Pancakes are probably my favorite Saturday morning breakfast. There's just something about that the crispy edges and puffy center of a pipin' hot flat cake that simply makes me smile! I'm sure the salty, creamy melted butter and pure, sweet maple syrup have nothing to do with it!Pancakes are a fantastic breakfast because they are so easy to make! They are even easier and more simple by using my Gl
Today is Dan’s birthday. He is a year old! We are celebrating with a homemade gluten free birthday cake at home today. (I have to beat last year’s hit, Lighter than Air Chocolate Cake, made by my sister, Caroline.) He had his very festive pirate birthday party (complete with costumes) last weekend with just the [...]
I am constantly on a search for fun, quick, on-the-go breakfast recipes. This week I tried making granola bars for the first time.Did you ever make something for the first time and then kick yourself because you had never made it before? Well, this is one of those recipes. It it so incredibly easy. No serious baking skills needed. It's just easy and plain good.And I get tired of muffins... have I
I am completely worn out from a weekend of sun, swimming, and traveling. My little ones are slowly recovering from their out of town trip to Grandma’s, which has left them so cranky! I finally occupied them with their race track which they haven’t played with in a couple weeks. (Whoever recommended [...]
June 2008 RoundupThis month's theme was for one pot/pan meals. Kid-friendly if at all possible! I love quick, easy, one-pot dinners! We have a great group of folks who contributed this month! Thank you to everyone for participating and if I accidentally left anyone out, please email me ASAP, and I'll add you to the roundup!! 1. Gluten Free KayKay was on the ball and entered early in the month! She
Look good? I thought so too. We love pizza in the Ginger Lemon Girl household. We make pizza at least once every two weeks.This pizza is actually my entry for this month's "Go Ahead Honey! It's Gluten Free!" The theme this month is one pot/pan meals. Kid-friendly if possible. And yes, today is the deadline for this month. No, of course I'm not behind in posting! (ha!)I realize that many people do
Blueberries are FINALLY in season in Eastern NC!Can you tell?I think the pictures can tell you more about these incredible muffins than I can.I promise they taste as good if not better than they look. And they are not only gluten free, but casein free and soy free as well!While these muffins do take a few extra steps to make. Trust me, they are worth it! I have not tried using them, but I am sure
I just went to the grocery store and bought food for the week. I was out of town this weekend and we were completely out of food. Rather than sit down and plan a menu, I went straight to Target and bought my groceries. I thought I would blog about the experience [...]
Just a friendly reminder for this month's: I'll be hosting this month's "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten Free" blogging event, started by Naomi at Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried.The theme for June 2008 is: One Pot Meals!That means casseroles, cassolets, crock pot meals, summer salads, soups, stir fries, etc... have fun and find something your kids will love!I LOVE one pot meals! The easier and si
The ingredient of the week, cherries, was inspired by the Cherry Clafouti I made last week. I am not usually a cherry fan, but they were really good in that recipe. I am tempted to make it again this week! If not, I will be eating cherries as a naturally gluten free [...]
For this month's event, hosted by Thomas of the Gluten Free/Casein Free Experience I adopted Karen of Sometimes Only Clever. Karen blogs about her Christian life with her husband, kids, her current pregnancy, and her hobbies. She is an avid hiker and loves the outdoors and she also is a great gluten free baker and cook! Make sure to check out Karen's "101 Random Things about Me" page.The recipe t
The Gluten Free Menu Swap is back at Gluten Free Mommy this week! The ingredient of the week is cabbage, which is in season in North Carolina right now. My family’s favorite way to eat cabbage is stir-fried. My enthusiasm for cabbage can be traced back to my mother who used cabbage [...]
I have got to get to the store, so the post will be short and sweet today! The Gluten Free Menu Swap is hosted by Lilac Kitchen this week.
If you are interested in how I plan my menus, check out my last post, A Frugal Healthy Grocery Budget.
GLUTEN FREE MENU
Monday: Salmon and Pineapple [...]
I have lost fifteen pounds so far on the South Beach diet. I am 125 pounds today. As I have said before, I find Phase 2 to be challenging while on the gluten free diet, exercising and nursing. Brown rice is reserved for Phase 3, so bread or muffin recipes can be [...]
Welcome back to Kid-Friendly Food Fridays! We started this weekly event to feature healthy, yummy, delicious, and quick recipes to make for kids! For more information on this weekly event, please visit the Kid Friendly Food Fridays Headquarters! We welcome you to submit recipes and ideas for this feature to gingerlemon_girl at yahoo dot com! This week I'm featuring a wonderful recipe from a b
I've been meaning to post about The Good Eatah for nearly 3 weeks. Needless to say, I'm a little behind!I chose "The Good Eatah" for this month's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event (started by Sea, over at Book of Yum) because she has such a great variety of naturally gluten free recipes! The Good Eatah shares her gluten free and dairy free recipes on a regular basis. She also has an adorable dog n
We had a big weekend with family at my house, so I will spend the rest of the week in recovery mode. My menu is important so I get back in the swing of things with South Beach Phase 2! I did not lose any weight last week, but I did cheat [...]
