Week 3: Picnic, gopicnic, It's SPRINGTIME...go on a picnic!

Well first off, I apologize for the lateness of this post. Blogger must not have liked my first, second or THIRD entry as it gobbled them up into cyberspace never to be heard from again. It's okay, the posts were plant based.
It's also okay because as I type this 4th attempt, I have a new perspective and may change things up a bit.

This week's adventures reminded me how easy it is to just fall back into a good ol' meat and something on the side mentality, especially when someone ELSE is cooking.

Now if you haven't been following along on this journey to 90% plant based consumption, I invite you to start at the beginning and catch up, it's okay...we'll wait for you.

Are you back? Great. So now everyone is pretty familiar with the morning smoothie recipe I use and that I make meals go further by incorporating dinner left-overs into lunches for me and the hub so I'll spare ya the day-of-the-week breakdown (mostly because I didn't like the way it was formatting) and just give you some highlights from the week.

Now, in looking at my notes from the week...it looks like there was a wholelotta meat on my plate.
Tuesday we had "fried" chicken with zucchini
Wednesday we had pork and plantains
Saturday we had hamburgers and hot dogs
and Sunday morning we had bacon with breakfast and for dinner we had Chicken Club Pasta

That looks like 4 out of 7 nights of carnivorous consumption...BUT...
Remember this is where I employ the portions on my plate rule.
My journey is not to become a vegan or even a vegetarian...at least that's not what I'm feeling led to at this time. My journey is to a 90% plant based diet (meaning food consumption, not weight loss) so meat and animal products are still going to play a part in our menus, just not as predominantly.

Let's look at the Chicken Club Pasta as an example:
This was a "mommy made it up" recipe that came to my brain while we were driving home from the beach after not having grocery shopped all weekend...it's amazing what you can do with what you have :)
The final recipe yielded 8 servings

2 chicken thighs cooked and chopped
4 slices left over bacon from the morning, chopped
1 full head of broccoli, chopped
1 bag of spinach
1 can diced garlic tomatoes
1/2 cup ranch dressing (check for gluten)
1/2 cup parmigiana cheese
olive oil as needed
1 pkg Tinkyada GF pasta


No special magic here, I just cooked all the ingredients added the ranch and cheese last and let it all simmer under cover to get all saucy then spooned it over pasta and voila. And it was tasty.
So yes, there was meat in it, but the over all dish was at least 75% plant based and since my breakfast and lunch are typically much higher ratios, I think I evened out for the day :)

That being said...I definitely had a day that tipped my numbers for the entire week.
Saturday we went to a picnic complete with hamburgers and hot dogs and all the trimmings.
And I had one of each
And they were both mm-mm-tasty-good.
In the grand scheme of things, I'm not going for perfectly perfect. It's good to know that I am feeding my body what it needs MOST of the time so the few times when it comes up to have what it WANTS don't throw me for a loop. I covered my bases making sure all picnic items were GF (thanks to the hostess who checked with me before going shopping) and I enjoyed the day with friends, new and old.

This week's total SCORE brought to you by gopicnic GF boxed meals.
I stumbled across these in a 7-11 of all places while we were on our way to the beach on Sunday.
All the items in the box are individually packaged so you can eat it all at once, or snack throughout the day.
This little gem was PERFECT for the beach. It doesn't need to be refrigerated AND it was perfectly Babs friendly (GF).
A nice little Sunday morning gift in the least likely of places :)

Enjoy your week!

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a Hamburger Today

I'm an Udi's fan.

I like their sandwich bread, I lurve me some of dem dere chocolate chip cookies, and their breakfast muffins are a fave when I need a quick breakfast or we're putting out a Sunday morning brunch.

So when I saw their new hamburger and hot dog buns, it was a no brainer...they went straight into my shopping cart.

We tried the hamburger buns one night for cheeseburgers and fries and the hot dog buns held our favorite sausage from Al Fresco...we love the Sundried tomato flavor!

I gotta say, for me, these buns are a let down.
Now I will follow that up by saying...for the past few years I've just gone without eating bread on my burger, brat, dog or sausage...so perhaps I've grown accustomed to eating them that way and the "bread" just didn't sit well with my stomach. The buns were a bit more dense than I expected, and that may have contributed to that "heavy" feeling in my stomach.

