Easy Gluten Free Avocado Toast

Gluten Free Toast

Prince George cheese-very sharp and just a very small amount

Avocado smashed on top

Maldon Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Want to know more about avocados, how to choose a ripe one (hint peeking under the stem helps), how to keep half of one ripe and how to cut it open?  Keep reading.

Avocados are a fruit native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South and Central America.   Each fruit contains 10 grams of fiber and is packed with potassium.  The creamy green fruit also provides Vitamin C, A, B6, copper, iron, magnesium and pantothenic acid, which helps your body convert food into energy.   There are many types of avocados on the market but my favorite is the Haas.   All Haas avocado trees are descended from a single  “mother tree” planted by Rudolph Haas in 1926 in La Habra Heights, California.

When purchasing an avocado make sure it is ripe.  It should be soft when you squeeze it but not so soft one squeeze and you have just made guacamole. Here’s a great chart that shows stages of ripening. 

When I’m shopping for a ripe avocado I always look under the stem.  See here just how to do that.

If it is not ripe when you purchase it place it in a paper bag for a few days.  When you cut an avocado,  it will discolor fast.  It avoid this, squeeze it with a little lime juice.

To keep half of an avocado fresh I keep the pit in the half I’m saving and place it into a sealed container with uncooked rice at the bottom.  Works great!

To pit an avocado, use a sharp knife and cut around the avocado in half lengthwise creating a circle.  You will feel your knife run around the pit.  Twist the halves in opposite direction and they will part.  One side will be left with the pit.  Cleave your knife blade into the pit and twist the seed, it will pop out.  Be careful as you remove the pit from your knife.  While still gripping the knife with the pit I use my thumb holding the knife to slide it off.  You can also slide the blade on the edge of a bowl to knock it off.

To dice the avocado, make a crosshatch pattern through the avocado being careful to not penetrate the skin.  Then you can scoop out the cubes with a tablespoon.  To mash, use a fork or a potato masher. You can also use my favorite guacamole tool.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy avocados?

So I’m sure you’re wondering where I’ve been and why did I popped up today.

I’ve been working on a new book with my husband that I think you will love. I wanted to share it with you and also ask that you purchase a copy today to give you an opportunity to receive bonuses for FREE, and to help get the word out. The book uses an amazing tool we’ve created to help you get clear on how you are at your best and what to do to get there.  Of course there’s some info on what you eat, but it goes way beyond that.

Here’s the scoop directly from Scott, my husband and the author!

I’m asking for your help today in launching my new book, Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative into the world. Today, Monday, October 13, is the official publication date for the book. Please click on this Amazon link to buy a hard cover copy of the book. By buying a copy today you will create the momentum that will help this book reach and benefit the greatest number of people.In the publishing world, timing is everything. A strong launch day on Amazon plays a huge part in getting a book noticed by the people in the media who create lists of books you should read, best seller lists and the like. Momentum begets momentum. That’s why I’m asking for your help.Over the past week, I’ve been overwhelmed (in a good way) by the response from people who pre-ordered my new book online and have already received their copy. You can read some of their reviews on Amazon. Because this book addresses such a great need in our society and because it draws so much on my personal experience in using mindfulness to manage the effects of a chronic illness, Overworked and Overwhelmed is a very personal project for me. I want it to help as many people as possible.As a token of thanks for your help, I would like to give you two companion resources to Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative. The first is a Group Discussion Guide designed to help like-minded people use the book to support each other in making essential changes in their lives. The second is the Life GPS® Personal Planner which includes a self-assessment, scoring guide and instructions on how to use the book to create a Life GPS® that helps you show up at your best and create the outcomes you want at home, at work and in your community. In a few weeks, we’ll be offering these resources for purchase on our web site, but I want to give them to you for free for your own use and to share with your colleagues, friends or clients. If you’ll send an Amazon receipt for your October 13 – 16 purchase of Overworked and Overwhelmed to ootma1.65zzo@zapiermail.com, we’ll get those two resources to you right away.Thank you so much for your support of my work over the years and thank you for helping Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative do a lot of good for the world.  – Cheers,  Scott

So please, buy the book and share the news. Yes, pass this along to everyone so they too can get the free bonuses too.I hope you will share with me your experiences as you read the book.

Thank you.

Over the years my blog and website has taken on many different looks, logos and directions.  Through it all I’ve shared my original recipes to hopefully show that eating gluten free is anything but boring or tasteless.  It’s actually the exact opposite.

I’ve had the honor and pleasure of getting to know some amazing fellow gluten free bloggers along the way.  There are so many but these gals hold a special place in my heart too.  They are amazing resources and I hope you visit their sites and read them often.

Kim at Cook It Allergy Free and her coaching site Allergy Free Coach

Shirley at gluten free easily and All Gluten Free Desserts All the Time

Alisa at Go Dairy Free (I think we helped convert her to gluten free)

Ellen at Gluten Free Diva

Melissa at Gluten Free for Good and her new site Artful – Aging

Elana at Elana’s Pantry

On my journey I also attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a Certified Health Coach.  I wanted to gather even more information and help others who were making the transition to a gluten free life.  It can be scary and overwhelming at first and I worked with so many amazing clients to help them see an easy, healthy, gluten free life was there for them.

I also met so many amazing health coaches along the way, especially through another program I joined with the Holistic MBA team of Carey Peters and Stacey Morgenstern.  Through their Spotlight program I have met the most talented, dedicated and loving people.  They are really wonderful.

Now I begin a new part of my journey and what I’ll share on this blog.  As many have noticed I’ve not been posting much this summer.  I’ve been on a summer hiatus.  This has given me time to step back and focus on areas of my life that really needed extra attention, mainly my health.

I was fortunate enough to spend a weekend at the Chopra Center with Scott and learn from their wonderful instructors and Deepak Chopra himself, how to meditate using a Primordial Sound Mantra.  I’ve been “trying” to meditate for the last 10 years.  It’s always on my list to learn.  I’ll try this or that and would think I’m doing it wrong or let other things in life step in front and push meditation to the back.  During this weekend I learned there is no right or wrong way and I also learned the power of my personal Primordial Sound Mantra.  They said it would be powerful and something I could take with me anywhere.  I thought they were just trying to get me to attend.  Well it did both, I attended and they were so right.  Already I can see how it is changing my life in amazing ways.

If you’re like me and either have tried to meditate and felt like you failed or had it on your to do list but it kept getting pushed to the bottom, I suggest you contact the Chopra Center and find out when they are giving this instruction again.  They have many options and a great description of what is meditation. Also if you want to dip your toes into meditation, they have started a 21 Day Meditation Challenge in partnership with Oprah.  It’s not too late to join in.

So moving forward I am going back to posting recipes that I make and don’t want to forget and think that you may enjoy too.  It won’t be on a specific day or twice a week or any other pattern.  It will be when I have something to share.  At this point all of the blogging experts just shuddered,  “what will that do to your SEO and readership will drop off”.  Others who get too many emails will be happy to get less.  Good, bad, who knows.

I’m hoping those who find what they need will stay.  You will be nourished and get what you need when you need it.  All of my resources and everything here will remain.

As I learn more about Ayurveda and cook more along those lines working towards Perfect Health, I’ll probably share that information and recipes too.  My hope is we will continue our dialog, just not every day.  I also am no longer seeing clients as a health coach.  For now I am happy to be working one job with our Executive Coaching firm, Eblin Group and taking care of my family, my health and seeing friends.

So at this point you’re wondering about the title of this post and did I really answer that.  So here it is in a list format to keep it simple.

5 Gifts from 5 Years of Gluten Free Blogging

1.  There are many talented and amazing gluten free bloggers out there and I’ve been honored to share the gluten free world with them.

2.  Blogging can lead to other careers that one had not even imagined in the beginning.

3.  Running two businesses, a website and blogging many times a week while moving across country and taking care of a family is a little hard on my health.  Stop trying to be Wonder Woman.

4.  Meditation is not as hard as I thought and the benefits are reaching into every aspect of my life.  Wish I would have really started it sooner.  I wonder what blogging would have been like then?

5.  While blogging gluten free, one can explore other areas that can include gluten free but go way beyond and have enormous health benefits such as Ayurveda.  Be open to where your journey takes you.

