I just read this article and found it fascinating. I hope you will too! It sure makes a lot of sense. We MUST wake up and pay attention to what we are feeding ourselves and our families!
BEWARE gluten-containing frosting!
I was reminded recently that it’s important to ALWAYS read labels!
I made a cake for my son’s birthday recently. I was very disappointed that many ready-made frostings contained gluten! But this brand — Pillsbury — was gluten-free! Thank you, Pillsbury!
Good news and bad news!
Aren’t these adorable? Too bad the frosting had gluten. 😦 BOO!
So let’s start with the bad news: I made GF cupcakes (Aldi GF cake mix) for my son’s 7th birthday last week and had NO idea that the store-bought frosting had wheat! UGH! Normally I make buttercream frosting from scratch, but he wanted chocolate frosting, so I cheat a bit by buying chocolate frosting in a can and then adding some Crisco, meringue powder and powdered sugar to increase the volume. Tastes great and chocolaty. … but I learned my lesson: ALWAYS CHECK THE LABEL! 😦
GOOD NEWS! Cherrios is GLUTEN-FREE!!!!!!!! And not just the regular flavor — the Apples & Cinnamon, the Frosted, the Honey-Nut and the Multi-grain — are ALL gluten-free!!! Let’s give a shout-out to General Mills for improving their products for the health of everyone and especially those of us who are gluten-sensitive/intolerant or Celiac!
YEAH for CHERRIOS! They are now GLUTEN-FREE!!!
Cheesy Sloppy Joes with Fries
So … earlier this week, ground beef was on sale, and sloppy joes with baked French fries sounded really good. …
If you’re gluten-free, you can still enjoy sloppy joes, just a little differently. Of course, you can purchase GF sandwich rolls/buns, but if you don’t have those, you can top a baked potato, tortilla chips, or french fries with your sloppy joe mixture along with some shredded cheese.
Manwich® brand sloppy joe sauce is gluten-free (as far as I read the label), and it makes for a quick & easy midweek meal served along with salad and/or fresh fruit.
Here’s an easy version of Cheesy Sloppy Joes with Fries using Manwich® and ground beef topped with shredded cheese, and it’s pretty tasty too!
First, bake GF frozen French fries in oven according to direction.
Then top fries with sloppy joe mixture and shredded cheese.
If you have the time and want to make your own Sloppy Joe sauce, here is an easy GF version: combine ¾-1 cup ketchup, ¼ cup brown sugar, salt & pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon vinegar in a mixing bowl; brown meat with 1 small chopped onion, then add sauce. Stir well and heat through.
Ham & Cheese Breakfast Cups!
So, I tried something new last night, and it turned out AMAZING!
We had had a full, late lunch after church, so I wanted to make something quick and light for dinner. I saw this idea somewhere online, so here’s my version of it: Ham & Cheese Breakfast Cups! It was a huge hit at the Houts home — delicious and fun!
What you need:
Slices of GF deli ham
8-10 eggs
2 TBS milk (or milk substitute)
shredded cheese
salt & pepper to taste
First, spray muffin cups with cooking spray. Then place 1 slice of ham in each cup (I like Hormel Natural Choice GF Smoked Deli Ham).
Next, with fork scramble eggs, milk, salt & pepper in small mixing bowl.
(I used 8 eggs for 10 muffin cups.)
Then carefully pour egg mixture into muffin cups.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until eggs are set
(not jiggly when you move pan).
Serve with GF toast and fresh fruit — ENJOY!
Nutella Cookies
My family LOVES Nutella — so I cannot wait to try these super simple cookies! Check it out — thanks to Guilt Free Foodie Cutie for this recipe!
I don’t bake much but when I do I try to come up with recipes that are very easy. No need to buy tons of gluten free flours and other expensive ingredients. This recipe is a wonderful chocolate hazelnut cookie with no flour. I made them for a party and it was a hit!
Ingredients:
1 Cup Nutella
1 Egg
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Pinch Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
Start by mixing Nutella, egg and sugar together. Add baking soda, salt and vanilla. Now roll the dough into about 1 inch balls. Place on 2-3 foiled cookie sheet. Make sure each cookie if far apart because they will spread out large. Bake for 11 minutes, remove and let cool. Cookie’s will harden as they cool. Enjoy!
