Sweater weather

Hello hello hello!  How's it been?  Hope all my GFP2B friends are doing well!  I'm glad to be back and boy do I have A LOT of good stuff for you!  So cozy on up kids.

You know yesterday I was wearing a tank top and today I'm in a snuggy.  Welcome to Pennsylvania.  So after sitting under two blankets for Fall ball, I was ready for something warm and wonderful.  And I found this on Facebook - Slow Cooker Bacon Corn Chowder Soup.  It had me at slow cooker.  And bacon.  Plus it uses all GF ingredients like corn starch and chicken stock.  Now watch the ingredients in your stock - Wegman's, Aldi and others do carry GF chicken stock and chicken broth, but many brands DO contain wheat.  It's cooking now and it smells fabulous!  Cannot wait to dish up a big bowl topped with some shredded cheese!  Not to mention, it's a first for me - I pin, post, and share a million and one recipes and have never made a single one.  Until today.  Yay me!

Another great recipe I have been recently introduced to comes from my sister-in-law Emily. She made this for me for dinner and it was life-changing.  And you can make it  ONE PAN.  ONE!!  Anything that you can make in either a slow cooker or ONE PAN is this girls go-to meal.  Chicken Burrito Bowls  - you can make them super healthy by using brown rice or quinoa, put out toppings like either reduced fat sour cream or Greek yogurt, guacamole, fresh chopped tomatoes....really, anything goes with this one.  Seriously one of the best recipes I've made in a long time.  My boys loved it, which always makes me happy and I had one pan to wash which makes me happy!  Bonus.

Now boy has got a million activities which makes making dinner a sporting event for me.  So one of my favorite easy peasy George and Weasy meals is Shepherd's pie.  And I've got some shortcuts that will make Rachael Ray envious:

Quick and Easy Shepherd's Pie

• Brown 1lbs. ground turkey in a pan and season with dried onion, salt, pepper and garlic or  shredded rotisserie chicken into a large casserole dish
• Make 2 packages of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes - they take like 5 minutes (I like the butter and herb but anything goes with shepherds pie)
• Combine the above in a baking dish with one small bag of frozen me-and-Jenny-go-together-like-peas and carrots
• Stir in one cup of 2% shredded Colby/Jack shredded cheese
• Sprinkle top with 4C Gluten Free Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until cheeses is creamy and melted

So good. So easy. And tastes like a hug from mom!  Or a really cute shepherd. You can pick. 

Last, but never least, a big thank you to my long-lost-buddy-gluten-free-ole-pal Debbie for texting me this: 

Holy guacamole!  I cannot wait to make chicken fajitas for the boy this week!  Found them at Wal-Mart!!  Debbie says they are the answer to decent fajitas!!  Gracias Debbie!!  Cannot wait to make them this week!

Anything new that you have tried friends?  Please share!  Wishing you cozy comfy sweater weather! 

Sweater weather

Hello hello hello!  How's it been?  Hope all my GFP2B friends are doing well!  I'm glad to be back and boy do I have A LOT of good stuff for you!  So cozy on up kids.

You know yesterday I was wearing a tank top and today I'm in a snuggy.  Welcome to Pennsylvania.  So after sitting under two blankets for Fall ball, I was ready for something warm and wonderful.  And I found this on Facebook - Slow Cooker Bacon Corn Chowder Soup.  It had me at slow cooker.  And bacon.  Plus it uses all GF ingredients like corn starch and chicken stock.  Now watch the ingredients in your stock - Wegman's, Aldi and others do carry GF chicken stock and chicken broth, but many brands DO contain wheat.  It's cooking now and it smells fabulous!  Cannot wait to dish up a big bowl topped with some shredded cheese!  Not to mention, it's a first for me - I pin, post, and share a million and one recipes and have never made a single one.  Until today.  Yay me!

Another great recipe I have been recently introduced to comes from my sister-in-law Emily. She made this for me for dinner and it was life-changing.  And you can make it  ONE PAN.  ONE!!  Anything that you can make in either a slow cooker or ONE PAN is this girls go-to meal.  Chicken Burrito Bowls  - you can make them super healthy by using brown rice or quinoa, put out toppings like either reduced fat sour cream or Greek yogurt, guacamole, fresh chopped tomatoes....really, anything goes with this one.  Seriously one of the best recipes I've made in a long time.  My boys loved it, which always makes me happy and I had one pan to wash which makes me happy!  Bonus.

Now boy has got a million activities which makes making dinner a sporting event for me.  So one of my favorite easy peasy George and Weasy meals is Shepherd's pie.  And I've got some shortcuts that will make Rachael Ray envious:

Quick and Easy Shepherd's Pie

• Brown 1lbs. ground turkey in a pan and season with dried onion, salt, pepper and garlic or  shredded rotisserie chicken into a large casserole dish
• Make 2 packages of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes - they take like 5 minutes (I like the butter and herb but anything goes with shepherds pie)
• Combine the above in a baking dish with one small bag of frozen me-and-Jenny-go-together-like-peas and carrots
• Stir in one cup of 2% shredded Colby/Jack shredded cheese
• Sprinkle top with 4C Gluten Free Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until cheeses is creamy and melted

So good. So easy. And tastes like a hug from mom!  Or a really cute shepherd. You can pick. 

