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Caramel Corn Puffs Recipe

Heather — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:02:10 +0000

Having a party this weekend? Or, maybe you want to take something you can eat to share at a party. Here’s a gluten-free recipe that would be great for a Super Bowl party, a birthday party, a homemade Valentine gift, or just a fun snack to share.

It’s not sticky like caramel corn, but it is a little crunchy, a little sweet, and a little salty. It’s gluten-free and dairy-free (lactose-free and casein-free, too!). Kids and adults are going to LOVE this. I make a big batch because it disappears so quickly.

Caramel Corn Puffs Recipe

Ingredients

12 oz. (2 pkgs) plain, unsweetened whole grain Puffed Corn
1 Cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
1- 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar, lightly packed
1/2 Cup Agave or Honey
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Sea Salt, finely ground

Directions

Preheat oven to 250º F.
Pour plain Corn Puffs into a large roasting pan, or onto two large baking sheets with sides, and set aside.
In a 3- or 4-quart sauce pan, combine vegan buttery sticks, brown sugar, and agave syrup. Over medium-high heat, bring it to a boil and and let it continue to boil for 5 minutes.
Carefully pour in the vanilla and baking soda. This will cause it to bubble up, so watch it carefully and stir quickly.
Remove it from the heat and quickly pour the mixture over the corn puffs in the roasting pan. Gently stir the corn puffs so that all are covered with the caramel mixture.
Put the corn puffs in the oven and bake at 250º F for a total of 60 min, taking it out of the oven and stirring every 15 minutes to make sure every piece gets baked evenly.
After 60 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle sea salt on the corn puffs while they’re still warm. Stir, cool, and enjoy!

Additional Comments

You can store this in airtight containers on the counter for a week, without losing any quality of taste. (Maybe longer, but that is as long as I can keep it on the counter without eating every last piece.)
Make sure the puffed corn you purchase is gluten-free. Some brands may have cross-contamination warnings.
Add some nuts, or other ingredients to make it a trail-mix treat.

Menu Plan January 30 – Root Veggies

Heather — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:41:17 +0000

I’m soaking up the sunshine in Florida, having a great time with my family, so I’ll keep my comments short this week. The GF Menu Swap this week is being hosted by Wendy at Celiacs in the House. The theme is Root Vegetables.

The most common root vegetables we eat in my house are carrots and potatoes. I know, not too exciting or adventurous, but I have a couple young kids to keep happy. We do have sweet potatoes on occasion. I used to cook carrots with a light, sweet glaze for the kids when they were toddlers. Or, sometimes I would just steam carrots to soften them a little, then put into the refrigerator for snacks later. They were soft enough for their delicate teeth and gums, and seemed to enjoy them. Now, they really only want to eat them cold and raw. They aren’t even interested in them with a sweet glaze anymore. Oh, how times change.

Maybe it’s time for us to try some new root vegetables, and give some old ones another try. Head over to Celiacs in the House to see what Wendy and other gluten-free bloggers are cooking up this week.

Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

Monday - Grilled Chicken, Steamed Veggies, Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday - Out

Wednesday - Chicken Tacos with slow-cooked, shredded chicken

Thursday – Pancakes served with a Fruit Salad

Friday – Salsa Verde Enchiladas, using leftover chicken from Wednesday, served with Rice

Saturday - Pizza served with a Spinach Salad

Sunday - Leftover Buffet

Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup

Thanks to Wendy at Celiacs in the House for hosting this week’s GF Menu Swap with Root Veggies as the theme.
The Gluten-Free Menu Swap will be here at Celiac Family next week with the theme of Cinnamon.
Review the Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page for the current schedule of themes and hosts. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.

Need more menu ideas?

Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

Menu Plan January 23 – Pomegranate

Heather — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:44:30 +0000

The winter blues have hit me. My son’s been sick and I’ve been fighting something — cold, sinus infection, dry weather? Whatever it is, I need to get out of the house and get some sunshine! So, I’m heading to Florida at the end of the week. I’m hoping a few days of sunshine perks me up, and the travel doesn’t get me down. OK…that sounds like I’m being spontaneous and just flying off on a whim. Well, that’s not really the case. We’ve been planning to go back to Disney World for a while, and this month just happened to be a good opportunity for doing just that. That being said, I’ve kept our meals quick and easy this week because I’ve got some packing to do.