Thank you all for being a part of my 5 year journey of blogging.  You have made this a wonderful experience.  I love to hear from you and your wonderful stories of how you used a recipe or something  you read that helped and all the wonderful things you’ve shared over the years.  I hope you will continue to visit here and share with us.

Thank you so much!

Namaste

Diane

I think the key to this meal for my husband was the side dish with sweet potatoes that didn’t taste like sweet potatoes.  Always good when I can show him a way to eat a vegetable he says he doesn’t like. I loved the many layers of flavors and great textures from the combination of ingredients.

To help the sweet potatoes cook faster and have them just melt into the dish, I used a Julienne Peeler as I have in these past recipes.   Another way to make this dish rock was being able to get fresh ingredients from a local farmers market or grocery.  There are tons of Julienne peelers out there but this is the one I have and I love it.

Since this really is two recipes in one post I’m going to give you part two first.   I used an organic boneless pork chop but you could also use boneless chicken breast pounded or the chicken tenders, seafood would work great for this dish too such as shrimp or even a fresh white fish like cod, flounder or tilapia.  If you want to keep it vegetarian then skip the meat all together and serve this with browned polenta rounds, eggs or beans.

Once your side dish is cooking to the point where  you’ve added the last ingredients and it’s winding down to the lowest setting (see below),  you’ll want to heat your second skillet with a little coconut oil on medium high.  This is where you cook your pork chops or other proteins.  You’ll want to cook pork until it’s 145 degrees F in the thickest part of the chop.  But before it’s totally done sprinkle each side with Organic Chili Ancho Ground.  This is a great spice to have on hand.  It’s the bases for any pot of Chile you want to make and with football season just around the corner, grab some.   You don’t need much for the pork to brown up and give the meat great flavor.

So now on to the star of the show, the Smoky Sweet Potato, Corn, Shallot and Jalapeño hash.

Ingredients:

1 very large sweet potato, peeled and then shredded with a Julienne Peeler

1 ear of Non GMO corn cut off the cob

1 large shallot, chopped

1 minced jalapeño (keep seeds for heat or remove for less heat)

1/4- 1/2 teaspoon Chipotle powder

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

Celtic Sea Salt and Fresh cracked pepper to taste

handful of fresh chopped cilantro

squeeze of half a lime

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon olive oil

micro greens such as arugula

1 Haas avocado, diced and tossed with half a lime and some cilantro

1 tablespoon Cotija Cheese

Directions:

Prep your food first so it’s ready to add to the pan in stages.

Heat the oils in a large skillet on medium high. Add in the shallots for just a minute or two, as they start to soften add in the julienned sweet potato and combine well so the potatoes can start to soften.   This should take about 2-3 minutes.

Now add in your corn, jalapeño, chipotle, garlic, salt and pepper and combine well.  Keep an eye on this as the shallots can start to burn if left unattended.  Letting them get crispy is good, burnt not good. Once everything is combined I squeeze on the lime and turn the burner down to the lowest setting while I cook the pork chops.  Before serving I toss in the crumbled cotija cheese.  Omit if you want to keep it dairy free.

Serving Suggestion:

Place a large spoonful of this delicious vegetable dish on your plate, place the pork chop half on the pile half off, top with some of your avocado mix and sprinkle with the micro greens.   I also snagged a few tortilla chips from my son’s plate which was great to balance off any bites too spicy.

Notes:  I will say that the two of us ate this entire side dish so if you want to have nice size servings for more people I would double the recipe.  If you have leftovers this would be amazing with eggs in the morning.

If you are a fan of the moist, soft, chewy cookie then you’ll love these.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups blanched almond meal flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 cup coconut nectar raw

1/2 cup filtered water

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup gluten free oats*

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup broken walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, raisins and oats.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, coconut nectar, vanilla and water.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Using a Stainless Steel Scoop, 4 Tablespoon, scoop the dough and place on the prepared making sheets and then flatten a little with your hand or the back of a fork.

Bake for 8-12 minutes, until they are lightly brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool down enough to pick up and eat. You don’t want to pop one into your mouth as soon as you take them out of the oven or you’ll burn the heck out of your mouth, take it from me.

Note:  Some of the links provided are affiliate links.

* For the gluten free oats my favorite are the Montana Gluten Free.

If you don’t have coconut nectar and don’t follow the link provided to order some, then you can substitute agave or yacon syrup or even regular sugar.  If you go with the regular sugar you will probably need to increase the amount of water to balance off the liquids provided in the recipe.  Just start with a teaspoon and add from there.  Remember you can always add more so start small.  You’ll want to be able to have the dough hold together.

I love getting those bags of frozen raw peeled shrimp that are ready to use.  They’re not big but it doesn’t matter.  The price is usually good and I can keep them in the freezer for when the urge for another shrimp slider hits me.

For this recipe I actually prepared some of the ingredients ahead of time.  Not something I’ve been doing lately but I wanted the corn, onion, celery and pepper to be a little charred before I mixed it with the shrimp.  The result was a great taste and texture.

I did let my shrimp thaw so they were not wet and filled with ice.  Works much better than trying to thaw at the last minute under water.

Also the night I made these I had great intentions on dicing up an avocado for a salad to serve along side but we went out for a long walk and by the time we got back it was late and we were so hungry.  But no reason you can’t create this addition.  I was thinking of a chunky salad with the avocado, some tomatoes, red onion and black beans tossed with lime juice and cilantro.  If you do this let me know what you think.

Also the sauce you see here is my fast and easy Sriracha Mayo.  The ratio is 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce mixed well.  If you like it hot you’ll need to add in more sriracha sauce.  Also as a side note, these are good cold too.  Had a taste the next day so these would be good for just about any occasion.

This meal also does not have to stay vegetarian.  You can add in whatever cooked meats you have handy.  Maybe you cooked a chicken the day before and have leftovers you can use. If you eat dairy feel free to add in just a touch of cheese.   I will say we both loved this dish and it was very filling.

So just thinking out loud here but if you have a bunch of people headed over to watch the Final Four this weekend and you want to fill them up, not spend a ton of time in the kitchen and not spend a fortune, serve this.  Make it even easier and grab some gluten free tortilla chips so they can just scoop and eat.  Or heat up the tortillas and let them create their own with an assortment of toppings.  You could slice up some jalapeno peppers, maybe a little sour cream or cheese (dairy or non), different types of salsa (there’s a ton out there), some cooked chicken, beef or pork for your non-vegetarian friends joining you (keep it separate and everyone is happy), shredded lettuce, black olives, and really the list could just go on and on.

But you get my point, this dish is great for a busy night alone or party time with friends.  Home cooked meal that takes less time than running out for a burrito.

When making this dish you have a couple of options for the variety of Lindsay Olive you choose.  I really like their Taste Profile chart which can help you make your choice.  I would think Sicilian or Spanish Whole would be other good options besides the Greek Kalamata Olive.

You can also either keep the egg on top or not.  If you do make sure the yolk is soft and runny.  This will help create a creamy sauce in your pasta.  You can cook the egg in the oven like I did or in a skillet or poached in which you would add it at the end when serving.  I would suggest 1 egg for every two people you are serving.

This gluten free meal can be prepared in the time it takes to cook the pasta plus 10 minutes for the oven or most likely a total of 16 minutes.  Not bad for a filling and tasty lunch or dinner.

This recipe is part of a Kitchen Progressive Party event that will have five courses created by five different bloggers: amuse bouche, bread, salad, appetizer and entree, all posted today and all featuring Lindsay Olives.

Now if you are a blogger you can submit a post featuring a Lindsay Olives recipe that you think would “complete” the menu or Progressive Party (cocktail? soup? dessert? sky’s the limit!). To help, you can go to the EventBrite page and request either product or coupons for Lindsay Olives. Once you’e created your dish (along with post/recipe/photo), submit a link to that post on the Kitchen PLAY .  Your post needs to include links to both Kitchen PLAY and Lindsay Olives. Winner will be drawn from all the eligible entries received. The prize for the winner is $200.   Good luck to all!

“I was compensated by Kitchen PLAY and Lindsay Olives for creating this post and recipe. All opinions are mine.”

