tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55002603024805897342024-03-17T15:50:36.436-05:00Plate Full of LoveGood food feeds the spirit, not just the body!Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-70259528184951055602024-03-04T19:11:00.003-06:002024-03-04T19:13:41.727-06:00It's been a while... <p>It's been a really long time since I've checked in. I got busy with school, finished my program, and have been working full-time as a teacher for most of that time. Last week I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I made it more than 38.5 years, before getting here which is kind of amazing considering the other health issues I have as well as my family history. I've been having my A1C checked since junior high if that gives you any indication. </p><p>So, here's the medical check-in of things contributing to the current situation:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>PCOS - increases insulin resistance</li><li>Celiac - disrupts gut health and lends to higher carb substitutions for the removal of whole wheat items</li><li>Psoriatic arthritis - makes movement harder, meaning less physical activity</li><li>a host of other things that don't necessarily impact this situation, but are just more issues to deal with</li></ul><div>Here's the plan:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Daily fasting glucose testing (pre-breakfast)</li><li>Mounjaro</li><li>Dietary/Nutrition/Diabetes counseling (scheduled at the end of the month)</li><li>massive amounts of research and trial and error to revamp my beloved baking and cooking recipes to suit my body's new needs</li></ul><div>You get to come along for the journey and maybe find some recipes along the way. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-rihs34rpvk/images/stencil/original/products/29245/149824/AHC-OTULTRA2__92848.1647440123.jpg?c=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="300" height="289" src="https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-rihs34rpvk/images/stencil/original/products/29245/149824/AHC-OTULTRA2__92848.1647440123.jpg?c=1" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-67313875649074291492014-10-12T22:40:00.006-05:002014-10-19T22:39:45.566-05:00One Pot Pasta: Creamy Tomato and Chicken<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gvOPa8C9KYw/VDtFcgb7FcI/AAAAAAAADNQ/TTPuUuosW8M/s1600/dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gvOPa8C9KYw/VDtFcgb7FcI/AAAAAAAADNQ/TTPuUuosW8M/s1600/dinner.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made this awesome graphic with <a href="http://pic-collage.com/" target="_blank">PicCollage</a>.</td></tr>
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After reading my <a href="http://www.timehop.com/" target="_blank">TimeHop</a> about a delicious dinner I put together this time last year I was inspired to get cooking tonight. I made a one pot pasta with diced chicken in a creamy tomato sauce with stuff I had on hand. I didn't really measure or keep track of time, so my numbers are approximate, as usual. Start here and let the inspiration come to you, add or subtract things based on your tastes and what you have in your pantry.<br />
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I like to cut corners where I can, so some of the things in my pot tonight are convenience items: Frozen diced chicken from <a href="http://www.gfs.com/" target="_blank">GFS</a>, jarred minced garlic, jarred pizza sauce and<a href="http://www.betterthanbouillon.com/products/product-detail.aspx?productid=37" target="_blank"> Better Than Boullion Reduced Sodium Chicken Base</a> boullion paste. The boullion paste is a new find for me. I found it on the shelf next to the boullion cubes and broth, and it is a pretty cool product. The jar makes 38 servings of 8 oz of chicken stock by mixing one teaspoon with 8 oz of boiling water. That means you can keep the makings of 2 gallons and 3 pints worth of stock in less space than one can! You do have to refrigerate it after you open it, but that's better than keeping one of those tetrapack cartons in there. All that notwithstanding, if you have homemade and want to use it, go for it, it will probably be so much better.<br />
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Another bonus, for my Jewish readers, using the right versions of the ingredients, this delicious beauty is kosher (as long as you skip the Parmesan cheese I cheese I used to top mine).<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2-3 cups cooked, diced chicken</li>
<li>1 Tablespoon olive oil (I used the left over oil from a jar of sun dried tomatoes for extra flavor)</li>
<li>1 Tablespoon minced garlic</li>
<li>1 package Live G Free fusilli (Aldi GF brand)</li>
<li>3 teaspoons boullion paste (or 3 cubes/3 envelopes, etc.)</li>
<li>3 cups water + 2 Tablespoons*</li>
<li>1/4 cup pizza sauce or thick tomato sauce</li>
<li>1 Tablespoon corn starch</li>
</ul>
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<u>Process:</u></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Heat the oil, garlic, and chicken in a large frying pan or skillet with a lid</li>
<li>Once chicken is lightly browned, add pasta, boullion paste, 3 cups of water and pizza sauce</li>
<li>Stir all ingredients, cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes</li>
<li>Remove lid and stir</li>
<li>Continue simmering for another 5 minutes or until the liquid reduced to a sauce</li>
<li>Combine 2 Tablespoons of water with cornstarch and add to the pot, stir to combine</li>
<li>Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes to allow sauce to thicken</li>
<li>Eat. All. The. Deliciousness!</li>
</ol>
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*Make sure the water you use to mix with the corn starch is cool or cold. Warm or hot water will not combine well with the corn starch, which is why you can't just add the corn starch to the pot. </div>
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<br />Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-15058156109326512292013-09-29T16:41:00.002-05:002013-09-29T16:42:30.618-05:00Give a little heart and soulI have a "Gifts from the Heart" tradition at Christmas time. Every year I put together baskets, make gifts, or put together experiences as a gifts for aunts, uncles, and grandparents, as well as few other people. Previous years' gifts have included: <br />
<ul>
<li>Date Night baskets </li>
<ul>
<li>Bertoli frozen meal</li>
<li>sparkling juice</li>
<li>Andes mints </li>
<li>cute paper products for easy clean up </li>
</ul>
<li>Movie Night basket </li>
<ul>
<li>pop-in-bucket popcorn </li>
<li>movie box candies (Reece's pieces, twizzlers, snocaps)</li>
<li>bottles of pop </li>
<li>Blockbuster gift card (yeah this one was a while back) or one for their sat/cable company so they could order PPV</li>
</ul>
<li>Beat the Chill Jar Gifts </li>
<ul>
<li>Vegetable noodle soup with the noodles and spices in the jar, plus a can of diced tomatoes, all you need is water and a pot</li>
<li>Homemade hot cocoa mix</li>
</ul>
<li>Sundae Treat baskets</li>
<ul>
<li>homemade caramel and hot fudge sauces</li>
<li>sprinkles</li>
<li>waffle bowls</li>
<li>$5 gift card to their local grocer for the ice cream flavor of their choice</li>
</ul>
<li>Hand care kits</li>
<ul>
<li>homemade beeswax lotion bars</li>
<li>homemade silky smooth sugar scrub</li>
</ul>
</ul>
While on the way to the store this morning I decided on what I will be
making this year. The plan started to come together when I passed a farmstand on the way home from church. They were advertising bushels of apples, which got me musing on what I could make with a bushel of apples. While I do not plan on starting from whole apples, this lead me to my first idea: apple butter.<br />
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I found a <a href="http://www.holidaycottagepage.com/speedy-apple-butter-recipe/" target="_blank">recipe</a> which calls for unsweetened applesauce in order to speed up the process. From there, I figured they would need something on which to spread the apple butter, so why not <a href="http://www.julieblanner.com/2012/11/christmas-gift-idea-easy-cinnamon-bread.html?m=1" target="_blank">cinnamon bread</a>? The page with the cinnamon bread recipe suggests baking it in a real loaf pan (as opposed to my original plan of disposable paper bakeware) and including that as part of the gift. I'll be checking my local dollar stores for possibilities. <br />
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The best part about this plan is that since I've already decided, I can start stocking up on the things I'll need. Buying one extra jar of applesauce or a few baking ingredients each pay period doesn't seem like much of an expense at all, but if I wait until late November and have to buy it all at once, it will all add up. Since I'm making these things mostly from scratch, everything I need (with the exception of butter and eggs) is shelf stable and I can stock pile it now. Actually, the butter and <a href="http://couponconnections.com/dont-know-what-to-do-with-extra-eggs-freeze-them/" target="_blank">eggs can be frozen</a>, so I start watching for those to be on sale as well.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.myworldhut.com/product_images/c/8oz_kerr_mason_jar_wide_mouth__57718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.myworldhut.com/product_images/c/8oz_kerr_mason_jar_wide_mouth__57718.jpg" width="200" /></a>I figure in a few weeks canning supplies will be marked down as the canning season winds down, and that will be the perfect time to pick up some jars. I prefer to use Kerr jars over Ball jars, since they have a short, wide mouth 8 oz. jar that is just perfect for all sorts of things. I'm thinking each basket will get two of those jars, which will be sealed, so their apple butter will stay fresh longer, since it won't all be open at once.<br />
Another nice thing about using these is that the shape makes it easy to get everything out of these jars, so you don't waste any that might get stuck around the rim of a narrower mouth jar. <br />
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Now that the weather is cooling down, I can't wait to start all sorts of baking and cooking projects, and when the time comes for this one, I have a feeling I'll be making a few extra jars for <strike>me</strike> my house as besides the ones for gifts. Now I just need to decide on a GF Cinnamon bread recipe... (I think it's going to be <a href="http://embracingbeauty.com/2012/05/25/gluten-free-apple-cinnamon-bread-recipe/" target="_blank">this one</a>)<br />