Pomegranate is the theme for the GF Menu Swap this week. Angela is hosting the roundup of menus at Angela’s Kitchen. I don’t use pomegranate much. Sometimes the crunchy seeds are just too much for me, so I opt for the juice over the fruit. A while back, I posted a recipe for a Blueberry-Pomegranate Martini that you might find interesting. At the end of that post you’ll find links to a variety of gluten-free recipes using pomegranate juice. This week, I’ll be adding pomegranate juice to my smoothies. If I’m feeling up to it, I may even make a cranberry-pomegranate sauce for the chicken and pork chops this week.

Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

Monday - Rotisserie Chicken served with Rice and Green Beans

Tuesday - Grilled Pork Chops served with steamed Broccoli and a Fruit Salad

Wednesday - Grilled Sandwiches served with Kale Chips and a Fruit Salad

Thursday – Burgers served with a Spinach Salad and Waffle Fries

Friday – leftovers

Saturday - Out

Sunday - Out

Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup

Thanks to Angela at Angela’s Kitchen for hosting this week’s GF Menu Swap with Pomegranate as the theme.
Join is again next week for the Gluten-Free Menu Swap. Wendy will be hosting the roundup with a theme of Root Veggies at Celiacs in the House.
Review the Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page for the current schedule of themes and hosts. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.

Need more menu ideas?

Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

Menu Plan January 16 – Smoothies

Heather — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:34:40 +0000

We’re halfway through the month. Are you working on any resolutions for the New Year? I’m still working on mine. To further my goal of Eating More Produce, I chose Smoothies as the theme ingredient for this week’s Gluten-Free Menu Swap.

I am making smoothies, but I haven’t quite made it a daily ritual, yet. I got a new Cuisinart blender/chopper for Christmas this year that’s perfect for making smoothies. It’s small enough to keep on the counter and even comes with cups in which to blend the ingredients. So, I’m hoping to get into the habit of making smoothies more often. The kids think of the smoothies as more of a treat — like a milkshake or a slurpie — because they like it sweet with lots of fruit. For myself, I’ve been adding greens like spinach and kale to add a nutrition boost and get that extra produce into my diet.

These days it seems like everyone has a Smoothie recipe in their cookbook or blog. But you don’t really need a recipe. Just combine some of your favorite fruit and vegetables in a blender with water, tea, yogurt, ice, etc. Even though a recipe isn’t necessary, it’s nice to see what others are doing to get some new inspiration. Here are some great ones I found:

Very Berry Detox smoothie in Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s new Deliciously G-Free cookbook uses lots of berries, spinach, green tea and ice
Spicy Green Smoothie in The Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Kitchen cookbook combines tomato, spinach, avocado, jalapeño, onion, etc. for a savory alternative
Tropical Smoothie with pineapple, berries, banana, grapes, walnuts, endive, etc. at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom
Green Dreamsicle Smoothie with tangelo, banana, Greek yogurt, etc. at dishes and dishes
Blueberry Spinach Mint Smoothie with…well, blueberries, spinach, mint, etc. at Tasty Eats at Home
Mystery Smoothie with berries, banana, mango, spinach, etc. at Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Berry Lemonade Green Smoothie with blueberries, strawberries, cucumber, celery, spinach, lemon, etc. at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free

Don’t forget to check out the Gluten-Free Menu Swap roundup below for more gluten-free menus and ideas for smoothies.

Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

Cilantro Rice

Egg & Hash Brown Casserole

Tropical Black Bean Salad

Monday - Chicken Taquitos made with shredded chicken served with Cilantro Lime Rice

Tuesday – Eggs and Hashbrowns Casserole served with Tropical Black Bean Fruit Salad

Wednesday – Teriyaki Chicken Skewers served with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Thursday – Spaghetti and Meatballs served with a Spinach Salad

Friday – Fish and Chips served with Green Peas

Saturday - Grilled Chicken Breasts served with steamed Broccoli

Sunday – Leftovers

Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup

Renee at Beyond Rice and Tofu has another great vegetarian menu this week. They’ll be having Veggie Burgers with Kale Salad Wraps, Chickpeas Romesco, Makhani Dal, Quinoa Vegetable Soup, and Socca Pizza. Sounds like a healthy week with plenty of produce at her house.