This recipe was inspired by a great meal I had at Bar Pintxo, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Santa Monica.  Chef David makes an amazing dish that I order every time we go there to eat.  He uses prawns and of course cooks them perfectly.  I have no idea what his recipe is but this is a way to sample some of these flavors.   Maybe some time he’ll let me in on some of his secrets or you’ll have an opportunity to sample his dish yourself.

To keep this fast and easy to cook all you’ll need to do is wash and dry your shrimp.  You can peel it as you eat it.  If you want to take a little more prep time you can peel the shrimp but leave the tails on.  If you’re serving a really fancy meal and you can get your hands on prawns you can serve them like they do at Bar Pintxo.

One more dish that will help you live an easy, healthy, gluten free life!

You may know him by his #1 bestseller The Blood Sugar Solution that’s been featured on national shows like Live! With Kelly, Dr. Oz, Charlie Rose, and others.

Mark firmly believes that the most powerful medicine you can take is at the end of your fork, not at the bottom of a pill bottle. And now he’s putting his money where his mouth is, with…

The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook

More than 175 Ultra-Tasty Recipes For Total Health and Weight Loss

According to Dr. Hyman, you can literally transform your health with the food you put on your plate.

But best of all, you can enjoy this journey to renewed vitality and optimal weight with one delectable meal after another!

Get more information about this all-new cookbook here … as well as THREE Bonus Gifts you’ll receive when you order it.

Doctor-Approved and Delicious

That’s Dr. Hyman’s Prescription for Health

Whether you follow The Blood Sugar Solution plan or simply want to eat your way to a healthy weight, Dr. Hyman wants you to know that you’re not limited to a steady diet of bland and boring “health foods” that taste like cardboard going down.

Thank goodness for that!

In fact, there’s a world of culinary delights waiting for you when you replace the mass-produced “factory foods” that make us fat and sick with home cooking at its best. These recipes show you the way.

And Listen, You Don’t Have To Be A World-Class Chef …

…to fill your kitchen with the enticing aroma of these world-class dishes. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to prepare the healthiest and best-tasting food you’ve ever had.

What’s more, many dishes take less than 30 minutes to prepare, so you’ll never run out of delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner options no matter how busy your schedule!

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But please don’t put it off, and here’s why:

One of the Bonus Gifts is Admission to a special Blood Sugar Solution webinar that Dr. Hyman will be hosting on March 27^th, 2013. In this online event, you’ll see how easy it is to prepare healthy, delicious meals, all based on his Blood Sugar Solution secret to health and vitality.

Believe me, you won’t want to miss this inspiring and motivating event. But you must act now—this online event is open to the first 500 buyers only!

Go here and Dr. Hyman will fill you in on everything!

P.S.  Follow this link and you’ll also find the recipes for two of Dr. Hyman’s favorites: Spiced Ground Turkey Wrap With Watercress and Avocado and Mexican Lasagna.  Give them a try and let him know what you think!

P.P.S. Remember, the clock is ticking. You must respond soon if you want your invitation to Dr. Hyman’s March 27^th Blood Sugar Solution Webinar, a $50 value in itself. Act now!

The Readers Weigh in on the Spiced Ground Turkey Wraps

“The recipe sounds awesome and I am so excited about getting GOOD HEALTHY RECIPES to make … this is just what I needed to get started on eating WELL … thanks so much.” —Elaine Cogbill

“Sounds delicious! I will get the ingredients on grocery shopping day.” —Donna Christian

“This recipe was truly delicious. I added black olives and basil and left out the watercress (only because I didn’t have any—I’m sure the peppery taste would have been great).” —Susan

“I made a variation of this tonight for dinner and was pleased. My husband and kids ate it as tacos (baby steps) and I had it as a salad. The family gave me the ‘ok’ to go ahead and make it again.” —Michelle

Yesterday was one of the worst days I’ve had in some time.  You know one of those days where nothing goes as planned, nothing works out, things go haywire, technology is not your friend and it’s just a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  I ran to The Misfit and ordered their amazing French fries to go and my day got better immediately.

My family thought I still needed a good meal out a day later.  So my son and I went off to The Misfit in Santa Monica for dinner.  I’ve been eyeing tables in the restaurant who order the Baked Mac & Cheese.  I’ve even gone up to people and asked what they thought.  I’m kind of brazen that way.

Everyone always rolls their eyes in total lust and tells me just how amazing it is and that I must give it a try.  Then they add, don’t forget to order it with chorizo.  Now if you’re a vegetarian skip the chorizo and double check if it’s vegetarian as I didn’t even ask. I went straight for the chorizo.

So after a crazy day which was preceded by a couple of busy and exhausting weeks, I decided tonight was the night to give it a try.

I double checked of course that the Baked Mac & Cheese with green chile and brown rice pasta-gluten free, was indeed a completely gluten free meal.  Oh and that the chorizo was too.  They said yes so I said yes.

I also ordered their Roasted Brussels Sprouts with garlic confit, mustard cream and chives.  I had not tried that dish either so I thought why not.  Brussels sprouts is a vegetable I’ve only been eating for a few years and usually with bacon so I was curious to give it a try prepared another way.  I have to say it was amazing and I will definately be ordering that again.  The combination of flavors danced on my tongue.  I could have made an entire meal of just that.

But then I would have missed out on the best gluten free mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten.   I don’t think I’ll ever make it again myself.  I’m lucky enough that The Misfit is less than 3 blocks away from my home.  Yes you can hate me now.

Chef Jordan Lynn has created an amazing combination of flavors.  The creaminess of the cheese and sauce with the tender pasta and the slightly spicy bite here and there of green chile makes for a party in your mouth.  Top it off with the chorizo and there’s just no going back.  If you are not a fan of the chorizo they also offer it with pancetta which I’m excited to try the next time I order this dish.  It’s my duty to check it out for you.

The baked mac & cheese is a very generous portion that comes in it’s own square baker.  The serving size is plenty for two but I was lucky enough to not be sharing so I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

For those who are wondering this is not dairy free, so if that is what you need you’ll have to pass on this but you can make my Truffled Mac & Cheese or Curried Mac & Cheese which both are gluten free, dairy free, and soy free.  Or start with the basics of those two recipes and add in some green chiles and chorizo.

However if you find yourself in Santa Monica, California and you eat gluten free, stop by The Misfit for some great gluten free options.  Tell Chef Jordan I sent you and don’t forget to order the Baked Mac & Cheese.

The Baked Mac & Cheese just moved to the top of my list of their menu items.

Of course there are all of the fun National celebrate holidays this month still to come:

February 13 – National Tortellini Day

Feb 15 – National Gum Drop Day

Feb 16 – National Almond Day

Feb 18 – Drink Wine Day

Feb 19 – Chocolate Mint Day

Feb 20 – National Cherry Pie Day

Feb 21 – National Sticky Bun Day

Feb 22 – National Margarita Day

Feb 23 – National Banana Bread Day

Feb 24 – National Tortilla Chip Day

Feb 25 – National Chili Day and National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day

Feb 26 – National Pistachio Day

Which one sare you going to celebrate?

Growing up outside of Philadelphia my eyes first went to the Sticky Bun Day.  I found this gluten free recipe that I just might have to try.  The trick is to find the gluten free recipes that keep with your easy, healthy, gluten free life!

I also rarely turn down a good margarita.  I think I’ll make my Strawberry Margarita on the 22nd.

If you are looking for some sweets don’t miss out on Shirley’s Suite of Sweets at gluten free easily or her entire website dedicate to All Gluten Free Desserts All the Time.

If you are looking for dairy free you’ll want to visit Go Dairy Free.  Many of her recipes are also gluten free but read the ingredients and directions.  Those Amazing Chocolate Mousse Cups are calling to me.

If you are celebrating Fat Tuesday with the whole New Orleans vibe you may want to give my Turducken Burgers a try or the Crustless Pecan Pie.

If you are celebrating on the 25th try my Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts and my 3,2,1 Chili.

Whatever day you are celebrating find the recipes that work for you.  You can use the search bar at the top right, the ingredient list on the right sidebar or the whole page dedicated to the Recipe Index.