Welcome back to Kid-Friendly Food Fridays! We started this weekly event to feature healthy, yummy, delicious, and nutritious recipes for kids! For more information on this weekly event, please visit the Kid Friendly Food Fridays Headquarters! We welcome you to submit recipes and ideas for this feature to gingerlemon_girl at yahoo dot com!***********These chocolate chip cookies are a secret!Yep, a big secret.Don't tell anybody, but these cookies actually have some nutrition packed deep inside. They are hiding a wonderful veggie that you can really sneak into almost anything ...the humble zucchini.Zucchini is a great ingredient to add to gluten free baked goods. Zucchini provides an almost perfect vegetable protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, th
I lost 2 more lbs last week. As a breastfeeding mom, I want to lose 2 and only 2 lbs a week, which is extremely difficult when you are weightlifting, dieting, and nursing. Too many calories, too few calories..ugh. Last week I managed to achieve the 2 lb goal, which brings me back [...]
Welcome to the first installment of a new series on Ginger Lemon Girl! This series is in response to you, my dear readers, who sent me a whirlwind of comments asking for kid-friendly, healthy, quick, delicious, and veggie-filled gluten free meals!!I hear ya' folks! And even though I don't have kids myself, I do have one picky husband whose favorite meals are pizza, cheeseburgers, and macaroni and cheese! So hopefully his taste-buds will please your kids!While I cannot guarantee a post for you every Friday, I'll try to make this as regular a feature as possible!!I will need your help!! If you have a great idea for a recipe to be featured on "Kid-Friendly Food Friday," please email me at gingerlemon_girl at yahoo dot com! I would love to hear your ideas and comments! You will be given full c
Welcome to April’s smokin' hot edition of: April 2008 Melanie, of The Gluti GirlsGinger Lemon Girl: Melanie, why did you begin a gluten free diet? Melanie: I started a gluten free diet because my doctor suspected celiac disease. I have suffered from digestive troubles for as long as I can remember. I went in for a check up with a new doctor and she did a blood test on me for celiac, which came out positive. To make a very long story short, I did have a biopsy done, but the answers were not clear. I had a positive response to the diet along with the positive blood test, so my regular doctor thinks celiac disease is what I have, but I do not have a positive biopsy.Why did you start blogging about being gluten free?When I found out about celiac disease and the reality set in about
My good friend, Nilda, gave me a beautiful present for my kitchen this weekend. She made me an herb garden for my kitchen! What a sweet gift! Nilda knew how much I wanted some of her oregano from Puerto Rico, so she planted some along with several other herbs. It [...]
I have such amazing memories of being in the kitchen with my great-grandmother. Her best dessert is a fresh strawberry pie. I believe this is the only way you should make a strawberry pie!Making this pie marks the beginning of spring for me. In eastern NC, spring seems to get here earlier and earlier each year. These beautiful berries were my first purchase from a local strawberry farm. Thankfully they will be selling them through May, so you can bet neighbors will be getting a strawberry pie or two this month!Strawberry pie is actually a very simple pie to make. I try to make several gluten free pie crusts ahead of time and freeze them. That way, when it's strawberry season, you can just pull out your ready made pie crust, bake it, and you are ready to go!Here is how to make my grandmoth
Low Carb, Soy Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Casein Free, Egg Free, Taste Free... KIDDING! These little brownie bites are so amazingly delicious, they are definitely NOT taste free! About a month ago, I was at a grocery store and starving (not a good combination) and I found these little bars called, "Pure Bars". On the wrapper they were listed as "raw" food. In other words, not cooked, pure, organic ingredients. I thought for sure the bar would be awful! But I was hungry and the package stated that it was free of gluten it was "chocolate brownie" flavor, so I thought I would try it for the ride home.How can you resist something that says "Like a Good Mood in a wrapper!" ;-) Oh. My. Word.It was amazing. It was so good! The bar was rich and super chocolately and didn't feel the least bit he
We traveled over the weekend to visit my Great-Grandmother. She fell last week and broke her hip along with several vertebrae in her neck. Despite that hard fall, she is doing wonderful and is ever spunky and surprising! I have no doubt she will make it through rehab with flying colors, even at 97! We truly appreciate all the well wishes and kind thoughts we received through email and comments!!There is something therapeutic about making muffins. I made these muffins last weekend for our trip to see Grandma, and then again when we returned home for our "grab and go" breakfasts this week. Packed with nutritious whole grains, healthy proteins and fats, and just a touch of sweetness, these muffins are satisfying and delicious!I need a "photographic lighting" fairy to visit my kitchen! That
I am seven pounds lighter than I was last week. Since going on the South Beach Diet a week ago, I have been eating nonstop and losing weight dramatically. The results have been downright amazing. I am glad I finally humbled myself and changed my diet and began exercising. I never [...]
