Sunday, January 30, 2011

Gluten Free Pigs In A Blanket

Winner!  Winner!  Chicken Dinner!  Ok, so it's not a chicken dinner.  It's a beef dinner, a hot dog dinner to be exact.  We're not talking gourmet here.  We're talking a crowd pleasing, kid-friendly recipe that you can serve (ah-hem, Super Bowl) to all your guests and family, knowing that everyone can partake in these tasty treats, even those who have gluten and dairy allergies.

Double thumbs up all the way around the table tonight.  I could not get them on the plates fast enough.  Lots of "more, please!"




These little gems were really simple to make and start to finish took about 20 minutes.

Applegate Farms All Beef Uncured Hot Dogs
Elana Pantry's Almond Flour Biscuit Dough

Preheat oven to 350.

Make dough and roll out to 1/4" thick.  Using a pizza cutter cut 2" wide strips.  Cut hot dogs in half.  Roll them up and place on a cookie sheet greased or lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until biscuit is golden brown and cooked through.






Shared at:
Homemaker Monday
Mmmmonday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday
Tuesdays At The Table
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Hearth & Soul Hop
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tuesday Twister
This Week's Cravings Linky Party
Delicious Dishes
What's Cooking Wednesday
Works For Me Wednesdays
Gluten Free Wednesdays
This Week's Cravings
Real Food Wednesday
Ultimate Recipe Swap
Tip Day Thursday

Menu Monday 1-31-11

You might notice a lot of sourdough recipes in my menus lately.  I am taking an e-course in sourdough so I am trying out all the recipes.  So far everything has been a hit.  I really like working with sourdough.  It is much easier than I thought it would be.  There's not much kneading involved, which is nice, and it's super healthy.  From what my husband tells me nothing has been noticeably sour tasting.  I tried sourdough at the beginning of the course.  Some people who have intolerances to gluten are ok eating sourdough, but I am not one of those people.  I got violently ill and will not be eating any more.


Monday--
Breakfast:  French Toast Made With Sourdough Bread (Griffin--GF Bread)
Lunch:  Applegate Farms Hot Dogs, Apples
Dinner:  Dinner With Parents :)

Tuesday--

Breakfast:  Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (GF Cinnamon Rolls for Griffin)
Lunch:   Pb&J's, Apple Sauce
Dinner:  Mini Tosatdas Made From Sourdough Tortilla Chips (Griffin's Made From GF Crackers)


Wednesday--

Breakfast:  Sourdough Waffles (Griffin-GF Waffles)
Lunch:  Ham Sandwiches Made With Applegate Farms Deli Meat, Bananas
Dinner:  Chickpea Patties With Tahini Sauce***, Green Peas

Thursday--

Breakfast:  Rainbow Pancakes*** (Griffin-GF Pancakes)
Lunch:  Tuna Melts, Celery & Carrot Sticks
Dinner:  Apple Frittata***

Friday--

Breakfast:  Cheese Toast (Griffin-Peanut Butter & Honey Toast)
Lunch:  The little kids will be at my parents :)
Dinner:  Lil' Caesars Pizza Night


Saturday--

Breakfast:  Sourdough Pancakes (Griffin--GF Pancakes)
Lunch:  Leftover Pizza, Grapes
Dinner:  Leftovers


Sunday--

Breakfast: Applegate Farms Bacon & Eggs
Lunch:  Pb&j's, Apples
Dinner:  Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Celery and Carrot Sticks


This week I want to try a new dessert recipe, Kerstin's Almond Squares***, and snack recipe, Bananas Fried in Bacon Grease (sounds weird, but I'm going to give it a try!)  


*** Recipes will be posted at a later date.

 Note:  If any recipe has gluten, dairy, or chocolate in it, one of the twins, who has food allergies, has an alternative.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Sunday Blog Hop


It's time for "Let's Get Social Sunday."