I guess I'm falling more in line with my philosphy of..."you don't HAVE to eat it just because it's offered in a GF option." It IS nice to know their are choices out there, but the next time I have a burger and desperately want the bun too...I'm gonna stick with the lighter, tastier version from Schar.

How do you eat your burgers and dogs?

It's not Delivery, It's ...

What do you in your house when family has a hunkerin' for pizza and you're gluten intolerant?
I've finally found a make at home, frozen, gluten free pizza that fits the bill perfectly and bonus...it satisfies my craving for a soft pretzel.

I think next time I'll add mushrooms :)

Against the Grain Gourmet frozen pizza comes in 12 inch sizes in 2 different flavors, Three Cheese and Pesto, or you can buy the crust and add your favorite toppings. The use fresh grated parmesean and mozarella and the sauces are very tasty. Put it in a pre-heated oven for 12 - 15 minutes and voila...your pizza is done before the delivery guy knocks on the door.

I sprinkle mine with a little salt and some curry powder ...mmmmm...you all know how I feel about curry ;)

Sometimes, you gotta have a smoothie

The hubs and I have developed a nice little smoothie addiction as of late. We've been Planet Smoothie fans for years and they have several gluten free options...but it's not always convenient to head out to our local smoothie place and NONE of them are open early enough for us to have them in the morning...so we experiment with our own.

We have a personal blender by Hamilton Beach that works better than ANY full size blender I've ever owned for crushing frozen fruit and giving a nice smoothie consistency.

Our recipe:

1 cup Naked Juice (check the label for gluten free options)

2/3 cup frozen fruit

1 banana

1/4 cup Stonyfield Farm French Vanilla Yogurt

1 scoop RAW Meal

Blend

Drink

YUM

We were using Mila's chia seeds in place of the RAW Meal, but honestly the were a bit pricey and we like all the ingredients in the Garden of Life product and it's readily available at our local WFM. It does add some substance to the smoothie though, so I may switch to skim milk or a lighter juice to balance things out.

From the Garden of Life Website:
Containing 26 superfoods from RAW organic seeds, sprouts and greens, RAW Meal provides 34 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber and a healthy 2.5 grams of fat making it an excellent choice for “weight conscious” individuals. RAW Meal also offers 20 Vitamin Code vitamins and minerals providing at least 100% of the Daily Value of 16 key nutrients.

Just as important is what’s NOT included in RAW Meal.  It is gluten-free, dairy-free and lactose-free. It has no fillers, no isolates, no synthetic nutrients, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives.

We've decided, it's good stuff!
I've been reading some intriguing smoothie recipes lately...we have basil that needs to be harvested before it gets too cold here (yes it gets cold in Florida, last night it was 28 degrees!) So next week's menu includes a strawberry basil smoothie...I can't wait.

Turning over a new (tea) leaf

At work we got one of these fancy schmancy new coffee makers

As of late I've been kicking the coffee and reaching for the tea but look at it...it's sleek, and fancy and glows a pretty blue color so ... I was tempted


"I wonder if I should try out this fancy schmancy new coffee maker?"
"umm...do you think it's safe?" -- the wise words of a savior (a.k.a Joshington, a co-worker).

Hrmmmm good question. I really haven't been drinking coffee (and enjoying it) much lately anyway so perhaps I'll have some tea instead.

I opted for some super tasty Celestial Seasonings Black Cherry Berry which, by the way, is very clearly labeled gluten free.

Super tasty and turns out...a VERY smart choice.

While there are some K-Cups that are safe...
From http://www.keurig.com/

Question  Do any of your K-Cup® portion packs contain gluten?

Answer
All of the coffees offered in K-Cup® portion packs are gluten and gluten byproduct-free. The Café Escapes French Vanilla Café-au-Lait K-Cup® portion pack contains small amounts of wheat. The Timothy’s Lemon Blueberry Tea K-Cup® portion pack contains malted oats.

For additional nutritional information on a particular K-Cup® portion pack, we suggest you contact the Roaster directly.

I totally would've gone for a nom-licious flavor...and I'm so glad I didn't!

Labor Day laziness = mmmm bbq

Ahhh... gotta love a day off from work with not much more to do than watch an Undercover Boss marathon. A few weeks ago, the hub and I scored a great deal on pork shoulder and bought TWO.