Do you have a recipe for one of these celebrations?  If so share your link below.

Happy February everyone!

All I can say is WOW.  This dip tastes amazing and is highly addictive.  I’m not sure if I’m glad I have this in my house or not but I think it will be good to have others to share it with for sure.I really love jalapeño Poppers, especially the ones I’ve made wrapped in bacon with BBQ sauce.   But I will say making them is very labor intensive.  I really wanted to have them for the big game but just didn’t want to stand there and stuff all of those peppers on game day.

So this Jalapeño Pepper Popper Dip was born.  This recipe is made to be gluten free and dairy free and vegan. (my version is also soy free) There are of course are ton of ways to change up this recipe and make it with dairy or even add in bacon if you want meat.

I will give you the recipe as pictured here and then in the notes section I will give  you all of the options that I can think of .  Of course you’ll probably come up with many of your own depending on your ability to eat different ingredients and the taste you enjoy in your jalapeño poppers.

Since this is a dip with jalapeño peppers you also have the option of how hot or spicy you want the dip.  You can alway get the flavor of the peppers and keep the heat level down and I’ll share some options around that too.

Another bonus about this recipe is you can make this dip to a certain point and then save it until you are ready to heat and serve.

This is an easy way to get that taste you love without all of the time and effort it takes to make individual Jalapeño Pepper Poppers.  It also will have less fat if you are not deep frying the poppers.  Two good points when living an easy, healthy, gluten free life.

 Jalapeño Pepper Popper Dip

Ingredients:

8-12 small roasted jalapeño peppers*

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 ½  cups of Cashew Cream Cheese*

2 -3 tablespoons of Majestic Garlic with Cilantro *

4 tablespoons Earth Balance Dairy and Soy Free Butter Spread*

Gluten Free Panko type Bread Crumbs- Glutino

Tortilla chips for dipping

Directions:

1. Place the peppers on a foil lined  pan sprinkled with olive oil.  Roast the jalapeño peppers on 425 degrees F for 20 minuets.  Immediately take them from the oven into a bowl and cover it tight with plastic wrap.  Let them sit for 15 minutes.

Next carefully peel off the skin and then remove the stem and seeds.  If you gently open the pepper and remove the stem by peeling it down through the pepper you’ll most likely take all of the seeds and membrane with it.

DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE or for that matter anything else on your body until you have gotten the oils from the peppers off your hands.  Let me say you’re family will probably learn some new swear words from you.  To wash the oils off you run your hands under cold water and then smack them together in a back and forth motion.  The cold water will keep the oils in tact and you will knock them off.  Or you can wear plastic gloves but still don’t assume you have not oils on you.  Wash up just the same.

Next you’ll want to chop the peppers and set aside.

2.  Mix together the cashew cream cheese and cilantro garlic until well combined.  I did this in my Vitamix right after I made the cashew cream.

Scrape the cashew cream cheese into a bowl and mix in 8 teaspoons of chopped jalapeño peppers.  This will give you a good jalapeño flavor and some heat.  Use less for less heat.  REMEMBER you can always add in more peppers so mix it up and give it a taste.

3.  Now it’s time to assemble the dip.  Place a little knob of the butter in the bottom of your serving dish.  Sprinkle a layer of the breadcrumbs on the bottom.

Next carefully spoon in the jalapeño cashew cream cheese mixture.

At this point you can stop, wrap it up, finish the last steps when you are ready to serve the dish.

Sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs so you have it covered and a thin layer.  You don’t want it too thick or too thin.  Just think about biting into a traditional jalapeño popper and how thick that typical crust.

Now dot the breadcrumbs with more butter.  It doesn’t have to be a thick layer of butter but just enough that when it melts the breadcrumbs will crust.

4.  Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the top crusts.  If you cook it too long the cashew cream cheese will thicken up like a ricotta cheese will.  But don’t worry if it does this as it will not take away from the taste at all.   I’m also guessing if you are finishing this dish off later and it’s been sitting in the refrigerator that it will crust on top before the cheese cooks too much.

When it’s done remove from the oven and serve immediately.  A spoon will most likely work better than dipping a chip in there but a strong tortilla chip works well too.

OPTIONS:

You can use regular cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese made from soy.   Also you can mix into the cream cheese some shredded cheddar cheese or Daiya.

For the jalapeño peppers you can use canned diced jalapeño peppers.  You could probably use the pickled ones for a more mild flavor but it will change the taste entirely and would really try to stick to plain peppers.  I’m sure that dried jalapeño peppers would work in this recipe too.  Just mix them into the cream cheese but allow them time to soften and reconstitute.

You can also use dairy butter or any version of butter you eat in this recipe.

If you do not have the Majestic Cilantro Garlic you can use granulated garlic powder or take garlic cloves and make into a paste.  Mix in some fresh chopped cilantro or dried.  The amount you use will depend on the taste you want.  Remember you can keep adding more so go slow, mix in what you think and give it a taste.  I would start with 1/2 teaspoon of the granulated garlic and 1 teaspoon of the cilantro.

If you eat meat you can also add in some cooked chopped bacon.  I would probably add it as a layer on top of the cream cheese and below the breadcrumb topping.

If you do not eat gluten free than use a regular panko.  But if you eat gluten free make sure the panko style breadcrumbs are clearly marked.  In addition to Glutino Gluten Free Breadcrumbs I’ve used Ian’s Gluten Free Panko Breadcrumbs.

Enjoy the Super Bowl, eat well and let’s hope it’s a good game.  Although I can already tell you who wins, Coach Harbaugh!

This year there will be a first for the game.  Two brothers are coaching against each other.  Jim Harbaugh for the San Francisco 49ers and John Harbaugh for the Baltimore Ravens.  Can you just imagine their parents and what that would be like?  I’m guessing they’re rooting for both.  Who are you hoping wins the game, Ravens or 49ers?

No matter who wins you’ll want to have some good eats while watching the game and the commercials.  Scroll down and you’ll see each month and some ideas on how to serve them for the big game.  This calendar is a party in a box!

Oh and don’t forget for those who own this cookbook calendar, to go to the last page and grab the Secret Code for the webpage full of photos giving more detailed directions, links to more recipes using the ingredients in these 12, plus a ton more recipes and cooking tips.

January is a must to have at the party, Jicama Tacos or Tostados.  I love guacamole and anytime I can find more creative ways to use it I will.  Here I’ve combined it with purple potatoes and mushrooms or shrimp and bay scallops.

February Little Lasagna Flowers are good since there are in single serve size.  What you use for the flower itself and the filling is totally up to you.  I give you a few suggestions for both.

March would be good if you cut up this Tunisian Frittata and served it on a pizza peel.  You know the wooden paddle you see them pull pizzas from the oven with.  I love that as a serving dish.  Easy to carry over to the coffee table or even to carry around and serve people from.

April is something you may want to keep for the celebration meal the next day when your team wins.  This Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Prosciutto is a classic but with my twist of Polenta Croutons.

May is something that can be made in a large casserole and your guests can serve themselves this Easy Layered Mexican Casserole.    You could even pair it up with the Jicama Tacos.

June is also a dish you can make in a nice large casserole or lasagna pan.  It also takes just a few minutes to put together and then you pop it into the oven.  With it being winter however I would use canned fire roasted tomatoes instead of fresh for this Oven Roasted Pesto Vegetables Deluxe.

July is the month to use fresh tomatoes for this Can’t Beet California Cobb Salad and since it’s January you’ll want to swap that out for another favorite ingredient if serving it now.  I really like having some type of salad when watching the big game.

August is one of those dishes that looks really hard to make but trust me anyone can do this.  The Summer Vegetable Rosettes you see pictured here was cooked by my husband who is not a cook.  He can make scrambled eggs but doesn’t venture too far from that.  Zucchini is in season during the summer but you can buy it any time of the year.  This recipe uses cashew cream cheese as an option so if you make a batch save some for the many other recipes I’ve shared using that ingredient.

September is one of my favorite fast meals to make, Hash in a Flash.  It uses ingredients you have on hand and is cooked in one pan so clean up is fast.  If you make this serve it in a big bowl and let your guests spoon out as much as they like.