What is Let’s Get Social?
Let’s Get Social is a weekly link-up hosted by a fabulous group of five bloggers we call the Fab 5! The Fab 5 includesBridget of Guide to Smart ShoppingJennifer of Sweep TightJessica of Mom of all TradesTree of Mother of Pearl It Is, and Brandi of Life with Five Monkies.
We created Let’s Get Social as a means to socialize with other bloggers as well as help you gain more followers! You can follow via any social method you like. You can also follow using more than one method and we encourage you to do so! Please be sure to leave a comment letting the person know how you followed so they can follow you back.
To Participate:
-Follow all of the hosts in the first 5 spots. Please leave a comment on our Let’s Get Social post letting us know how you follow and we will follow you back. Please be patient with us as it might take us a couple days to get through everybody.
-After you have made sure to follow each host, follow as many other bloggers as you like commenting on their hop post as you do so so they can follow you back!
-All blogs participating must post about Let’s Get Social each week when linking up. Please include our button using the code provided above in your post. This will help to get the word out about Let’s Get Social.
-Link-up the post you made on your blog for Let’s Get Social. Please link directly to your post instead of to your homepage.
This linky will go live every Sunday at 12:01 am EST!  Direct links to your hop post only please! Links to your homepage, other blog hop, or giveaways will be deleted.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Banana Bars Recipe

On my menu plan this week I had planned on making these Strawberry Almond Bars for breakfast one morning.   Cara at Health, Home, and Happiness said they were a version of her original homemade Clif Bars.  I got out all the ingredients to make them and then decided to create my own.  I put away the recipe I printed out and went to work.  

The end product is really tasty and filling too.  Healthy fats, protein, fruit, and fiber make this a great way to start the day.  They would make the perfect afternoon snack to give you that needed energy boost
.




1 cup unsalted almonds***
1 cup Medjool Dates, pitted
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup pureed banana (approximately 1 medium sized banana)
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp flax seed meal
6 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix flax seed meal and water in a small bowl.  Let soak for 2 or 3 minutes.  I'm using these as an egg substitute.  

In a food processor, process dates until they make a dough.  Place them in a medium bowl and set aside.  Process almonds until the pieces are almost, but not quite, a coarse meal.  Add them to the bowl with the dates.  Mix in coconut flour, banana and honey.  Add the flax seed meal and water and stir until well combined.  

Grease an 8X8 pan.  I lined the pan with parchment paper because it seems like whenever I don't the bottom will stick no matter what I'm making.  (I guess I'm not a good "greaser?"  Hey, don't judge!  I'm an excellent "roller outer!")  

Press the dough into the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Take out of oven and let cool.  
***I soaked them overnight and dehydrated them.  You could use just plain old roasted almonds.

Shared at:

CSN $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway! Winner Announcement!

This giveaway is now closed.


Congratulations to Caroline at Chocolate and Carrots!  You have won a $25 gift certificate to CSN Stores.  I have emailed you the details.  Enjoy!


Thanks to everyone who entered.


I am pleased to announce a giveaway from CSN Stores.  One winner will receive a one-time-use $25 gift certificate that she may use at any of their 200+ websites!  CSN Stores offers competitive prices on leading brands for products such as beautiful modern dining room furniture, chic baby gear, quality cookware, stylish shoes, toys and so much more!

CSN Stores is a Top 3 online U.S. retailer of home and office goods.  The sites and products have been featured on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, The Rachel Ray Show, The Today Show, Woman's World, and many others.

You must be a U.S. or Canada resident to participate in the giveaway.  The gift certificate does not include shipping.



To enter and win a $25 gift certificate from CSN Stores:

BOTH ARE MANDATORY:  
1) Go to All Modern (a CSN website) and find a dining set you like.  Come back and tell us the name of the set.
2) Follow The Nourishing Homemaker through GFC.