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Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-87497224489968498962013-09-29T00:44:00.001-05:002013-09-29T00:48:27.141-05:00Salty or sweet?<div class="" style="clear: both;">
Why choose? Yes, I'm going to talk about dessert. Again.What is it this time? Salted Caramel <a href="http://cookingequipment.about.com/od/icecreammachines/f/gelatovicecream.htm" target="_blank">Gelato</a>. This stuff is hard to describe, especially since once you start eating it the only sounds you make will be little moans of food bliss, so I guess you just have to try it for yourself. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BbQ6G10IOmY/Uke4ycwABZI/AAAAAAAADFc/BsSjlC30ehc/s640/blogger-image-1928985800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BbQ6G10IOmY/Uke4ycwABZI/AAAAAAAADFc/BsSjlC30ehc/s400/blogger-image-1928985800.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sorry folks, that's the best picture you're going to get, there is just never enough left for a fancy picture by the time I get home. I think I need to limit myself to just the junior size of this stuff, it's just so dangerously delicious. </span></span><br />
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I've had a heck of a week. Tuesday was the official close of my third course in my accelerated teacher education program, but due to an extensive project, we had a bit of an extension into the weekend. We were working on creating, administering, and assessing a test on one chapter of our text. That doesn't sound too bad, right? The difficult part came in due to the fact that this was an online course and we were required to do all our collaborating via an online discussion board, which meant that we had to wait for responses and then wait again for our groupmates to see our subsequent posts. </div>
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Once we got to the analysis stage, we could interact in person if we wanted or needed to, since the "group" portion of the project was over and any discussions at that point would solely be one classmate helping another classmate understand an assignment. Since I'm good at math I've been fielding texts and iMessages all week about how to compute parts of the data we had to include in our analysis. With that in mind, when one of my groupmates contacted me today, I suggested a meeting at Panera, where they have WiFi and caffeine, and we got together to get stuff done. </div>
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By the time we got out of there, I had only a little bit left to write (hmmm, unintentional homophone pun), and got back in the car for the trek back home. As I drove off toward home I had thought that it would be nice to treat myself to something tasty as a reward for working hard and taking time to help a classmate. That's where the gelato comes in.<br />
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If you know me, or have been reading past posts, you already know where to find it, but just in case I'm going to tell you anyway. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zarlengos-Italian-Ice-Gelato/110583942290601?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Zarlengo's Italian Ice and Gelato</a>, of course! </div>
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Besides great desserts, you'll always get great service, often straight from a Zarlengo. My gelato came out to me by way of my friend Todd, son of the owner, but you don't have to know somebody to get a free smile with your order. </div>
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In case you're wondering, I don't get paid to carry on like this, I'm just a loyal Zarlengo's <strike>addict</strike> customer and I figure sending more customers their way helps a great business grow, which means they stick around so I can feed my <strike>addiction</strike> face. </div>
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Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-8465927657678771152012-04-21T10:54:00.001-05:002012-05-03T07:44:49.613-05:00Gluten Free Funnel Cake<div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K_r0vLqqVnc/T5Lh8rARoYI/AAAAAAAAA_c/VbxDbkerWnU/s843/2012-04-21_11-35-56_620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K_r0vLqqVnc/T5Lh8rARoYI/AAAAAAAAA_c/VbxDbkerWnU/s400/2012-04-21_11-35-56_620.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Those of you out there with GF kids, or who ARE big kids yourself (like me), might want to try out this recipe. <br />
Before going gluten free, I loved getting the occasional funnel cake at a baseball game. Although it isn't the healthiest, all things in moderation, right? <br />
If you're in the mood for this tasty treat, or you're having a circus or carnival themed party, give this a try.<br />
INGREDIENTS:<br />
<b>•</b> Prepared GF pancake mix<br />
• Vegetable oil<br />
• Powered sugar<br />
1. Prepare mix according to packaging, adding about one extra tablespoon of water<b>.</b><br />
<b>2. </b>Heat oil in a<b> </b>frying pan, about 1/4 inch deep.<br />
3. Pour batter into oil, either in a round, pancake shape or drizzled in a more funnel cake pattern. <br />
4. Fry until bubbles form on the uncooked top, then flip and cook for a few seconds more. <br />
5. Place on plate and sift or sprinkle powdered sugar on top.<br />
6. Dig in!<br />
The key to this recipe is using enough oil. If you use too little, the batter will cook rather than fry, and you'll end up with pancakes. The oil also helps the powdered sugar stick.</div>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-15292240960878493212012-03-30T11:34:00.000-05:002012-03-30T11:34:29.921-05:00Twi-what?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1FbSEY5sDtM/TsWWNHwxjZI/AAAAAAAAAxU/9RKAfaISAM4/s514/2011-11-17_17-17-16_187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1FbSEY5sDtM/TsWWNHwxjZI/AAAAAAAAAxU/9RKAfaISAM4/s320/2011-11-17_17-17-16_187.jpg" width="180" /></a>For those of you who didn't know this, I'm a crazy Twihard. Yep, I like sparkly vampires, angsty teen werewolves and the teenage girl with no apparent sense of self preservation. I've read all the book multiple time and seen each of the movies on opening weekend.<br />
This past November, however, I stepped up my game when I went to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn Part 1 with a large group of other crazy Twilight fans like myself. Before going to the show, we met at someone's house and had a party, which mostly consisted of eating and making ridiculous comments while "watching" Twilight. We actually saw both Eclipse and Breaking Dawn Part 1 in the theatre that night as part of a special double feature which let us avoid most of the annoying teen girls who often interrupt the viewing with their giggles and shrieks. I'm getting ahead of myself though, I was talking about eating.<br />
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Since it was my first time hanging out with these ladies (I met them through coworker), I wanted to make sure I brought my a game in terms of the food I brought. With that in mind, I made wedding cupcakes, since in Breaking Dawn Edward and Bella get married. I set them out on a cupcake stand for beautiful presentation's sake<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The ladies smiled and thought they were so cute, and I was mildly pleased. The best reactions, however, came when I turned the cupcake stand around to reveal the true genius of these cupcakes. They were not only themed around the BD wedding, but also simply Twilight themed, which means, they were..<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Koc34c1JTo/T3XcEqoW0_I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/XrIDRtn6bQ4/s0-d/vamp+cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Koc34c1JTo/T3XcEqoW0_I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/XrIDRtn6bQ4/s0-d/vamp+cupcakes.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18vta1r3fQw/TsUZwt7qD3I/AAAAAAAAAxY/_sx58aN4zc0/s902/2011-11-17_08-08-47_533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18vta1r3fQw/TsUZwt7qD3I/AAAAAAAAAxY/_sx58aN4zc0/s320/2011-11-17_08-08-47_533.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> VAMPIRE BITE CUPCAKES! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
These took a little time, but they were pretty easy and totally worth it. You make a bunch of cupcakes, any flavor, up to you, then you use a paring knife to cut a cone shape out of the top of each one. Cut the points off the cones so that they are just little round lids. Take a can of cherry pie filling and puree it, then add a little spoon of the puree into each cupcake hole, then replace the circle of cake to close it up. Frost them, then take a skewer, dip it in the remaining cherry filling and poke two holes in the cupcake, making sure to wipe the filling on the frosting as you withdraw the skewer. <br />
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They would be great, not only for Twilight themed parties, but Halloween, True Blood, anything where you need a little vampire nod. You could also skip the skewering and just make them filled cupcakes, using any kind of filling you like.Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-17547584348594208762012-03-29T12:01:00.000-05:002012-03-29T12:01:14.386-05:00When the moon hits your eye...I like trying out different mixes and whatnot for gluten free baked goods, so a while back I bought some Bob's Red Mill GF Pizza Dough mix. I made up the dough, separated it into individual sized pizza balls and froze them for late use. This recipe came from one of those dough balls. Keep in mind that like most of my recipes, the amount of most of the ingredients is up to your tastebuds and preference<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>1 pizza crust (baked or unbaked)</li>
<li>1/4 - 1/2c pizza sauce</li>
<li>1-2c shredded mozzarella cheese</li>
<li>Hormel Turkey pepperoni (15-20 slices)</li>
<li>1T olive oil</li>