Angela at Angela’s Kitchen has several yummy recipes for smoothies you should review. She likes to keep ripe bananas in the freezer so she has them ready to use for her smoothies. She says they add a creamy texture that they love in their dairy-free smoothies. Angela has a full menu of lunches and dinners planned for her family this week. Some of the tempting meals include Juicy Apple Turkey Burgers, Lemon Spinach Tilapia, Thai Chicken Pizza, Wild Rice Turkey Soup, and Cranberry Chicken.

Paige at Not Missing a Thing! manages meals for multiple allergies in her family. This week, she is making gluten-free/dairy-free/egg-free macaroni and cheese, Sonora Enchiladas, Chicken and Rice, and gf/df/ef pizza. She is also making what I would call “Un-stuffed Peppers” – a mixture of seasoned ground beef and quinoa or rice that she serves with fresh slices of sweet peppers on the side.

Wendy at Celiacs in the House starts her day with a green smoothie made with banana, pineapple, spinach, almond flour, water and ice. She also noted that Valerie at city|life|eats posted a list of green smoothie recipes on her site this past weekend. This week, Wendy is sharing her monthly plan, as well as her weekly menu plan, which includes Shrimp Lo Mein, Cauliflower Broccoli Soup, Slow Cooker Indian Chicken, and Asian Turkey Burgers. In case you missed it last week, Wendy has started a fun new series on her blog that lets you peek into gluten-free kitchens on Fridays and share kitchen tips on Sundays.

Samantha at So Simply Good shares a link for a kid-(and parent!)pleasing Blueberry Coconut Smoothie that she found at Paleo Parents. Her menu plan this week includes Chipotle Beef Chili, Quick and Easy Crock Pot Brisket, Southwestern Flank Steak, Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Soup, and more.

Alisha at Going G-Free is brand new to the gluten-free life. She and her daughter are just starting up the steep slope of learning all there is to know about living gluten free, so stop by her blog and give her some support! Her meals this week include Carne Asada Tacos, Meatloaf, Chicken Nuggets, Taquitos, Grilled Chicken, and more. She’s also included some ideas for lunches and snacks.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this week’s menu swap. Visit Angela’s Kitchen for next week’s Gluten-Free Menu Swap.

Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?

For this week’s roundup, email your menu link to celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com. Or, simply put your menu link in the comments below.
Next week’s theme will be Pomegranates. Visit Angela’s Kitchen for the roundup next week.
The Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page has the current schedule of themes and hosts. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.

Need more menu ideas?

Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

Menu Plan January 9 – Broccoli

Heather — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:29:03 +0000

Continuing to work on my goal of Eating More Produce, I chose Broccoli as the theme ingredient for this week’s Gluten-Free Menu Swap. Everyone in my family loves broccoli.

Steamed broccoli is one of our usual sides for dinner every week. It’s a pretty fast and easy way to get some fresh green vegetables into our diet. Seems pretty plain and boring, but everybody eats it up without complaints.

It’s nice to have something so easy to add to the meal. But it’s also nice to try something new, so I’m hoping for some new ideas.

Here are a few of my ideas for eating broccoli:

Broccoli Mushroom Casserole

Rainbow Apple Salad

Quinoa with Broccoli

Don’t forget to check out the Gluten-Free Menu Swap roundup below for more gluten-free menus and ideas for using broccoli in your menu.

Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

Pork Chops with Black Beans

Pancakes

Mexican Chicken Pizza

Monday - Grilled Chicken Breasts served with Quinoa and Broccoli

Tuesday – Pork Chops with Black Beans served with rice and green beans

Wednesday – Meatloaf served with PeeWee Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli

Thursday – Chicken Tacos

Friday - Pancakes, Bacon, and Fruit Salad

Saturday - Mexican Chicken Pizza

Sunday – Leftovers

Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup

Renee at Beyond Rice and Tofu loves broccoli, too. She enjoys it steamed, stir-fried, and roasted. She also likes to take it to work and microwave it with a little water and salt. Renee has a great variety of meals on her menu this week: Buttery Pigeon Pea Dal with roasted broccoli and brown rice, Tempeh and Green Bean Stir Fry, Italian Chickpea Soup, and Spiced Lemon Quinoa.