One of Michael's favorite meals is a simple Asian-inspired stir-fry. We usually make this meal fast and frugally using a frozen package of "stir-fry" vegetables, leftover meat from a previous meal, and quick brown rice. We rely on this meal at least twice a month, and for me, it satisfies a craving for foods I used to order at Chinese restaurants in my old gluten filled days.For a new twist on this old favorite of ours, I decided to make a teriyaki marinade for the chicken, which I would later grill instead of adding to the stir-fried vegetables.Grilling the chicken, instead of adding it to the stir-fry, really brought out the flavors of the teriyaki marinade. It also gave the dish a delicious new presentation!I think this marinade would also be excellent on salmon steaks, tofu, or beef!
This month for Sea's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event, I adopted Lea, of Lea is Gluten Free.I've always enjoyed reading Lea's blog! She has wonderful tidbits of her gluten free life, occasional gluten free product reviews, and excellent recipes! She's also a huge animal lover with her four furr-babies that I enjoy hearing about!The Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event gave me the opportunity to try one of Lea's recipes!We had a short cold spell last week in the Carolinas and I decided to try Lea's Stuffed Cabbage Soup! I had been meaning to make this soup ever since Lea posted it! It was absolutely wonderful!! I only changed a few things to meet the ingredients I had on hand. Michael begged for potatoes in the stew instead of rice, and I had a container of leftover vegetables that needed to
7 years ago today, when I was a freshman at Baylor, my Dad died in a helicopter crash in Vietnam while on assignment looking for POWs/MIAs from the Vietnam War. Here is the archived story in Newsweek- my dad was Lt. Col. Rennie Cory, Jr. So every year on April 7th I [...]
Freshly baked Millet Flat BreadIt always makes my day when cooking experiments turn out even better than you thought they would!With the help of Natalie at Gluten Free a Go Go, I've been trying to use less xanthan gum in my baking. I've been trying to incorporate other alternative gluten free baking ingredients for structure and texture, such as ground chia seeds, whey protein powder, and psyllium powder. It's fun to experiment, even when things do not go as planned. I've been able to eliminate xanthan gum in cookies, bars, muffins, and quick breads successfully, but yeast bread has been a different story. I've learned a lot.Millet Flat Bread slices for sandwiches... see those beautiful air pockets!!And I've learned that with yeast breads in particular (at least in my baking experience), x
I was working at a daycare in college when I first discovered pesto! Yes, a daycare.One of the daycare teachers was making fresh pasta with her kids and on top of the pasta she swirled on this lovely spring green sauce. I had to have some. It was so fresh and delicious! I'm not sure how much the 3 year olds enjoyed it... but hey.. you have to start somewhere right?Last October, Natalie, of Gluten Free Mommy had a great post on her cilantro pesto grilled cheese sandwiches. They looked delicious and I was truly intrigued with the idea of using pesto on a sandwich!I came up with this wonderful spinach walnut pesto because fresh basil and pinenuts just don't seem to be stocked at the local piggly wiggly... and with gas prices the way they are (and the fact that we are truly trying to budget).
Welcome to the Gluten Free Menu Swap! This is going to be short and sweet today because my kids sense productivity and are protesting loudly! The gluten free ingredient of the week is lemon. There are a few other bloggers with gluten free menus, so go check them out for great dinner [...]
One bowl. Simple. Goodness.These two cakes are fun, delicious, and super easy to make. They are simple, one bowl, one-layer cakes perfect for a quick evening dessert or last minute cupcakes.I made these cakes on Easter Sunday for dessert. I am very excited about these cakes. They are so simple and so delicious, it almost seems as easy pulling out an old box of Duncan Hines... except these cakes are much better and completely gluten free! The carrot cake is also naturally casein free, and the chocolate cake can easily be made casein free by using a rice or nut milk substitute.I wish I had been able to capture a shot of an individual serving of these cakes, as they are seriously moist, highly risen, and have a very tender crumb.The cakes were so delicious that both were demolished by our fam
I came up with this easy chicken primavera several weeks ago. I love the concept of this simple meal made with fresh or leftover chicken (I usually make it with leftovers). It is very easy to prepare on my stovetop in my large, enameled, cast iron dutch oven. (A recent birthday present from my sweetie!) I've made this easy, yummy dish several times since, and I'm looking forward to it again this week!One of the best things about being gluten free is that I learned how to make a roux. Basically, a roux can be the base of a creamy sauce, soup, gravy, etc... A roux is so easy and so helpful in cooking. I like knowing that I no longer have to depend on a can of Campbell's soup to make a meal. I am able make that "can of cream soup" all by myself, and it's so much better than the "can" ever was
I know you love brownies. Everybody loves brownies.Okay, maybe not everybody. Not my weird sister, who does NOT like chocolate, and therefore does not like brownies. I still don't know where she came from. I really think she was an alien baby. Don't tell her though... it might hurt her feelings... of course, she's also the skinniest person in my family... maybe that weird "no chocolate" thing has something to do with it! Oh well... I still love you Lee.Here's my wierd "no-chocolate" sis when she was about 5 I think...Is she cute or what?On to the more important subject of brownies (sorry sis!)...These brownies will knock your socks off! They'll knock the hubbie's socks off too! They are easy, simple, super "chocolate-y", and utterly delicious. If you haven't used that wonderful wonderful g
This may be my favorite gluten free bread recipe yet! It is simple and easy to mix (with your stand mixer) and creates a beautiful, evenly risen loaf. The presentation is lovely and the bread is moist, soft, tender, and sweet. Michael said this was as good as the sweet King's Hawaiian bread we used to eat on occasion before I went gluten free.Maple syrup is one of my favorite sweeteners. It is expensive so I don't use it often for baking. The best type of maple syrup to buy is grade "B" because it is less processed than grade "A." It is also thicker with a more rich, decadent flavor.I've been working on this loaf for several weeks and I am very proud of the final product. I will be making this loaf often. It's actually a very quick yeast bread to make. It bakes in about 40 minutes and only
I did not get a single recipe up last week! It wasn’t for lack of trying either. I learned a lot about gluten-free baking, but I didn’t have anything to post for all of my efforts. I am really trying to focus on other things, but all I want to do is bake [...]