<li>1-2T parmesean cheese</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pWJ8cll4GFU/TmvQp31gDkI/AAAAAAAAAjg/MHIDxj-6GIE/s902/2011-09-10_16-02-27_388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pWJ8cll4GFU/TmvQp31gDkI/AAAAAAAAAjg/MHIDxj-6GIE/s200/2011-09-10_16-02-27_388.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you're using an unbaked crust, follow that crust's baking instructions to firm it up some before adding toppings or you will end up with mushy pizza. Once it is par-baked, brush it with olive oil to add flavor and help it crisp. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6OogHPBtC7Y/TmvRLAMVSDI/AAAAAAAAAjk/f6HM6mBozEc/s902/2011-09-10_16-05-38_836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6OogHPBtC7Y/TmvRLAMVSDI/AAAAAAAAAjk/f6HM6mBozEc/s200/2011-09-10_16-05-38_836.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Spoon sauce onto the crust. Sprinkle the sauce with parmesean cheese to help the mozzarella stick once it melts (I learned that on a field trip to a pizzeria in 1st grade!) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_RZMyq-L55g/TmvRsvNB80I/AAAAAAAAAjs/eI8ASDGePX0/s902/2011-09-10_16-07-55_570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_RZMyq-L55g/TmvRsvNB80I/AAAAAAAAAjs/eI8ASDGePX0/s200/2011-09-10_16-07-55_570.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add half your mozzarella. While you can always use shredded mozzarella from a bag for the sake of time and convenience (and I have on many occasions), nothing beats the fresh, moist flavor of cheese you shredded only minutes before baking.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqE9u5h8Kr8/TmvR3Tcqo-I/AAAAAAAAAjw/bUM4y99cGkY/s902/2011-09-10_16-08-39_254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqE9u5h8Kr8/TmvR3Tcqo-I/AAAAAAAAAjw/bUM4y99cGkY/s902/2011-09-10_16-08-39_254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqE9u5h8Kr8/TmvR3Tcqo-I/AAAAAAAAAjw/bUM4y99cGkY/s200/2011-09-10_16-08-39_254.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Add your pepperoni</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1MKA9bXX8AY/TmvSOwVASHI/AAAAAAAAAj0/02BxXO6O66k/s902/2011-09-10_16-10-10_60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1MKA9bXX8AY/TmvSOwVASHI/AAAAAAAAAj0/02BxXO6O66k/s200/2011-09-10_16-10-10_60.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Add the rest of your mozzarella</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hXnrcAt743k/TmvVN6rWGzI/AAAAAAAAAj8/ndb8_lTMdIY/s902/2011-09-10_16-22-50_901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hXnrcAt743k/TmvVN6rWGzI/AAAAAAAAAj8/ndb8_lTMdIY/s200/2011-09-10_16-22-50_901.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake according to crust instructions until the cheese is golden </div></div></div><ol><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div></ol><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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</tbody></table>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-70585767801358861472012-03-29T11:07:00.000-05:002012-03-29T11:07:27.405-05:00Sad but true, oh, and summer, hurry up...My food life has been terribly boring and sad lately. My family moved in October, and we're still not totally finished with the old house, so everything has been very busy and up in the air. I feel like I'm not getting much in the way of real nutrition, which is not good since I'm seeing a nutritionist and have to turn in food logs!<br />
<br />
One good thing is that with spring here we're **GARDEN PLANNING**, so the summer should be "ripe" with possibilities :)<br />
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Part of our garden plans include making this one a raised bed garden. We're using a pair of kits from a hardware store to create it, and it is supposed to be good for your crops in that it allows the roots to grow deeper in good soil as well as allowing proper water drainage. So far the definite plans are zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, but there is always room for more tasty additions. Our new house had a potted herb garden already going, but I'm not sure what all will come back. So far, the chives are doing well (I used them in a chicken breast dish last week) and I can see rosemary remains, so perhaps that will return. I transplanted my large sage bush from the other house, and it seems I got in the ground in time, as it is thriving in its new home. I've got a few food-ventures to share with you, I've still been taking foodographs of the few yummy things I've made. Coming up, a budget friendly Sbux alternative, taco salad, french toast muffins and vampire cupcakes... Stay tuned!Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-59387560091216921332011-07-21T18:37:00.000-05:002011-07-21T18:37:35.682-05:00These Burgers Ooze Deliciousness... Literally!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_udpHi27X9Q/TiiyBgZoYuI/AAAAAAAAAbY/qMPd0rhL8rw/s912/2011-07-21_18-10-50_104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_udpHi27X9Q/TiiyBgZoYuI/AAAAAAAAAbY/qMPd0rhL8rw/s400/2011-07-21_18-10-50_104.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Mom and Dad were having a dish I couldn't eat tonight, with pasta and ground chicken, so I used similar ingredients to make my own dinner.<br />
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I settled on a Mozzarella filled Italian Chicken Burger with GF macaroni and cheese. A bit of a twist on a simple feel good meal.<br />
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The cheese inside the burger kept the meat moist all the way through, giving it more of a meatball texture. The firm but tender texture combined with the Italian herbs and the gooey cheese melting from the center came together beautifully. I added some marinara, but if I was serving it to other others I think I would use a few slices of Roma tomato. (I'm not really a fan of raw tomatoes). I recently saw a GF focaccia bread recipe, and I'm thinking this burger would be awesome nestled into a freshly bakes focaccia roll.<br />
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For those of you interested, the mac 'n' cheese is <a href="https://annies.alice.com/products/1275924">Annie's Homegrown GF Rice Pasta & Cheddar</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.alice.com/images/products/1275924/300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://cdn.alice.com/images/products/1275924/300.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Besides my area health food stores, the local Super Target sells these at a reasonable price. I've tried other GF Mac 'n' cheese options, but this one is the best in terms of texture and flavor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-67446126203276745822011-07-04T23:54:00.002-05:002011-07-20T18:55:39.590-05:00Chickpeas in cake?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/photo_2011_03_10_chickpea_chocolate_cake.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from recipe site, not my results</td></tr>
</tbody></table><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Chickpea Chocolate Cake </span></u><br />
(Recipe courtesy of Northern Pulse Growers Association)<br />
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<ul><li>1-1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (minor substitutions here can make this CF as well as GF)</li>
<li>1 can (15 oz) chickpeas aka garbanzo beans (or equal amount rehydrated dried chickpeas)</li>
<li>4 eggs</li>
<li>3/4 c white sugar</li>
<li>1/2 t baking powder</li>
</ul><div><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9 inch round cake pan </li>
<li>Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, stirring occasionally until chocolate is smooth</li>
<li>Combine chickpeas and eggs in food processor or blender and process until smooth; add sugar and baking powder, blend</li>
<li>Pour in melted chocolate and blend until smooth</li>
<li>Transfer to prepared cake pan and bake for 40 min or until tooth pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean</li>
<li>Cool on wire rack</li>
</ol><div>Makes 9 servings</div></div><br />
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I know it sounds weird to put beans in a cake, but it's much healthier than packing it with oil, and it removes the flour, making the recipe instantly gluten free. The same little bean that makes the main component of one of my favorite snacks, hummus, makes for a new and different cake. Grandma saw this recipe on <i><a href="http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2011/03/10/lifestyle/food-recipes/chickpea-chocolate-cake-glutenfree.html">The Saturday Evening Post</a>'s </i>website and passed it on to me. I had enough chickpeas, so I decided to double the recipe, which gave me a LOT of batter. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7_2dHJdGuaM/Th5FGhmPGYI/AAAAAAAAAIU/FiYDlZEAQz4/s912/2011-07-06_02-00-39_901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7_2dHJdGuaM/Th5FGhmPGYI/AAAAAAAAAIU/FiYDlZEAQz4/s320/2011-07-06_02-00-39_901.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>To use all the batter, I tried it out in a mini-muffin pan, regular muffin pan, and springform pan. Unfortunately, I didn't spray the pans, so the muffins wouldn't come out neatly, but that's where new ideas come from. I decided it would be great as a "worms and dirt" dessert since it crumbled, or make a great brownie blend in ice cream. The tops of the regular sized muffins came off neatly, so I filled them with marshmallow creme to make whoopie pies. <br />
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The spring form cake, made from the remaining batter, is only about 1/8-1/4 in thick, perfect for a crust. I frosted it with a buttercream with just a hint of cream cheese, add sliced strawberries and drizzled of caramel and chocolate syrup to make a brownie pizza. I left 1/4 of it strawberry free for a picky eater in the family, but in my opinion, the strawberries made it SO much better.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpGJqpbeYy8/Th5FBQYwmPI/AAAAAAAAAIM/R16kLnWwTZI/s912/2011-07-06_17-29-28_880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpGJqpbeYy8/Th5FBQYwmPI/AAAAAAAAAIM/R16kLnWwTZI/s400/2011-07-06_17-29-28_880.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-40264050716320656542011-03-06T21:49:00.001-06:002011-03-06T22:04:32.332-06:00Party in your mouthThe other day while grocery shopping, I saw lemons on sale 3/$1. I figured I could always find <i>something</i> to use them with so I bought some. I picked three bright yellow, very fragrant lemons and set them on the counter for future use. Yesterday I decided to use them with chicken, so I hunted up a recipe online. I found the <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/15-minute-garlic-lemon-chicken-20624">15 Minute Garlic Lemon Chicken</a> from Food.com, which called for cooking the chicken then making a roux-like<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5500260302480589734" name="fn1"></a><sup><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5500260302480589734#fnend1">1</a></sup> sauce by adding to the pan with which you cooked. I've linked the original recipe for your convenience (and to give credit to the original poster), but it is also below so you don't have to go hunting around for it.<br />
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</style> <![endif]--> <h2><span style="font-size: small;"> <u>15 Minute Lemon Garlic Chicken</u></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span> <br />
