Gluten Free Goodness

Avocado Banana Smoothie

2012-01-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in a magazine a few weeks back. I was a little hesitant to try it, but there was something about it that was intriguing too! I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy it was. Truth be told, it tastes just an orange julius.

1 avocado
1 banana
1/2 C Greek yogurt (I just used plain nonfat yogurt)
1/4 C honey
1 1/2 C orange juice
1 1/2 C ice cubes

Place everything in blender and blend until smooth. Add ice and pulse a few times. Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Reindeer Food

2011-12-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

Seriously addictive and extremely easy!!

Rice Chex cereal

White baking chocolate

Crushed candy canes

There really isn't a measured amount for this recipe, but this is what I used... 1 1/2 boxes of Rice Chex, one 24 ounce package of baking chocolate blocks and 10 candy canes. That gave me 125 mini muffin cups of reindeer food.

All you have to do is melt down the white chocolate (in a double broiler), pour over Rice Chex cereal and stir until all the cereal is completely covered. Then sprinkle your crushed candy canes over the top. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until cooled. I made mine for my kids' school class parties so I spooned a little into mini muffin liners to make it easy for the kids to handle.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake

2011-10-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

One of the food blogs I like to follow is Picky Palate. It is not a GF food blog, but many of her recipes have been very easy to convert. This is one of the latest of her recipes that I tried and they are delicious!! Happy Halloween everyone.

1 box Betty Crocker GF Yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
3.4 ounce box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1/2 cup sour cream
15 ounce can pumpkin
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream (start w 1/4 cup and add a little more cream if needed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a jelly roll pan with non stick cooking spray.
2. Place cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, pudding, sour cream and pumpkin into a stand or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
3. Place butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt, about 30-40 seconds. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until combined. Drizzle mixture evenly over cake then take a knife and run it through to swirl.
4. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through and remove. Place powdered sugar and cream into a large bowl and mix until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over warm cake then let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares. Refrigerate if not serving same day. Enjoy with milk!

Makes 16 to 20 squares

Chocolate Pumpkin Wafers

2011-10-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

These were so easy! I just took some baking chocolate and melted it down in a double broiler, filled the bottom of the silicone pumpkin mold with about a teaspoon of melted chocolate, sprinkled some sprinkles on top and let them chill for about 15 minutes. Remove from mold and voila, you have cute little pumpkin wafers! These are for the kids to pass out to their classmates.

Candy Corn Jell-O Pumpkins

2011-10-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

How fun are these for the kiddos for a Halloween treat? I can't even remember when or how I came across the recipe, I just remember bookmarking it earlier this year. The kids were pretty stoked to come home and find these on the counter!! The molds were 40% off at Joann's this week so I picked me up this fun pumpkin mold.

Prepare a flexible silicon mold by spraying lightly with PAM cooking spray, or wiping each mold cavity with a little vegetable oil. Follow by wiping each mold cavity with a clean paper towel. This method will leave the slightest reside which will aid in un-molding the gelatin without affecting the taste or appearance of your gelatin.

Place the mold on a stable, movable flat surface, such as a cookie sheet or cooling rack (make sure it fits into your refrigerator).

Prepare milk layer.

Milk layer

1 cup water

2 envelopes Knox gelatin

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can)

Pour water in a small saucepan, and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two. Heat over low heat until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sweetened condensed milk.

Transfer the mixture to a microwave safe bowl. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the condensed milk mixture into each mold cavity. Place the mold in the refrigerator and chill until fully set, about 30 minutes. Make sure you over the bowl with the remaining milk mixture with cellophane. Wrap a towel around the bowl to further conserve heat.

Prepare the orange layer

Orange Layer

1 cup water

1 envelope Knox gelatin

1 box orange flavored gelatin dessert mix

Pour water in a small saucepan, and sprinkle with the Knox gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two. Heat over low heat until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the orange gelatin dessert mix and stir until fully dissolved.

Spoon about a tablespoon of the orange gelatin mixture into each mold cavity, over the chilled white layer. Return the mold to the refrigerator and chill until fully set, about 40 minutes.

When the orange layer is fully set, unwrap your bowl containing the milk gelatin mixture, and stir in a few drops of yellow food coloring. If the mixture is clumpy, microwave it for 15-20 seconds (make sure it doesn’t get too hot, or it will melt the set gelatin).

Spoon in a teaspoon or two of the yellow milk gelatin mixture into the mold cavities. You can fill to the top. Refrigerate until fully set. These little beauties can be made a day in advance.

To serve, unmold.

I got about 24 pumpkins out of this recipe.

Mac-n-Cheese

2011-10-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

My sister has introduced me to Pinterest and I am in recipe heaven!! I have found a few that I would like to convert to be Gluten Free. This is one of them. All I had to do was switch out the noodles. The recipe comes from here. My little man says he loves it and wants it again tomorrow!!

2 cups dried GF pasta
2 cups 2% milk (next time I think I will use 2 1/2 C milk to make it more creamy and less sticky)
1 cup loosely packed shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dijon mustard

In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.

Turn heat off, add cheese & salt & and stir to combine. Stir in the mustard a little at a time to taste. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes, then stir again and serve.

If you would like to bake it at this point, place in a baking dish and top with a generous sprinkling of cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes until cheese has melted.

Makes enough for 4 people with no leftovers (can easily be doubled).

Never on Sunday, Sundae

2011-09-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

My sister spent a few weeks with us this summer. She whipped up this very tasty ice cream cookie sundae. She just used the cookie recipe from here. For the sundae recipe, instead of making lots of individual cookies, you just need one or two 8-9 inch round cake pans. Line them with parchment paper, divide the cookie dough in half and spread evenly into both pans. Bake as directed in cookie recipe or until cookie is golden brown and done looking. Let cool slightly and then top with favorite sundae toppings...ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, whipped topping and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

**You only to make half a batch of cookie dough to get two 8-9 inch round cookies.

Never on Sunday, Sundae
1/2 batch of cookie dough recipe (here)
Chocolate sauce
Caramel sauce
Whipped topping
Cinnamon and sugar

Salsa Chicken

2011-09-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

My sister called me the other day and mentioned that she was trying this new recipe. I told her to let me know how it turned out. Yep, good enough that I got a phone call saying I had better try it! So here it is. Thanks for sharing Cozy!! The recipe came from here, and I switched out the creamed soup for a GF version.

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 C creamed soup mix (found here)
1 1/4 C water
1-2 tsp GF chicken bullion or chicken paste
1 cup salsa
1 TB taco seasoning
1/2 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup sour cream
optional: grated cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top when serving

Directions:
Add dry soup mix, water and chicken bullion on stove top and cook until blended and thickened slightly. Place chicken, soup, and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. If shredding the chicken, pull the breasts out and shred; return back to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream and continue cooking until everything is heated through. Serve over rice.

Texas Sheet Cake

2011-09-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

This is like eating a little piece of heaven!! I won't publicly admit how often we have been eating this at our house lately!! It is that good.

Texas Sheet Cake
2 C GF flour (I use featherlite)
2 C sugar
1 ¾ tsp xanthan gum
1 C butter
½ C cocoa
1 C water
½ C buttermilk
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together sugar and GF flour and xanthan gum and set aside. On the stove top, combine butter, cocoa and water and bring to a boil. Pour over flour mixture, mix together and cool slightly. Stir in buttermilk and add eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Pour into a greased baking pan (18 x 13 x 1). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Frosting
½ C butter
¼ C cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 TB milk
16 oz. powdered sugar

Melt butter and add remaining ingredients. I only add enough powdered sugar until I reach the desired consistency of frosting that I am after. If you want a very moist and gooey cake, then spread the frosting on the cake right out of the oven so that it melts into the cake. If you want more of a brownie effect, let the cake cool and then spread frosting on top. (Don’t make the frosting to thick for this option as it will tear up the top of the cake.)

Optional ingredients to add as toppings…
Strawberries
Chocolate Syrup
Powdered sugar

Chicken and Crackers

2011-08-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

I was cruising through Costco the other day and they were sampling these little snacks. I got really excited when I realized how easy these would be to pack up for school lunches!!

1 13 oz.can of Chicken Breast (I used Costco's brand)

Mayonnaise (I like to use the one with olive oil in it)

Garlic powder

Ground black pepper

Crunch Master multi-grain Gluten Free crackers (can be bought at Sam's or Costco)

Drain water from chicken. Add enough mayonnaise to moisten chicken. Add garlic powder and pepper to taste.

Spoon onto crackers and enjoy. Refrigerate any leftover chicken mixture.

**The following day we added some dill relish to the leftover chicken and it was awesome!!

Key Lime Cupcakes

2011-08-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

I had a friend call me and ask me if I thought she could makes these cupckaes GF? I am always nervous to give my opinion on a recipe if I have never tried it or had a chance to experiment with it. I went ahead and gave her some GF flour and some xanthan gum and wished her luck!! She sent some finished cupcakes over to the house later that night and they were so moist and yummy. The original recipe comes from Bon Appetit (which is not GF). The recipe listed below is the changes made to make it GF. The recipe yields about 15-18 cupcakes.

Key Lime Cupcakes

1 3/4 C Featherlite Flour mix

1 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel

1/4 teaspoon neon-green food coloring

3/4 cup buttermilk

FROSTING

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk flour, soda and xanthan gum in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time and then add the next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Add in flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk until well mixed. Spoon about ¼ C batter into each liner.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.

For the frosting, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

**I just used Betty Crocker’s already made Cream Cheese flavored frosting and added the grated lime peel.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

2011-05-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things happen at just the right moment. I got my weekly email from KRAFT with this recipe and I was in desperate need of a quick treat for a piano recital tonight... viola!! I had everything on hand so we were good to go! These are way easy and a GREAT treat for the kids to do mostly by themselves, maybe just a little help from mom or dad with the stove top for melting the chocolate. I altered the recipe just a little bit, so if you want to see the original, click here. I had found chocolate marshmallows at Walmart the other day so we dipped both the white and the chocolate marshmallows.