Wendy at Celiacs in the House is also a fan of broccoli and says her family goes through 2-3 bunches a week. This week it will be in her Coconut Curry Tilapia and Pork and Vegetable Lo Mein meals. Also on her menu this week is Salmon Cakes, Slow-Cooker Soup, Roasted Chicken, and Chicken Tacos. I’m intrigued by a couple more notes on her post this week: a link and review for Olive Cake and an announcement of a new “In My Gluten-Free Kitchen” series she’s starting this week. Looks like fun!

Emily at Our Frugal Happy Life is keeping busy with family and in-laws throughout the week. They are enjoying some gluten-free banana muffins she made last week. Her menu this week includes Cheeseburger Pie, Chicken and Rice, Cheeseburger Rice, and Garlic Cheddar Chicken.

Thanks to everyone who joined up, visited, and shared your comments. Join us next week for smoothie ideas.

Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?

For this week’s roundup, email your menu link to celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com. Or, simply put your menu link in the comments below.
Next week’s theme will be smoothies! Share your recipes, or simple combinations of fruit and veggies for your favorite smoothies. Meet back here next week at CeliacFamily for the roundup.
I’ve updated the Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page with the current schedule of themes and hosts. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.

Need more menu ideas?

Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

Rainbow Apple Salad Recipe

Heather — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:23:07 +0000

I’ve had a few questions about the Rainbow Apple Salad I included in my menu last week, so I thought I would share the recipe.

Inspired by Debbi’s recipe for Broccoli Apple Slaw, I threw together a salad after seeing a bag of Rainbow Salad at Wegmans. I have really been enjoying the salad for lunches during the week. The recipe keeps evolving, but this is what I’m enjoying right now.

Rainbow Apple Salad

Ingredients:

6-8 Cups Shredded, or julienned, Vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, purple cabbage and carrots (I purchase a 10 oz. bag of Wegman’s Rainbow Salad and add some matchstick carrots.)
2 large crisp and sweet apples, cored and chopped (about 4 cups)
1 Cup dried Cranberries
1/2 Cup Poppyseed dressing (Read the ingredients to make sure it’s gluten-free.)
1/2 Cup chopped nuts or sunflower seeds (optional)

Directions:

Combine the vegetables, apples, and cranberries.
Pour the dressing on the salad, and toss to evenly coat the salad.
If desired, sprinkle nuts or sunflower seeds on top.

Additional Notes:

This makes a salad large enough to share — about 8 servings.
It’s great as a side salad, too. Serve with Pulled Pork Sandwiches or a simple grilled chicken breast.

Review More Great Recipes

Find more gluten-free recipes at Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
Find more healthy recipes at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Menu Plan January 2 – Eat More Produce

Heather — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:58:36 +0000

Happy New Year! The first Gluten-Free Menu Swap of the year is being hosted by Wendy at Celiacs in the House. The theme is Eat More Produce.

That sounds like a great item to start my list of New Year Resolutions. And I’ve taken a few from my December Sanity Challenge to add to my list.

Eat More Produce – at least 5 servings a day (I will use my new Blender to make smoothies for snacks, and add veggies to sauces.)
Exercise at least 30 minutes, 3x a week. (Walking, Yoga, Dancing, etc.)
Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
Schedule at least one hour a week to just relax and have fun. (Hire a sitter, if necessary.)
Get the kids to help more with household chores. (Use Saturday mornings to catch up on weekly chores.)
Review and adjust my goals monthly.

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

Easy, Hearty Gumbo

Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

Monday - Pulled Pork Sandwiches served with Kale Chips and Corn

Tuesday - Rotisserie Chicken served with roasted cauliflower and Rainbow Apple Salad.