</span><strong><span>Prep Time: </span></strong><span class="preptime"><span style="font-weight: normal;">3 mins</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span></span><strong><span>Total Time:</span></strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span class="duration">15 mins</span></span></span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: small;"><span> Ingredients:</span></span></h2><div style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Servings: 4</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="name">4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="value">4 </span><span class="type">teaspoons</span><span class="ingredient"> </span><span class="name">flour </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="name">salt and pepper </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="value">2 </span><span class="type">teaspoons</span><span class="ingredient"> </span><span class="name">oil </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="value">1/2</span><span class="amount"> </span><span class="type">cup</span><span class="ingredient"> </span><span class="name">chicken broth </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="value">1 </span><span class="type">teaspoon</span><span class="ingredient"> </span><span class="name">minced garlic </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="value">2 </span><span class="type">teaspoons</span><span class="ingredient"> </span><span class="name">lemon juice </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="value">1 </span><span class="type">teaspoon</span><span class="ingredient"> </span><span class="name">butter </span></div><h2><span style="font-size: small;"><span> Directions:</span></span></h2><ol start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal">Flatten chicken slightly. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Dust with flour and season to taste.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Fry in hot oil 5 minutes each side and remove from pan.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">To pan add broth, garlic, lemon juice and butter. Cook 2 minutes. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Pour over chicken.</li>
</ol><br />
I doubled the sauce recipe so I would have enough to add on top of the polenta I served with this chicken. It was my first attempt at polenta, and it wasn't quite what I expected, but I did enjoy it with the garlic lemon sauce. If you haven't had polenta before, it is basically a clean slate, flavor-wise, to which you can add a multitude of tastes and textures. I made it with the very basic recipe which just calls for boiling the precooked corn meal until it absorbs the liquid and then baking it for a bit to form a crust. When I have the time, I'll experiment with variations and share them with you.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5500260302480589734" name="fnend1"><sup></sup></a><sup><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5500260302480589734#fn1">1</a></sup>A true roux is the base of many sauces and gravies. It is usually made with equal parts flour and fat (butter, oil, lard) which is cooked.Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-10456234514726912362011-02-24T19:55:00.006-06:002011-02-24T21:41:10.289-06:00Layers of love<div><p>I've been wanting some warm, layered, melty, delicious lasagna. On a recent trip to <a href="http://www.sunrise2you.com/" target="_blank">Sunrise Health Food Store</a>, I picked up some <a href="http://www.deboles.com/products/gluten-free-products.php" target="_blank">DeBole's</a> gluten free lasagna noodles, and collected my other ingredients on various grocery trips around town. When I make gluten free lasagna, I prefer to make miniature ones, individually sized just for me. If I make a full pan, then I have to cut and package it for the freezer in an extra step.<br /></p><p>In the past I've used mini loaf pans for this job, but since I was stopping at <a href="http://www.gfs.com/" target="_blank">GFS</a>, I meandered through their foil pan section and found some really cute little ones which work out better. They have the fold down edge so you can add a cardboard lid, which makes for easier storage. Unfortunately, they didn't have an lids in the right size, but I bought the next size up then used the pans as a template to cut them down. The pans and the lids were 19¢ each, so I was inclined to make it work. The recipe I've shared below is merely a template, change and adapt it to meet your own tastes. Don't like eggplant and mushrooms? Use the ground meat of your choice. Prefer spinach to broccoli? Go for it. The best part of making any meal is making it your own.</p><p><br /></p><u>Ingredients:</u><br /><ul><li>a few teaspoons of olive oil<br /></li><li>½ of a large eggplant, chopped into small pieces (¼ inch or so)<br /></li><li>2 c broccoli florets, chopped</li><li>10 or so average to large mushrooms, chopped</li><li>2 cans (28 o.z.) crushed tomatoes</li><li>1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes</li><li>2 c shredded mozzarella + 1c to sprinkle on top<br /></li><li>2 c ricotta cheese</li><li>¼ c grated Parmesan cheese</li><li>2 large eggs<br /></li><li>2 boxes DeBole's gluten free lasagna noodles (or equal amount)</li></ul><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350°F<br /></li><li>In a large pan, sauté the vegetables in olive oil until soft</li><li>Add tomatoes and simmer about 10 minutes to reduce some of the liquid</li><li>In the mean time, combine the cheeses and eggs in a bowl until well mixed </li><li>Spoon some of the liquid portion of the tomato/vegetable mixture into the bottoms of your pans (or one large pan) so the noodles with not be in direct contact with the bottom</li><li>Line the pan(s) with UNCOOKED noodles, breaking and fitting them in as needed</li><li>On the noodles, spread a layer of the cheese mixture, then some tomato mixture</li><li>Add a second layer of noodles and repeat, topping with a final layer of noodles</li><li>Cover the noodles with some tomato mixture, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella</li><li>Cover the pan(s) with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes (1 hour for a full pan). </li></ol>My yield was 10 mini pans, yours will depend on the pan you use and how thick you make your layers. If you make a full pan, make sure you leave enough cheese for the second layer and enough tomato mixture to cover the top. If you do not put some of the tomato mixture (or other sauce if you choose) on the bottom of the pan and covering the top, the noodles will not cook properly. The bottom ones will burn a bit to the pan and the top ones will not soften where they are not covered. If you don't want to use the canned tomatoes, you can substitute a couple jars of pasta sauce and cut the simmering to five minutes.<br /><br />Happy eating, Friends!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 526px; height: 296px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TWcMBhSZtKI/AAAAAAAAAHA/QnmZ6NNL2Tw/2011-02-21_18-22-21_573.png" /></div></div>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-61781640325775979872011-02-19T07:45:00.009-06:002011-02-19T09:38:36.855-06:00The most important meal of the dayDear blogger friends,<br /><br />I am terribly embarrassed by my lack of posts. Here we are in February 2011 and the last time I fed your appetite for information was August 2010! I will do my best to catch up with you, including posting a pizza sauce recipe that I made at the end of the summer with homegrown tomatoes. I took lots of pictures and as soon as I can pull them off the camera for you I'll get that out. <br /><br />As for today...<br /><br />This post finds me in the middle of my breakfast. I stopped by the new Food4Less on Western Avenue and Route 30 (worth checking out) and browsed for a while to get a sense of the place. My main curiosity involved whether or not they had a gluten free section, and if the prices were competitive. I took some looking, I but I found it, tucked in the area with seasonal items on one side and soy milk on the other. <br /><br />I was pleasantly surprised that while the section was small, the prices were fairly good. I got a box of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glutenfreedas-Instant-Oatmeal-Cinnamon-6-Count/dp/B002AUF15C/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1298125224&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Glutenfreeda Apple Cinnamon with flax instant oatmeal</a> for $3.88 while I usually see it at least $3.99, but usually over $4.00. On the way home, my stomach grumbled and I imagined what my first bite of oatmeal in a year and a half might be like. Would it be chalky like some instant oatmeal? Overly sweet with artificial flavors? Thick and paste-like or a nice blend of clumpy oats and creaminess? (At this point you might be asking why was at Food4Less so early today, if you've been paying attention to the timeline. As it happens, I took a friend to the airport at 3:30 this morning and made it back into the area around 5:30. Since they just opened, and we had no milk, I decided to wait for 6 to have a look)<br /><br /><br />Before making the oatmeal, I preheated the oven to 350°F and put in two slices of <a href="http://udisglutenfree.com/products/4//udis_gluten_free_bread" target="_blank">Udi's GF White Sandwich Bread</a> to toast for a few minutes. While my bread toasted, I added the water to the oatmeal, following the packet directions, which call for ½ cup of boiling water for each packet. I had two, like I said, I've been waiting for breakfast since around 3:30 a.m..... I let the oatmeal fully absorb the water before adding 2T of half and half, spreading my toast with unsalted butter and gearing up for a delicious breakfast. <br /><br />My somewhat anxious musing did not prepare me for the understated flavor and wonderful consistency of this quick and easy breakfast. While not something I'll eat on a daily basis as I can get make breakfast more cheaply each day, I will definitely buy more. (A quick check of amazon.com's gluten free grocery section shows it to be fairly equal pricewise, so no sense in waiting for it to be shipped) <br /><br />While we're talking breakfast, did you hear about <a href="http://www.postcereals.com/cereals/pebbles/" target="_blank">Post Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles</a>? They are now labeled gluten free! While there is some <a href="http://glutenfreeville.com/research/guest-blog-jules-shepard-post-foods-fruity-cocoa-pebbles-not-certified-gluten-free-despite-corporate-declaration" target="_blank">disagreement</a> over whether their verification process is good enough, Post asserts they "followed a gluten free validation procedure that included certification from all ingredient suppliers, outside laboratory testing of all ingredients, testing the production line, and outside laboratory testing of the finished product. In addition, Post has instituted process controls to ensure there is no cross-contact with gluten containing products." (taken from an email cited in that last link).