Monday was the perfect day for a "picnic" so we placed the pig in an oven bag, set it in a tin roasting pan and let our new grill work its magic for a few hours outside. When it was almost done we shucked some fresh sweet corn, soaked it in cold water then put it on the grill with the pork. Topped off with a dollop of potato salad and we had the perfect Labor Day meal that took no time at all...well none of our time, the grill did all the work.

Leftovers from this pork are gonna be a dream.

I shredded what was left after dinner (which was quite a good bit) and poured in a bottle of Pat's Ho-made BBQ sauce.

I LOVE Pat's not only is it Gluten free, it tastes AMAZING and costs less than $2.00 a bottle at our local grocer.

If you can't find it locally, you can order it on line...and it's worth it :)

Hanker for a hunka....CURRY

I've been on a curry kick lately.

Years ago I couldn't even take the smell of it, now...I can't get enough.

I don't quite trust restaurant curry yet...only because no chef in town can guarantee me it's safe (GF) so we've been tinkering with recipes at home. Some have flopped, some have tasted great but nothing to write home here about...yet. So here's a quickie to tide you over.

Curry Chicken Salad

SO super easy and SO yum!

I start with a can of Valley Fresh Canned Chicken

add Hain's Safflower Mayo to taste

Shake on your favorite curry powder (be sure to check the label) I like mine hot :)

add a dash of salt

Add ice cold red grapes and slices of granny smith or gold delicious apples to give it an extra punch, celery slices are nice for crunch too.

The secret is in letting it sit (refrigerated of course)

I make it in the morning and pack it in my lunch and it's JUST right by then.

So, voila or छिपी

quick, nom nom nommy Curry!

Paradise Lost

Please note...this is in NO way a post bashing Margaritaville, their food, service or care in providing me a safe GF dinner.

No, if anyone is to blame it is me...for not checking my condiments :(

Yesterday I had the most amazing burger and fries. Today I'm so itchy I do believe I've rubbed my face clear down to the stratum granulosum layer of my epidermis and so exhausted it feels as though my musculoskeletal system has disintegrated and I have no strength with which to move my mass which feels more massive than ever. I CAN move...my brain is telling me that it FEELS like I can't.

I should've known better.
Check your condiments.
I swear I've checked Heinz 57 sauce before and found it safe but I could be imagining things because I'm not thinking very clearly...see note above...

I knew something was up this morning when I pooped.
Yes folks, this is my blog; poop is one of the symptoms that led me on the search for the cure to what ails me so when the poop ain't right, I know something is wrong.

Yesterday's intake was perfect and I was fanatical about where we ate out and what we ate and the staff at the restaurant was meticulous in their preparation and delivery...so what could it be?

On a hunch I jumped on the Heinz site and took a gander at their Gluten Free list.
NOTE...I'm in no way bashing Heinz either...they have a LIST right there on their site and there's a ton of products I've since added to my shopping list but...
Guess what...Heinz 57 sauce isn't on their GF list.

So today, because I didn't check
I'm uncomfortable to the point of scratching my eyes out
I've lost 2 hours of work
and all I wanna do is sleep...

I'm also just a tad bit miffed.
Can't help it...gluten turns off my filter...
I don't wanna read every label
I don't wanna research every possible derivative of dextrose and sorbitol (which, by the way, is in lots of toothpaste so it's a good idea to research your favorite brand)
I don't wanna eat plain, condiment free food...

but then again, maybe I do
not because I will feel better
but because it will taste better...my fries last night were fandangtastic on their own...and the burger...OMG so good
I didn't need to crack open the bottle.

I need to remember Louis the Lifeguard's words of wisdom...

What'd You Eat?

Keeping in mind my intention when I started this blog, I'm starting a series called "What'd You Eat?"
I'll be the first to admit that typing out a product review for every thing I eat is a bit daunting ...and may be a bit daunting to you the reader as well... I mean that's A LOT of reading. There are days I just want to know WHAT I can eat...give me the skinny, a bulleted list...just something to give me an idea.
So here goes...

In no specific order I'll have a post per week listing several things that were on my menu the week before. Some may be repeats, some may be newbies that become a product review, but it's a good jumping off point ... a place where you can say "ooh I saw that on sale at the store this week" and get ideas for YOUR grocery list.

In return? comment and leave me some ideas too...Lord knows I get tired of the same old same old too!
Listed items in blue are links to the actual product website (or a link back to one of my product reviews)

Enjoy!