7 squares of baking chocolate (I used Kroger Brand from Smith's)
35-40 JET-PUFFED Marshmallows
Multi-colored sprinkles

Melt chocolate on the stove top in a double broiler.
Dip marshmallows, 1 at a time, in chocolate, turning to evenly coat each marshmallow. Gently shake off excess chocolate ( I used two toothpicks for this process).
Place in single layer on sheet of waxed paper; top with sprinkles Refrigerate 20 min. or until chocolate is firm.

Brazilian Cheese Rolls - Pao de Queijo

2011-05-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

I can't remember how I came across this recipe, but I am so glad I did!! It comes from Our Best Bites. I have made two batches in two days and my sister has made 4 batches just today they are that yummy. It takes a little less than 30 minutes to make a batch and the finished product is so light and fluffy that it will be hard to eat just one, or two or maybe even three!

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo}
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese*

**You can use different combinations of cheeses...I used cheddar and monzarella . I also added a hint of garlic powder in the batter.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh.

Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.

Chocolate Ice Cream Bowls

2011-04-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun idea my sister shared with me (which she found here). My daughter is having a birthday party tonight and instead of doing cake or cupcakes, we are serving these chocolate bowls. How fun is that to have an edible ice cream bowl!!

Chocolate Ice Cream Bowls

24 oz. Milk Chocolate (I used Smith's brand Bark Coating)
Small package of water balloons
Parchment paper
***You will get about 7-10 chocolate bowls with this amount of chocolate

Wash balloons with soap and water before using. Blow up balloons to desired bowl size. On stove top, melt chocolate down in a double broiler (I just put water in a saucepan and placed a bowl that fit in the saucepan on top allowing the bowl to sit right above the hot water). Melt chocolate all the way until nice and creamy. Allow chocolate to cool as much as possible before dipping balloons otherwise when you dip the balloon in it, it will pop and explode sending chocolate everywhere!! I just left the chocolate in the bowl allowing for a deep reservoir of chocolate. Hold balloon by the knot at the top and slowly roll the bottom around in the chocolate. You will want to roll it enough times that you have a fairly thick coating of chocolate so that when it is time to remove the balloon, your shell won't collapse. Place balloons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I place a little pile of chocolate on the parchment paper for each balloon that will help keep the balloons from falling over and it makes a nice little 'plate like' bottom to the bowl. You can either let them set up in the fridge or place them in the freezer to speed things up. Once bowls are set up, take a pin or a pair of scissors and carefully puncture the balloon allowing the air to come out. Carefully remove balloon and you have a fancy little chocolate bowl!! Fill with your favorite flavor of ice cream and top with all your favorite toppings...have fun with it!!

Strawberry Slush

2011-04-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Summer is right around the corner and this smoothie/slushy is the perfect drink to have around. It is SO easy to make. My daughter is having a birthday party tonight and we will be serving it.

Strawberry Slush

32 oz. frozen strawberries
32 oz. strawberry yogurt
2 TB sugar
1-2 2 liters Strawberry soda.

Blend first three ingredients in blender. Freeze overnight (I use an empty 5 quart ice cream bucket). When ready to serve, break up slush in a punch bowl. Add enough strawberry soda until you have reached desired slush consistency. You can refreeze any leftovers.

Mini Sweet Peppers

2011-04-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

This is a new found favorite snack!! Even my three year old likes them. They are way easy to prepare.

Sweet Mini Peppers (I get mine at Costco)
Cream Cheese
Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning

Slice and clean out seeds from pepper. In a bowl soften cream cheese and add seasoning to taste.
Fill each pepper with cream cheese. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Pizza Birthday Cake

2011-03-25T09:11:00.003-07:00

I was surfing the web for a fun birthday cake idea for my little man (who turned 4 today), and I saw this one.

I think one of the reasons I fell in love with it is because on Friday's at our house it is pizza night, so this was very fitting!

Pizza Cake

1 GF yellow cake mix ( I used Betty Crocker's)

Frosting - add red food paste and a little bit of brown paste to give it more of the dark pizza sauce color)

Cheese: grated or finely chopped white baking chocolate
Pepperoni: Strawberry Fruit Roll-Up cut into circles
Pineapple: yellow DOTS cut in half
Green peppers: GUMMI BEARS cut into pieces
Hamburger: TOOTSIE ROLLS sliced
Parmesan Cheese: Finely grated white chocolate

Color your frosting. Cook cake as directed. If needed, level cake on top with a knife. I spread my frosting on while the cake is still slightly warm to give it that runny sauce look. Sprinkle on chopped white chocolate. Then add toppings as desired. Have fun with it and use any candy or treat that resembles a pizza topping! For that special final touch, place the pizza cake in a pizza box!!

Calypso Spinach Salad - Rumbi Island Grill Copycat

2011-03-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

We spent the last week and a half in Utah visiting family for spring break. We went to eat at Rumbi Grill and this is the salad I chose. It is so delicious!! I would like to figure out how to make my own Balsamic Vinaigrette that tastes just like theirs, but until then, I just bought Smith's Brand Private Selection Creamy Balsamic Light.

Baby spinach
Grilled chicken pieces
Bacon bits
Mandarin oranges
Feta cheese
Carrots - grated
Red onion finely diced
Caramelized walnuts ( I did not use these)
Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

Nutella Brownie Bites

2011-02-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

Rich, moist, chocolaty flavor. Definitely need a glass of milk with these little brownie bites!!

I got this recipe off of a blog I follow, which said this recipe comes from Sunset Magazine, but when I tried to find it there, had no such luck.

Nutella Brownie Bites

1/2 cup butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup Featherlite Flour Mix
½ tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 8 muffin cups in muffin tin. Microwave 1/2 cup butter to until melted. Add chocolate, stirring until melted. Add sugar and cocoa. Whisk in egg, vanilla, and salt. Add flour and stir until smooth. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups. Using a small spoon, make a depression in each portion of batter and spoon 1 tbsp Nutella into each brownie. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool for 10 minutes then remove brownies from muffin tin.

** I just sprayed my muffin tin with nonstick spray and I used my mini muffin tin and got 20 brownie bites. I used about ½ tsp Nutella per brownie bite

Homemade Refried Beans

2011-02-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

Tuesday is 'Taco Tuesday' at our house and the best part of that meal is the homemade refried beans. After eating these homemade beans, I can't bring myself to eat the 'stuff' they sell in the cans! This recipe took me a few times to get the flavor right to our liking. The more garlic powder and dried onions, the better! I am able to cook 2 C of dried pinto beans in my 4 quart crock pot on high in 4-5 hours. My crock pot cooks things really fast, so this time frame will vary with every crock pot. The amounts I have listed for the garlic, onions and salt are just a starting point. This is something you will have to experiment and adjust to your liking.

Refried Beans
Yield: 4-5 C refried beans
2 C dried pinto beans
2 1/2 quarts of water
1-2 TBS garlic powder or fresh minced garlic (This amount is really a personal preference)
1/4-1/3 C dried onions (This amount is really a personal preference)
2-3 tsp salt (This amount is really a personal preference) (but do not add this until after the beans are cooked and drained)

Place beans, garlic, onions and water in crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours.
When beans are soft, drain and reserve juices. Place beans in blender, add salt. If beans are to thick, add some of the reserved juices. Beans will thicken up as as they cool. May serve hot or refrigerate until needed.

Seriously the best beans ever!!

Bears on Cloud Nine (Jell-O Dessert)

2011-02-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

We are BIG Jell-O fans at our house! There are so many fun things you can do with Jell-O. This recipe comes from KRAFT foods.

Ingredients:

2 cups boiling water

2 pkg. (3 oz. each) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

4 C ice cubes

1/3 cup bear-shaped gummy candies (2 oz.)

Directions:
Add boiling water to gelatin mixes in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir 2 to 3 min. or until gelatin is slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice.

Pour all but 3/4 cup gelatin into 12 (5-oz.) clear plastic cups. Beat remaining gelatin with mixer on high speed 30 seconds or until fluffy and doubled in volume. Spoon over gelatin in cups.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Top with Gummi Bears.
.

Love Floats

2011-02-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine posted this idea on Facebook and it was too cute to pass up. It makes a great gift for teachers, friends or maybe even your spouse! I would have preferred to use white taffy, but could not find a store that had enough for the amount I needed to make this sweet treat....so I just used pink and red taffy.

This is what it should look like before you start gluing on the taffy...

Supplies Needed:

Glass cups ... any style or size...can be bought at the dollar store

Styrofoam balls cut in half (make sure you get a size to fit the glass you bought)

Pixy Sticks for the straw

Candy for the bottom of the glass (Hot Tamales, M&M's, Conversation Hearts, Sweet Tarts, Kisses)

Wrapped Salt Water Taffy (White would be preferred choice, but can do coordinating Valentine's colors)

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:

Fill the glass with candy, right up to the top. Make a hole in the styrofoam and slide pixy stick through. Hot glue styrofoam half to top of the glass. Hot glue taffy to the styrofoam ball in layers starting at the bottom and working your way to the top. Very easy and a fun project to do with the kiddos!

Happy Valentine's Day.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

2011-02-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine had a Hot Chocolate party the other day and it was the most amazing hot chocolate I have ever had!! It definitely puts the boughten stuff to shame. She shared the recipe with me and I had to pass it on! Enjoy...

Homemade Hot Chocolate
¾ C sugar
¼ C (heaping) cocoa powder, plain or dark chocolate depending on preference
Dash of salt
1/3 C hot water
4 C milk
¾ tsp vanilla

Place first four ingredients in pot on stove. Have milk and vanilla ready to add. Cook and stir on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, still stirring. Add milk, cook and stir until back up to desired temperature. Add vanilla, stir and remove from heat. Add marshmallow if desired.