BOOK RELEASE!!! Everyday Gluten-Free Favorites
I am SOOOOO excited to announce that my gluten-free cookbook is FINALLY available! If you enjoy following my blog, then you will LOVE this cookbook! Please help me spread the word!
Please go to this link to purchase!
https://www.createspace.com/5167239
Thanks for your support!
Crock Pot Beef Stew
There’s nothing better than a warm, tasty stew on a chilly February evening. This is a simple, gluten-free stew that is sure to warm you and yours to the core! And this sure beats beef stew from a can — ENJOY!
Crock Pot Beef Stew*
(serves 6-8 people)
Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 4-6 hours
2-3 pounds beef, cubed
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons corn starch, divided (or rice flour or all-purpose GF flour)
1 teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon pepper + 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons oil (coconut or olive)
¼ cup diced onions OR 2 tablespoons minced onion
2 15-ounce cans GF beef broth
2 cups hot water
4-5 medium potatoes, diced
1 16-ounce bag frozen, mixed vegetables, cooked
Salt & pepper to taste (2 teaspoons salt + ½ teaspoon pepper)
Put cubed beef, salt/pepper/garlic powder mixture and ¼ cup corn starch (or flour) into sealed plastic bag; toss until beef is evenly covered.
Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat; add beef and onions. Brown beef, stirring often; don’t overcook or beef will be tough – cook only until beef is lightly browned and still slightly pink in the middle.
Pour into crock pot, then add beef broth, water, vegetables, potatoes, salt & pepper. Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
About 15 minutes before serving, mix 2 tablespoons corn starch with cold water in a small cup. Pour into crock pot and stir for about 1-2 minutes until liquid thickens & gets cloudy.
OPTIONAL: Serve with GF and/or regular crackers, salad, Chi-Chi’s® Sweet Corn Cake.
* This recipe can also be made in a large Dutch oven on the stovetop. Just brown the meat in the large Dutch oven and then add the rest of the ingredients; bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.
Hamburg Vegetable Soup
It’s FRIGID here at my house … and it probably is where you are too. A hot bowl of Hamburg Vegetable Soup sure hits the spot on days like this. It’s super easy, and usually I have on hand what I need to make it. Leftovers make a great lunch the next day. So heat things up at your house with this great gluten-free soup! (Thanks to my friend Ellen Davis from St. Johns, Michigan, for this simple recipe!)
Hamburg Vegetable Soup (serves 6-8 people)
Prep Time: 10-15 min. Cook Time: 1 hour
1 ½ – 2 pounds ground beef/venison/turkey
½-1 cup chopped onion (or 2 tablespoons minced onion)
3 15oz cans tomato sauce
3 CANS of water
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots (optional, especially if your frozen veggie blend has carrots)
Celery (optional)
1 16oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans, etc.), heated through in microwave
Salt & pepper to taste
Brown meat and onion in large Dutch oven. Drain off grease.
Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer covered for about 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.
Serve with salad and/or grilled cheese sandwiches. Glutino even has “saltine-type” gluten-free crackers for soup!
Baked Cheesy Enchilada Chicken
Baked Cheesy Enchilada Chicken
So I LOVE to use coupons! And I LOVE Progresso brand soups because they have a few that are gluten-free. Whenever I find a coupon for Progresso soup, I am sure to clip & save it. With the weather getting cooler, stores are beginning to have sales on soups. The other week Progresso soups were just $.88 each at my local HyVee store — and BONUS — I had a “buy 4, get $1 off”coupon!!! OH YEAH! I stock up on these soups and use for baking or soups of my own.
I regularly stock up on Progresso’s Cream of Mushroom and Chicken Corn Chowder, but I was delighted to find a NEW gluten-free flavored soup on the shelf: Chicken Cheese Enchilada! YUM! So I tried one recipe with it, and it turned out OK (which is why you never saw it here on my blog!).
I tried another recipe with it last night, and it was a hit! The kids said they really liked it, and I’m always looking for NEW ways to make the “same old chicken.” ENJOY!
BAKED CHEESY ENCHILADA CHICKEN!
1 2.5-3-pound bag frozen chicken breast/tenders
1 can Progresso Enchilada Cheese Chicken soup
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray large baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange frozen chicken in single layer.
Then evenly dump soup over chicken.
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in middle.
Serve with steamed veggies, salad, and brown rice. Use extra sauce over meat/rice.
Busy Gluten-Free Mama 