Nutty Rice with Yoplait Banana Creme yogurt
Udi's Plain Bagel
Peter Pan Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Egg Beaters Egg Whites
Van's Gluten Free Waffles
Colby jack cheese
Mozarella Cheese sticks
Progresso Soups
Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Grapes and mmmm Nectarines!
Amy's Frozen Meals  (I personally love the Mexican and Indian flavors!)
Chicken on the grill
Corn on the Cob
Sauteed Asparagus
Steamed Broccoli
Tinkyada Spaghetti
Pork roast (rubbed in fresh parsley, rosemary, olive oil and lemon juice)
BLT's on Udi's
Curried Chicken and peppers

hrmm...just looking over my list I see that I count on "gluten free" products for breakfast (which needs to be quick) and lunch which is usually at work. I bring dinner leftovers several times a week which is a treat but it's nice to have some quick options in the freezer.

So, What'd YOU eat this week?

Be a Kid Again!

The hub and I were kid free on Saturday...one of the blessings of teenaged children, they have plans.
A day with no kids you say? Well of course you had some elegant, the-kids-would-never-eat-it dinner? Nope, we had Chicken Nuggets!
We both agreed they taste much better when the kids don't know you're eating them (grin)

I must preface all of this by letting you know that "nuggets and tots" nights were an institution in our house until just recently. Typically a Thursday night because 1) mom was in school and they were easy to make and 2) mom was in school and didn't have to worry about being glutened.

What a gip! Mom likes nuggets too so it should come as no surprise that when our grocer mentioned she just stocked a new GF item that just happened to be Chicken Nuggets...yup, it's what's for dinner!

I love Applegate Farms products! Not only do they have a great variety of allergen friendly products, they are committed to whole foods...so you don't have to feel badly about imbibing in a nugget...it's REAL :)

We paired these with Ore-Ida Mini Tots and had a great kid-friendly, gluten-free meal...sans kids.

These nuggets may seem a bit pricey, $4.79 for a box of 20, but remember...they are allergen friendly, made with antibiotic and hormone free chicken!

What you have...it's What's for Dinner

We had a pretty good menu planned out for the week...the hub and I shopped on Sunday after taking stock of what we had to work with. Wednesday is a busy night in our house; after running kids to and from lacrosse practice, we're not home sometimes until 8:00 so we needed something quick. The plan?

Fried Catfish with a little added kick to the GF breading recipe that we taste tested in our Country Fried Steak. We thought we had some catfish filets...but the catfish thought otherwise.

So...

What you have becomes what you have for dinner!

We had already planned on Chicken Nuggets and Tots for the kids. Did you know...Ore-Ida tots are gluten free along with many of their other products!

We had a crab platter with steak on Sunday and had some crab left over so...we made fried crab nuggets.

Now we always have different GF flours on hand, buy one type once a month and after a while you will too.

Better than fish & chips!

1 Cup Brown Rice Flour

1 Cup Corn Starch

1 Tbsp Baking Soda

2 eggs and 1 egg white

1/2 cup milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl

Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper in medium bowl.

Coat crab (fish, chicken, veggies...you get the idea) in the milk/egg mixture then toss in flour mixture to coat.

Fry in hot oil over medium high heat until golden brown.

*Crab is definitely better fried a bit on the crispy side

We added curry powder and cayenne pepper for a little kick, salted the crab after it came out of the oil and squeezed fresh lemon over the top

DELISH!

Childhood Memory Cookies?

My co-workers are DA BOMB...even though I'm the only GF'er in the bunch at every company function or meeting they make sure there is something nummy that I can eat, they email me or text me when they see a new GF product at the grocery store and remember...it was a co-worker who turned me on to the most perfect pizza. I'm blessed to work with such awesome peeps and (I'll admit) kinda proud of the education they've gotten just because they know me! Shoot, this very blog was created because a friend of a friend wanted to pick my GF brain!

This week's meeting was a special treat! I guess I gushed over previously mentioned pizza so...WOO we had GF pizza, the whole lot of us. There were fresh veggies and other gnoshings to choose from and everyone was careful to point out what I could and could not sample from (can you feel the love?)

One work buddy brought Glutino Lemon Wafers , I had only ever tried the chocolate version, but given my aforementioned love of Yoplait's lemon parfait I couldn't wait to try one.

Childhood memory #1



A communion wafer



I'll admit, my first bite wasn't all that but because I give EVERYTHING a chance...