**Can use 3 ¾ C milk and ¼ C heavy whipping cream.

Waffle Bowls

2011-01-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

Who needs Cold Stone when you can make you own delicious waffle bowls at home. These are so yummy and you can make just about any ice cream creation to go inside the waffle bowl!! I get about 15-20 waffle bowls from a full batch.

This recipe comes from eatingglutenfree.com (under the ice cream section)

Waffles Cones

3 eggs
¾ c. sugar
½ c. butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbs. vanilla
1 C. Featherlight mix
¾ tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder

Beat eggs, gradually adding sugar. Add cooled butter and vanilla. In other bowl, combine flour mixes, xanthan gum, and baking powder. Blend into egg mixture until smooth. Dough will be sticky. Drop by heaping spoonful onto a hot WAFFLE CONE baker. (can be purchased in some stores or online)

Bake as directed. (Usually for about 20 seconds.) Remove from baker and either roll around a waffle cone shaper or drape over an upside-down bowl or cup. The cone will harden quickly as it cools.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2011-01-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

Delicious...no other words...

I did use chopped ham this time only because we are still trying to use up leftover holiday ham. I also just added the salt and pepper to the seasoned crumb mix rather than sprinkling it on the chicken.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham
1/2 cup seasoned crumbs (recipe below)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with seasoned crumbs. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately.

Seasoned Crumb Recipe

1 1/2-2 C Rice Chex cereal (then place in bag and crush with a rolling pin)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 TB parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix together in a bag.

Seasoned Crumb Recipe

2011-01-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

Seriously the best breaded crumbs we have had in a VERY long time!!

Seasoned Crumb Recipe

1 1/2-2 C crushed Rice Chex cereal

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 TB parsley

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp garlic powder

Mix together in a bag.

Chicken and Ham Veggie Soup

2011-01-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

I love soup on cold days and I was looking for a way to use up some of our leftover ham from the holidays. This is a very flavorful soup.

4 C chicken broth
2 chicken breasts
1 large onion chopped
3 celery ribs chopped
1 C carrots chopped
1 14 oz. package frozen corn
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes
3/4 C chopped ham
1/4 C ketchup
1/2 TBS sugar
3 TBS red wine vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp dried marjoram (I used Oregano)
2 TBS taco seasoning.

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot. Add uncooked whole chicken breast, onion and celery. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add carrots, continue simmering for 15-20 more minutes. remove chicken from pot and let cool slightly. Shred chicken and put back in pot. Add all remaining ingredients, cover and simmer on low for 30 more minutes.

***Crockpot version
Cube chicken and brown in frying pan. Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until veggies are tender.

Chili Dip

2010-12-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

This recipe is one you can adjust to the size of crowd you would be feeding. (With what is listed below, I served 5 people - 1/2 C serving each and had about 2 C leftover)

3 cans of Hormel Chili (with beans)

1 8oz. Cream Cheese (cut into smaller chunks)

2 tsp. Taco Seasoning

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Chips for dipping

Add chili, taco seasoning and cream cheese chunks into crock pot. You are only cooking it long enough to melt down the cream cheese. If you are in a hurry, put it on high. I like to simmer mine for about three hours on low, stirring every thirty minutes. Before serving you can add grated cheese to the entire batch, or serve it separately on the side.

Caked Oreo's

2010-12-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe over here at Picky Palate. Her version is NOT GF, but I switched a few things to make them work for us. I chose to use a GF cake mix rather than the brownie mix. The cake mix tends to be a bit more runny which makes covering the Oreo's a little easier. They are DELICIOUS!! These little cakes are simple to make and very adaptable for any holiday or occasion.

1 Brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake Mix)
1 package GF Oreo's (I used Kinnikinnick Brand)
White chocolate, melted for drizzle
Sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake/brownie batter according to package directions. Leave in mixing bowl. Dip Oreos in cake/brownie batter, then place in bottom of cupcake tins that have been generously sprayed with cooking spray. (I used cupcake liners in mine instead of spraying them. I do not enjoy cleaning/washing cupcake pans!) Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cake/brownie is cooked through (doesn’t take long). As soon as you remove, take a plastic knife and run along edges if not using liners, (this is VERY important so you can get the cake/brownie and cookie out together.
2. Let cool for 5 minutes, remove and drizzle with melted white chocolate and add sprinkles.
Enjoy !!

** There are only about 21 cookies in the Kinnikinnick Oreo package, so I just made candy cane cupcakes with the rest of the batter. (I smashed a bunch of candy canes and stirred them in into the batter).

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

2010-12-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

I seriously cannot believe that I have not posted this recipe....We use it all the time!! I LOVE the Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce, and a couple of years ago I received a collection of recipes in a cookbook that has a imitation version of their alfredo sauce. It is SO good, you almost don't miss the bread sticks !!

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

1 pint of Heavy Whipping Cream

1 cube of real butter
2 TB Cream Cheese
1 tsp garlic ( a like to use about 2 tsp)
½ - ¾ C Parmesan Cheese
**I like to add Black Pepper (add to your liking)

Melt together whipping cream, butter and cream cheese. Add garlic and parmesan cheese. Simmer together for 15 minutes or until smooth. Will thicken slightly. Pour over cooked pasta. We like to add chicken and sometimes broccoli.

**My personal opinion...Trader Joe's has the best Brown Rice Noodles. In our area you can get a 16 ounce bag for $1.99. That is the cheapest price for the best tasting noodle!!

Holiday Popcorn

2010-12-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

This is a easy holiday treat. All I did was pop up some popcorn, drizzled white chocolate and milk chocolate all over it and then sprinkled crushed cashews and red hots on it. This is just the beginning of many possibilities. You can add just about anything to this....M&M's, marshmallow, peanuts, dried cranberries...be creative!! Fill a holiday tin or a cute treat bag and tie it off with some curling ribbon. Makes for a great gift.

Popped popcorn (I used 1 cup of kernels)

Milk Chocolate (2 cubes)

White Chocolate (2 cubes)

Crushed Cashews

Pop popcorn and try to remove as many loose kernels as possible. Spread out evenly over a large baking sheet. Melt chocolates (separately) in double boiler (I made my own by placing a bowl over a small sauce pan filled with water. Turn heat to medium high). Drizzle melted chocolate over popcorn. If using any other mix-in, add them now. Place baking sheet in a cool/cold place and let chocolate set.

Gooey Pumpkin Bars

2010-11-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

These are soooo yummy!! A friend brought some over this past weekend that were not GF and they were delicious. I asked her for the recipe. It turns out it is one of Paula Deen's recipes. All I did was switch out the cake mix for a GF one and voila!! They can be served with or without cool whip.

Cake:
1 Betty Crocker GF Yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar (equals 2 C)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Twinkies

2010-10-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is just my own made up version of a Twinkie...

1 Betty Crocker Yellow or Chocolate Cake Mix

1 jar of Marshmallow Cream

1 silicone baking pan

Follow the mixing and baking instructions on cake mix. After they are done baking, remove cake bars and let them cool. Then I used a wooden skewer (for barbequing shish kabobs) to make three holes in the bottom of the Twinkie. Fill a frosting bag with marshmallow cream and with a rounded tip squeeze marshmallow creme in each hole until you start to see the Twinkie swell. There you have it!!

My New Baking Friend

2010-10-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have put this fantastic pan to use over the past few weeks. It makes the perfect size snack / treat for the kids. It really works great with a lot of the cookie recipes because the cookies cannot run or puddle therefore making a very presentable cookie. I purchased it at Hobby Lobby and I would definitely recommend it!! It costs about $15, but if you use their 40% off coupon it is closer to $8. We have made cookie bars, twinkies, banana bars and zucchini bars with it. Next up is some cornbread sticks for dippin' in some chili!!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2010-10-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Just in time for fall and the upcoming holidays. There is something about pumpkin, cream cheese and chocolate all together at the same time! They freeze well (without the frosting) and they are super moist and yummy. Even without frosting on top they are a very delicious cookie. I have to thank my friend Erin for sharing this recipe with us.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 cup shortening, (butter flavored) (I used softened butter)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree,
2 cups GF Flour (Four bean flour) (I used Featherlite)
1tsp Xanthan Gum
1 tsp Egg Replacer (did not use)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 vanilla pudding, instant, 3.4 oz. package (sugar free optional)

Icing
1 16 oz. cream cheese, container of frosting
maple flavoring to taste or make cream cheese frosting from scratch and add maple flavoring
I just used cream cheese flavored frosting

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter flavored shortening and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla then stir in the pumpkin puree.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla instant pudding mix; gradually mix into the pumpkin mixture. (The dough will be very tacky and you may want to add ⅓ to ½ cup flour to the mix to be able to roll the dough and to adjust for high altitude to keep the cookies from spreading out as much when they bake).
4. Roll into walnut sized balls and place them two inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes in preheated oven, until lightly browned at the edges. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

**I ended up using about 2 ½ -2 ¾ c of flour.
I also like to add about a half a bag of chocolate chips

Three Beans and Bacon over Rice

2010-10-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

The best way to describe this recipe is it tastes just like Bush's Baked Beans or Pork n Beans.

1/2 lb Bacon cut into small pieces ( I used turkey bacon)
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 C Onion
1/2 C Ketchup
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp-1/4 C Dijon Mustard
3 cans of different beans, rinsed and drained ( I used black, pinto and northern white beans)
1/2 C beef broth
4 C cooked rice

1. Fry bacon until crisp.
2. Brown hamburger and onion and drain.
3. Add next 7 ingredients and simmer on stove for 1 hour.

Serve over cooked rice.