October is a very satisfying and flavorful Smoky Simmering Soup.  It’s one of those great chop and drop recipes right into your slow cooker.  Put it in there in the morning and it will be ready for you at game time.  How easy can it get!

November is another recipe that uses cashew cream cheese.  It’s a wonderful dish for those who want their big game food to be a little fancier.  Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni served with a bechamel sauce is sure to delight.

December Mushroom Party recipes are perfect for the big game food.  Keep the mushrooms smaller so they are finger foods and not something you’ll need a fork and knife to eat.  I give you three options and the recipes for each.  You can keep them vegetarian and make the Yam Packed Mushrooms or not and make the Crabby Mushrooms or Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.

Enjoy the game, your friends and family and the good food you’ll make.  I hope your team wins!

So, what are you going to make and who do you hope wins the game?

I live in downtown Santa Monica where I can walk to just about anything I need, including a good food.  This is also a popular  vacation and meeting destination.  In fact an amazing group of women will be descending on this city this week to come together for a retreat and meeting.  I’m very excited to see them and share these restaurants where I have found great gluten free food.

Some of these restaurants can be found on Open Table where you can make a reservation.  For those you will see the Open Table logo.  For others they either don’t take reservations or you can call ahead.  If you have a large group call and they will be able to let you know the availability.

Here are my favorites in no particular order.

JiRaffe  {California/French}

Chef/Owner Raphael Lunetta offers market directed rustic California/French cuisine. Entrees range from $23-$34 including an amazing Black Angus New York Steak for two served with potato parmesan gratin, baked tomato, sauteed farmers market black kale, port wine shallots, green peppercorn natural veal reduction served in a cast iron skillet.  This was my birthday dinner and even with the two of us eating a full plate we had leftovers.

Bistro Mondays is a prix fixe menu that is always amazing.  This restaurant uses fresh local ingredients which means they can easily accommodate gluten free.  They know exactly what is in each dish they serve.  When you arrive let your server know of your needs and they will gladly serve you an amazing gluten free meal.

502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401     310.917.6671 – phone | 310.917.6677 – fax

Monday 5:30 – 9:00 PM
Tuesday – Thursday 5:30 – 10:00PM
Friday – Saturday 5:30 – 10:30 PM

Real Food Daily  {Vegetarian/Vegan}

Right around the corner from JiRaffe is Real Food Daily or RFD.  Chef Ann Gentry is the creator, founder and operating owner of Real Food Daily, the only restaurant in the Los Angeles area that serves a 100 percent vegetarian (vegan) menu using foods grown exclusively with organic farming methods.  Their menu is noted which is gluten free along with other allergens.  I really like their gluten free, dairy free pizza.  It’s very filling.  I don’t think I’ve ever been able to finish it in one sitting so if you may want to share that.  Leave some room for their chocolate layered cake and chocolate chip cookies, both gluten free.  Make sure you share your needs with the server and the level of your sensitivity.  I find that key even if a menu is marked gluten free.

514-516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401  Phone: (310) 451-7544  Fax: (310) 451-7154

Weekend Brunch 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Mon. – Fri 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sat. – Sun 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

 Bar Pintxo  {Spanish Tapas Bar}

Chef David creates a wonderful Spanish Tapas bar with delicious food and great drinks.  It’s a cozy, warm, old world decor that transports you to Spain before you even order!  Enjoy their Six for Six happy hour, Tuesday’s Paella on the Patio or Thursday the Chef’s Tasting Menu.  I do have many favorites here for sure.  I love the chorizo con tomate, tortilla española,  gambas al ajillo, and of course the surtido de jamón which is 1/2 plate jamón serrano, 1/2 plate jamón ibérico.

When you arrive first ask for our favorite waitress, Andee, and tell her I sent  you.  She’s great and always gets the message to the kitchen for our needs.  I’ve actually been eating here for a few years and it’s always been an amazing meal and served gluten free.

109 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA (310) 458-2012

Monday – Tuesday (12pm – 10pm)

Wednesday – Friday (12pm – 11pm)

Saturdays (noon – midnight) & Sundays (noon – 10pm)

The Misfit Restaurant  {California}

Chef Jordan Lynn creates a “Back of the Bar” and very accessible comfort food menu.  Some items on their menu are marked gluten free, like their Mac & Cheese (still on my must try list).  Most other items you will need to check.  Let your server know when you arrive and they are very skilled at walking you through the menu.

They serve fresh foods on small plates from the local farmer’s market. There are many great vegetarian choices but my youngest son’s favorite is a burger on a gluten free bun and their huge plate of fries.  It’s really good but I’m also a fan of the roasted broccoli with garlic too.

Everyone here has always been great at attending to a gluten free meal, even for brunch on the weekends.

225 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401   t. 310.656.9800
Doors open at 12 noon Monday-Friday  |  Doors open at 11 am Brunch Saturday-Sunday  |  Open late every night

True Food Kitchen  {California}

The basis for this restaurant is Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet. The menu is meant to take popular trends in cuisine and pair them with healthy living.  It starts with their list of drinks which include Kale Aid and a Medicine Man which is my favorite.  Then you have starters, salads, pizza, sandwiches and entrees.  My favorite starter is the hummus with gluten free pita.  Their Mediterranean Chopped salad is very filling with quinoa and for a treat their chocolate pudding topped with pistachios and walnuts is decadent.

Their menu is marked where items are gluten free but I have found an error on the menu.  They serve farrow with chicken and mark it gluten free and as you know farrow is wheat.  I’ve not found anything else mis marked.  Also you can get items like the turkey burger on gluten free pita and it’s not marked gluten free.  Just let the server know about your needs and confirm the meal before digging in.  I will say the gluten free pita looks different from the regular pita and they can tell just by looking at it.

This restaurant is located in the bottom of the Santa Monica Place, which is the local shopping mall with other restaurants and clothing stores.

395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 172 , Santa Monica California 90401Tel: 310.593.8300  Fax: 310.593.8301

Mon – Thu 11:30am – 9pm
Fri 11:30am – 10pm
Sat 10am – 10pm
Sun 10am – 9pm

Brunch:
Sat – Sun 10am to 4pm

Zengo  {Latin/Asian}

Chef-owner Richard Sandoval spins regional ingredients into beautifully balanced dishes designed for sharing.  They also have an extensive drink menu which spans from Tequilas, wine, cocktails and even Japanese sakes.

Before you are seated ask for the gluten free menu.  They have a lot of great small plate options as well as some full plate dishes.  Some of our favorites are the Roasted Chicken Salad, Wagyu Roll with shrimp and sriracha, Peking Duck-Daikon Tacos and the Shrimp and Chorizo Lettuce Wraps (warning serrano peppers and hot).  Make sure you let your server know if you are very sensitive like me.  There is a sauce that is served with the Wagyu Rolls that is not gluten free and a good waiter will catch that.

Zengo is also in the Santa Monica Place on the top level.  They even have a private elevator on Santa Monica Blvd just passed the Nike store, or you can just ride up the two levels on the escalators.

395 Santa Monica Place, b/w Broadway & Colorado, Santa Monica, CA 90401  Tel. 310.899.1000

Lunch- Mon-Fri 11:30AM to 4:00PM

Dinner- Daily 4:00PM to close

Happy Hour Daily 4:00PM to 7:00PM

Bottomless Brunch Sat-Sun 11:30AM to 3:00PM

Sonoma Wine Garden  {Mediterranean/California}

Sonoma Wine Garden showcases signature bold Mediterranean flavors with a California touch.  Like many restaurants around here they use fresh local produce.  I’ve not eaten dinner here, but enjoy their small plates on the roof top bar with some of their great glasses of wine.  I have asked about many of their dishes and they have always had very descriptive answers for why something was available gluten free or not.  I’m looking forward to a full meal here.

They also have a wine club and if it’s your birthday you get a free glass of wine.  If you like to try many different wines, you can purchase an Enomatic card and choose from a wide variety.

Lunch:  M-F  11:30AM-2:30PM

Dinner:  Su-Th  2:30PM-10:00PM, F-Sa  2:30PM-11:00PM

Garden Brunch:  Sa-Su  11:00AM-2:30PM

Happy Hour:  M-F  3:30PM-6:30PM

Border Grill  {Mexican}

Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” has created a menu of complex authentic dishes based on the home cooking of Oaxaca and the Yucatan.  It’s a fun location to grab a meal, either for lunch or dinner.