<br /><br />Not being a scientist, medical doctor or nutritionist, I can only tell you what I have experienced. I have gone through two boxes of Fruity Pebbles since they went gluten free, and have had no apparent symptoms. Personally, I feel that a company like Post would not risk it's reputation if it had not covered all the bases, but use your own discretion when deciding whether to eat this cereal or feed it to your gf child. <br /><br />Another great breakfast option which I regularly enjoy are <a href="http://www.vansfoods.com/The_Goods/#/Waffles/Wheat_Free%2FGluten_Free/Vans-Totally_Natural-24" target="_blank">Van's WF GF Waffles.</a> You make them in the oven, so they take a little more prep time, but they come out just right and are well worth the wait. 400°F for 10 minutes give you golden, crispy waffles just like you'd get from Eggos or other toaster waffles. If you lack a waffle iron, patience for making homemade waffles or time to do it, this is definitely the next best thing.<br /><br />I feel somewhat better about my long absence after filling you up with so much information today, while it was only product reviews, I hope it helps, and will be getting back to recipes and meal evaluations soon. Happy eating!<br /><br />Peace, love and (gf)cupcakes,<br />MeaghanMeaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-3242171837397058592010-08-17T18:46:00.007-05:002010-08-21T01:50:02.281-05:00Quinona, it rhymes with Winona<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TG8TvEhRe2I/AAAAAAAAAFA/ngZIkxVIZnE/s1600/downsized_0817001729-764721.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TG8TvEhRe2I/AAAAAAAAAFA/ngZIkxVIZnE/s320/downsized_0817001729-764721.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507642568685484898" border="0" /></a><br /><p>We've been both using things up from the freezer in anticipation of what Dad refers to as Mom's "Mother Hubbard" tendencies, as well as trying out a few new things. In the fall, Mom begins stocking up the cabinets, the stairway pantry and the freezers. Through winter, we are nearly always stocked for a blizzard. Anyone who doesn't know, living just a little south of Chicago, most winters, there is the very distinct possibility of being stuck for at least a day if God decides to bless us with some snow days. Now, of course, around here, it takes a heck of a lot more snow to constitute a "snow day" than some where like North Carolina, so if we get there, we do need to be prepared.</p><br /><p>More often than not, however, the weather is burdensome in terms of going out shopping, but nothing more. That said, Mom still begins gathering nuts like a mother squirrel, stocking a tree for winter. In order for that to happen, we have to use up the old to rotate in the new.</p><br /><p>One of the things in the freezer are packages of pork chops, which come from a farmer from whom Mom and Dad have bought 1/2 a pig each of the last few years. We had so much pork in the freezer we could have started a barbecue joint. For some reason, this year they seemed to eat less, so we are still working on it. Mom and Dad had pork chops tonight.</p><br /><p>While they ate from the farm, I looked to the sea. A while back I was at Ultra Foods and found some individually wrapped salmon fillets. They were a reasonable portion at a great price so I put some away for easy lunches of dinners. I used the last one for my dinner.</p><br /><p>I was thinking about making some tomato sauce the other day, so I was reading some tips for getting the best flavor. One of them mentioned cooking up a bit of tomato paste to add to the mix. The author said that by cooking the paste for a bit, letting it darken, you cook the sugars, sweetening and enriching the flavor. I am a big fan of sun dried tomato flavor, and I have learned that cooking tomato paste this way produces a similar flavor if you use a bit of olive oil. While perusing the freezer and discovering my last salmon fillet, I thought I might try this flavor with the fish.</p><br /><p>I sauteéd some tomato paste in a splash of olive oil until it turned from bright read to a deep burgundy, adding a bit of stevia and some crushed garlic. The sweet flavor and heavenly smell consumed my senses when I sampled a bit. I put most of it away, leaving only enough to have a bit of a tomato crust across the fish when I added it to the pan. </p><br /><p>With the proteins taken care of, we turned to the sides. Mom and Dad picked up several new things last time they ventured out to Costco. I'm sure you've seen those microwavable bags of rice, 90 seconds in the microwave to steamed, sometimes flavored, rice. Almost all of the flavored varieties are off limits to me because they use some form of flour in the seasoning. The plain ones and the buttered flavored ones are okay, but plain brown rice can become boring if you have too much. While shopping, the parents discovered a similarly package product which is a mix of brown rice and quinoa, with garlic seasoning.</p><br /><p>I read the label carefully and discovered, gleefully, that it does in fact appear to be gluten free*. This seemed like the perfect night to give it a try, alongside some steamed vegetables. This great product, <a href="http://www.seedsofchangefoods.com/our_foods/product.aspx?c=rth&p=285">Seeds of Change</a> Unyuni Quisnoa and Whole Grain Brown Rice, did not fail to please. It still tickles me to hear Dad talking about eating quinoa. He still can't pronounce it (he calls it Quinona, it rhymes with Winona), but a year ago, I'm not sure he would even have tried it.</p><br /><p>All in all, the meal was beautiful on the plate and on my tongue. The salmon, tender inside and slightly crisp with a tomato crust on the outside, had a sweet, smoky flavor of sun dried tomatoes gathered from a far off Italian vineyard. The rice was tender, the quinoa slightly firm, the combination accented by a wonderful garlic flavor cooked soaked into each grain. While I'm not giving them much column space, a dependable frozen vegetable medley, upped the nutritional content and had a slightly buttery flavor, cooked simply by steaming them in the microwave. Stay tuned to see what else finds its way to the table from the freezer.<br /></p><br /><div style=font-size:9px;position:fixed;right:0px;top:0px><a href="http://www.somemyspacecodes.com"><img src="http://myspace-462.vo.llnwd.net/00661/26/47/661967462_m.gif" alt="MySpace Codes" border="0"></a></div><hr width=50%" size="2" color="" align="left">*On the website (linked above), it lists this food as Dairy Free, Vegetarian appropriate, and whole grain. It is NOT listed as Gluten free, and this is one of their labeling options. Perhaps they do not use a dedicated facility and do not want to risk labeling it as such. I based my decision to eat it on the ingredients listed on the package, and suffered no reaction. I have contacted the company to ask about the labeling and will update when I hear from them.<br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.seedsofchangefoods.com/images/our_foods/rth/Uyuni_prod.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 194px;" src="http://www.seedsofchangefoods.com/images/our_foods/rth/Uyuni_prod.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-16001090491927765702010-08-07T20:37:00.006-05:002010-08-16T10:29:35.472-05:00Summertime, and the livin' is easy...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TF2r3-oDoYI/AAAAAAAAAE4/DB1uDRmaJEM/s1600/0807001352-762950.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 280px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 264px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TF2r3-oDoYI/AAAAAAAAAE4/DB1uDRmaJEM/s1600/0807001352-762950.jpg" /></a> If you're prepared.<br /><br /><p>Well friends, this year's family picnic marked the one year point in my gluten free journey. Last year at this time, I was thinking along the lines that cutting most of the gluten from my diet would alleviate symptoms of several conditions with which I was struggling. I hadn't yet realized that the gluten was not simply exacerbating those problems, but rather causing them in the first place.</p><br /><p>Thinking as such, I headed to the 2009 Turner Family Picnic with the idea that I had been so good about cutting out gluten for the whole week that I could go ahead and have some of the delicious baked goods my cousins and aunt passed around. I ate fried chicken brought by another aunt, dutifully stripped of it's coating and skin, but with no regard for the fact that this did not at all guard against cross contamination. I gleefully consumed brownies, cookies, sweet breads and the like, all the while praising myself for my restraint the entire week leading up to this day which allowed me to enjoy these treats. </p><br /><p>That evening and for several days to come, I saw the consequences of my error in judgement in the form of stomach cramps, a resurgence of the psoriasis on my knees, a flare up of the acne like condition on my cheeks, sluggishness and many other symptoms I which had been miraculously absent from my life the week before. That day, I promised myself I would never again knowingly cause myself to feel that way. </p><br /><p>It's been a year, full of learning and making mistakes, trying new foods and discovering some truly wonderful, naturally gluten free foods, which I might not otherwise have tasted. In the past year, the one lesson most important in my life is one the Boy Scouts have been telling us all along. Always be prepared.</p><br /><p>Whether I'm planning ahead for a quick and easy dinner after a late day of work or class, or packing for a family gathering, preparation remains the key element to a successful, low stress day. With that in mind, I began preparing for today's picnic yesterday. I baked Betty Crocker gluten free chocolate chips (add in a little guar or xanthan gum for better consistency) and cornstarch brownies. I cooked the rice pasta salad from my <a href="http://lilsdietary.com/">Lil's</a> gift bag, and I took out chicken burgers and <a href="http://omgitsglutenfree.com/">OMG</a>'s burger buns from the freezer. Before leaving this morning, I wrapped each burger and each bun in a foil package so they could be cooked on the grill beside everyone else's food.</p><br /><p>After explaining to my cousin why I needed my food to remain in the foil, and knowing that everything else was ready, I had the easiest day in a whole year. How amazing it felt heading into the meal knowing that I would not need to fill up on chips or cheese to hold me over until I got home (I've done that on less prepared days). When the food was ready and we all gathered in prayer, I offered my own silent gratitude for the gift of foresight, which made the entire day a breeze.</p><br /><br /><p>I made a meal of chicken/Swiss cheese/honey mustard burgers on gf buns, pasta salad with corn and black beans, and potato chips, with a dessert of cookies and brownies which matched those being passed around by the wheat eaters.</p><br /><p>The simple joy of planning ahead allowed me to enjoy my family, the nice weather, and a delicious outdoor meal. Now, if only the mosquitoes hadn't taken advantage of all those things...</p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-69854864014613579772010-07-17T14:42:00.007-05:002011-07-20T19:34:25.503-05:00Mangia!It's been too long my friends! I've been lost in the world of job hunting, sitting in the driveway for our garage sale, mailing off book donations and dropping off stuffed animals for a charity. Last night, however, I spent over an hour in the kitchen making something magnifico!<br />