Chicken Stir Fry

2010-09-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from The Dr. Oz Show. It is very easy, quick and pretty tastey.

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ onion, chopped
4 tsp of fresh ginger, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 cups of multi grain rice, cooked
4 cup of fresh spinach
4 tsp of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Directions
Cook rice according to directions on box. Heat skillet, add onion, celery, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add cooked rice, spinach and chicken and toss. Season with salt and pepper and chopped parsley. Serve.

** Multi grain rice was rather expensive, so I bought a small box of wild rice, then with the brown and white rice I had at home I mixed them all together to make 2 C of multi grain. I cooked mine in my rice cooker according to the directions in the manual for brown rice.

Cupcake Cones

2010-09-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Moist, yummy, and leaves you wanting more....

Cupcake Cones

1 Box Betty Crocker GF Yellow or Devils Food Cake mix

12 GF ice cream cones (I get mine at Sunflower Market...'Let's Do Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones' is the brand name)

Frosting of your choice

Mix cake per directions on package. Fill each cone about 2/3 full. I place mine in a muffin tray. Very carefully move pan to oven and bake 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean). Let cool before frosting. Store any leftovers (if any!!) in airtight container.

Gold Fish Crackers

2010-08-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Back to school means back to thinking about and making snacks...I came across this recipe for goldfish crackers. It sounded so easy and simple and it was!! I didn't have a fish cutter, so for today is was hearts of gold!! I would definitely like to try these again but maybe add a little garlic powder and some parmesan cheese.

4 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
4 Tbs. Butter (Softened just a tiny bit)
3/4 c. Cornstarch
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 Tbs. Milk
Topping: salt, dried herbs or spices if desired

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. (Parchment paper works well too)
Combine all the ingredients, except the milk, in a medium size-bowl. Mix until the mixture resembles a fine crumb. Add the milk and beat well.
On a lightly greased surface (I rolled mine between two pieces of wax paper), pat or roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 3/4 inch squares or another small shape that you like. You can also cut the dough into larger round or square shapes, just extend the cooking time.

Prick the tops of the crackers with a fork and sprinkle lightly with your desired topping (I just used salt).
Bake on the prepared baking sheet until golden brown and crisp, approximately 10 minutes. The crackers will be light and crispy, although barely browning at the edges. The bottom of the crackers will have a bit more color.

Pita Bread Pockets

2010-07-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

These pita bread pockets turned out really well. The first few I rolled out were a little on the small side, but I made the last two much bigger and they held a lot more of the yummy sandwich stuffing. We tried it with chopped up turkey lunch meat as well grilled barbequed chicken. My husbands last words were: "we can definitely have these again!"

Pita Bread

1 pkg yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1/2 C warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 C brown rice flour
1/2 C tapioca flour
1 C sorgum flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 C warm water
1 egg or 1 TBS ground flaxseed mixed with 3 TBS warm water

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 C warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let stand for 10-15 minutes unitl water is frothy.

Combine flours, xanthan gum and salt in large bowl using a heavy duty mixer (Bosch or Kitchen Aid). Pour in yeast mixture and egg and mix on meduim for 2 minutes. Add enough water so that dough is soft and tacky, not liquid.

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn upside down so all dough is oiled. Allow to sit in a warm place for about 2-3 hours or until it has increased in size.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Using bottom rack of oven, place baking sheet in oven as it preheats.

Pinch of 12 small pieces of dough and place them on a floured surface. Roll each ball into a circle about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick. Place several circles on preheated baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes (until bread puffs up). Turn over and bake for an additional 2 minutes. Remove pitas from baking sheet with spatula. Serve immediately.

Fill pitas with favorite sandwich condiments...lettuce, meat, cheese, olives, pickles, mayo and mustard.

FYI:
I use SAF instant yeast which does not need to be proofed. So I added the dry yeast and sugar to the dry ingredients. Then when the recipe calls for the liquids, that is when I added the 1/2 C warm water, egg and remaining 1/2-1 C warm water.

Sweet Italian Sausage with Zucchini and Tomatoes

2010-06-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

This has been an awesome summer addition to our dinners. There is just something great about tomatoes and sausage together! Even my three year old had multiple servings.

6 links Whole Ranch Sweet Italian Sausage (I just used the horseshoe shaped ones I get from Sam's or Costco)

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4-6 large garlic cloves finely chopped

3 TBS fresh oregano finely chopped (or 1 TBS dried oregano)

1 pound of zucchini cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 pound mixed red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half (I only had red)

1/2 C chopped fresh basil (I used about 1 1/2 tsp dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare sausages according to package directions, either in a sauté pan or on the grill. While they are cooking, heat olive oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and oregano, stir for a few seconds, then add zucchini and cook 3 to 5 minutes.

When sausages are cooked, cut into large bite-sized pieces and add to pan along with tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until tomatoes are just softened, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a large platter and serve.

**The first time I made this I followed the directions as outlined above. I felt like between the olive oil and the grease from the sausage in was a bit to much. So the second time I did not use the olive oil. I just cooked the sliced sausage pieces until heated through and then add the remaining ingredients and followed the remainder of the recipe as above.

Crispy Herb Baked Chicken

2010-06-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Crispy Herb Baked Chicken

2/3 C dry potato flakes
1/3 C grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1 TB Italian seasoning
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
3 lbs of chicken, skin removed, cut into pieces (I used boneless, skinless breasts)
1/3 C olive oil

Heat oven to 375°. Grease or line with foil a baking sheet or a 9 x 13 baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken and oil. Stir until well mixed. Dip
chicken into oil and then roll in potato flake mixture to coat. Place in prepared pan.
Bake 45-60 or until chicken is golden brown.

Black Bean Brownies

2010-06-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

These brownies are flour less and are made out of black beans. This recipe came from the Whole Foods Application on our iPod. I would say they have much more of a fudge texture than a brownie texture, but not bad at all, just VERY rich. They were easy to make...just put everything in the blender and pour into the pan.

1 15 oz. can of black beans rinsed and drained (no salt added)

3 large eggs

1/3 C melted butter

1/4 C cocoa powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C + 2 TB sugar

1/2 C semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place first 6 ingredients into blender. Process until blended smooth. Stir in chips and nuts. Pour into greased or sprayed 8x8 pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes (until cooked in the center).

Remove and cool.

*I did not have unsalted beans, so I just omitted the 1/8 tsp salt.

Crepes

2010-06-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

My brother's wedding is coming up and the gal in charge of making the desserts called and asked me for a GF crepe recipe. I had made some in the past by just switching out the flour for a GF flour blend. Knowing that it would be a hassle for her to go and find all the flours she would need, I thought there has to be other versions out there. Sure enough...thank goodness for Google Search! This recipe was the most common one I kept finding. It calls for very few ingredients and tasted awesome! The great thing about crepes is that they are very versitile. You can make them with fruit and cream, cheeses, thinly sliced meats or meats and cheeses together. Since I had some fresh raspberries in the fridge, that is what we used.

2 eggs
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon oil
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cornstarch

In a blender, combine eggs, milk, corn oil, salt and cornstarch; blend 30 seconds or until smooth.

I have a crepe maker which works really nice. If you do not have one you can use the following method.

Spray small nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat well over med-high heat. Pour about 2 T batter into center of skillet, rotating quickly to evenly coat pan. Cook about 30 seconds until the edges begin to brown and pull away from pan. Carefully turn crepe; cook 30 seconds longer. Slide out of skillet onto holding dish. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes about 10 six-inch crepes. Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Fill crepe with your choice of fruit and cream, meat and or cheese and roll up.

Crockpot Peanut Clusters

2010-06-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

2 lbs salted dry roasted peanuts
4oz Bakers German Sweet Choc
1 12 oz pkg semisweet choc chips
2 ½ lbs of white almond bark ( I used white baking chips)
Cupcake or candy liners

Put the peanuts in bottom of a 4 quart crock pot. Layer the chocolate over the peanuts starting with the
German sweet choc, choc chips, and then the almond bark. Cook on low for 3 hours.

DO NOT STIR MIXTURE

After 3 hours stir mixture with wooden spoon until smooth. Drop the candy into cupcake liners (I used
candy liners) Allow candy to cool completely before removing liners.
Makes 30 to 40 pieces with cupcake liners.
( I made half a batch and filled small candy liners with 1 TBS of peanuts. I didn't count, but it was enough to line an entire cookie sheet.)

Marshmallow Popcorn

2010-05-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

There is only one problem with this fabulous treat....it is really quite addicting!! This is a family favorite, especially on a movie night. I can't believe I haven't posted this until now. We have two versions of this ooey gooey delight. Marshmallow (which is a lot like a rice crispy treat) or Caramel Popcorn.

Marshmallow Popcorn

1 bag of mini marshmallows

1 stick of butter

2 bags of microwave popcorn (or 3/4 C of kernels air popped)

I like to sift out all the unpopped kernels so we don't have any broken teeth! Melt butter and then add marshmallows. When all is melted together, pour over popped popcorn. Spread out on a greased cookie pan and let cool. Try not to eat it all at once!!

For Caramel version, follow as above, just add 3/4 C brown sugar to butter and marshmallows. Place in oven at 350 degrees and bake for just a few minutes to give it a crispy crunch!

Angel Food Cake

2010-05-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! This recipe was SOOO yummy! Let's just say that there are no leftovers. This recipe comes from Eating Gluten Free.

Angle Food Cake

1 1/2 c. egg whites (10 - 12 large)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. potato starch
1/2 c. corn starch
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest or almond flavoring (optional)

Let egg whites sit in a large mixing bowl until room temperature. Thoroughly sift together the powdered sugar and starches, sifting 2 or 3 times.