My second bite wasn't too bad, the lemony-ness kicked in.

Overall it was a nice, refreshing flavor, not too sweet -- not too tart.

In my head, I still preferred the chocolate ones.

I tried some again the next day

Childhood Memory #2

Trix cereal straight outta da box

Day two trial brought back fond childhood memories (not that Catholic school was a BAD memory, but who wants a cookie that tastes like a communion wafer?) It's been forever since I've eaten cereal. I don't really miss it, and I don't think much of it has any nutritive value, but day two cookie trial reminded me of Trix cereal...dry, munching by the handful while watching Saturday Morning Cartoons.

So go grab yourself a box of these cookies and enjoy!

No, No, No, No...say YES to this Yogurt!

I shopped at a different grocery location this week to combine my errands and save on gas and stumbled across a 10 for $10 deal on Voskos Greek Yogurt. I'm a sucker for a good Greek Yogurt, especially one that is 0% fat so I bought one of each flavor: Wild Strawberry, Blueberry, Honey, Exotic Fig and Vanilla Bean.
All of them have

• NO rBST
• NO rBGH
• NO GMO
• and of course NO Gluten!

Their webiste touts their facilities are certified Kosher and certified Organic and I certify this yogurt is TASTY

You've gotta like yogurt though.
If you're not a yogurt fan, and prefer something more "dessert" like you'll find love in all the Yoplait Parfaits... my personal fave is the lemon! They are a great after dinner treat frozen too!

Hop on over to the Voskos website for more info and great recipes! My hub and I have plans for the moussaka!

Banana Pudding Pie a.k.a Easter Numminess!

Last Friday after a positively perfect pizza pie, the hub and I headed over to Whole Foods in search of a GF B to BYOB. I wound up with Green's Endeavor. It wasn't bad, but I don't think I'll buy it again. It was rather sweet for a dark beer...and before I knew I was intolerant, I was quite the beer connoisseur so the sweetness really killed it for me.

While we were there I took a gander at the dessert offerings. Dessert was my task for Easter dinner with the fam and I admit...I was looking for a quick "bring it instead of bake it" option when I spotted Gluten Free ready made pie crust!

Two crusts come in a package for $6.99...if the taste was right, this would become a staple of my baking and I found myself excitedly thinking over different fillings as I gingerly placed the score in my beloved Feed 100 Bag from my Cage Free kindred spirits.

So today was the day...being Easter and all.
I decided on a Banana Pudding Pie, the crust could take the place of the nilla wafers.

I baked the crust for 30 minutes prior to filling. The directions called for pie weights so I improvised and used sunflower seeds which did the trick quite nicely. Bouns... when the pre-baking was over, I had a nice breakfast treat...warm, toasted sunflower seeds are nummy! I read that dried beans or rice also work nicely as a replacement for fancy schmancy pie weights but don't plan to use the beans afterwards, save them for the next time you need pie weights! OH and be sure to put a piece of parchment or wax paper between your weights and your crust!



Before the final 30 minute baking



Golden nummy deliciousness after baking!



ingredients ready for action!

This recipe is an alteration of a version I found here.

1/3 cup sweet sorghum flour
dash salt
2 1/2 cup low fat milk
1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand is GF)
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp. Spice Islands vanilla extract (GF and no added corn syrup)
3 cups sliced ripe bananas
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup Stevia in the Raw
Pre made Gluten free crust

Bake crust for 30 min at 325.

Place flour and salt in medium sauce pan
Add milks and egg yolks, stir well with whisk.
Cook over medium heat 13 - 15 minutes or until thick. (This is 5 to 8 minutes longer than called for in the original recipe)
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Layer bananas and pudding mixture in crust ending with a pudding layer.

Beat egg whites at high speed with electric mixer until foamy.
Gradually add Stevia 1 TBSP at a time until stiff peaks form.
Pour over pie mixture sealing all edges.
Bake at 325 for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

* This actually makes enough filling for 2 pies or, like we did, one pie and one baked banana pudding

**Next time, I will add the bananas to the final few minutes the pudding is simmering so they are a bit more "mushy" in the pie. This is my hub's personal preference...and since banana pudding is his all time favorite, his preference wins :)

Dessert got rave reviews at dinner.
The crust is buttery and flaky tasting and has no GF aftertaste. I already have plans to quiche the one waiting for me in the freezer!