<br />
I used <a href="http://www.ener-g.com/store/Breads.aspx">Ener-G</a> gluten free bread crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings to create a coating for a deliciously tender Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan. I served it over <a href="http://www.tinkyada.com/">Tinkyada</a> Spaghetti style rice pasta. We also had fresh steamed green beans that I picked up at a local farm stand and mom shucked while I made the chicken. A truly delicious home made meal, even more satisfying than knowing my family ate well was the fact that my brother and father BOTH went back for seconds on the chicken, praising the flavor, and not bothered by the gluten free aspect. It has taken them a while, but they are both much more willing to try gluten free versions of recipes now, having experienced that gluten free doesn't mean flavor free.<br />
<br />
I kind of eyeballed the amounts here, I can give you some basics. I used 6 chicken breast, two large eggs and approximately 3 cups of coating (2 c bread crumbs, ¾ c cheese, ¼ c seasoning). The amount you need will vary depending on how much chicken you're making.<br />
<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
<ul><li>Boneless, skinless chicken breasts</li>
<li>Breadcrumbs</li>
<li>Grated Parmesan cheese</li>
<li>Italian Seasonings (pre-made or your own blend)<br />
</li>
<li>Eggs</li>
<li>Oil</li>
</ul><br />
<ol><li>Heat oven to 350°, spray shallow baking pans with non-stick cooking spray</li>
<li>In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese and seasonings. In a second bowl, beat the eggs to combine.</li>
<li>Butterfly cut the chicken breasts so they are large and flat. Using a meat mallet, pound them to tenderize and further flatten.<br />
</li>
<li>In a large skillet, heat oil as you begin to coat the chicken.</li>
<li>Coat chicken, first in egg, then transfer to the breadcrumb mix and turn until thoroughly coated.</li>
<li>Place chicken in oil and fry for a few minutes. Repeat step 4 until the pan is full, turning the previous breast each time you add one.</li>
<li>When pan is filled, remove breasts in order they were cooked. Place them in baking pans. and cover with a bit of spaghetti sauce.</li>
<li>When all the chicken has been breaded, fried in oil and placed in baking pans, bake for 15 minutes.</li>
<li>Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!</li>
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</a>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-70272253009177764852010-06-28T18:42:00.006-05:002010-07-17T15:35:15.114-05:00South of the Border Sea Food<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TCkzcwDlRdI/AAAAAAAAAEw/yr3f4Rfy9nM/s1600/downsized_0628001842-763424.jpg"><img style="width: 323px; height: 242px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TCkzcwDlRdI/AAAAAAAAAEw/yr3f4Rfy9nM/s320/downsized_0628001842-763424.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487974189956941266" border="0" /></a><br />I've had a red pepper sitting on the counter for a while. It became shriveled and somewhat dry, but smelled so wonderful that I knew I had to find something wonderful to make with it. Yesterday, after the corn was cooked, I thought it would be a shame to waste a well heated grill and smoldering charcoal, so I began looking for other things to cook. My mind settled on the pepper.<p class="mobile-photo">I sliced it up and wrapped it in a foil packet with olive oil. After a while on the grill, the pepper was perfectly roasted and re-hydrated by the oil. It smelled wonderful.<br /></p><p class="mobile-photo">I put the packet in the refrigerator, determined to find something wonderful to make it into. I started thinking of making fish for tonight's dinner, and I thought of the lime and avocados I had sitting in the produce drawer. </p><p class="mobile-photo">Today, I measured out some quinoa and chicken stock into a saucepan and let it soak while I chopped a shallot, and sauteéd it with some mushrooms. I added the shallot an mushrooms to the pan and used the Magic Bullet® to puree the pepper with the olive oil from inside the foil packet. Into the pan I stirred the roasted pepper pulp and set the whole thing to boiling.<br /></p><p class="mobile-photo">While the quinoa cooked up, I rinsed out the Bullet's cup and added cilantro, the fruit from half an avocado, juice from a small lime and a small amount of oil too keep everything smooth. When all that was blended up into a nice paste, I used a basting brush to paint it onto the top of some orange roughy fillets which were beginning to sear in a large everyday pan. When they were white almost all the way through, I turn them over and added the avocado paste to the other side. I cooked them until the runoff began to brown in the pan and the quinoa was red and fluffy.<br /></p><p class="mobile-photo">The flavor combination was amazing! I saw my Grandma later that night and had her taste the leftovers. She is not a mushroom fan (texture), and so she ate around them in the quinoa, but even she agreed that they added to the overall flavor. My dad thoroughly enjoyed the quinoa, which he regularly mocks as a weird food, but never complains about the taste. :)</p><p class="mobile-photo">The bite of lime in the fish was offset by the creamy texture of the avocado, and together they made for quite a dance of flavor on the tongue.<br /></p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-40989950649492531092010-06-27T22:00:00.004-05:002010-07-17T15:36:26.158-05:00Corn Roast Revisited<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bfeedme.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/Grilled%20Corn.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 192px;" src="http://www.bfeedme.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/Grilled%20Corn.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Earlier this week I mentioned getting a steal on corn at Ron's Market. This purchase came from my recent desire for a taste memory from my childhood. When I was young, my aunt and uncle had an annual party at the end of the summer, the Corn Roast. My uncle set up a grill and roasted bushels of corn over an open flame. At the end of the grill area was a large coffee can, filled with melted butter, into which each ear of corn was dunked after cooking to perfection. To my taste buds, grilled corn means mosquito bites and giggles while hiding in a gazebo in the woods. It means watermelon and cousins, netted food covers to keep flies away, thick ropes holding a plank swing from an ancient tree. Most of all, however, corn roasted on a grill means Uncle Bill.<br /><br />My Uncle Bill was a wonderful man, always ready with a joke to put a smile on everyone's faces. He was generous of his time and resources, and even at the end of his life, joy seemed to radiate from his eyes and his smile. It's been about three years since he left this earth, but his memory remains.<br /><br />With him in mind, I soaked the ears of corn, still wrapped in their leaves, in cold water while I set up the grill. After getting the charcoal jut right, I arranged the ears on the grill and let them cook for about 15 minutes, turned them and cooked them for another 15 minutes. I got my corn grilling information from <a href="http://grilledcornonthecob.com/">GrilledCornOnTheCob.com</a>, which gives step by step instructions with photos on how to make great grilled corn.<br /><br />After all was cooked and eaten, I looked to my mother and said, "All that was missing was the coffee can," and we both smiled, remembering a great man.Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-55851508738339099342010-06-26T16:38:00.003-05:002010-06-28T01:02:35.726-05:00OMG, What a treat!<p class="mobile-photo"></p><p>I've mentioned <a href="http://omgitsglutenfree.com/">OMG It's Gluten Free Café</a> in earlier posts, but I don't think I've ever really told you anything about this great place. They're located at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Vollmer Road in the Harlem Crossing plaza in Frankfort, IL, at 19810 S. Harlem Avenue.<br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"></p><p>They opened for business back in March, but just had an official Grand Opening Celebration today. The owner, Julie Scianna, like a lot of Celiac patients, diagnosed herself after lots of problems, several false diagnoses, and plenty of unnecessary worry. After starting up a gluten free cooking club with some friends, she and the chef, Andrew (A.J.) Hebda, started creating quality, flavorful food that people actually would enjoy eating, and a local restaurateur encouraged them to start up a business.