Add cream of tartar and vanilla to egg whites. Beat until soft peaks form, then slowly add sugar (2 - 3 Tbs. at a time) and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold dry ingredients into the egg whites, 1/2 cup at a time. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Use a knife to gently cut through the batter to release any large air pockets.

Bake on the lowest rack of a 350° oven for 40 - 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched. Remove cake from oven and turn upside down, in pan, to cool. Cool completely, then loosen cake from the sides of the pan. Remove from pan and serve with Fresh strawberries and whip cream.

Dirty Rice

2010-05-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

I can't take credit for this recipe. My sister Michelle passed this one on to me and it was delicious!

Thanks Sis.

Dirty Rice

1/4 cup Oil

1/4 cup Flour (rice or sweet rice flour)

2 oz Butter

1 Onion finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves crushed

1 Green Pepper

1 Celery Stalk

6 oz of Chicken breast cubed

8 oz of Sausage Sliced (I used Hillshire Farms Polska Kielbasa Sausage)

2 tsp Chicken Stock Powder

1 tsp Tabasco Sauce

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Dried Thyme

1/2 tsp White Pepper...I just use Black

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

2 Cups Long Grain Rice

3 Cups Chicken Stock.

Heat oil in pan, when hot, sprinkle with flour, mix together and whisk for 3 or four minutes, (whisking continuously) until the mixture is nut brown in color, but not burnt. Remove the roux from the pan to stop further cooking.

Heat the butter in a pan and add onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery. Cook stirring often for five minutes, or until the the veggies are soft, but not browned. Transfer to a plate.

Add the chicken and pork to the pan and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Return veggies to the pan and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in the Roux, Stock Powder, Tabasco, the garlic and onion powder and the herbs and spices. Stir well for a minute or two.

Then stir in the rice and chicken stock. Bring slowly to a boil, reduce heat to very low and simmer, stirring often for thirty minutes, or until the rice is tender. Serve immediately.

Dijon Mustard Pasta

2010-04-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

The first time I made this recipe, I made the whole thing...way to much for one meal! The second time I halved it and that was about the perfect amount for our family of five with enough leftovers for Jon's lunch. It is very rich and creamy. Shout out to my sister Michelle for sharing this recipe!! If you are on a diet or counting calories and fat grams, this recipe is not for you! I feel like meals like this are okay once in a while.

I have noted the changes I made in red (only because those were the ingredients I had on hand when making this recipe)

Dijon Mustard Pasta
Sauce (Full recipe listed below, I would recommend halfing it)
7 ½ tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 ¾ tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ¼ cup chicken broth
2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 ¼ cup milk (3 C 1% milk, (more or less depending on desired thickness of sauce) combined with cream cheese)
2 ½ tablespoons dijon mustard
5 tsp. fresh rosemary (oregano)
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 ¼ tsp. fresh thyme
¾ tsp cayenne pepper
4½ cups of heavy whipping cream (replaced with 8 oz. of lowfat cream cheese)
2 ½ cup parmesan cheese
2 cooked breast cut in bite size pieces
6 slices of bacon cooked cut in 1” pieces
16 oz. of dried GF penne pasta, cooked as directed on package

1. Melt butter and garlic (don’t brown).
2. Dissolve cornstarch in small amount of chicken broth.
3. Add all sauce ingredients EXCEPT FOR PARMESAN CHEESE, stir with a whisk; and simmer about 10 minutes until thickened.
4. Stir in 2 ½ cup parmesan cheese, set aside.
5. Layer cooked pasta with chicken and bacon in a well sprayed casserole dish.
6. Spoon sauce over top.
7. Top with additional 1/4 C parmesan cheese mixed with paprika (to add color).
8. Cook at 475 ̊F for around 10-15 minutes until bubbly.

Cheeseburger Chili Macaroni

2010-04-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Cheeseburger Chili Macaroni

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin ( I just used ground beef)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1 to 2 cups beef stock (depending on how liquid-y you want it)
• 1 16 oz. Pkg. GF noodles
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar (the sharper the better!)

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.
Heat 2TB of Olive oil in pan and brown the beef. (I did not use any oil with the ground beef)

Add the onion and chili powder to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the ketchup, mustard and beef stock to the pot, bring up to a bubble and simmer until slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
While the chili is working, salt the boiling water and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions then drain thoroughly and return it to the pot.

Add the chili to the pot with the pasta and give everything a good toss. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese. Place the casserole under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese. Serve with a simple salad alongside.

Hawaiian Style Meatballs

2010-04-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

Meatballs:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup GF rolled oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
A few grains pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Form into golf ball sized balls. Place in sprayed casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degree F. for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice and with a veggie or salad on the side.

Sauce:
2 Tbs. Cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1 can pineapple tidbits
Chopped green, red and orange bell pepper (about 1 1/2 C or desired amount)

Mix cornstarch and brown sugar. Drain pineapple juice into mixture with the vinegar and soy sauce. Cook until thickened. Add peppers and pineapple, then pour over meatballs. Follow baking intructions (above).
Serve over rice.

Variation:
I like to make a triple batch of just the meatballs and freeze them so I can just pull them out of the freezer at any time. I will usually bag them in groups of 24.

So for this recipe, I will put the meatballs in the crockpot with the pineapple and peppers and cook on high 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours. About a half an hour before serving, cook up the sauce on the stovetop until thickened and add to the crockpot . Let simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Glazed Poppy Seed Cake

2010-03-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go to a cooking party the other night and this cake was served. It was absolutely fabulous. The recipe can be found on several blogspots (here and here to name a few). The only conversion I had to make was switch out the cake mix for a Betty Crocker GF yellow cake mix. This is something I would be proud to bring to any function and know that it tastes great and presents itself very well.

Glazed Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

1 yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker GF)
1 (3.5 oz) box of instant vanilla pudding
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup pineapple or orange juice (I used pineapple)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs

Mix yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding and poppy seeds. Add juice, oil, and sour cream and mix. Add 4 eggs one at a time, mix well.
Pour batter into a sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes (don't over bake).

When the cake is about 10 minutes from being done start the glaze.

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 cube)

Bring ingredients to a boil and keep bubbling until ready to pour over cake. You can either pour the glaze over the cake while it is in the pan or turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and pour the glaze over the cake that way. It is really like syrup that soaks in.

Better Batter

2010-02-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

This has been the best thing to happen to our kitchen in two years!! It makes the best cookies. I have had friends that have made bread dough with it and it works out great....that is my goal for next week.

Better Batter
2 C brown rice flour
2 C white rice flour
1 C tapioca flour
¼ C potato flour
¼ C xanthan gum
1/8 C fruit pectin

Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-02-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

All right, it is for real this time! We have made a cooking breakthrough in the GF world. I have been given a new flour blend that works miracles! It's a variation of the Better Batter Flour Mix. I used it in my old cookie recipe that I have grown up with and they turned out fabulous. Thick, chunky, chewy, soft...need I say more? No grit, no after taste, no complaints! Yeah!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cubes butter or 1 C shortening
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
3 C Better Batter Flour Mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°. Mix first 4 ingredients really well. Add remaining ingredients. Bake 7-8 minutes (or until golden brown) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place on cooling rack. Store in air tight container.

This next set of cookies is a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie...This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Better Batter Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely

Sweetheart Jell-O Treats

2010-02-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

2 pkgs. (6 ounces) Cherry Gelatin

2 C boiling Water

1 C cold Milk

1 pkg (3.4 ounces) Instant Vanilla Pudding

In a bowl dissolve gelatin in the boiling water, then let sit until cooled. In another bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mix until smooth. Combine with gelatin and mix well. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 dish lightly coated with nonstick spray. Put in the refrigerator until set. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to make sweet treats for your family and friends.

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

2010-02-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

If you are worried about sugar, fat and calories...this recipe is not for you! I came across this recipe on a blog called Picky Palate. Her recipe is NOT GF, but I knew I could convert it to be GF. They were a hit!

4 C GF flour

1 1/2 C sugar

1 C Shortening

1 C Sour Cream

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Vanilla

2 Eggs

2 tsp Xanthan Gum

Butter

Brown Sugar

Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream sugar, shortening, sour cream and eggs. Add remaining ingredients until well blended. Chill for at least one hour. Divide dough into three portions. Roll out first one on a floured surface.

For the filling:

Lightly spread some butter over dough and then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll the dough and then cut or slice through (I used dental floss). Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from baking sheet to a cooking rack and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Quinoa and Black Beans

2010-02-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

Don't you love a pleasant surprise? This was one of those recipes. It was liked by all!

Quinoa and Black Beans
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

**This makes a TON... Half a recipe was still more than enough for our family of five.

Lime Chicken Tostadas

2010-01-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

This one will add some kick to your chicken! The recipe below is for tostadas, but we made tacos instead. I have noted those changes in red.

Lime Chicken Tostadas
½ C lime juice
¼ C soy sauce
¼ C vegetable oil
1 TB honey
2 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp chili powder (optional)
1 lb boneless chicken breasts or tenders (I used pre-cut chicken strips)
Corn tortillas (Taco shells)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (Cheddar Cheese)
Shredded lettuce
Refried Beans

Mix first 6 ingredients to make a marinade. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (best if over night). Cook or grill chicken. Cut into strips.

For tostadas, brush each side of the tortilla with oil and place on grill or pan and brown each side. Sprinkle tortilla with cheese, lettuce and chicken.
For tacos, spread beans inside the taco shell,add chicken and then favorite toppings after that.

**Optional toppings: Salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro and green onions.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

2010-01-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

This one is definitely a keeper!