Extra Entries:
--Follow me on Twitter
--Tweet about this giveaway
--Blog about this giveaway


Please leave a separate comment for each entry.  Please leave your EMAIL ADDRESS on each entry.

Giveaway ends Friday night at midnight on 1/28/11.  The winner will receive an email and have 48 hours to respond.



Thursday, January 27, 2011

Black Bean Burger Recipe

I have been working on lowering my grocery bills and one of my biggest tactics has been utilizing more beans and eggs.  I tried serving simply beans and rice and that did not go over well, so I thought maybe disguising the beans would help.  Black Bean Burgers seemed like an easy introduction into the foray of cooking with beans and would keep my kids from balking at their plates.




When I served these burgers up last night, my kids did not figure out that they was meatless and gobbled them up.  Even my picky eater ate his!  My husband thought it was beef until he took a bite.  It kind of threw him off at first, but once he got over the surprise, he really enjoyed his "burger."

I used my griddle to cook these and I fried them up in bacon grease.  My family loves bacon, so I'm sure the "meaty" flavor helped.

The recipe says to only puree part of the beans and then mix in the rest.  I did not do this.  I blended it all together because I did not want the beans to show.  I wanted them to look like regular burgers.  This did cause a slight problem.  I had to add 2 cups of bread crumbs and 2 more eggs because the mixture was not firm enough to form patties.  





It's easy to make the burgers gluten free.  Use gluten free bread to make bread crumbs and serve on gluten free hamburger buns.  That's it.  Simple.

Talk about a frugal meal!  I calculated that I made the entire meal which included green beans for under $5!  I used dried beans instead of canned and made my own hamburger buns.


Shared at:

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Gluten Free Cracker Recipe

Yet another gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and egg free recipe coming your way.  In fact if you are allergic to nuts, you are in luck!

These crispy, sweet and salty crackers are made with sunflower seeds and shredded coconut (if you have a coconut allergy, sorry). 

Sunflower seeds have lots of health benefits.  These little seeds pack a powerful wallop (did I just say, "wallop?!") of vitamins and minerals, and are a great source of selenium.




My Sunflower Seed Coconut Crackers are inspired by Health, Home, & Happiness' Grain Free Crackers Made With Seasame and Sunflower Seeds.

1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds***
1 tsp sea salt+salt for sprinkling
3 Tbsp honey
water as needed

Preheat oven to 350 (to make these raw use your dehydrator instead).  Process sunflower seeds, coconut, and salt until a coarse flour forms.  Add honey and continue to process.  Add water a tsp at a time just until a dough forms.  Between to pieces of parchment paper, roll dough out to 1/4" thick and cut into squares or rectangles with a pizza cutter.  Lightly sprinkle with salt. Take crackers, still on parchment, and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes rotating cookie sheet halfway through.  (raw version: same as above, but dehydrate until crisp).  Watch these crackers carefully because they can start to over brown.  You want them just lightly browned.  Keep crackers in oven and turn oven off.  Using a dish towel, prop oven door open and leave crackers in oven until the oven is completely cooled.  The crackers should be crisp by the time the oven is cooled and will continue to crisp once you take them out.  Break crackers carefully into separate squares.  Store in an air tight container.




***Soak the sunflower seeds overnight in water covering the seeds and 1 tsp of salt.  Dry in a dehydrator until crisp.  This will increase the nutrition value and reduce phytates.  Phytates keep your body from absorbing all those vitamins and minerals.  You can also dehydrate in your oven by setting your oven as low as it will go and leaving the oven propped open.




Monday, January 24, 2011

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes



My oldest son's 9th birthday was on Friday.  I can't believe he's 9!  When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he put in a request for chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting.  My first thought.....  bor-ing!  There are soooo many cute cupcake ideas out there and he wants chocolate with strawberry frosting?!  After I got over my disappointment, I got online to search for the absolute best chocolate cupcakes and the perfect strawberry frosting.  If it's going to be simple to look at, it better taste incredible!