I am back to menu planning again this week. Thank goodness. I suffered without my menu plan last week. When I have planned a menu, I rarely have to throw away food that has gone bad. My menu keeps me fairly organized and veggies are eaten fresh and leftovers are [...]
If you are looking for a healthy gluten free cookie, please avert your eyes! These wonderful cookies do not have one healthy redeeming factor about them... but they are simply delicious! I am a sucker for sweet, soft, "melt in your mouth" baked goods.I came about these cookies quite by accident. They were supposed to be "big, fat, soft, white, sugar cookies." The only reason I do not think they fit into that category is because they are not "cakey" cookies, as I recall those big soft sugar cookies to be. To get that affect you would probably need to add another egg. Instead, what did result was a soft, yet "sandy" textured cookie that simply melts in your mouth. They are deceptively sweet and delicious! Perfect with a bowl of homemade ice-cream!Max likes to help me in the kitchen. These c
When I first read Mrs. G.F.'s "Recipes for a Gluten Free Life" blog, I felt like I knew her. I felt like I could walk down my close-knit street of neighbors and find her swaying graciously on a front porch swing. A glass of lemonade would be in her hand, and a tray full of amaretti cookies would be on the table beside her.Mrs. G.F.'s recipes are simply classic. Most are relatively easy to prepare, have a short list of ingredients, and are full of fresh taste and flavor. I have made MANY of Mrs. GF's recipes. Some of my absolute favorites are: Roast Beef with Mustard Paste and Onions (this is excellent for company and a great comfort meal! The aroma is simply heavenly when roasting!)Sesame Crusted Pork Tenderloin (OH yum!)Greek Village Salad (simple, delicious, and healthy!)Coconut Chicken
I am very blessed to live in a "real" neighborhood where I actually know and interact with my neighbors. We email and call each other often. We also hang out together on occasion! One such occasion happened last week when we had a rare occurrence of a moon eclipse.James, Donna, and their son came to hang out with us in our back yard to watch this spectacular event. While it was rather cloudy for most of the show, we did get a few amazing glimpses of the extraordinary celestial experience!Afterwards we went to the kitchen for some warm oatmeal snack cookies and homemade hot chocolate (my favorite frugal recipe!). Michael asked why I didn't make his favorite chocolate chip cookies, he seems to think those are the only permissible cookies in our house. But these cookies are "grown-up" cookies
Bananas are a gluten-free mommy’s best friend. They are easy to prepare for babies and toddlers alike. I love that they are available year round because I always have something to throw in the diaper bag for Jude (and now Dan) to eat. Banana is the ingredient of the week for [...]
Red Lobster used to be one of my all time favorite restaurants. When I was growing up, occasionally during summer break, my parents would take my sister and I to lunch at Red Lobster... I LIVED for those cheddary garlic biscuits that they served. I think could still eat a whole basket if it were placed in front of me. Just the aroma of that buttery, salty, cheesy, garlicky goodness makes my mouth water!We don't visit Red Lobster much anymore, in fact, I can't remember the last time I went... but I still remember those little cheesy biscuits.This recipe is so super easy I'm a little embarrassed to share it! You will LOVE these biscuits. There are infinite varieties on how you could make and serve them. I've served these biscuits with soup, I've made them without garlic to go with breakfast
Welcome To February’s Hot Smokin’ Edition of: Our Grill victim this month is Karen of Gluten Free Sox! We've caught Karen, just in time as she has switched her blog over to her new home at Wordpress. Her new address is at: ! Don't forget to update your favorites and readers! February 2008 Karen, of Gluten Free SoxGinger Lemon Girl: How long have you been gluten free Karen? Karen: I have been continuously gluten free since approximately May 20, 2007. Before that, I have been gluten free for a couple of months but then had to go back to eating it for testing. (Stupid thing to do, as the tests were still negative, but I’m sick when I eat it, healthy when I don’t. How long have you been a Red Sox fan? Since birth! LOL! That really isn’t a lie - when I was younger, I h
The ingredient of the week is butternut squash, which I had never tried before having kids. It really is wonderful for those who haven’t tried it. Butternut Squash makes great baby food! I will be making a puree for Big Dan (7 months) this week for him to try for the first [...]