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 8 oz. cream cheese

½ C grated mozzarella cheese (I used 1 slice of Provolone per chicken and did not mix it with the cream cheese)

½ tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Bacon, partially cooked (I used turkey bacon and did not partially cook it)

Favorite BBQ sauce

Pound out chicken breasts with meat tenderizer. Mix together cream cheese, mozzarella, garlic and salt and pepper. Divide mixture between chicken breasts. Spread mixture on each chicken breast and fold in half. Wrap with bacon. Use a toothpick to keep bacon from coming unwrapped. Cover bottom of a casserole dish with BBQ sauce and place chicken in the dish. Pour BBQ sauce on top of chicken. Bake uncovered at 350° for 45 minutes.

Tuscan Pumpkin Soup

2010-01-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

The name and color of this soup was very daunting to me but I really wanted to try it. It was actually pretty good. You don't really taste to much of the pumpkin, more so the chicken broth. It tastes very similiar to chicken noodle soup, only orange!

Tuscan Pumpkin Soup

2 TB Olive oil
2-4 cloves minced garlic
2 celery stalks chopped
½ large onion chopped
6 C chicken broth
1 15 oz. canned pumpkin
2 C cut, cooked chicken or turkey
1-2 cans great northern white beans (rinsed and drained)
Parmesan cheese

Sauté in olive oil:
Garlic, celery and onions

Smooth together:
Chicken broth and pumpkin

In large pot, add chicken/turkey and beans with all other ingredients and heat thoroughly. Serve with parmesan cheese on top.

**After following the first two steps, I combined mine in the crock-pot and let it simmer for a few hours.

Santa Fe Chicken

2010-01-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that a whole year has passed since I started posting recipes. My goal for this coming year is to meal plan for the entire month and to try at least 4 new recipes a month. Wish me luck! So here is recipe #1 for the month of January. I will be the first to admit that this is one of those meals that is hard to make look good in a picture, but it definitely tasted great. It has a little bit of a kick to it. I served mine with rice and tortilla chips and sprinkled it with cheddar cheese.

4-6 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 can corn rinsed and drained
1 jar of mild green salsa
1 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese

Place everything in the crockpot and cook on high for 5-6 hours.
We sprinkled ours with cheddar cheese and added tortilla chips on the side.

**This is half of the original recipe and it still made ALOT. Plenty of leftovers!

Tiny Spicy Chicken

2009-12-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

One of our family favorites!!

Tiny Spicy Chicken

Ingredients:
3 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Garlic Salt
2 Beaten Eggs
Cornstarch
Frying Oil

Sauce:
1 ½ tsp Chili Garlic Sauce or Sambal Fresh Chili Paste
1 ½ cup White Sugar
¾ cup Ketchup
3 tsp GF Soy Sauce
¾ cup Chicken Broth
6 tbsp Brown Sugar
¾ cup White Vinegar

Procedure:
Cut chicken to bite size pieces, sprinkle with garlic salt and let sit for one hour. After an hour, dip chicken into egg and then into cornstarch. Brown the chicken in a deep fryer or in oil until golden brown. Put chicken into 9 x 13 pan.

Mix white sugar, white vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, salt, chicken broth, chili paste, and brown sugar. Heat until sugar has dissolved. Pour sauce over the chicken. The sauce will be liquid at first. Put the chicken in the oven at 325 degrees. Bake for one hour, turning chicken every fifteen minutes or so. After approximately 45 minutes the sauce should have thickened and be baked to the chicken. Finish cooking and serve.

Serve over Rice.

Turkey and Rice Soup

2009-12-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

Need something to do with those turkey leftovers? Homemade turkey and rice soup hits the spot on a cold winter's night!

Turkey leftovers

8 C broth (chicken or vegetable)

carrots

celery

onions

garlic (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

bay leaf

1 C rice (mine was already cooked)

Bring broth to boil and add vegetables and spices. When veggies are tender, add turkey and rice. Cook until heated through.

**Chicken could be used as well.

Sweet Potatoes

2009-12-02T13:22:00.001-08:00

Sweet Potatoes

Butter

Sour Cream

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Ginger (just a tiny)

Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for one hour wrapped in tinfoil. Cut in half and scoop potato away from skin. Add enough butter and sour cream to create a creamy potato. Add spices to taste. Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar.

Rainbow Jell-O

2009-12-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

Rainbow Jell-O

1 each of following 3oz Jell-O
Lemon, Orange, Strawberry, Black Cherry

1st Layer:
Divide 1 pkg of Jell-O in half (approx ¼ C)
Dissolve in ½ C boiling water
Add ½ C cold water and let set for 1 hour in refrigerator.

2nd layer:
Take the remainder of the 1st pkg of Jell-O
Dissolve in ½ C boiling water
In separate bowl, use a wire whisk to mix ½ C sour cream or plain yogurt and ¼ C water.
Mix with Jell-O
Pour on top of first layer of Jell-O.

Repeat 1st and 2nd steps with each pkg of Jell-O
Spread cool whip on top of last layer of Jell-O

Parmesean Rolls

2009-12-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

I just used my Featherlite Bread recipe for these. In a seperate bowl I mixed parsley, garlic powder and parmesean cheese (no measurements, just to taste). These were made in my mini bundt pan, so I sprayed the pan, sprinkled a little of the seasonings in the bottom and then filled each mini bundt 2/3 full and topped it with more seasonings. Cover and let rise until double. I baked them at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

Steamed Carrots with Dill and Brown Sugar

2009-12-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Steamed Carrots

Enough melted butter and brown sugar to lightly coat your carrots and a sprinkle of dill seasoning.

Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe here and thought it looked pretty good. It has a very simple crust and has the great flavor of pumpkin pie. I needed something quick and easy to take the kids for their Thanksgiving lunch and this did the job! The only changes I made was that I used Cool Whip instead of the sour cream and honey topping and I did not have any evaporated milk, so I used 2/3 C dry milk powder and 3/4 C water as a substitute.

Pumpkin Pie bars

For the crust:
1 1/4 c rice flour mix
1/4 t xanthan gum
1/2 c brown sugar
a pinch of salt
a stick of butter
1 T milk, water, or eggnog (!)

For the filling:
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
3/4 c brown sugar
a pinch of salt
1 t cinnamon
a big pinch of ginger and clove and nutmeg
2 eggs
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)

For the topping:
1 c sour cream
1/4 c honey

Preheat the oven to 450. Blend together the first four crust ingredients, then cut in the butter. You can do this in a food processor or by hand. Stir in whatever liquid you're using, and press into a greased 8x8 pan and set aside.
Stir together pumpkin, sugar, spices and eggs, then stir in the milk. Carefully pour over the crust and bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 45-50 minutes until set.
Let cool. Combine the sour cream and honey, and pour carefully over the top. Cool to room temperature.

Spooky Spider Treats

2009-10-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

I used this recipe here, and added about 1/4 C Dark Cocoa powder to make them chocolate. When the cupcakes cooled, I drew three rings on the top and then ran a toothpick through the rings to make them appear as a spider web. Then place a spider ring in the center.

Crock Pot Ribs

2009-10-25T17:14:00.001-07:00

Crock Pot Ribs

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs. baby back ribs (We use boneless pork ribs)
¾ tsp. black pepper
¾ tsp. white pepper ( did not use)
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup dark brown sugar ( I used light brown)
¾ tsp. ground oregano
1 T paprika
1½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. sugar
¼ cup barbecue sauce

Directions:

Cut ribs into sections small enough to fit inside your crock pot. Mix all remaining ingredients except barbecue sauce to create a dry rub. Rub all over the ribs and place them in the crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove ribs from crock pot and brush with barbecue sauce.
Serve with extra napkins and try to wait until you get to the table before digging in.

Cheesy Potato Soup

2009-10-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Cheesy Potato Soup

3 C chicken broth
1 C diced celery
½ C chopped onion
5 C diced potato
3/4 C sliced carrots
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 TBS minced garlic
¾ C butter
¾ C GF flour
1 quart half-n-half
2-3 C grated cheese

Cook veggies with chicken broth, salt, pepper and garlic on the stovetop until veggies are tender. In another saucepan, melt butter and then add flour. Mix well. Slowly stir in half-n-half. When well blended, add to veggies and chicken broth. Add cheese and serve.

Pumpkin Waffles

2009-10-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

All I can say is.....Oh... my... YUMMY!!!

Pumpkin Waffles

2 C GF flour
2 T baking powder
1 T cinnamon
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum

Mix above ingredients...then add

4 egg yolks
1 C pumpkin
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 C milk
3/4 C butter, melted

Beat 4 egg whites till stiff peaks and fold into batter

Buttermilk Syrup

1/4 C butter
1/2 C buttermilk
1 C sugar
1 tsp light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Bring first four ingredients to a boil and take off heat.
Add 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp vanilla
Do this in a bigger pot than ingredients...it will foam. Stir until it settles.

Dutch Oven or Crock-Pot Potatoes

2009-09-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of our favorite summertime meals. We have always made these in the dutch oven, but I wanted to try them in the crock pot and see how it turned out. Both ways are a huge success.

This is one of those meals that I don't really measure. I just make according to how many people I will be feeding. For our family of five this is what I used.

Ingredients

1 lb sliced smoked sausage, smokies, or cooked, cut up bacon
5-6 potatoes, diced
1 C sliced carrots
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 stalk celery sliced
Mushrooms (optional)
Garlic (fresh minced or powdered, season to taste)
Italian seasoning (season to taste)
Pepper (season to taste)
Grated cheddar cheese

1 stick butter sliced-for dutch oven
1/4 stick butter sliced and nonstick spray-for crock-pot

For dutch oven-
Place sliced butter, carrots and onions in dutch oven. Cover and let cook for 15-20 minutes. Add potatoes, celery, sausage/bacon, and seasonings. Cover and cook over hot briquettes until veggies are tender. Takes about one hour to one hour thirty minutes. Generously cover with shredded cheddar cheese.

For crock-pot-
Spray sides of crock pot with non stick spray and place sliced butter in the bottom. In a medium size bowl, place everything except cheese and mix well. Place in crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours.
Cover with grated cheddar cheese and serve as a main dish with a side salad or serve it as a side dish with barbecued chicken.