Last, but never least, a big thank you to my long-lost-buddy-gluten-free-ole-pal Debbie for texting me this: 

Holy guacamole!  I cannot wait to make chicken fajitas for the boy this week!  Found them at Wal-Mart!!  Debbie says they are the answer to decent fajitas!!  Gracias Debbie!! 

Anything new that you have tried friends?  Please share!  Wishing you cozy comfy sweater weather! 

Sir Save-A-Lot

So all us GFProud2B-ers know that gluten free living don't come cheap.  That's why I'm always looking for deals and steals wherever I can get them.  And have I found some good ones lately! 


1:   The Grocery Outlet:  Does your town have one of these?  My town just got one and let me tell you, the MOB (my other boy - the husband) is a frequent shopper.  He has found so many GF deals here - Ians GF nuggets and fish sticks for $1.99 a box, GF chicken broth - .99 cents, Krusteaz GF brownie mix 6-pack for $4.99! You can't make this stuff up!!  Plus they have an awesome selection of organic, frozen vegetables at really reasonable prices.  This place is awesome.


2:  Amazon:  I am a total Amazon-woman, Prime-shopping FREAK. And now with their monthly subscription service, there's event more savings to be had!  Their selection of GF products is awesome-sauce amazing. GF Bisquick is only $13.99 for THREE BOXES!!! One box at my local grocer is $6.99!  And you can set up monthly shipping service, saving you one less trip to the grocery store.


3: I'm going to say it again - Aldi.  They continue to expand their gluten free and organic items and they are all amazing.  Gluten free wraps - $3.99, Live GFree stuffed sandwiches - $2.69!  The list goes on and on.  Plus, Aldi get's BIG points for offering products that are Fair Trade Certified, UTZ Certified, and Certified Sustainable Seafood.  Check out their ad for more information on these products and their commitment to healthy, affordable food!


It ain't easy or cheap being GFProud2B - but there are some great and affordable options out there!  What money-saving tips do you have or stores that you find carry great deals?   

Why are the few days before a holiday cray cray?  Is it so we are thankful that the week is over and we have a day to wear yoga pants, gorge our faces and truly appreciate and  give thanks that we are not:

a:  stuck in traffic
b:  at work
c:  figuring out how to attain work/life balance
d:  all of the above

I'm not giving away the answer but on this Tuesday before Thanksgiving I was giving thanks for my awesome MOB (my other boy - aka:  the husband).  I got stuck in horrific traffic on the way home and the MOB told me he was going to make dinner and it was a surprise.  Now I could be:

a:  scared
b:  curious
c:  thankful

Definitely "c" because I was hangry and tired.  And only the MOB would make this:

 Totsagna

 

Seriously. That's the name.  It made me laugh.  Tater-tot lasagna.   And it was delicious.  And of course GFProud2Be! 

Here's the recipe.  It was seriously soooooooo good!!!  I had two helpings.  Okay, maybe more like 2 1/2.  I call it warming up for Thursday's feast.  I highly recommend this one folks. 

It was tot-tastic.  Boy loved it.  MOB loved it.  I loved it. 

So what am I thankful for this Thanksgiving?

a:  the boy
b:  MOB
c:  tater tots
d:  all of the above

Clearly we all know the answer to this one :)  Happy Thanksgiving friends!  I am also thankful for you! 

On the bandwagon

Fall.  I love fall and all that it has to offer - sweater weather, football and of course warm comfort food.  And then there's pumpkin spice.  It's EVERYWHERE.  I admit - I am not a huge pumpkin fan.  I don't drink pumpkin lattes, not a fan of pumpkin beer and I don't really love pumpkin pie.  But as you are gasping and wondering HOW?  WHY?  IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH HER? I broke down and bought this:

 



This inspiration for this purchase came from - wait for it - Pinterest.  I have had many a Pinterest fail.  Like the time I painted these letters for a Christmas craft that spelled "NOEL" and the "O" was a wreath and my husband asked if the boy made it at school.  He was 6.  But this looked Pinterestfailproof.  And gluten free.  Bonus. 

 

Three Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cookies:

http://www.thegunnysack.com/2014/10/three-ingredient-pumpkin-spice-pudding-cookies.html

 

• ½ cup pumpkin spice peanut butter
• 1 package vanilla pudding (3.4 oz instant pudding)
• 1 egg
• Optional: orange sparkling sprinkles and/or Hershey's Kisses (I used the Kisses - because chocolate)Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together pumpkin spice peanut butter, vanilla pudding and the egg.
1. Use a small cookie scoop (mine was the 1 tablespoon size) to form balls.
2. Optional: Roll cookie dough balls in sparkling sprinkles.
3. Place on a cookie sheet covered with a silicone baking mat (or parchment paper).
4. Use a fork to make a crosshatch on each cookie. Or if you plan to add Hershey’s Kisses, leave them as a ball without the crosshatch on top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
6. Optional: Press a Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie right after they come out of the oven.