For more great dessert ideas...check out Gluten Free Homemaker's Wednesday Carnival in search of dessert bar recipes!! YUM

Happiness as Expressed in Pizza

Friday night the hubs and I found ourselves sans offspring and headed to the Mellow Mushroom in Winter Park, Florida. We've ALWAYS loved MM pizza...but alas I haven't had it in years. A couple of weeks ago a co-worker of mine mentioned they have a Gluten Free Crust and bingo...we had our date night location!

Now we've tried several different GF crusts along the way because sometimes, Pizza-Outta-Da-Box is just what ya want. We've had Pizza Fusion, Naked Pizza, Uno's and I even had GF from Austin Pizza with the BFF. They were all good but
NOTHING tops the GF pizza we had at MM. Even the hubs said he'd default to it over a regular crust pizza and peeps, that just doesn't happen.

Not only do the folks at MM know their stuff, they know their GF stuff too. Our server made sure to tell us right away that the GF crusts take longer, not only because they take a little longer to bake, but because they take care to make sure there is no cross contamination in the kitchen...uber awesome!

It was quite alright, it was date night AND we had some scrumptious stuffed portobello mushrooms while we waited.

So here's the skinny on MM GF pizza
Here are the important points to remember...

1. Mellow Mushroom is using a frozen pizza crust product from Still Riding Pizza.  The crusts are made in a dedicated GF facility and shipped to each MM location frozen.
2. MM is bringing in nearly 50 GFCO certified Gluten Free toppings/ingredients for it's GF pizza.  All these ingredients are kept in a separate preparation area away from the main prep line for wheat pizzas.
3. MM has developed an extensive preparation procedure that will be used by "certified Gluten Free pizza makers" to deliver safe pizzas to those who cannot tolerate Gluten. 
4. MM only uses corn meal in their restaurants when preparing wheat pizza, thus no atmospheric gluten.
5. MM keeps all GF toppings, supplies and crusts in a dedicated area.  All GF pizzas will be prepared in this dedicated location.  They use separate utensils as well.
6. MM uses dedicated GF screens to cook the GF pizzas in a shared oven (wheat pizzas are placed directly on the oven stone itself) to avoid cross-contamination while baking.

Philosopher's Pie

Okay enough of the facts

The TASTE was amazing

It really was buttery and fluffy and crusty and yummm all at the same time

We'll be back!
Again
and again
and again!

The Pie is great, the atmosphere was fantastic, the kitchen was concerned and the service was stupendous!

Oh...and leftovers make good breakfast :)

New Season, New Pasta, GREAT Recipe!

Warmer weather is definitely here down South, we hit 90 degrees today...so much for spring!
This week I intentionally planned meals that were didn't require a lot of effort in the kitchen!
Yesterday it was BLT sammies on that great UDI Bread I've mentioned before.

Tonight...Lemon Pasta with Asparagus!

My local grocer had a new brand of GF pasta on sale so I grabbed a bag a few weeks ago and this recipe was the perfect opportunity to try it.
The Heartland Gluten Free Penne was super tasty and like their website claims, "your family will never be able to tell it's gluten free!" The directions call for boiling it 11 to 13 minutes but I think it could've gone 14 with no problems as 13 left it a bit more on the firmer side of al dente.

This recipe is a fantastic spring/summer dinner and I imagine would be delish chilled (I'll have to imagine because there are NO leftovers!)

The recipe serves 6
(the picture is an "after I'd already had a few bites... you know how bad I am at remembering to take pics! servings are definitely generous size)

1 package of GF pasta
2/3 Tbsp Butter
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 c gf chicken broth (we use progresso)
1 large egg
1/3 c grated parmesean cheese
3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 tsp lemon zest (one lemon is the perfect amount for zest and juice)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley (we used parsley and cilantro...a-mmmmmmmm-azing fresh taste!)

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside in colander
Add butter and olive oil to the pasta pot, melt
Add broth and heat through 1 minute

Remove pot from the heat
Return pasta to the pan, add egg and cheese and toss to coat
Add lemon juice and zest, toss to coat
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dress with parsley/cilantro

I also sauteed 1 lb of fresh asparagus on low heat in 2 tsp of olive oil and 1/4 c of water and added it to the pasta in the final step. This would also be wondeful paired with a nice white fish or with some chicken breast added to the pasta.