It is a special man who will make a gluten free dinner for his wife, who isn't feeling good, even though he doesn't like to cook.Michael sweetly offered to make dinner one night last week when I had a migraine. I helped him to make the roux for the gluten free cream soup, but for the rest of the recipe, I cannot take any credit. He made everything. He even made that awesome crescent roll recipe for the top and bottom crust of this wonderfully delicious chicken pot pie!This is a great recipe to make when you know you will have leftover chicken in the week. We roasted a chicken earlier in the week, and then used the rest of the chicken meat for this excellent pie.This is ultimate comfort food and gluten free goodness at it's best! It is an easy dish to prepare, and elegant enough for company
I'm back with some cutie patootie Valentine's Day Red Velvet mini cupcakes.These little babies are actually smaller than your average mini-cupcake, so you can eat 2 or 3 without feeling an ounce of guilt!! These gluten free cupcake bites are also quite low in sugar and are very tasty! And they are just so darn cute to boot!I didn't eat red velvet cake growing up. We just didn't have it. I don't know why because it is so tasty and delicious. My only exposure to this delicacy was watching "Steel Magnolias" and seeing the groom's Red Velvet cake (one of those fun southern traditions), which was shaped like an armadillo.I wanted to make little cupcakes shaped like hearts for Valentine's Day with a cake that wasn't your average Joe -- which would be plain old chocolate at our house! So I decid
Want some ideas for some yummy, easy gluten-free Superbowl snacks?Here is a little round up of some great snack recipes I've run across that are completely gluten-free!Try them out and tell me what you think!Elise's Hot Crab DipElise's 7 Layer Bean DipElise's Perfect GuacamoleGinger Lemon Girl's Crispy Cheddar CrackersElise Paige's Artichoke Heart DipKarina's Crispy Potato Sticks with Roasted Tomato SalsaDairy-Free Spinach DipAlmost Instant Hummus GhanoushSusan's Gluten Free Chickpea CrackersRachel's Gluten Free and Dairy Free Buffalo WingsRee's Pico de GalloRee's Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno ThingiesRee's Amped Up QuesoMary Frances' Curried Sweet Potato FriesMary Frances' Garlic and Cheese BiscuitsCassandra's Fried OnionsCassandra's Baked Mozzarella SticksGluten Free Mommy's Refried BeansGluten
These puppies are good! I know I'm probably the 546th gluten free blogger who has now made them (and of course tweaked them slightly to my liking) but they are STILL worth blogging about!You've probably seen:Kate's version, so elegantly crispy and buttery both as crescents and croissants...Cassandra's version, some truly beautiful rolls using montina flour and creating some awesome looking cinnamon buns...Steve's version using blackberry jam and cream cheese rolled up inside (oh I've GOT to try that Steve!), and of course...The listing with the celiac delphi forums. Have I missed anyone else??These gluten free crescent rolls are soft and chewy. Buttery and yummy! Not exactly food for a fat-free diet, but awesome for a special occasion!! This is the only time this month that I broke the "
Is the probiotic VSL#3 gluten free?Reports of the probiotic VSL#3 may contain small amounts of gluten are quite disturbing to me because I have recommended it to many of patients. I have also taken it personally and recommended to my wife who has severe celiac disease complicated by the skin disorder dermatitis herpetiformis. So, I initiated an investigation. My research indicates flavored VSL#3, containing maltose derived from barley may not be gluten free, but the unflavored powder and capsule preparations are likely gluten free. I review my research and discuss my the importance of this issue as well as provide my opinions and recommendations regarding the use of VSL#3 below. Interestingly, the U.K. website for VSL#3 states it is not gluten free.What does the maker of VSL#3 say about i
Below is an email response to an inquiry my wife made to Horizon Organic about the presence of any gluten in their products. Since she has severe Celiac disease associated with the skin problem Dermatitis Herpetiformis she is extremely sensitive to even minute amounts of gluten that may be hidden in foods or be encountered as the result of cross contamination. The email response illustrates a couple of important problems or challenges those of us trying to follow a gluten free diet encounter. First, gluten like grain proteins are found in barley and rye, not just wheat. Wheat is required to be disclosed on foods but barley, rye and gluten are not. Second, there is not yet a U.S. recognized and accepted definition of "gluten-free". The FDA is working on this issue but there is a political b
Cookies are one of my favorite things about Christmas! I originally wanted to have an "online cookie swap" of sorts, but so many of us were already posting Christmas Cookie recipes, I thought it would be easier just to list them all and share them with everyone! I've done my "darndest" to find all the best gluten-free Christmas cookies out there, but if I accidentally missed one you would like posted, please let me know ASAP (email me at gingerlemon_girl(at)yahoo(dot)com)!! I promise I didn't miss you on purpose!! I've done a TON of searching (and editing and editing and editing and editing... Blogger and I have not been friends during this post!! But that's another story!!)The cookies have been separated into categories for your convenience. If you don't want to read through the entire list, simply click on a cookie category below and you will be taken directly to that set of cookies! (Please give a big Thank You to Casey Yandle, who helped me to get these links working c
The cold air blew into Raleigh today! This did nothing to deter my son. Jude wakes up every morning begging to go outside. As soon as I open the door he runs to the end of our driveway and holds out his hand waiting to be taken across the street. He then [...]