Wednesday – Gumbo served with garlic bread

Thursday – Fish Sticks served with roasted Brussels sprouts

Friday – Chili served with cornbread mini-muffins

Saturday - Chicken Nuggets served with green beans

Sunday - Leftover Buffet

Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup

Thanks to Wendy for hosting this week’s GF Menu Swap at Celiacs in the House with Eat More Produce as the theme.
I’m going to continue the Eat More Produce theme, by choosing Broccoli as the theme for next week’s roundup. It will be here at Celiac Family.
The Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page has the current schedule of themes and hosts. There are still dates open for January and February. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.

Need more menu ideas?

Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

Gluten-Free Holiday Recipes Galore

Heather — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:40:14 +0000

Update: I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I took some time to update the Holiday Recipe Events below with all the links to recipes and roundups, so browse through them for some great gluten-free recipes. You may find just the recipe you want for some last-minute ideas for Christmas, or maybe you’re thinking ahead to New Year celebrations.??

I also want to mention another gluten-free event that I completely neglected (unintentionally) – Jules’s Gluten-Free Cookie Swap. I’m not very good about following Facebook, but I finally got a chance to look at it. Wow! It has more than 100 gluten-free cookie recipes posted. You don’t want to leave this off your list of recipes to peruse. And maybe you’ll share your own favorite cookie recipe!

However you are spending the start of the winter season, I send you warm wishes to you and yours. I hope you have a happy, healthy, gluten-free holiday!

__________________________________________

Three online events are going on this season to help you enjoy your holidays gluten free. I’ve already shared with you the December Sanity Challenge. Here are two events that are more specific to gluten-free recipes. The events have already started, but don’t let that stop you from checking them out. New gluten-free recipes are being posted everyday by bloggers wanting to share their healthy ideas with you. And, there are still prizes to win, too!

A Gluten-Free Holiday

This weekly themed link-up event is taking place on Thursdays (November through December) and includes a cookbook give-away every week.

Share your own favorite gluten-free holiday dishes and browse through new gluten-free recipes to add to your menu.

Nov. 3rd – Healthier Through the Holidays at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free
Nov. 10th – Thanksgiving Favorites at Cook It Allergy Free
Nov. 17th – Edible Gifts at Taste at Tasty Eats at Home
Dec. 1st – Holiday Entrees & Sides Dishes at Daily Bites
Dec. 8th – Holiday Breakfast & Brunch at Diet, Dessert, and Dogs
Dec. 15th – Holiday Desserts at She Let Them Eat Cake

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Home for the Holidays

This daily event is taking place through December 23, and features holiday recipes from 25 different bloggers. Shirley at gluten free easily gathered almost 100 items to give away throughout the event.

The prizes include gluten-free cookbooks, e-books, magazine subscriptions, applications, and a testing kit. The final top three prizes will be a VitaMix blender, $150 shopping spree at Free From Gluten, and a giveaway package from Caveman Cookies.

Check out all the details in the event announcement from Shirley.

Help Send Kids to a Gluten-Free Summer Camp

Heather — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:01:42 +0000

This week only, through Sunday, December 25, Gluten-Free Saver has partnered with Van’s Natural Foods to raise money to send gluten-free kids to a summer camp next year.

The money collected will be used for scholarships for kids to attend a gluten-free summer camp hosted by the Celiac Disease Foundation next summer in San Bernardino, California. The summer camp will be held from July 30 to August 3, 2012. It’s open to all kids between the ages of 7 and 15 who are gluten-intolerant or gluten-sensitive. The kids do not need to have an official diagnosis of celiac disease, only the need to be gluten free.

Van’s is matching all donations this week up to $1,000! Please join me this week in donating to the cause. Even a small donation of $2 will add $4 dollars to the scholarships. If you are feeling generous this holiday season, feel free to contribute as much as you’d like.

You can find more details on this one-week fundraiser at Gluten-Free Saver.

Menu Plan December 19 – Holiday Favorites

Heather — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:03:05 +0000

Time is almost up! Are you enjoying the holidays? This week’s theme for the Gluten-Free Menu Swap is Holiday Favorites. Will you be making all your favorite holiday dishes this year? To be honest, I’m not sure what we’re doing yet. We don’t usually have a formal dinner with the family. Instead, we choose to fix finger foods and appetizers for Christmas Day. It works out great to just graze and nibble on our favorites in between opening presents and playing with our new toys.