</p><p class="mobile-photo"></p><p>This place is amazing. It's a small store front café with a handful of tables for dining in. Besides bakery items such as cookies, brownies, scones, muffins, and cupcakes, they have several enticing lunch and dinner options. The pizza is crisp, lasagna perfectly layered, chicken parmigiana crusted in their own breadcrumbs and for the kids (of those of us who like to eat like kids), chicken fingers and grilled cheese are sure to please. </p><p class="mobile-photo"></p><p>When my Celiac Support Group met here a month or so ago, one member made the comment that it was so strange to just know that all your food was safe. She had to remind herself that that the salad she ordered, which arrived at her table with croutons made from their baked in store bread, was not a danger to her health. The delicious food is just that much better for the knowledge that nothing in the whole café has ever come anywhere near a cross contaminant. No wheat flour has ever been measured with their measuring cups, mixed with their mixer, baked in their oven or even passed through the doors. </p><p class="mobile-photo"></p><p>My mother joined me at the Grand Opening where she enjoyed samples of a blueberry muffin, white chocolate chip cookie and brownie. She prefers cake brownies, so the mouthwatering fudgy brownie was not to her taste, but the cookie and muffin made a great impression. An prize wheel was set up outside the store for prizes such as product discounts. I won a BOGO on pizza, and Mom won a date with the chef! Of course, they hadn't told A.J. they were using that particular prize, so I'm not sure how that would even work out.<br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"></p><p>All told, Mom and I left with a 1lb. bag of granola, a dozen assorted cookies, two 14 inch cheese pizza (frozen), a lemon poppyseed scone, a vanilla cupcake and a pecan roll. The last three were fresh from the bakery case, one of each of us, Mom, Dad and me. I shared a little of my cupcake with each of them, and Dad, one my toughest food critics, raved about it. Mom fell in love with the pecan roll, which she generously shared with Dad, and even gave me a taste. She wants to go back to OMG for more, and she doesn't even follow a GF diet! The scone rests in its box, awaiting our first taste, which I'm sure will not disappoint.<br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TCZzVldpfKI/AAAAAAAAAEo/Rc9sG6zpYr4/s1600/downsized_0626001633-710591.jpg"><img style="width: 285px; height: 380px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TCZzVldpfKI/AAAAAAAAAEo/Rc9sG6zpYr4/s320/downsized_0626001633-710591.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487200010668440738" border="0" /></a></p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-55300232888325831272010-06-25T02:35:00.004-05:002024-03-04T19:51:25.280-06:00This little piggy went to (Ron's) Market<div><br /></div>On the corner of Sauk Trail and East End Avenue in South Chicago Heights is an open air farm stand called Ron's Market. Now and then I drop by to scope out deals on produce, and the other day, I scored some great deals.<div><br /><p>After a morning full of errands, I decided to stop in and see what was ripe. Less than an hour later, I was home with a cantaloupe, a head of cabbage, 10 ears of corn, 8 peaches and a pint of strawberries, all for under $7.00.<br /><br /></p><p>If you're in the area, I recommend taking a stroll through the place, you might be handsomely rewarded with a great deal some favorite produce. With 75¢ cantaloupe, 99¢ pints of strawberry, peaches and cabbage for 39¢/lb and 5 ears of corn for a dollar, it's going to be a great week of produce at my house.<br /><br /></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rdvmHJvFgMKgYFMvRDTXN9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rdvmHJvFgMKgYFMvRDTXN9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-76963468054398925372010-06-21T18:24:00.006-05:002024-03-04T19:48:36.774-06:00Napoleon, gimme some of your tots!I have not had tater tots in over a year. I thought they were gone from my menu forever. Most tater tots, pressed hash browns, some fries, and various other pre-made potato products are rolled or coated in flour to give them that golden brown color and crunch. Recently, I ran into someone at the health food store who told me that <a href="http://oreida.com/">Ore-Ida</a> products are gluten free. I almost did a happy dance right there in the store.<br /><br /><p>Later that week, I realized that we already had some Ore-Ida Mini Tater Tots in the basement freezer!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/515N4ri8VhL._SX300_SY300_QL70_FMwebp_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/515N4ri8VhL._SX300_SY300_QL70_FMwebp_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p>As luck would have it, a couple weeks ago, while at Costco, we discovered some GF Dijon and Swiss Chicken Burgers, which I decided to try out. All the components of a classic summertime meal seemed to be falling into place, short only one. Buns. In general I just forgo bread products, or, where I can, sub in a corn tortilla. But a burger on a tortilla? No, thanks. Another little bit of serendipity came into play at this point. I remembered that only a week ago, I saw the facebook post from <a href="http://omgitsglutenfree.com/">OMG It's Gluten Free</a> regarding the newly installed freezer case :)</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p> Yes, it came down to a freezer case. You see, some of the products sold at OMG are only available certain times of the week, as that is when they are made. Now, however, with the arrival of this freezer, some of the products one might call "stock-up staples," such as buns, pizza crusts, frozen pizzas and pie shells, are available for our daily purchasing needs.<br /></p><p></p><p> I stopped and talked with Julie, the owner, who told me to toast the buns for about 4 minutes for the best texture. Just looking at these adorable buns made me eager to get home and start dinner. The tops are dusted with coarse salt and herbs, the bottom are chalky white with the remnant of GF flour dusting the pan, and they have a nice crust. Like all gluten free breads, they crumb a bit, but besides toasting it, I also steamed one by wrapping a moist paper towel around it and popping it in the microwave for a few seconds. The bun soaked up the moisture and held its crumbs together<br /><br /></p><p>The buns are a great size, big enough to hold a large burger without all the meat hanging over the sides, which also meant there was a good meat to bread ratio in each bite. In the end, I had a chicken burger on a bun with tater tots, something that less than a year ago I would have thought possible. So, thank you Ore-Ida, for realizing that flour is an unnecessary ingredient in tater tots. Thank you Julie, for having a good idea and running with it. Thank you A.J. (OMG chef/baker), for helping Julie's good idea make its way to my plate. </p><p><br /></p><p>P.s.: For those of you who have been unable to stop thinking about Napoleon Dynamite since reading that title, I've provided the following clip, courtesy of YouTube. Enjoy!</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ROFeU9_tFf4" width="320" youtube-src-id="ROFeU9_tFf4"></iframe></div><br />Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-46415649032518535222010-06-12T19:34:00.007-05:002010-07-17T15:38:15.939-05:00A Meal Worth Repeating<p>Recently I've had some exciting food-splorations which I haven't yet shared with you. The other day, I cooked and ate an artichoke, on Thursday I tried some Thai Red Rice crackers, yesterday, I made a Roma tomato, Spanish onion and ground chicken meat sauce and today I tried Babybel Cheese.<br /><br /></p><p>For several years I've timidly glanced at artichokes in the produce section of my supermarket. Spiky and acorn-like, I've been somewhat mystified as to how to prepare and eat these interesting veggies. I've eaten spinach artichoke dip, jalepeño artichoke dip and other variations, but I have never been able to wrap my mind around the whole food artichoke.<br /><br /></p><p>After reading about <a href="http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/">Shauna's</a> description of eating artichoke leaves in an elementary school classroom, I knew it was time to try one. It turns out, artichokes are not actually difficult to cook or eat.<br /><br /></p><p>It was like eating a Christmas present. After steaming the artichoke in a pan of water, slowly unwrapped it, leaf by leaf, and ate them dipped in butter. Scraping the leaves through my teeth, the buttery artichoke pulp danced around on my tongue, smooth and creamy. When all the leaves were finished, I encountered the choke and the heart. The choke is a fibrous clump at the center of the artichoke, not edible, which must be removed. It came out easily and beneath it lie the artichoke heart. The heart has a texture like softened cream cheese, and an almost sweet, mild flavor. I must buy more.<br /><br /></p><p>The rice crackers were one of the items in my gift bag from <a href="http://lilsdietary.com/">Lil's</a>, and they were a pleasant surprise. Beneath the unassuming packaging, and made from simple ingredients, these crackers are meant to be topped with meats, cheese or dip. I first tried them without topping on Thursday, to assess the flavor and texture. They remind me a bit of rice cakes, with a slightly puffed crispness. Flavor-wise, they are fairly neutral and easily complementary to anything with which you might top them.<br /><br /></p><p>The sauce. Mmmm... the sauce. My friend Bridget gave me <i><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=l37LYBwDwBEC&lpg=PP1&ots=ddz7YZOZML&dq=9780470440889&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false">The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook</a>:Spicing up Life with Italian, Asia, and Mexican Recipes</i> for my birthday, and for the first recipe, I tweaked their meat sauce. I don't eat beef or pork, so instead of ground beef, I used leaner ground chicken. The recipe calls for a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, but recently I've been reading about the potential negative affects of the canned tomatoes. It seems the acid in the tomatoes can break down the lining in the can, releasing chemicals which we then ingest. I don't know all the science behind it, but since I found some Roma tomatoes at the farmstand for a good price, I just sidestepped the whole can issue and diced them myself.<br /><br /></p><p>Half a large Spanish onion, several cloves of garlic and some herbs, fresh ground pepper and sea salt as well as grated Parmesan cheese and a light sprinkling of Truvia instead of sugar came together beautifully. After cooking the ground meat and the sauce separately, I combined the two for a somewhat sweet and definitely flavorful addition to past or anything over which I might want to serve it.</p><p>While dreaming up dinner, I decided to finally sample some of the babybel cheese Mom keeps buying. One taste, and immediately I thought: SPINACH, I must have this with spinach.<br /><br /></p><p>I sautéed some spinach in garlic and olive oil, added the crumbled babybel cheese, and topped it all with some of the meat sauce. I had it with a baked potato, and it was definitely a meal worth repeating.