Is anyone else feeling a tad overwhelmed with the holiday season? I am sure no one feels like cooking (or planning to cook) anything this week. I have been gone for almost a week, so I am actually eager to get back in my own gluten-free kitchen. I never eat [...]
Since going gluten-free, I have wanted to stay home for the holidays. I am tired of negotiating which part of the meal will be gluten-free and figuring out what gluten-laden dishes/desserts the other family members “can’t live without.” I would love to be able to help my mother fix the Thanksgiving meal from [...]
I ended up going out of town for most of last week. My little babes are completely worn out from being at their Grandmother’s house. My mother owns a golf cart (yellow paint complete with flames) that has yet to grace a golf course I am sure; however it provides lots of entertainment [...]
I am going to keep it real simple this week as far as the menu planning goes! I am trying out recipes for Thanksgiving, so I want to make things easy as far as dinner is concerned. Mary Frances has chosen greens as the ingredient of the week!
Greens Everyday
Selection: Choose firm leaves with [...]
Living with celiac disease and diabetes can be a challenge, but you can manage them.
Celiac disease is linked with gluten protein in oats, wheat, rye and barley.
The nutrient absorbing lining of the small intestine, called villi, is damaged by the gluten.
This damage can result in diarrhea, vitamin deficiencies and weight loss.
The [...]
We finally got some much needed rain here in Raleigh. This year’s produce has not been as good! I really hope we continue to get the rain we need so we can have good produce next year.
Anyway, this week’s secret ingredient is broccoli, which is in season in North Carolina. Ginger Lemon [...]
Fried Rice is a great way to use up all those left overs in the fridge. A couple of important tips for making a great Gluten Free fried rice:
1. Rice should be cooked the night before and cooled in the fridge. Trying to cook fried rice with warm rice is a nightmare! It must be [...]
October is flying by! And, boy, is this time of year busy in my house! For one thing, my husband’s birthday is this weekend, which he will be spending at a kids’ Halloween party. haha. Our little Jude has been invited to a Halloween party that night, so the whole family is [...]
This week’s secret ingredient in the Gluten Free Menu Swap is basil. Basil is a prominent herb in a variety of cuisines around the world, notably Italian, Thai, and Vietnamese.
A Few Notes About Basil
Varieties
There are more than 60 varieties- at least 12 can be cultivated for culinary use
Sweet Basil- by far the most popular; [...]
I would like to invite all my gluten-free friends to an exclusive menu planning session every week. I think it is a wonderful way to encourage each other’s recipes, ideas, and gluten-free cooking feats! After a bunch of us started posting our menu links every week over at Organizing Junkie, Mrs. G.F. and [...]
When I asked my six-year old son to give me a review on Glutino brand gluten free pizza flavored breadsticks the other night at dinner he did more than that. He left me laughing and with a great quote for my blog. To quote a six year old “They taste great AND they’re good for wood pecking” As the photo depicts, he found they not only taste great but you can tap them on the dinner table to reproduce the sound of the wood pecker that periodically assaults the side of our home. Breadsticks are one of those things you miss when you are following a gluten free diet. Glutino brand does make a decent tasting gluten free breadstick. However, they are a bit hard but when dipped in sauce or eaten with a salad they really give some satisfaction of a missing staple of our diet since going gluten free two years ago. Interestingly, if you look closely on the box however, the bread sticks are shown in front of a salad that contains CROUTONS! I believe I have ranted about the frustration of eat
You would think after being Gluten Free for 7 years I would have my diet totally under control and
NEVER get contaminated!
Well, in fact it is the opposite. I was more "Gluten Free' in my first few years than I am today!
You see as I learn to live with my Gluten Free diet and rarely have [...]
Now that we are all purchasing school supplies there are some of us who need to be especially careful when it comes to ingredients. There are many brands of school supplies that contain gluten, casein, and corn, dietary ingredients that I work very diligently to keep out of Little Pickel's diet.But, even touching those products can be cause for a dietary infraction because it does get on and into the skin. We have even had issues arise when Little Pickel has eaten Play dough but no one noticed because he simply let it sit on the roof of his mouth. They finally realized when he went to baby yoga and his tongue was blue.There are several sites that have this information so I will compile it for you and list the sites.From TACA Now Paints -- six colors (Crayola, Palmer, or Lakeshore brand) Crayola Washable Markers (large and small sizes) Crayola First Crayons or regular crayons (two pkg.) Crayola Model Magic in several colors (Do not use Playdough or Crayola Dough or any substitutes un
Recipe: Pizza Waffle Simple, easy & delicious!