Oatmeal and Raisin Snack Bars

2009-08-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

This has been a hit with the kids. The first time I tried it, I used just the Quinoa and it was way to nutty flavored. So the second time I tried it with the GF oats and I added chocolate chips. They tasted really good. I also halved the recipe and received the thickness of bars shown here below. We will definitely be making this one again. This recipe comes from Living Without.

Makes 24 Bars

1⅓ cups gluten-free rolled oats or 1 cup
quinoa flakes
1 cup sorghum flour
¾ cup white or brown rice flour
½ cup tapioca starch/flour
1½ teaspoons xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1⅔ cups light brown sugar, not packed
⅔ cup canola oil or other vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅔ cup raisins, soaked in warm water

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
2.In large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
3.In medium bowl, combine vegetable oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla.
4.Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix with a fork or wooden spoon until blended.
5.Drain raisins, reserving ¼ cup liquid. Fold raisins into batter. Add reserved liquid, a little at a time until batter is smooth. Batter will be thick.
6.Spread batter into prepared baking pan. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes until golden.
7.Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or squares. To store, wrap and freeze.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork or Chicken

2009-08-16T14:14:00.001-07:00

This meal requires a few hours in the kitchen, but well worth the effort! I came across this recipe on another blog I was reading, Family Favorite Recipes. It is not a GF blog, but a lot of the recipes could and can be converted to GF. My husband likes pork and the kids and myself like chicken, so the first time I made this, we used pork and then tried it again another night with chicken. Both were a success. My mom has tried it using a roast and said it tasted great. We made it tostada style as well as taco style. With the tostada style, I lightly browned the tortilla on a griddle until crispy, and then topped with rice, beans, meat, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream.

This one is with the pork, served with the Cilantro Ranch and tortilla chips.

SWEET PORK
2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can RED enchilada sauce (I used Rosarita, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Corn Tortillas for serving finished pork on

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 C of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

CILANTRO RANCH
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

For the taco style, I warmed the tortilla up on a griddle, filled it with rice, beans, meat and cheese. I then folded the tortilla in half and placed in the oven on a baking sheet and broiled it on high until it was golden brown. I removed it and topped it with tomatoes.

Snicker doodles

2009-07-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days when I want to shout from the rooftop...HOORAY!! I have tried a couple different versions of snicker doodle recipes and failed. Today I was craving a cookie really bad. So I whipped out the cookbook to make a batch of Oreo Cookies when the thought occurred to me to make vanilla Oreo's instead of chocolate. Well, when I finished the batter, I thought to myself, this would make a good snicker doodle cookie. It sure did! The best part for me is that the cookies are not flat and greasy. They are fluffy and chewy.

The original Oreo recipe comes from Eating Gluten Free

The recipe below has the changes to make the Snicker doodles.

1 ¾ c. margarine
1 large pkg. instant Vanilla pudding mix
1 ½ c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

4 c. featherlight mix
1 ¾ tsp. xanthan gum
¾ tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. salt

Cream margarine, pudding mix, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.

Chill about 1 hour. Roll cookies into 1 inch balls and cover with cinnamon and sugar blend. Place on greased baking sheet (I use parchment paper). Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool. Store in air tight container.

Fruit and Jell-O Jam

2009-07-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of the easiest recipes ever. In years past I have always done the same flavor...fresh peaches and strawberry Jell-O. We have been on a serious blueberry kick the past few weeks, so I decided to try making it with a few berries mixed. SO YUMMY! That's right, we had pancakes tonight just to taste test the end results. So for this batch, I used fresh blueberries, raspberries and a few blackberries to make the 5 cups and strawberry Jell-O.

1 Small (3 oz.) package Strawberry Jello
5 cups peeled, pitted & chopped peaches (into 1/4 -1/2 ” thick chunks)
4 cups Sugar

Yield: 5-7 Half pint jars

To peel peaches, blanch them by placing in boiling water for 30-60 sec. or until skin is loosened. Remove from water & peel. Pit peach, and chop. Combine chopped peaches and sugar in a 6 qt. pot, put on medium heat & stir constantly until sugar is dissolved… gradually raise heat. Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling even when stirred), and boil hard for 7 min. Add Jello in last min or so and mix until completely dissolved! Ladle into hot sterilized jars, and put on hot sterilized lid, and then place on band ring. Process in hot water bath for 10 min. Jam will set up gradually as it cools, but it is generally a softer set than jam recipes from the Sure Jell box! Yummers!
Note: This recipe can also be changed to suit the fruit you have, so if you have only strawberries, or raspberries, or whatever, use 5 cups of them, any flavor jello you desire & the amount of sugar listed.

Betty Crocker Cookies

2009-07-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Nothing is more exciting in the Gluten Free world than when you hear that a company has come out with a new product. Well, Little Ms. Betty Corcker has done just that. The first time I sent Jon to the store to pick one up, I learned that it is just shy of $5 a box! "No way!" I said. Curiousity got to me and I broke down and bought one. I would have to say that I am really disappointed. They are flat, greasy and very grainy. I have made others from scratch that have tasted better. It was absolutely nice to just open a box, add an egg and butter and be done, but for the price, I dont' think I will be buying the cookie mix again. Betty Crocker does have two cake mixes out that I might give a try, I just need a few days to forget how disappointed I am right now...

Down Home Berry Cobbler

2009-07-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in an old box of recipe cards I have stored in the cupboard. It looked good, sounded good and guess what? It tastes really good too! I did make a few changes to use what I had on hand...2 C strawberries, 1 1/2 C blueberries and 1 C blackberries. I also used frozen orange juice instead of apple juice.

Down Home Berry Cobbler

2 ½ C Fresh raspberries
2 ½ C fresh strawberries or blueberries
2 TBS cornstarch
½ - ¾ C sugar
1 C GF flour mix
½ tsp xanthan gum
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1/3 C butter
1/3 C milk
2 TBS frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix berries and cornstarch in medium bowl. Add sugar (more or less depending on sweetness of the berries). Spoon into sprayed 8 inch square baking dish.
Combine flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Melt butter and combine with milk and apple juice. Mix well.

Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until dry ingredients are moistened. Evenly drop 6 heaping tablespoons of dough over berries in baking dish and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until topping is golden and fruit is bubbly. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Zucchini Bars

2009-07-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

One of the things I have missed the most during summer is the taste and smell of zucchini bread. I have tried several recipes and still have not found one. Then the thought occurred to me to try it using the Sour Cream Banana Bar recipe and just subbing out the banana's for the zucchini and adding a little cinnamon. Very happy with the outcome!!

1 ½ c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
½ c. butter, softened (or substitute ¼ c. butter and ¼ c. applesauce)
2 eggs
2 ½ c. Shredded zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. GF flour (featherlight or sorghum/cornstarch mix)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Add zucchini, sugar, butter, sour cream, and eggs. Cream together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Grease and flour 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1” pan (deep cookie sheet). Spread batter in pan. Bake at 375 degrees until light brown (20-25 minutes). Mine takes closer to 30-35 minutes. Cool slightly. Frost with Browned Butter Frosting.

Browned Butter Frosting
¼ c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. milk

Heat butter over medium heat until delicate brown. Mix in sugar, vanilla, and milk. Beat until smooth.

**UPDATE: I now use this really cool pan to make my Zucchini and Banana Bars and I just melt some cream cheese frosting over the top.

Stuffed and Wrapped Green Chilies

2009-07-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I got from my mother-in-law several years ago. I was very nervous to try it because I am not a huge green chili fan, but you know what? They are so yummy. The combination of the hot chili and cool cream cheese go very well together. When baking them, I use toothpicks to hold them together. You can serve them with or without the toothpicks still in them.

Green chilies (I use mild. If you like a fiery burn, go with something hotter!)
Cream cheese
Bacon (we use turkey bacon)
Toothpicks
Cut the ends of the chilies and clean out the seeds. If the chilies are long enough, I cut them into two to three sections. Fill each section with cream cheese and wrap a slice of bacon around it. Secure it with a toothpick. Place on baking sheet lined with tinfoil. (I spray my tinfoil with non-stick spray) Bake in oven at 350 degrees until bacon is browned and crispy. During the summer, I actually cooked mine out on the grill on a sheet of tinfoil so I don't heat up the house. Turned out great!

Tomato Basil Chicken Bake

2009-07-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

This was a fabulous summertime BBQ meal.

(The second time around, I put the tomatoes on first

then the cheese. It helped keep all the tomatoes in place)

8 Chicken breasts
Zesty Italian Dressing
8 Provolone Cheese slices
4-5 Roma Tomatoes
1 tsp Garlic
1 1/2 tsp Basil
1/8 C vinegar
1/8 C Olive oil
1 tsp mustard
Dash of salt and pepper

I cut the tomatoes into chunks and added the garlic, basil, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil and the mustard. Blend thoroughly and refrigerate. I marinated my chicken in the dressing all day. Heat grill and cook chicken until cooked all the way through. Turn heat off and place a slice of cheese per chicken and top with tomato mixture. Close the grill lid and let the cheese melt.

Toad in the Hole

2009-06-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

This has always been one of Jon's favorite recipes, and not so much mine. Morgan and Jon read a book together that reminded him of this recipe. He ask me to add the ingredients to my shopping list. Being a good wife, I did just that. So I attempted to convert this to being GF and it worked out really well. Jon says it tastes just like the real thing. It doesn't make very much so we made a side of waffles and muffins and had breakfast for dinner. I actually even really liked it this time.

1 C GF flour mix
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb small breakfast sausages

Prepare batter and refrigerate for 1 hour. Half cook sausages in pan. Transfer to greased baking dish (8x8). Space sausages 1 inch apart. Pour batter over sausages and bake in preheated oven at 400-425 degrees. for 30-40 minutes.