You can download their gluten free lunch and gluten free dinner menu before you even head out the door.  When you arrive let them know of your needs and if you are very sensitive.  Many restaurants here will have gluten free foods fried in the same fryer as gluten items.  Just check on the items you’re interested in ordering.   Also if you like margaritas, they do have some tasty options.

1445 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401  phone: 310.451.1655  fax: 310.394.2049

Lunch

Monday through Friday – 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Border Brunch

Saturday and Sunday – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dinner
Monday through Thursday – 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday – 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday – 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday – 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Happy Hour
Monday through Friday – 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday – after 9 p.m. to close
Sunday – All Day

Fig- Fairmont Hotel  {California}

Chef Ray Garcia is a master at creating straightforward delicious foods using local fresh ingredients.  His staff can walk you through the menu to see what is gluten free or can be prepared this way.  Any meal of the day here will leave you very satisfied.  With the Fritatta Verde for breakfast, Fish Tacos for lunch and Mary’s Organic Chicken for dinner, it’s all good.  Dinners range in price from $21-$46.  Tuesday through Saturday they have half price dinners 5-6pm.  They don’t take reservations for this and the line starts before the doors open, so you might want to arrive a little early to get your spot (save me a space in line).

101 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica CA, 90401   phone 310.319.3111

breakfast Daily 7am-11am
lunch Mon-Sat 11am-2pm
dinner Tues-Sat 5pm-10pm
sunday brunch Sun 11am-2pm

Blue Plate Taco {Mexican}

This is a really wonderful location for a restaurant.  It’s on Ocean Avenue right across the street from Palisades Park and overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The first thing I do upon arriving is order their guacamole.  It’s a huge bowl to be shared for sure and it’s amazing.  Check and see if their oil is new and if it’s been used for anything with gluten.  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  I’ll ask for jicama and corn tortillas which works great instead of tortilla chips to dip.

They have wonderful specials and use fresh local produce and fresh seafood.  The tacos are traditional style which is small with two tortillas stacked.

Their menu is not marked gluten free but they can walk you through what is safe.  Just let your server know and they will talk with the kitchen to confirm the specials too.

1515 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica (310) 458-2985  Open daily 8:00am- 9:00pm

Hillstone   Corner of Wilshire Blvd and 2nd Street

R&D Kitchen   1323 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA  90403  310-395-3314

These two restaurants are owned by the Hillstone group.  They are very consistant and have always provided us with a delicious meal and all gluten free.

Hillstone is just around the corner from the 3rd street Promenade and you’ll want reservations to avoid a long wait.  For a more casual meal head over to R&D Kitchen on Montana Avenue.  They have an amazing salad stacked high with delicious vegetables, roasted chicken and tasty nuts.  Also their deviled eggs are my favorite.

Both restaurants hours:

Monday – Wednesday 11:30am-10:00pm

Thursday-Friday 11:30am-11:00pm

Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

Sunday 11:00am-10:00pm

Loteria  {Mexican}

Fun restaurant on the Promenade.  They have a gluten free menu but discuss with your waiter and double check what is being served as you would with any meal.  They have some great tacos, salsas and guacamole.  Stop in here if you’re wandering around the 3rd Street Promenade and you’re hungry.

1251 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401   T. 310.393.2700

Sun – Thur: 11am to 11pm
Fri – Sat:   11am to 12am

Buddha’s Belly  {Asian}

This restaurant is still on my list to visit.  It was recomendad by Karina, the Gluten Free Goddess who used to live here too. Make sure you check with your server and check ingredients that might not be listed on the menu.

205 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401    Phone: (310)458-2500   Fax: (310)458-6737

Santa Monica’s Farmer’s Market

Saturday and Wednesday mornings  8:30am – 1:00pm

Arizona Avenue (between 4th & Ocean)

Sunday on Main Street – 2640 Main Street  (in Heritage Square)  9:30am-1:00pm

If you are in town you must really try to make a trip to the farmer’s market.  Grab some fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and even some flowers for your room.  Have a picnic at the park, pack a lunch for your meeting or just a snack.  If you have a place to cook up some meals make sure you pick up some farm fresh eggs.  They are beyond amazing.

If you get there early, you never know which of the chefs that I listed above will be out in the market.  Chances are many.  Here they were gathering for the LA Food events.

I hope this listing will help you as you look for gluten free meals in Santa Monica.  This is by no means a complete listing.  I will be happy to keep searching out more favorites for you and will keep this list going.

This is not a soup that swims in a lot of stock but just enough that you can call it a soup.  If you want more stock please add it in until it makes you happy.

So I put this soup together in 10 minutes and was eating it 2 minutes later.  It’s fast and easy.  When making a soup like this I tend to prepare the ingredients as I need them instead of all together first and then build the soup.  Probably because I was hungry when I was making it and I wanted it fast.  Feel free to prepare it either way.

The holidays have come and gone.  If you’re like me they start off with just a bite here or there of what you typically don’t eat or more of what you do.  By the end of the holiday season those portions or the frequency in which you eat them has increased, almost without you even noticing.  Maybe what you are noticing is you just don’t feel as good as you did or would like to.

Maybe this didn’t happen to you this holiday season and if that’s true count yourself among the lucky ones.  No matter which path you took, participating in a cleanse will help reset your body.  I know this because this is what happens to everyone I talk to who has gone through a cleanse.

Here’s what happened to me.  If you would rather listen Click Here.

In conjunction with a Registered Dietitian  I’ve created and used the Next Level Cleanse myself.  I wouldn’t share something with you without trying it myself.  This 7 day whole foods whole you cleanse is really easy to follow and can be used even if it’s your first cleanse.  I’ve broken it into 3 levels.  This means you can start with level one if this is new or you can choose level 2 or 3.  But no matter you get the materials for all three cleanses when you enroll so you can use this over and over.  The materials are yours.

For me I was scared to try it but I’ve studied so much and knew it would be good for me.  I had no idea just how good, good was.

The results I received were with using the Next Level Cleanse on level 1, the beginning level.

I lost 8 pounds and kept it off.  My weight had been stuck so this kickstart was nice.

The bloating was gone and has not returned.  I used to get random bloating after a meal and could not figure out which ingredient was irritating my body.   My body was just irritated, now it’s not.

My skin changed.  It cleared and began to glow.  Many people commented on seeing this.

My energy level soared.  I felt younger.

Coping with stress became easier.

I’ve had a house full of sick people and was able to not catch their colds.

And here’s the one that really surprised me.  I can now eat dairy and rice.  I’ve not been able to tolerate those foods for 4 or 5 years.  Even a bite would have made me sick.  I’m not going to reincorporate either of those into my diet on a regular basis as they both can cause inflammation, but on occasion or when I’m eating out and it’s the only safe gluten free option, now I have more possibilities for foods I can eat.  I of course had to make risotto just to test my system.  Both my mouth and body was very happy.

My body was able to detox and allow systems to start working again the way they are meant to work.  It was a reset.

Now I can’t promise 100% that this is going to happen to you, but I do know you will feel amazing.  The other results of kickstarting weight loss, losing the bloat, glowing skin, and feeling amazing will happen.  It’s happened for everyone else.

I would love for you to join me on the Next Level Cleanse.  It runs January 11-17.  It’s a guided cleanse which means I will be with you every step of the way.

But here’s the thing.  I really want to make this accessible to you so I’m offering a New Year Special of $100 off the price of the Next Level Cleanse but this ends on Monday January 7th.  Don’t miss out on this discount and please don’t miss out on this opportunity to reset your health.

Read more about everything that is included in the cleanse.  All of the materials I give you including the complete menu plan and recipes for every single meals.  All of the support you’ll receive.  Grab a friend and the two of you can start 2013 off healthier then you ever imagined.

Happy New Year!

I am really looking forward to 2013.  2012 was an amazing year for me.  Lots of change, a big move and an opportunity to learn so much.  I’m a lucky gal.