By Lisa La Barre
Beverly Hills Nutritionist
labarrenutrition.com
Makes 4 servings
1 cup masa flour (or corn flour)
1 cup brown rice flour (or additional cup of corn flour)
1/4 C arrowroot
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp basil, dried
1/2 tsp garlic, powdered
———–mix dry ingredients well
1C milk, whole
1/2 C water, filtered
1/2 C [...]
Recipe: Juicy Chicken Breast (Gluten Free/Entree)
By Lisa La Barre
Beverly Hills Nutritionist
Serves 4
4 free-range organic chicken breasts
celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper
———salt & pepper raw chicken on both sides to taste
1 tsp ghee
———place ghee in frying pan and heat to medium
———place all chicken in pan & when it starts to sizzle time 3-4 mins. [...]
Trying to maintain a strict gluten-free diet can be frustrating. Hidden sources of gluten lurk everywhere. Salad dressings commonly contain wheat or gluten. It is nearly impossible to determine if restaurant salad dressing is safe. It is one of the many challenges of eating out for those of us on a gluten free diet. Gluten-free salad dressing packets however are an excellent option. Unfortunately many people on a gluten-free diet are unaware they are available. Skipping croutons that are put on most salads is just the first challenge. If your experience is like my patients and mine, it is common to have salads brought out with croutons despite specifically instructing the restaurant staff to leave them off. After pointing out the mistake some restaurant staff simply pick them off the salad before bringing it back to you. You then discover dreaded gluten breadcrumbs after you have eaten part of the salad realize you have been “glutened”. For many like my wife and several of my patie
One Pot Meals are amazingly easy & have the added benefit of being very helpful for anyone with a more sensitive stomach due to their marriage of multiple ingredients that are slow cooked.
Best used in Slow Cooker (Just throw ingredients in in the morning). When you get home—a delicious meal will await you!
Recipe
Rosemary-Thyme Ground [...]
A deliciously asian inspired omelette!
Asian Omelette
(2 - 4 servings)
Sauce:
2.5 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp Ume vinegar (optional)
1/2 tsp Fish Sauce (optional)
1 tsp sesame seeds (I like a mix of black & white for additional health benefits)
4 eggs - beaten & set aside
1 C - bean sprouts (mung)
1/2 C - frozen & thawed spinach [...]
This is the reason I have been neglecting my blog recently - Renovations! We were in our new apartment less than a month before we started ripping up carpet, pulling down cupboards and tearing out drywall. So far everything is going well, although it has taken some serious organization skills to live out of a [...]
Delicious & Easy Crab Dip
Serves 4
1 Can crab (Found at most health food stores.)
2 T Fresh Dill (NOT dried) Chopped
1 T Finely chopped red onion
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1/8 tsp black pepper (freshly ground is best) (or to taste)
2 tsp mayo
1/2 - 1 [...]
La Barre Nutrition Health Benefits Comments:
Coconut is exceptional for weight loss, wrinkles & so forth.
The good fat in coconut oil also helps to slow down any of the sugars contained in this delicious smoothie.
This is an enzyme, vitamin & mineral rich smoothie.
Banana (in moderation) has many beneficial digestive enzymes.
Mango not only has beneficial enzymes, vitamins [...]
This recipe utilizes the wonderful health benefits of coconut oil such as;
weight loss
hypothyroid
wrinkles
(and so forth)
Makes approximately 4 (1 C) servings
1 T coconut oil (put in saucepan)
2 T organic popcorn kernels (put in saucepan w/ oil)
—Put lid to cover pan, turn heat to medium, shake kernels with coconut oil a couple of times at beginning to [...]
ooh so much news, I just don't know where to begin!
Since my last post, which I now see was 2 weeks ago, I have managed to have a birthday, have an even bigger birthday party, buy an apartment, move into it and all this whilst working full time and having our busiest week of the [...]
Since I began blogging, I have been reading Darren Rowse’s blog, ‘Problogger.’ He has a lot of useful tips for bloggers, so if you are a blogger or just a blog reader go check out his fantastic blog. He is hosting a ‘Top Five’ writing contest this week so to support his great [...]
Food, bacteria and yeast in the gut are increasingly being acknowledged by doctors to have a role in the development of a variety of chronic diseases. For years alternative and complementary health practitioners have been advocating various elimination diets and supplements for treatment of a myriad of illnesses and symptoms. Recently more medical researchers are seriously looking into science of food and gut bacteria and yeast causing illness. This research is more common in Europe than in the West because in the U.S. most of the research funding is linked to drug development. Since dietary treatment is not a drug pharmaceutical companies are generally not interested. Their deep pockets are not available to the research scientists working on food related illness who depend on pharmaceutical company funds to survive in academic medicine. However, Celiac disease affects 1%, food allergies 8%, gluten sensitivity 10% and various food intolerance 30-60%, so what we eat is important. Our g
:: Satay Chicken with Thai Cucumber Salad ::
Rice and/or Noodles
Place rice in small saucepan with 1 cup of cold water and 2 teaspoons of powdered chicken stock or curry flavouring. Cover and bring to the boil. Do not remove lid at any stage. Once boiling, remove from heat and cool for 10 mins – lid on. Next, place saucepan back on low heat and leave a further 10min. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Place noodles in saucepan and cover with boiling water. Allow to sit for approx 15-20min or until soft. Drain and serve.