Scotch-A-Roos

2009-06-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
5 1/2 C GF Rice Chex
1 bag butterscotch chips
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 C Peanut Butter

Put sugar and Karo syrup in pan. Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat. Add in 1 1/2 cups peanut butter. Then add 5 1/2 cups GF Rice Chex. Stir together and pour into cake pan. Spread out into the pan. Melt together one bag butterscotch chips and 1/2 bag chocolate chips. Pour over the cereal mixture and let set.

Sweet and Sour Smokies

2009-05-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a 'however much you want' recipe!

Smokies

Barbeque Sauce

Pineapple chunks, tidbits or crushed ( I even use some of the juice)

Place everything in the crockpot. Cook until heated through.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-05-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

2 cups chicken meat cooked (cubed or shredded)
1/2 c sliced onions
3/4 cup sliced peppers (red, yellow, orange and green)
2 Roma tomatoes diced

Sauce
1/2 Cup water
5 Tb Cornstarch
3/4 Cup Brown sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 20 oz. chunk pineapple (use juice for sauce)
2 Tb GF soy sauce
1/4 c vinegar

Make sauce and cook until thickened. Add veggies and chicken and simmer for 15 minutes. Just before serving add tomatoes. Serve over rice

8-10 Servings

Huli Huli Chicken

2009-05-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Can I just say....Oh my yummy! This was a huge hit. The chicken was so moist and had the best flavor. I think this is a new family favorite. Especially with summer barbeque's coming up.

Huli Huli Chicken

5-8 Large chicken Breasts cut in half
3/4 C GF soy sauce
1/2 C freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 C honey
1/3 C brown sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger root
1 tsp Asian chile paste or sambal oelek ( I used Sambal Chili Paste. Can be bought at Smith's)
1 tsp sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Hawaiian sea salt or other salt to taste

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together all ingredients except chicken. Place the chicken in a Ziplock bag and pour in marinade. Marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Grill until chicken is done.

Texas Chicken Quesadillas

2009-04-19T12:04:00.001-07:00

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 onion, sliced into rings (I chop mine very fine)
1 tablespoon honey
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips or chunks
1/2 cup GF barbeque sauce
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
24 (6 inch) corn tortillas

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Slowly cook and stir onion until translucent. Mix in honey. Stir until onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Place remaining oil and chicken in the skillet over medium high heat. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in barbeque sauce and evenly coat chicken.
4. Layer 12 tortillas individually with chicken, onions, Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. Top with remaining tortillas.
5. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet. You may only be able to bake 5-6 at a time. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Do not let tortillas become too crisp. Remove from heat. Cut into quarters to serve

We cooked ours on a griddle and reheated the leftovers in the oven the following day. They were fabulous.

Fruit Pizza

2009-04-15T20:17:00.001-07:00

A summertime classic. Full of color and yummy flavor!

For this recipe I cooked mine on a 15 inch round glass pan. If you want to make it in a jelly roll pan, I would use a full cookie recipe and double the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.

1/2 Soft Batch Cookie recipe

4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 C powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Seasonal fruit of your choice. I used strawberries, blueberries and mandarin oranges.

Glaze:
1/2 C pureed strawberries (or fruit of your choice)
1/2 C water
1/4 C sugar
2 TB cornstarch
Cook until thickened.

Spread cookie dough out on greased pan of your choice. I baked mine at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Let cool. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread over cookie crust. Top with your favorite seasonal fruits. Drizzle glaze over the pizza. If not serving immediately, refrigerate.

Honey Nut Chex

2009-04-08T16:18:00.001-07:00

Now available in select stores! YEAH!!!

Rice Chex has been out for almost a year now. I picked up the box of

Honey Nut at our local Walmart Neighborhood Grocery store.

Chocolate Covered Cake Pops

2009-04-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

I found this awesome website called Bakerella and she makes these really cool cake pops. I followed her directions located on her website only I baked a GF cake and colored it pink. I was looking for a fun new birthday classroom treat for my girls and this hit the spot. They are definitely a very sweet treat. They are supposed to look like cupcakes, but it will just need to work on that!

Hawaiian Haystacks

2009-03-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

Minus the gluten filled noodles!

Three chicken breasts cooked and cubed

2/3 C creamed soup mix plus 2 1/2 C water

4 oz. cream cheese

Cooked rice

Pineapple

Green onions

Chopped olives

Grated cheddar cheese

Roma tomatoes diced

Mix creamed soup mix, water and cream cheese on stovetop. When all blended and thickened, add cooked chicken. Serve over cooked rice and add toppings.

Deviled Eggs

2009-03-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Summer is approaching and these are a favorite side dish for a picnic or a barbeque.

This is another recipe where I don't really measure, it's more about looks, taste and consistency.

Today I used:
12 hard boiled eggs shelled, cut in half and the yolks removed into separate bowl.
1 tsp vinegar
1/3 C mayonnaise - approximately
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard
Dash of onion powder

Mix yolks and all the other ingredients until you have reached your desired consistency (peanut butter) and spoon back into egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until served.

Black Bean Tostada's

2009-03-29T15:17:00.001-07:00

This isn't anything new, just a variations of the usual at our house. My girls have really taken a liking to black beans. I like to prepare mine in the crock pot with garlic and onions. (follow directions on package of beans for amounts to be cooked). After they have cooked all day, then I drain the juices into a separate bowl which will be added as needed to make the consistency desired. Mash or beat beans and add salt to desired flavor. It worked well for me to blend mine in the blender. Top tostada's with your family's favorite toppings.

Race Track Cake

2009-03-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Braden's Birthday Cake...

I used the chocolate cake recipe and doubled it to get two round cakes. For the track, I used crushed up Oreos. I frosted the cake with Duncan Hines Cream Cheese flavored frosting.

Red Robin, Red Robin!

2009-03-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite family places to go out to eat was Red Robin. Well, having Celiac puts an extreme limit on your eating out choices, almost makes it none. We have baked french fries in the oven quite a few times, but it's just not the same. So we pulled out the good old fry daddy and fried up some crinkle cut french fries and then sprinkled them with our homemade Red Robin seasoning which I found the recipe for online. They were so yummy. I did not have the dry tomato soup mix the recipe calls for, but it still had great flavor. We will definitely be doing this one again!

Red Robin French Fry Seasoning

3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon instant tomato soup mix (Knorr tomato with basil works nicely)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a shaker of some sort (I used our salt shaker)

Happy St. Patty's Day

2009-03-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Just made up a few treats for the kiddos school class for St. Patrick's Day.

Click here for the Cookie recipe.

Click here for the cupcake recipe. (I just added green food coloring for this specific holiday)

Cinnamon Popcorn

2009-03-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Just another way to jazz up a bowl of popcorn!

This recipe came from my friend Erin...thanks for sharing.

8 C popped popcorn
5 oz. Dried cranberries or raisins (optional)
1/3 C butter
1/3 C Honey
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add honey and cinnamon until all blended together. Pour over Popcorn and raisins. Spread out on a greased baking sheet or in a roasting pan and bake at 325 degrees for fifteen minutes, stirring every five minutes so it does not burn. Let cool and enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken

2009-03-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

I really liked this recipe. I thought it had great flavor.

4-5 chicken breasts cubed
1 1 /2 Cwater
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 TB honey
1/2 C GF soy sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits plus the juices
Cornstarch for thickening

Place chicken and pineapple in the crockpot. Cook on low for about 7-8 hours. Right before ready to serve, on stovetop bring to a boil the remaining ingredients including the pineapple juice. Cook until desired thickness. Add to chicken and pineapple. Serve over rice.

Cinnamon Sticky Buns

2009-03-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Rolls have always been a Christmas tradition for us. It was hard not having them this past year. I have had this recipe laying around since the holidays and been putting off making it. I usually find it very discouraging to replace one of our favorite 'bread' recipes for a GF version. I decided there was only one way to find out if we were going to like these new cinnamon rolls....I had to dive in and make them. They definitely don't replace our old favorites, but they do taste good. I made mine in a pan with 12 mini bundt molds.
This is what they look like right out of the oven.

This is what they looked like after I turned them over and drizzled them with cream cheese frosting.

This recipe comes from The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread, Cinnamon Pecan Sticky Buns. I made the cinnamon version. Also, instead of buying Almond meal (because it is very expensive), I just bought a small bag of slivered almonds and blended them in my food processer.

Cinnamon Sticky Buns

Topping
Margarine or butter melted ¼ C
Brown sugar ¼ C
Cinnamon 1 tsp
Pecans, chopped ½ C

Dry Ingredients
Featherlite flour 2 C
Xanthun gum 1 ¼ tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Unflavored gelatin 1 tsp
Sugar 1/3 C
Almond meal or nut quick 3 TB
Dry yeast granules 2 ¼ tsp

Wet Ingredients
Potato pearls of flakes 2 tsp
Warm water 1 C
Margarine or butter, melted 1/3 C
Dough enhancer or vinegar ½ tsp
Honey 2 tsp
Eggs 3

Prepare your tins by dividing the butter into the cups and adding brown sugar blended with the cinnamon. Sprinkle on the nuts and set aside.
In mixing bowl, place the dry ingredients and blend with mixing whisks. Blend the potato pearls with the water. Add to the dry ingredients with the butter, vinegar and honey. Blend together. Break in the eggs and beat on high for 2 ½ minutes. Divide the dough into the prepared tins. Let rise for a bout 25-35 minutes or until almost doubled. Bake at 375° in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn out from the tins while still warm. Serve either warm or cold.

**Cinnamon Rolls: Omit the pecans and add 1 tsp more cinnamon to the topping ingredients. Drizzle slightly melted cream cheese frosting over the top while still warm.