I also am very lucky and thankful for all of you who read my blogposts, utilize the resources on this site, visit me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, read my newsletters and allow me the great honor of being your Gluten Free Health Coach.  I love interacting with you and working with you too.

The changes you have made in your lives is spectacular.

I love hearing the stories of you cooking and making great food for you and your family.  Or all of the amazing health changes you make in our coaching engagements.

You are the reason I love to go to work every day.  Thank you!

Now that we are just into the new year I hope you are making plans to continue to work on your health and take charge.  Take a little time to access how you feel.  Rate it on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being really bad and 10 being the best you have ever felt.  Now make a plan on how to move more towards that 10.   As you do this you will learn so much, try new things and feel better and better.

This is something I worked really hard on in 2012 and will continue to do so in 2013.  I’m happy to say I’ve made amazing progress towards that 10.  I’m eating more and more foods and even ones I have not been able to eat for years because my body couldn’t tolerate them.    I’m excited about all I’ve learned and I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned with you on this site, with my individual clients and those participating in the Next Level Cleanse (this had a lot to do with my improved health and eating more foods).

I wish you all the best in 2013.

If you were on my Gluten Free Holiday Survival free teleseminar last night than you first got some great tips and the tools that will help you immediately.

You also were introduced to my 7 day Whole Foods, Whole You detox, the Next Level Cleanse that will take your health to the next level!

This will change they way you look and feel in a week.  I say this from personal experience and that of clients who have tried it.   It totally changed my energy by giving it a boost, changed my skin  and complexion so it was clear and glowed, it kickstarted my weight loss, and I felt amazing.

One of the cool things about this cleanse is it’s like getting 3 cleanses in 1.  There are 3 levels so you can pick where you want to start.  If you’ve never been on a cleanse than you may want to start at level one.  Let’s say you do that level and you love it, of course.  Then a couple of months goes by and you want to detox in the spring.  You already have everything you need.  You can repeat level 1 or try level 2 or 3.

What you receive in this cleanse is such a long list that you’ll want to read it for yourself.   Follow this to the Next Level Cleanse and learn more about this opportunity to change your life.

Now just to let you know there is an Early Bird Special going on until midnight ET on Saturday December 22nd that also includes Early Bird Bonuses.  The value of these specials and bonuses is way more than the price of the cleanse.  But you have to register before the 22nd.  So go check it out now.

Read all of the great gifts you’ll be receiving and learn more about the cleanse.  But more importunely than all of the guides, recipes, menu plans and so on, you get to feel and look amazing, get a boost in energy, kickstart weight loss, lose the bloat, feel amazing.  Oh and since it’s a guided cleanse you get me for every day of the cleanse making sure you doing great!  Follow this to the Next Level Cleanse and sign up because spaces are going fast and the class size is limited!

If you have questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

These are really fast to make and they pack a ton of flavor.  You can choose how large or small you make them and what you serve them on or in.  Just make sure you serve it with the secret sauce.  Use your creativity with these little gems.  I’ve served them on round slices of polenta.  You can also use them to make Sriracha Shrimp Jalapeño Poppers or Stuffed Roasted Anaheim or Poblano Peppers.  It depends if you are using them as an appetizer, side dish or main dish.  By using the green herbs and the roasted red peppers they are very festive for the season.  Also this can be used as a subsititute for the Mushroom Party recipe in the 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar.

You’ll also want to tuck this recipe away for all of those college bowl games and the Super Bowl.  I’m sure you’ll start to find any reason you can to make these.  I’m going to warn you that these are highly addictive.   You can make these on any busy night and don’t even worry about the polenta rounds.  Make them larger like a burger and serve them on a toasted bun, gluten free of course.

To learn more ways to succeed at Gluten Free Holiday Survival, please join me on Wednesday for a free teleseminar.   You can join via phone or computer no matter where you live.  You can find out more here.  Even if you can’t make the call, register so you’ll receive the recording.

So you see there are many opportunities to do too much, eat too much, get too little exercise, get glutened and just give up.  Holly Jolly times!

I’m offering a Gluten Free Holiday Survival Free Teleseminar to help you find out :

• what most people do wrong during the holidays that can lead to excess stress and weight gain
• what to do instead so you cruise through the rest of this year
• how to start the new year heading in the healthy, happy direction you desire

Join me on December 19th for a free teleseminar on Gluten Free Holiday Survival.

You’ll need to register in order to get the call in information.  Go here for more details and to register.  

When you’re home, assuming your home is 100% gluten free, you are in your safe zone.  Nothing is brought in that contains gluten so you can roam around, nibble as you please without any repercussions to your body.  That doesn’t mean you won’t over indulge.  That’s another post entirely.  How to recover from over indulging.  Hmm,  I may have to share that soon too.

But back to eating away from your safe zone.  Let me share a little story with you to illustrate how diligent you must be.

The other night the gang was all here.  My oldest son Andy who lives in San Francisco and has written posts on gluten free beer and gluten free pop up restaurant in San Francisco, was down for the Thanksgiving holiday.  So my husband Scott, youngest son Brad, Andy and myself went out to eat.  We went to a local restaurant that has the name of a prominent figure in the health field.  We love this restaurant.  I go there a lot if I’m out walking errands or even want a treat or pick me up.  I love their gluten free pita and hummus and their kale aid drink.  Yum!!!

Sorry I get lost in food sometimes.  So their menu is marked which items are gluten free.  There are even many items that can be modified to be gluten free but those items are not marked, you have to find that out by asking questions. ****  Scott ordered what was presented as a gluten free meal on the menu.  He had roasted chicken with farrow.  *******  Yeah so those of you who read my blog or have worked with me know that farrow is wheat and wheat is definitely not gluten free.  Andy noticed the farrow in his dad’s bowl and asked him what he was eating.  Andy of course is a foodie and pays close attention to what living gluten free means.  Scott had a Steve Martin “waiter there are snails on her plate” moment.

The waiter apologized and brought him a new meal but he had already eaten some of the farrow.  Fortunately he does not have the same immediate sick response as I do where my abdomen blows up like Violet Beauregarde from Willie Wonka, I lose every ounce of energy and clear thinking I had.

I hope they are reprinting those menus as we speak.

So you see you have to know what you’re talking about when it comes to gluten free dining and not rely on what the waiter knows or remembers to tell you on your visit.

***** Tip #1  ASK LOTS of QUESTIONS

Can you accomodate a gluten free diner?

Do you have a gluten free menu or is your menu noted?

Are there items on your menu not marked gluten free that could easily be gluten free if the bun was omitted?

When you talk with your server ask them for help.  This will get them listening to you when really you are going to walk them through the help.  Tell them you have a severe gluten allergy.  No you don’t but when a restaurant hears allergy then their ears open up and they take notice.  This is what you want.  EVEN IF YOU ARE ORDERING FROM A GLUTEN FREE MENU, tell them you need a gluten free meal (hubby).  When it arrives at your table confirm that it is a gluten free meal.

Can you please ask the chef what they would recommend that would be safe for me to eat gluten free.  I often will look at the menu to see what proteins they serve and if there are any I don’t like I let them know.  So I’ll tell the waiter, I will eat whatever the chef would like to create that is gluten free but please do not use lamb but any other proteins are great.  I’m not a fan of lamb.  This works great if you are at a high end restaurant where the chef uses individual ingredients and they would rather create then be told how to cook the recipes they created.

Read through the menu and pick out a couple of possibilities that you can have the waiter check on if this is not a high end establishment.

If you are interested in a burger (100% meat and no fillers) or anything that is cooked on a grill or flat top, ask if it cooked on a surface where they place buns or anything with a sauce that contains gluten.*******  This would cause cross contamination.  Ask if they can cook your meal in a separate pan.  This usually is easy to accomodate.

If you are looking for french fries, read through the menu and look for anything that would also be deep fried with breadcrumbs like chicken or calamari.  Ask if they have a dedicated fryer for the fries or is it all cooked in the same fryer.  If they are all cooked in the same fryer you want to avoid them.  You can ask if they can cook them in a separate pan too.  Some places will do this.

Confirm any salad you order does not contain croutons and ask if the dressing is safe.