Chicken Skewers – Baked then grilled
Dice chicken breast into bite sizes cubed and thread onto wooden skewers. Place on a baking tray and top with fresh garlic, salt and pepper, a dash of chicken stock. Drizzle with olive and bake in the oven on 350F for approx 10-15min. Turing half way through. Turn oven over to broil and grill a further 5 mins or until brown.
* If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 10mins before threading with chicken.
Thai Cucumber Salad
Using a
Catherine at ‘A Gluten Free Guide’ is having a Pizza Party!
When I first became Celiac/Coelaic I have to be honest and admit that I definitely missed pizza. Before becoming Coeliac I had worked at a wood fired pizza restaurant in Sydney, Australia. During that year I certainly enjoyed my fair share of delicious pizzas and developed a life long passion for pizza.
Below are my favorite Gluten Free re-creations of those delicious wood fired pizzas…
Garlic Pizza
Spread the pizza base with a good quality olive oil. Top with fresh garlic, parsley, a sprinkle of sale and a generous layer of shredded parmesan cheese. Cook in the BBQ or oven until crisp.
Bruschetta Pizza
Cover base of pizza with tomato paste. Layer with finely sliced roma tomatoes, fresh basil, spanish onion and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with a drizzle of basil oil, then top with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Chorizo Sausage Pizza
Spread a thin layer of tomato paste over pizza base. Next lay
Well our rainy season has arrived! So what better to do than start baking.
I decided to go with a childhood favourite of mine - Gluten Free Cornflake Cookies. I used one of my Mum’s old tried and true recipes with just a few changes to make it my own. I did some research on the internet and apparently these cookies we quite the popular treat in the 70’s. One women said she had waited to 10 years to find the elusive recipe!
So for all those people out there who were wondering about the delicious cookies they enjoyed in the 70’s.. here it is
Gluten Free Cornflake Cookies
Cookie Baking Tips
- When making cookies in order to ‘cream’ the butter and sugar, the butter needs to be a room temperature. If you are short for time, you can soften the butter in the microwave, but do it on low setting. If you do accidentally melt it (as I did yesterday) you just need to harden it again. You can do this by leaving it in the freezer for a few minutes (or outside in the sn
During the winter time at least once we week we have a ‘family’ dinner with all our friends. Last week we were lucky enough to have one of my very good friends from Australia cook for us. He was visiting Whistler and for over a month now has been making our taste buds water with talk of his infamous Balsamic Chicken.
Now there is some history to this dish, which I believe has quite a name for itself amongst a certain group of Aussies in Brisbane. Colin, the creator of this delicious delight, considers this his #1 winning dish to cook any time he needs to impress. He in turn passed the recipe onto his good friend Mikey, who in turn dazzled us with a stunning meal and some delicious wine.
And now to me… I pass on the recipe for all to enjoy. It is naturally Gluten Free and well worth saving for an evening with that special someone…
I hope you enjoy Balsamic Chicken as much as we have.
Happy Gluten Free Cooking
allergy cooking, balsamic, balsamic chicken, cooking, food, g
I love pizza!
In my freezer I always have a stash of Kinnikinnick Pizza bases. They are on the slightly expensive side at $2 per base, but I think that they are worth it and it is still cheaper to have a pizza at home than to go out. Plus mine are yummier.. is that a word?
Anyway, there are so many different combinations that you can use on pizza. I tend to just open up the fridge see what I can find and go from there. This week we had some left over roast lamb, some yellow peppers from a thai dinner, spanish onion from risotto night and fresh cheddar cheese which is always on hand. I love bringing a variety of ingredients together from a variety of different meals to create my own tasty surprise.
I have posted the recipe on GFL Cooking under Roast Lamb Pizza.
Enjoy!
Happy almost Thanksgiving! Thanks for joining me between brining the turkey and baking the pies.
This week's Food Blog of the Week is the Gluten Free Goddess. I really appreciate her gluten free since my mother-in-law has celiac. Cooking for her isn't much of a challenge, now that I've discovered all the gluten free mixes, pastas, breads and cereals at the health food store.
Gluten Free Goddess is blogged by Karina, an artist who loves to cook - or is she a cook who likes to paint? - living in the high desert of northern New Mexico with no TV. Karina also designs gluten free, vegetarian/vegan, and foodie art designs for Mucho Gusto! at Cafe Press.
Among all the bloggers with CafePress sites, I think she's among the best - good design, great graphicd, and she really fills up the front of the t-shirt. (Too many CafePress designers are skimpy on their designs.) Now if she'd only make some peanut and egg free designs for kids with other allergies. (Hint, hint - Boo Girl needs an
