in and of itself).

I'm so thankful for my wonderful family, who loves and supports me, and all that God has given me.
I hope you all had a fabulous Gluten-Free Thanksgiving!

Steak Nachos

What do you do with leftover steak? Why, nachos, of course. I had been chopping my onions and celery for tomorrow's stuffing (because I'll get it in the crock pot in the morning), and decided to cut up last night's steak leftovers. I let the meat sit in a bowl of apple juice for about an hour and a half - I think it made it a bit softer. Chips, meat, cheddar, some lettuce and salsa - yummy.
We have a tendency to let the leftovers sit in the fridge until they must be thrown out. Good thing I was paying attention when my brain was speaking today.

The Gloriousness That Is Pancakes

Ah, I love breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day, after all.
Well, I just have to say, y'all are in for a real treat when Roben Ryberg's new cookbook comes out in April. I should know - I've made probably 50 of the recipes. We love these pancakes (and I'm sure the waffles will grace my blog soon - probably Christmas, as one of my non-gf brothers has requested them for Christmas morning). A shameless plug for a friend? You bet. But I only do it because it's the truth.

15 Large Apples?

I've prepared for naught.
Thanksgiving was going to be great fun. That was before my two boys got pneumonia and my hubby and I got bronchitis. Even though we're all on antibiotics now, we don't want to chance getting everyone sick, especially since one SIL is pregnant, and the other one and my 2 brothers all have finals coming up.
Do I really need a crockpot full of stuffing for the four of us (and I doubt Braden will eat it)? And what about those 15 gigantic granny smith apples destined for pie-hood?

Peanut Butter Cookies for Newbies

This is an old standby for peanut butter cookies for us gluten-freers. But I am not kidding, this actually makes the best peanut butter cookies. The other firefighters always have Andy make these. They call him Keebler, and they tell him to go Keeble (it's their verb for make cookies).

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Place drops of dough on cookie sheet (size is up to you). Use a fork to make crisscross patterns (this is easy to do without sticking if you will keep your fork in a glass of ice water when not using it). Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes. Watch them, so you will know when it's best to take them out. When they start to brown, and just barely give off a smell of burning peanut butter, then they are done. Let cool partially on cookie sheet, then twist to remove, and put on cooling rack.

Additions:
Chocolate chips go great in these cookies, without having to change anything else. You can also use 1/2 chunky and 1/2 creamy peanut butter. In the past, I have made "trail mix" cookies using half chunky peanut butter (and half creamy), and adding some chocolate chips and raisins.

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

Ah, cheesecake. How I love thee - let me count the ways... Sometimes, you want cheesecake NOW! And sometimes, you want to control the fat and calories a little more. This recipe is fast and easy. You can even do it without any gluten-free specialty ingredients if you want.

No-Bake Cheesecake

1 crumb or nut crust
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese (can be low-fat - I think even fat-free works)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tub of Cool Whip (can be low-fat of fat-free)

Beat together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in Cool Whip. Scoop into crust. Chill and serve.


Crumb Crust:

A crumb crust is really easy. Just use enough crumbs from your favorite gf cookies or gf cornflakes (you may need a little sugar if you use cornflakes) to cover the pie plate, and enough melted butter to stick it all together. Obviously, I don't generally measure this stuff. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, so it will stay together better. You can skip the crust part if you want and just sprinkle the cookies on top.
My favorite way to make the crust is using about 1/2 Health Valley Rice Bran crackers (they taste like graham crackers, but way different texture), and half pecans. You can also use just pecans and butter for this crust, and it is still superb.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

This recipe comes from another lady in my support group, Linda. I made this once when we had company. They were really good. I'm pretty sure I used the Terra Red Bliss potato chips, and didn't add the Italian seasoning (because the chips are already seasoned). If you need a quick, easy appetizer, this is it. Be forewarned, a single teenager (or hubby) can devour an entire recipe.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks
6 Pack of individually wrapped Mozzarella cheese sticks
1 medium egg, beaten
1 bag GF Potato Chips
1 Tbsp. GF Italian Seasoning (McCormick brand)
1 Tbsp. corn starch
Preheat oven to 400. Crush potato chips to a very fine consistency (can use a blender). Add Italian seasoning & cornstarch. Put dry mixture in a separate flat pan. One at a time, coat cheese stick with egg & put in dry mixture. You can dip and coat once or twice depending on your preference.
Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Put cheese sticks at least 1" apart and bake for 8-10 minutes. Serve plain or with your favorite GF marinara sauce or Ranch Dressing. Serves 6. If fixing for a group just double to the quantity needed.

The Verdict is In

The pie was a success! Dad came over and tasted it. The filling was still a little tart, but we all decided we liked it that way. I think I will make the crust a little thicker next time, as Dad likes crusty pies. I've gotten the rest into the freezer and will thaw it tomorrow to make sure that will work for T-Day. My first pie, and it turned out great! Thanks Roben, for your help.

This recipe came from Theresa, a woman in my local support group. I've never liked stuffing before, but I really like this. I'm a little embarrassed to say that my mom polished off the leftovers of this the year before, in record-breaking time.