Did I find the absolute best chocolate cupcake ever?  I don't know, but what I did find is a sinful, fudge-like dark chocolate cake recipe that I used to make his cupcakes.  Chocolate & Zucchini's Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cake is the richest, creamiest cake I've ever made.  (Can a cake be creamy?)  This cake is so rich that next time I am going to make mini-cupcakes.  No one could finish a whole standard size cupcake, as much as we wanted to.  

I am thinking about playing with a natural sweetener, maybe sucanat?  It will definitely change the taste and possibly the texture.  I'll come back and let you know how it goes if I do.

The strawberry frosting is a recipe from Martha Stewart.  It is also full of sugar and while it was really good, I think it would be best to add strawberry puree to a healthier frosting.



The Verdict:
Double thumbs up all the way around.  

My kids have had very little regular, white sugar over the past few months.  It was amazing to see how they reacted after eating these cupcakes.  They were BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS.  Goes to show you how much sugar affects our systems.

The recipe has a lot of eggs in it.  In fact, the cake is mainly eggs, chocolate, and sugar.  I am allergic to eggs. Did I mention I ate some?  I had the worst tummy ache later that night, the kind where you curl up in a ball and pray for death.  Yep, that bad.  It was almost worth it.  That's how good these are.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Cranberry Walnut Cookies


These cookies are chewy and delicious!  They were created for one of my children, who has multiple food allergies, but the whole family enjoys them.  

I threw these cookies together in a whirlwind.  I literally ran around my kitchen and pantry hunting for ingredients to  put together.  

My parents take the little ones to their house to play on Fridays and because of all of Griffin's food restrictions (gluten, dairy, chocolate, corn), it's less confusing if I make his lunch and snacks and send it with them.  As I was getting everyone's stuff together for them to go, I realized I didn't have anything very much to pack for Griffin to eat, hence the running around like a nut. 

I didn't really know once I got going if the cookies would taste good or not.  I was extremely surprised and pleased when I tested them and they were actually quite yummy!  I love when "goof ups" (like me not planning ahead or checking to see if Griffin was going to have food) result in something fantastic!





2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1-1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp guar gum (or xanthan gum)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (melted butter)
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine flour, coconut, sucanat, salt, baking soda and guar gum in a medium bowl.  In another bowl combine oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients to dry and then stir in walnuts and cranberries.  Roll into 1" balls and press flat on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.


Shared at:
Mouthwatering Mondays
Your Recipe My Kitchen
Midnight Maniac Meatless Monday
Hearth and Soul Hop-Volume 32!
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tuesday Twister
Real Food Wednesday
What's Cooking Wednesday
It's A Keeper Thursday

Menu Monday 1-24-11

This week is a little sparse on the meat.  It wasn't intended, it just happened to work out that way.  


With pizza on the menu twice and hot dogs wrapped in biscuits, I think I will have a lot of Star Eater Awards to give out.  The Star Eater Award is given to anyone who eats a good meal.  It is completely subjective and how much they have to eat may vary from meal to meal.  The children are extremely competitive and I think that's why this works so well.  There is no prize.  I just call them a "Star Eater," and they think it's the best thing ever.  






Monday--
Breakfast:  Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch:  Applegate Farms Hot Dogs, Apples
Dinner:  Homemade Pizza With Pasta Sauce Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce  (Available at Costco)

Tuesday--


Breakfast:  Cheese Melts With Sourdough Biscuits*** 
Lunch:   Pb&J's, Carrots & Celery
Dinner:  Leftovers


Wednesday--


Breakfast:  Hard Boiled Eggs & Chicken Sausage
Lunch:  Grilled Cheese, Applesauce
Dinner:  Black Bean Burgers****, Green Beans

Thursday--


Breakfast:  Strawberry Almond Bars***
Lunch:  Tuna Sandwiches, Smoothies
Dinner:  Leftovers