Here are a few of our favorites that I’m considering:

Avocado Salsa
Fruit Kabobs
Baked Potato Skins
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Grilled Chicken Skewers
Shrimp Cocktail
Chocolate Macadamia Nut Candy
Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
Poppyseed Bread
Holiday Sugar Cookies

Don’t forget to check out the Gluten-Free Menu Swap roundup below. I’m sure there will be more favorite holiday recipes linked up to inspire your own menu this week.

Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

When I sat down to figure out what to eat for dinner this week, I had a lot of trouble deciding what to fix. I wanted it to satisfy everyone’s taste buds, but I also wanted to keep it quick and easy. I still have plenty of Christmas activities to enjoy this week: school holiday parties, last-minute shopping, wrapping presents, more baking, etc. Since I cook pretty quick and easy most nights, I wasn’t sure how I was going to make this even easier but I think I got it figured out for at least a few days.

Monday - Chicken Tacos. This slow-cooked chicken makes it easy to pull together a meal quickly, and is always a family favorite.

Tuesday – Bell & Evans gluten-free chicken tenders, served with corn and broccoli

Wednesday – Hamburgers, sweet potato fries, and peas

Thursday - Eating out

Friday – Chicken Enchilada Soup - I’ve got the soup base in the freezer, just need to thaw it and add leftover chicken from Monday.

Saturday - Prime Rib, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli Casserole, Chocolate Soufflé

Sunday – Merry Christmas! I hope you, too, will be enjoying some of your favorite holiday dishes gluten free!

Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup

Emily at Our Frugal Happy Life is doing lots of baking this week. Just look at all the yummy goodness: Cream Wafers, Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins, dinner rolls, and more. She also has Italian Shepherd’s Pie, Fiesta Chicken with Rice, and Ham on her menu plan. Add in a couple Advent dinners at church, and you can see she has a busy week ahead of her.

Lisa at Extraordinary Life has been making gingerbread men cookies and butter cookies that have been a big hit at school. She has lots of great meals on her menu this week including Meatloaf, Mac ‘n Cheese, Ham with Pineapple Gravy, Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole. Looks like a happy holiday at her house. Now, she just needs to figure out some craft ideas to keep the kids busy while they’re out of school.

Renee at Beyond Rice and Tofu is creating new holiday traditions with her husband since they are away from family this year. So, they are making Green Chile and Cheese Tamales for Christmas Eve and Spring Rolls for Christmas Day. Also on her menu this week is Indian-Spiced Roasted Squash Soup, Red Beans and Rice, and Chickpea and Spinach Curry. I love the variety and the local flavor of New Mexico that she’s incorporated into their menu.

Angela of Angela’s Kitchen posted her menu at Once A Month Mom this week. Her family’s holiday favorites revolve around Swedish traditions that include lingonberries, gluten-free Lefse, potato pudding, rice pudding, and her grandmother’s Swedish rye bread. Angela has lots of baking and cooking for the rest of the week, too! Cookies, pizza muffins, and pizza baked into holiday shapes. Other meals this week include Chicken with Cauliflower and Apples, Fish Tacos, Pumpkin and Pork Chili, and Slow Cooker Black Bean Salsa Chicken.

Wendy at Celiacs in the House is making their family’s favorite Brussels sprouts with a garlic cream sauce for the holidays. Her week’s menu starts out heavy on the vegetarian meals (Black Bean Soup, Szechuan Meatballs with LoMein, Blackstrap Beans on Potatoes) in order to prepare for the feasting on Christmas Eve (Sirloin with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables) and Christmas Day (Ham, mashed potatoes, and candied yams).

Thanks to everyone for joining the GF Menu Swap this week. Hope you all have Happy Holidays! Next week’s menu swap will be at Angela’s Kitchen with the theme of “New Things.”

Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?

For this week’s roundup, email your menu link to celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com. Or, simply put your menu link in the comments below.
Next week’s roundup will be Angela’s Kitchen with the theme of “New Things.” We’d love to hear about your efforts to try something new in the kitchen or maybe taking an old favorite and doing something new with it.
I’ve updated the Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page with the current schedule of themes and hosts. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.

Need more menu ideas?

Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
Or, check out some of my past menu plans.