I'll definitely be making it again ...the fam LOVED it!

mmmm Lasagna!

Yes, it's been a long time since I've had lasagna.
About 3 years as a matter of fact...I could never find lasagna noodles and although I tried other pasta type concotions...it turned into baked pasta which just isnt the same as good ol' garfield would be proud lasagna.
Well this week when I wasn't really looking...I found THESE of course, by Tinkyada

Delish! We followed the recipe on the back which incorporated all sorts of yumminess like zucchini, roasted peppers and mushrooms, lightened up the fat content with skim ricotta and fat free shredded cheese...then added some smoked mozzarella and artichoke sausage (mmm) and the hub said... "no more of that boxed lasagna s^*t...coz that's what they've eaten since I've been gluten free.

The noodles are fantastic. Just the right consistency, hold their shape and texture and taste phenomenal and the sausages are great too...we'll try them on the grill next time.

Once again, I have no picture of the finished product because we consumed it too quickly...definitely worth making and easy too...my 13 year old simply followed the package directions and dinner was ready when we got home from work!

Dangerously Good Cookie!

Warning: These cookies are SO good in order to save my waistline they will NOT be a regular staple in my house.

Yes...these cookies are amazing...and the manufacturer knows it!

Banner ad from Pamela's Products

But shouldn't we all have an amazing cookie every once in a while?
By the looks of the offerings on their website, those onces may happen more often!

These mini chocolate chip morsels went too great with a big ol' glass of skim milk.
They have a crunchy texture and just the right amound of chocolate chip per cookie.
I'll definitely buy them again when I have a hanker for a cookie!
Next time, I may try the package suggestion of  making mini ice-cream sandwiches with them

Risotto Ramsey Would Love

Do you watch Hell's Kitchen? If you do you've probably noticed that Risotto is always on the menu. Last season's offering was an interesting bright green color that made my family wonder how good it could be but it got rave reviews even if it did look radioactive!

While perusing my favorite shelf stickers at the grocery store I came across Lundberg Risotto Florentine with Spinach & Mushrooms and decided to give it a go! It's very reasonably priced at $3.50 a box and went wonderfully with the chicken scaloppi and asparagus I made for dinner last night. My daughter called it "restaurant worthy!"

She is right! The risotto cooked up perfectly and was not sticky or mushy at all. We garnished with parmesean cheese and rosemary (as per the box suggestion). Following package instructions was a snap and this side dish cooked up in 20 minutes.

I steamed the asparagus with a bit of lemon zest and tossed the chicken in cornstarch with a bit of seasoning prior to cooking in just a bit of oil for 8 minutes on each side. I served the chicken atop the risotto with some capers spinkled on top.

Oh how I wish I had snapped a picture ... it was restaurant worthy :)

NatureCrops Quinoa Nutrition Bars

A friend of mine turned me on to NatureCrops and the company sent me 3 of their Quinoa Nutrition Bars.

Now if you've never tried Quinoa...you should! Even if you aren't Gluten Free Quinoa is an awesome addition to any diet and adds great variety to dishes typically served with rice, potatoes or pasta. It's a grain, but it's also very high in protein and the amino acid lysine. I love Quinoa because it takes on the flavors of whatever you cook it with. I've eaten it as a breakfast cereal with bananas and cinnamon, or as a burrito stuffing with jabaneros and black beans!

I was very excited to get these bars...someone wanted my opinion...and my kids thought I was pretty important too (but that didn't make them clean their rooms any quicker!)

I was pleasantly surprised by their texture. I thought they would be hard and crunchy but they are chewy. They are sweetened with organic brown rice syrup and organic honey and come in 3 flavors: Quinoa, Almond & Sesame seeds, Quinoa & Strawberry, and Quinoa & Prunes.

Unfortunately, I wasn't at all crazy about their taste...they were too bland for me.  As I said, Quinoa takes on the flavor of what it's prepared with and there's just not enough of the other flavors to make this bar tasty :(

I do have high hopes for the company though!
NatureCrops bars are produced in facilities that guarantee they are gluten-free, vegetarian, Halal and Kosher. They also take their social responsibility seriously  by paying fiar prices for organic quinoa and buying from local cooperatives in the Andes mountains that support the farmers.

These don't make my list of tasty take-a-long treats,  but I will be keeping my eye on NatureCrops for future offerings! You can too check them out http://www.naturecrops.com