Friday--


Lunch:  The little kids will be at my parents :)
Dinner:  Lil' Caesars Pizza Night


Saturday--


Lunch:  Leftover Pizza, Grapes
Dinner:  Leftovers


Sunday--


Breakfast: Applegate Farms Bacon & Eggs
Lunch:  Pb&j's, Apples
Dinner:  Hot Dogs Wrapped In Almond Flour Biscuit Dough****, Sweet Potato Fries 

This week I want to try a new dessert recipe, Banana Foster, and snack recipe, Grain Free Cookie Cutter Cookies.  I was going to make these last week, but my oldest's birthday took up all my baking time so instead I made Melt-In-Your Mouth Cupcakes***, Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies, and M&M Cookies.  If you ask the kids what they had for breakfast on Friday, they may say "brownies", but I'd never do that ;)  

*** Recipes will also be posted at a later date.

 Note:  If any recipe has gluten, dairy, or chocolate in it, one of the twins, who has food allergies, had an alternative.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Alpine Weight Loss Secrets: Book Giveaway **WINNER**

This giveaway is now closed.

Stefan Aschan’s system of health and fitness is a fresh take on a real-food (not processed) diet combined with sensible exercise; he calls it youngevity: looking and feeling young.  Many real-food books can be so overwhelming that most people refuse to try.  That is not the case with Alpine Weight Loss Secrets




Stefan Aschan takes a gentle approach, giving you the option of total immersion and diving right in, or making a few healthy choices at a time.  He does not take a condescending tone or use fancy scientific jargon, speaking directly to his readers as a friend and sharing his experiences and expertise.  The program is not difficult and you will not have to starve yourself or cut out whole food groups.  You will not have to take expensive supplements or order costly meals.  You may even cancel your gym membership!
 To read more praise and get more information go to  http://AlpineWeightLossSecrets.com/.
After seeing the devastating effect the American lifestyle has had on our health, Aschan developed his system.  He is from a small village in the Alpine region of Austria, where people eat natural food and get exercise, not in a gym, but outdoors doing activities that they love.  They are trim and live long, healthy lives.  His system is intended to help everyone live a more holistic, balanced lives with regard to nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle like his kinfolk.   

Stefan Aschan has written an excellent book not only on weight loss but healthy living in general.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is ready to get serious about being fit. 

Fix that bulging or jiggly belly, have better posture, get rid of the sags and bags, have more energy than you ever thought possible, look years younger, all while losing weight.  Be the healthiest you’ve ever been with the Alpine Diet!


I am pleased to present to you a giveaway for this incredible book.  One lucky winner will receive a hard back copy.  The entries must received by January 22nd.  I will announce the winner on my blog and also send an notification email to the winner.  The winner must then contact me within 48 hours or someone else will be chosen.

There are several ways to enter but the first is mandatory.  You MUST write your email in EVERY entry/comment or your entry will not be valid.

1.       Visit Stephan Aschan's site and name a chapter of the book that really interests you.
2.      Follow me on GFC.
3.      Follow me on Twitter and leave your twitter account name.
4.      Retweet this post and leave your twitter account name.
5.      Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.  Come back and leave your blog name.


Shared at: Super Saturday Link Up


********The winner is anash!!!!!  Anash, please contact me by 1/25/11  1:45 PM.  I have also sent you an email.  Thanks to everyone who participated & congratulations to anash!










Thursday, January 20, 2011

Weight Loss Book Giveaway Ends Saturday-- **LOW ENTRIES**

This giveaway ends on Saturday!  As someone who believes real food is imperative to one's health, I believe Stefan Aschan's weight loss program is a smart way to get rid of those extra pounds.  




Fix that bulging or jiggly belly, have better posture, get rid of the sags and bags, have more energy than you ever thought possible, look years younger, all while losing weight.  Be the healthiest you’ve ever been with Alpine Weight Loss Secrets!