These were sooooo good!  I doubled the recipe and added a pinch of salt to cut the sweetness.  Boy was in pumpkin-love-heaven.

 

 

 



And because it's been one of those days, I needed a little chicken soup for the soul so I made this:

Orzo Chicken Soup with Kale

So easy and so good.  I'll do my best to recount how I made this:

In a medium stock pot, sauté carrots, onion and celery (AKA: the holy trinity) in a good dose of olive oil - about 2 tablespoons. Add a pound of raw chicken cut into chunks, salt and pepper and garlic (about 3 tablespoons or 4 cloves diced).  When chicken is cooked, add kale - separated from the rib - about 2 cups (this really cooks down).  Then add a little more salt, pepper and 2 large containers of GF chicken broth.  I added a dash of red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings and whatever else I thought would be good - I love a lot of spice.  Cook for about 2 hours and then add the gluten free orzo.  My awesome mother-in-law got me this: 

And this stuff is GOOD!  She found it as Sam's Club.  And it's a dead ringer for the "real" stuff.  I can't wait to make Orzo pasta salad with it too! 

Once the pasta is cooked, dish up and serve.  Ah.....so good. 

So now that Halloween is about 25 days away, the Christmas goodies are already (grrr...) making an appearance and we will be ready for peppermint mochas, lattes, cookies and so on and so on.  But until then, I hope you enjoy the remaining pumpkin spice days of Fall! 

Going inside the (big) box....

So my biff, Krissy the baker is a Costco Queen (pipe in ABBA).  I don't belong because sadly (very sadly) it's not convenient to where we live.  But my biff, baker and Costco Queen is a great lookout for new and exciting GF options.

Let's start with the UDI's bread at Costco.  First of all - the size of the package and the  SIZE of the slice of bread is big-box worthy.  First thing the boy said is "it's like normal bread!"  And the boy is going through a huge growth spurt so the grocery-store size bread usually results in him eating 2 sandwiches.  But not with this big box loaf!  And the price is great - about $6.99. 

 

 

BJ's is also starting to carry Udi's bread - and BJ's is closer to our home, so I will have to scope out to see if it's the same size.  They also have Udi's bagels and pizza too. 

 

 

Another big box store that has upped it's G-free game is Wal-Mart.  Their selection has really increased and I got these muffin mixes for $1.48 a bag!  And they were fantastic - definitely getting again!  I got the blueberry and double chocolate.  And all you do is add milk!  Bonus! 

 



Happy to see the GFP2B movement has made it's way to our favorite big-box stores, giving us big-box options! 

So what is your favorite G-free buy at your favorite big box store?  Do tell!

There's a spring in my step....

Ahhhh....Winter (dare I say) is finally over!  Flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, the weather is warmer and new GF products are springing up everywhere!

Seriously - this has been a fabulous month of new GF finds in the GFP2B household and I couldn't be more excited to share them with my GF peeps (sidebar - isn't it great that Peeps are GF?)!

First of all, I finally found Udi's frozen food selections! I had been hearing about them forever! And while I was picking up shampoo (+100 other unessential items) at Target, I perused the frozen food aisle and there was a glorious case of GF goodness to behold!

 

A working mom's dream!  Udi's frozen meals and breakfast burritos.  A freezer full of deliciousness! The chicken parmesan was ab-fab folks.  Spicy, flavorful and so so good.  Winner winner chicken dinner!  Boy loved it.  He also loves the breakfast burritos.  Sausage and egg, uncured bacon and egg varieties are just two minutes from a delicious breakfast. Some great Q&E (quick and easy) meal options for the busy household.

 

Next up - the cracker-sandwich-hall-of-famer - Lance -  came out with cheese and peanut butter GLUTEN FREE cracker sandwiches!!!!!!  They taste exactly like the original! 

 

 

They're a little costly ($5/box) but they are soooooo worth it.  The crackers are light, buttery and airy.  Boy ate both boxes in two (2) days.  I will have to ration them next time (but really, I couldn't blame him.....they were that good).

 

Lastly, I need to give a huge shout-out to the Girl Scouts.  Their famous cookie campaign featured a gluten free option this year.  Let me tell you kids - these were like trying to find the golden ticket in a Willy Wonka chocolate bar - I could not get my hands on a box anywhere!!!  But then the boy's GF angel (his cousin, Amanda), scored us a box in Washington, DC.  They were so good, we were unable to capture a picture because they were gone before you could say the Girl Scout pledge.  Next time you see a Girl Scout, thank them for their service (and then slip them a $20 to reserve you a box of these awesome-sauce cookies).

 

Celiac awareness has really given the food industry a good ol' poke in the ribs and I couldn't be happier to see so many new products on the shelves for our GFProud2Be kids (big and small). 

 

Have you found any new GF options lately?  Please share!