Slow-Cooked Sage Dressing

14 – 15 cups gluten-free bread (Soft White Bread from Celiac.com)

3 cups chopped celery

1 ½ cups chopped onion

1 ½ - 2 teaspoons rubbed sage

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 ¼ cups butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon rosemary (optional)

Combine bread, celery, onion, sage, salt and paper (and rosemary); mix well. Add butter and toss. Spoon into a 5-qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 – 5 hours, stirring once. Yield: about 12 servings.

Note: if it seems dry after about 3 hours, add a little chicken broth.

Easy Crustless Pecan Pie

This will be one of Mom's contributions to Turkey Day Dinner. She has been making this pecan pie for years, even years before I went gluten-free. She just doesn't like crust. I don't know where it originally came from, but this recipe is so easy, and so good.

Easy Crustless Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
6 eggs
2 Tbs margarine
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans

Mix all ingredients in pie dish. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Thanksgiving Preparations

To prepare for Thanksgiving, I will be posting a series of some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes from years past, along with a few new ones. I will also be adding some hints along the way, about traveling gluten-free. I am not what you would deem a "seasoned traveler," but I have a few tricks up my sleeves. I will be having T-Day at my brother and sister-in-law's house. They have requested "fluffy wheat rolls" from my mom, but the sacrilege stops there. I will be bringing mixes I've prepared for things like cornbread and rolls (which they have always loved so much, even taking the leftovers), and frozen pies (I hope) and bread for the stuffing. Luckily, my family likes their vegetables unadulterated, so I don't have to deal with that kind of mess. But since I will be traveling from the Fort Worth area up to the home of the Sooners, I will need to have everything well-prepared. I'd better get working.

Adventures in Pie Making

Apple Pie. That's our quest for today. I want to make a scrumptious apple pie for my dad. I must admit, I have been quite apprehensive about making pie, but it really was not that hard at all. I combined a few recipes to get what I think I want. I'll take you through my journey. Please keep in mind that this was my very first foray into the pie making world - I can't recall even making a gluten one (though I probably helped my mom make one when I was little).

I made up a pie crust recipe. This one is from Roben Ryberg's upcoming book. Sorry, I cannot give you the recipe; you will just have to wait until April and buy the book like everyone else. I rolled the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper, and then stuck it in the fridge for a few minutes, before putting it in the pie plate (and pinching and trimming the edges). I baked it in a 400 degree oven for 9 minutes. Next time, I think I will stick with 7 minutes (or maybe only a few minutes if I do a 2-crust pie), because the extra strips on top did not get as dark.

For the filling, I used 5 granny smith apples. It was a little adventure to affix the apple corer slicer parer, because the lip of my counter top was too thick, and my table edge is rounded. So I used my lazy susan, and hung it over the edge of the counter.

After getting the apples ready, I put them in a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar (because they are tart apples), 2 & 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (because I wanted to keep it apple-y for dad - he's very picky). Then I microwaved the apple mixture for 8 minutes (on high), stirring twice. Then I poured the filling into the pie crust (which had been cooling while I prepared the apples).

While the apples were in the microwave, I rolled out the extra bits of dough, and cut them into strips and chilled. When the filling was in the crust, I laid the strips across the top and sprinkled with a little cinnamon sugar mixture (which I always have in the cupboard for cinnamon toast). I baked at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Next time, I think I will bake at 400 until the crust is ready (about 12 minutes).
Voila! Apple pie. This one will get eaten, and I will make the necessary changes to produce the prettiest one I can for Thanksgiving. It will probably be a 2 crust pie - maybe I'll even cut out some shapes with little cookie cutters. After all, my dad did bring me back half a suitcase full of gluten-free food from Trader Joe's.

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

Ah, that orange drink that Mom used to buy when we were kids (in huge containers larger than my head). Brings back memories, doesn't it? Well, did you know that Tang makes some pretty good cookies? I wasn't sure about these the first day, but on the second day, they became quite addictive.

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

1/2 cup powdered Tang
3/4 cup sugar
1 & 3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup vanilla baking chips
1/2 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix until well-blended.
Form dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake about 10 minutes, until tops are lightly browned (or edges start to brown). Cool five minutes and then remove cookies to a wire rack. (It works best if you let the cookies cool enough that you can twist them off the cookie sheet.)
Makes 2 & 1/2 dozen

World's Best Brownies

There is no better way to kick off a gluten-free blog than with a scrumptious brownie recipe. Hide the scale for a few days, or better yet, get yourself to a Zumba class right away.
These originally came from the Hershey website. The secret is homemade goodness.

Supreme Chocolate Saucepan Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup gf flour mix (rice/potato/tapioca mix works great)
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar and cocoa; stir to blend. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs. Stir together flour, salt and baking soda; stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread in prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and begin to slightly crack; do not underbake. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes about 24 brownies.

You may want to make these the day before, especially if you are taking them somewhere. The chocolate chips need a long time to re-harden. If you don't, they are still extremely good, although pretty messy (and very hard to eat off a napkin).