Click here to enter:  Alpine Weight Loss Secrets.





















Sourdough Pancakes

My kids LOVE pancakes.  It is the one breakfast I can truly count on; they are not big breakfast eaters.  While I offer them a variety of different morning meals throughout the week,  on "pancake day" I know there tummies will be full.

This pancake recipe comes from GNOWGFLINS (Embracing "God's Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season") and were a smashing hit with the kids.  I loved them because the recipe makes a ton.  Hello, freezer!





Why sourdough?  One benefit of sourdough bread (and bake goods) is that the phytates are broken down through the souring process.  Phytates make digesting food difficult.  Many people who are gluten intolerant can eat sourdough foods, if they have been prepared properly.   For those who have no problem with gluten, the less phytates present in a food the more vitamins and minerals are absorbed into the body.  To read more reasons to bake sourdough instead of commercial yeasted bread, please go to The Nourishing Gourmet's article "Q&A:  Sourdough Vs. Yeasted Bread."

GNOWGFLINS offers an online course on sourdough.  I have just started it and it is awesome!  They include lots of how-to-videos and simple, easy to follow written directions on starting and maintaining a sourdough starter .  Through the course access to all the wonderful recipes (and great tips with video demonstrations) are available.  A "pay what you can" system has been set up for the e-course, so even if your budget is tight, you can still participate.
The sourdough pancake recipe is posted on the GNOWGFLIN website, but the e-course's extra tips and video are extremely helpful.


Learn to cook with sourdough in an online, multi-media class!


Shared at:  Sweets For Saturday
Saturday Nite Special

Monday, January 17, 2011

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls - Dairy Free, Grain Free, Corn Free

I've been trying to figure out how to make grain free cinnamon rolls for one of my sons, who is allergic to gluten, dairy, chocolate, and corn****.  I'd like to serve cinnamon rolls for breakfast sometimes, but he is noticing more and more that he is not getting the same thing as everyone else.  It's too expensive to have everyone in the household on his special diet and therein lies the dilemma.



Most grain free breads are quick breads, meaning they are super mushy and would not work for rolling out.  I tried a grain free cookie recipe for cookie cutters.  I thought it was going to work great.  Everything went well until I popped them in the oven.  The cinnamon rolls spread out as they baked.  They tasted wonderful but were not very attractive, kind of like a messy looking danish.

And then I stumbled upon a grain free bread recipe from The Spunky Coconut.  She calls them "Santa Lucia Day Saffron Buns".  The thing about her buns is that she shaped them into these cute "S" shapes.  If you can
shape them,  then certainly you can roll them out and re-roll them.  They have form and substance which is exactly what I need!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Add 1 tsp pure stevia powder to the Saint Lucia Bun dough.  Separate the dough into two balls and roll each of them out to about 1/4" thick between two pieces of greased parchment paper.  Liberally sprinkle the rectangles with Sucanat and cinnamon.  To roll them back up, lift the bottom parchment paper up and around (very carefully).  Separate the top parchment paper from the dough inch by inch as you roll (very carefully).  To cut the cinnamon rolls, take a piece of dental floss and slide up under the log, cross the floss at the top and pull.  (If I cut them with a knife, they squish).

Put them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Top with Food Renegade's Cinnamon Icing.

This makes about 18 cinnamon rolls, if you cut them to be about 1-1/2" tall.

So, how do they taste?  Pretty darn good.  These are not big fluffy cinnamon rolls.  They are a little more like those pecan rolls from the grocery store.  You know, the ones in the bread aisle that come in a tin pan inside a plastic bag.

******Note:  To make these cinnamon rolls corn free as well, use The Spunky Coconut's recipe for corn free baking powder.  Yes, regular baking powder contains corn.  Also, replace the xanthan gum with guar gum.  They both act similarly, but xanthan gum does contain corn.



Shared at:  What's Cooking Wednesday
Hearth & Soul Hop
Real Food Wednesday