<br /><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TBQno7fIQFI/AAAAAAAAAEY/b4vimC8q-WY/s320/0612001855-783261.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482050230533242962" /></span></p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-5441147300358599162010-06-11T12:40:00.015-05:002010-08-04T05:34:03.009-05:00Hospital Food<p>I'm sitting in a hospital waiting room right now, watching the Hawks rally and wondering if a nap would be inappropriate. After they took her back, I headed down to the cafeteria and perused the offerings for something I could eat. It may sound crazy, but I actually don't mind eating at the hospital.<br /><br /></p><p>Now, before you think I, or someone I care about, spend copious amounts of time in the hospital, warranting my fondness for their cuisine, let me explain. My mother and I have worked at the school across the street from the hospital for several years. The two institutions were founded by and are still overseen, in varying degree, by the same group of Franciscan sisters, and it is not unusual for staff from the school to walk across for lunch, or even dinner on nights when they must stay late for conferences or programs. I have eaten in the hospital cafeteria more times than I can count, and I must say, usually the food is good.<br /><br /></p><p>I know, I know, hospital food? Good? It's true though.<br /><br /></p><p>One thing to remember about eating in any cafeteria is that you can't just start putting things on your tray. Look around, see all of what is available. One dish might seem very appealing, until you notice something even better, but by that point, if it's already on your tray, it's too late. I browsed for a few moments before settling on broiled Italian chicken, steamed broccoli in a bit of butter, and a salad from the salad bar. The salad bar is an undervalued asset in the cafeteria setting. I opted for the darker spring greens over the fairly nutrient empty iceberg mix, added shredded carrots, sliced hard-boiled egg and a little cheddar. Topped with a honey mustard dressing, this was truly a wonderful salad.<br /><br /></p><p>My only complaint with the meal is that in an effort to cut down dish washing and accommodate those who take their food and go, the cafeteria only uses Styrofoam dishes. <b><i>(Sidenote: Welcome to the world precious one! I just heard the Brahms Lullaby being played over the hospital intercom, signaling a birth.)</i></b><i></i> I hunted down a full size plate for my chicken and broccoli, rather than use two bowls plus another for salad, and I used real silverware. They'll just have to wash them.<br /><br /></p><p>A Mountain Dew to wash it down may help me stave off that nap, which probably would in fact be inappropriate at this point. Ok, I also had dessert. <a href="http://zarlengositalianice.com/">Zarlengo's</a>, who you may have read about my post <a href="http://plateoflove.blogspot.com/2010/06/onions-ash-and-leather.html">Onions, ash and leather</a>, besides selling from their shop and at Sox games, also provide novelties to hospital cafeterias. I was finishing up a Zarbar, vanilla softserve on a stick, covered in smooth milk chocolate, when I began this post. <b><i>(Another one! Welcome to you too little one!)</i></b><i></i></p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-3678788051130429192010-06-09T20:00:00.002-05:002010-06-09T22:44:30.645-05:00That's the way the cookie crumbles<p>Last night I attended the June meeting of the Celiac Support Group for the south suburbs. We meet once a month on a Tuesday to discuss events, food, products and issues related to eating and living gluten free.<br /><br /></p><p>Recently, the meetings have been held at varying locations. <a href="http://www.pfchangs.com/">P.F. Chang's</a>, <a href="http://www.omgitsglutenfree.com/">OMG It's Gluten Free</a>, and last night, <a href="http://www.lilsdietary.com/">Lil's Dietary Shop</a> Lil's is in a plaza on 111th, west of Western Ave, in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood. Although a bit of a drive from my south suburban home, the trip was well worth the ride. Marcie, the owner, stocks an entire shop full of a large and diverse quantity of of gluten free products, as well as a new expansion which contains products for other special dietary needs. Between the gift bags which Marcie provided to everyone in attendance, the free raffle items, and those which I purchased, I went home with quite a haul.</p><p><br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TA8i8YmJ6pI/AAAAAAAAAD4/ugthOGiodjg/s1600/0609000005-700663.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 208px; float: left; height: 180px; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TA8i8YmJ6pI/AAAAAAAAAD4/ugthOGiodjg/s1600/0609000005-700663.jpg" border="0" /></a>At the end of the night, a theme seemed to have appeared. Cookies. One of the items in my gift bag was a box of peanut butter cookies by <a href="http://www.treeoflife.com/">Tree of Life</a>. Once home, I was talked into opening the box and trying one, by my peanut butter loving, wheat eating father. Weighing my opinion against other products I've tried, I reached into the package and pulled out two cookies. Dad and I each bit into one of the crisp cookies and savored the full, yet not overpowering, taste of peanut butter. These cookies do have a bit of what I refer to as the "gluten free grit," that somewhat grainy texture that can sometimes make you fell as if you've eaten a spoonful of sand, but with this type of cookie, it somehow doesn't detract from the experience. Perhaps the memory of Pecan Sandies aligned my brain to a positive association between grit and nut cookies, but for whatever reason, they worked.<br /></p><p></p><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TA8ivwOkeAI/AAAAAAAAADs/hUIb9h2OORE/s1600/0609000006-751298.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 222px; float: left; height: 153px;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TA8ivwOkeAI/AAAAAAAAADs/hUIb9h2OORE/s1600/0609000006-751298.jpg" border="0" /></a>During the meeting, Marcie provided us with some fantastic samples straight off the shelves. The group favorite, a coconut macaroon by <a href="http://www.mrscrimbles.com/">Mrs. Crimble's</a>, was indeed an AMAZING treat. So good in fact, that I had to buy some :) These smooth and chewy cookies have the strong flavor of toasted coconuts and dreamy chocolate of a certain type of cookies sold by young girls all across the country, but way, WAY better. Now the only problems is that, with only six in a package, I'm afraid if I open them, I'll eat them all!</p><p><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TBA0RnyAxiI/AAAAAAAAAEA/C6D6U_aHTbU/s1600/0608002053-773769.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 181px; float: left; height: 278px;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TBA0RnyAxiI/AAAAAAAAAEA/C6D6U_aHTbU/s1600/0608002053-773769.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Besides the peanut butter cookie, I also tried some cinnamon thins, which my parent's picked up at... (drumroll..) <a href="http://starbucks.com/">STARBUCK'S</a>! For those of you unfamiliar with the plight of the Celiac at Starbuck's, let me fill you in. Last summer, only two month's after its introduction, Starbuck's removed from their shelves the one and only gluten free baked good, an orange cake which was supposed to have been delicious. I say "supposed to have been," because I never had the opportunity to try it. Problems with limited demand and short shelf life caused the company to abandon the idea rather than work out a solution. Personally, I would have frozen the cakes, put a note in the display case to say they were available, and served them warm from the microwave. Anyhow, back to the cookies. My beloved snickerdoodles need not be far from my taste memory with these on the market. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Lucy's</a> has managed to create a crisp but buttery cookie, without the gluten free grit, which taste so good, wheat eaters and gf diners alike will love them. Oh, and for those with additional dietary restrictions, Lucy's cookies are also milk, egg, peanut, and tree nut free as well as vegan!</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p class="mobile-photo"></p><p>All told, it was a good day for the discovery of quality premade cookies. Now, if I could just call up the courage to buy various flours and make my own...</p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5500260302480589734.post-30716708687402601232010-06-07T18:14:00.008-05:002010-06-09T00:48:27.850-05:00Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TA19YYopGbI/AAAAAAAAADU/u_3F7bzkJEQ/s1600/0607001813-780871.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 188px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3OflLfohqYc/TA19YYopGbI/AAAAAAAAADU/u_3F7bzkJEQ/s1600/0607001813-780871.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><i>...I've gotta love good food 'til I die. Can't help, loving that meal of mine</i><br /><br /><p>Ok, so obviously I'm feeling a bit dramatic today, hence the <i>Show Boat</i> reference. (Click <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http://s0.ilike.com/play%23Barbra%2BStreisand:Can%27t%2BHelp%2BLovin%27%2BThat%2BMan:38168:s28228820.8084444.10821573.0.1.65%252Cstd_7621f803b8b892251ac94023a331e093&sa=X&ei=SYQNTLKHL86CnQeZ4-SJAg&ved=0CBMQ0wQoADAA&usg=AFQjCNGVhvhXK6IMJ_Cju4TDv2urSKP8yQ"> here</a> for the real version) The point being, I had fish for dinner.<br /><br /></p><p>I came home after job hunting looking for something delicious, quick and simple to make, and yes, this fit that criteria. My dad was having chicken sausage and decided to sautée some onions and mushroom on the side. I took what was left, added a bit more olive oil and sea salt to brown them up, plus a little freshly crushed garlic, and cooked a salmon steak right in the same pan. I steamed some frozen veggies in the microwave and heated up some brown rice to round off the meal.<br /><br /></p><p>Steamed veggies and brown rice, you might be asking, how can that be delicious? With only a few additions (calorie free additions, I might add), it is totally possible. I added a little sea salt to both side dishes, plus some Mrs. Dash and juice squeezed directly from the lemon to the veggies. To the rice I added a shake of garlic powder, and violà!<br /><br /></p><p>Adding to the simple joy of this quick dinner is the fact that the weather is so beautiful, I was able to eat it while enjoying a sweet spring breeze through my open window.</p>Meaghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263950168782567139noreply@blogger.com0