Stay safe while eating out and make sure they know of your needs and can accomodate them.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS thank the waiter for their help.  They are your allie and can help you.  If they can’t help ask to speak to the chef or manager.  If you are not satisfied that they are working to keep you safe, don’t eat.   Have a drink if you are with others and then eat later and always keep backup fruit or nuts on you.  It’s only one meal and there are usually so many others during the holidays that you’ll get food soon enough.

********Tip #2 KNOW WHAT IS TYPICALLY IN THE DISHES YOU LIKE TO EAT.  IN OTHER WORDS THE MORE YOU COOK AT HOME THE EASIER IT IS TO EAT OUT.

This is one of the most helpful things I can pass along to you.  If you are cooking at home and reading recipes then you know what typically is found in dishes you like to eat.  You’ll know what comes with a sauce or is usually started with a sprinkle of flour.  This will help you in asking the question in an intelligent manner. If you are not cooking many meals at home find out why and then change that.  If you need help in that area please contact me.  I love helping people get back into the kitchen.

******Tip #3 KNOW THE MANY NAMES OF WHEAT and WHAT CONTAINS GLUTEN

• couscous
• farrow
• wheat berries
• semolina
• durum
• spelt
• soy sauce
• malt vinegar
• Tabbouleh made from bulgur wheat

There are many other foods that may contain gluten that you should be aware of.  Know what’s in the food you eat.

As a holiday gift to you I am sharing my Gluten Free Starter Guide usually reserved for my clients:  

Happy Holidays and please eat safely. 

Only on Monday November 26^th :  get FREE Shipping on any 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar order, no matter the size.  That means the more you buy the more you save!  This does not apply to wholesale orders.  Offer is good from 12amPT Monday to 12amPT Tuesday, November 27^th 2012 only.

So NOW is the time to check off your gift list for EVERYONE!

• friend
• family
• teachers
• co-workers
• employees
• clients
• hostesses
• gift exchanges
• bus drivers
• mail carriers
• house helpers
• coaches
• church members
• someone who wants to cook for you
• YOU!

This is a great gift for anyone, no matter what they eat.  They can live gluten-free or not, dairy-free or not, vegetarian and vegan or not, and even Paleo or not.  It’s for people who love to eat good food! 

It’s a Calendar and a Cookbook that sits on your desk or countertop. 

• 12 beautifully-designed cards in a clear CD case specially made to stand-up and display on your desk or countertop.  (4 5/8” x 5 3/8”)
• Gorgeous color photos of each dish with easy-to follow recipes on the back.
• Each calendar comes in its own gift/shipping box to make your gift-giving really simple.
• All recipes are gluten-free and dairy-free!
• Vegetarian, Vegan, and Paleo directions for each recipe to fit any diet!

• BONUS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT! Secret access code for a hidden web page that includes:

• 28 additional recipes
• cooking tips & tricks for each recipe
• additional recipe suggestions along with instructional photos
• resources for ingredients and tools
• instructional cooking videos

 This offer does not apply to wholesale orders.  Offer is good from 12amPT Monday to 12amPT Tuesday, November 27^th 2012 only.

January 2013 through December 2013

Size – 4 5/8″ x 5 3/8”

$14.95 each

Order more and save! 
Order 10 to 99 for only $13.95 each

Order 100 or more for only $11.95 each

USA & Canada Only

$14.95 Each

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On this day where we tend to stuff ourselves with too much of everything, why not start your day off with something to help your body.  The ingredients in this juice or smoothie recipe is filled with antioxidents (fight off anything someone walks in the door with), tons of vitamins and minerals, protein, anti-cancer fighting ability, anti-bacterial and reduce inflammation.  Do you need more convincing.  OK, this glass of juice is very low calorie which I’m guessing is a good thing today.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Just a reminder to join me on Facebook tonight along with Shirley Braden (gluten free easily) and Ellen Allard (Gluten-Free Diva) to Talk Turkey, Gluten Free Style.

Let’s meet up on Facebook and talk turkey, gluten free style.  Join me, along with fellow gluten free health coach and blogger Ellen Allard the Gluten Free Diva.  Joining in will also be  Shirley Braden,

Leader of the King George Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Group, from gluten-free easily.

Come with your questions and we’ll work to get you answers.  Join us on Tuesday at 6pm ET or 3pm PT on The WHOLE Gang Facebook Page.

How many of these folks are at your table?

I found Carlalyn’s recipe for Cauliflower Pizza on Gluten Free Happy Tummy.  So I thought I would give it a try and at the same time participate in the Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger event.  Kate from Eat Recycle Repeat is hosting this event this month.

So I started with Carlalyn’s recipe but I changed it up to suit our families tastes.

Here is what I changed:

I added in a large whole egg, bumped up the almond flour to 1/3 cup, added in 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of toasted onion powder and 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasonings.

It’s really important that you squeeze all of the water out of the cauliflower.  This will make a big difference.

I pre-baked the crust and then for the toppings we had a little tomato sauce, shredded spinach and some chicken and turkey roasted red pepper sausage that had no sugar.  Also no cheese of any kind.  Not even Daiya since that is not part of the candida diet.

When the crust was brown, I pulled the pizza out of the oven and cut it up into slices.  I didn’t tell Brad anything, just asked him to give it a try since it didn’t have any cheese.  I didn’t say a word about the cauliflower.

He loved it!  He ate the entire pizza, well minus the slice I ate.  He said it tasted like there was cheese on it.  I think adding in the almond flour does that.

I can’t tell you how excited I am.  I’m not sure we’ll go back to pizza any other way.  It tastes great.  What a great way to eat pizza and have an easy, healthy, gluten-free life!

I hope you will not wait for necessity to give it a try.  I challenge you to make this pizza with your favorite toppings and report back to let me know what you thought.  But for me if something passes the Brad test, well then anyone will eat it.  He’s a very picky teenager.  So if you have one of those in your house, I’ve got you covered.

Oh wait did I mention there are over 300 recipes in this book that are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free!  I was lucky enough to get to test some along the way.  The recipe for Kale and Scrambled eggs has become a favorite in our house from the first time I made it.  As you can see I like to add the hot sauce on the plate as suggested.  It’s a great way to start the day off with greens.

If you are a health coach too, you will want to get this book for yourself and your clients.  Make sure you give them a highlighter pen with the book as there will be so much good information they will want to highlight as they read.  Throughout the recipes they offer ingredient, nutrition and kitchen tips plus ideas for variations and what to serve that recipe with.   You will have fun working your way from the breakfast recipes through soups, salads, wraps, meals, snacks, desserts and drinks.

Now I have two wonderful books to give to my clients thanks to Ali and Tom, their first book The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook: Whole Foods Recipes for Personal and Planetary Healthplus share their blog Nourishing Meals.

So here is the best part of this book for you.  The authors have given me enough to give to make 3 lucky winners.  That’s 3 signed copies of Nourishing Meals to give away!

Don’t miss the deadline!

In order to enter to win here is what you need to do:

1.  Sign up for my newsletter –  The Gluten Free Insider. (you know I’ll check, right)  

2. Leave a comment here and let me know you’re on the newsletter list and tell us how many meals a week you cook at home.

Good luck everyone.  I know the lucky folks who win this book will be very happy.  The winner will be drawn at random using random.org.

This contest is now CLOSED.  Thank you for all who participated!

The deadline for entries is Thursday October 25th at 9pm PT.  So don’t delay and quickly tell your friends so they don’t miss out either. 

Also as soon as I can place my order for an organic turkey I do so.  I remember the first year I made the switch to organic turkey.  It was by far the best tasting turkey I have ever eaten.  It was juicy and tasted like turkey, instead of just bland.

But for now I’ll just work on the foundations of my turkey and stuffing portion of the meal.  I’ll work on some of the other menu items closer to the date.  For instance I’ll make cashew cream cheese on Tuesday of that week so it will be ready for my Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni.  That will be the centerpiece for my vegetarian Thanksgiving for my oldest son, Andy.

So this week I got to play more with my new Ninja Cooking System, (sent to me for free).  The more I cook with this the more I really love it.  I steam roasted two organic turkey breasts.  They were on sale for a great price so I had to snag them.  I also wanted them to slice up for lunch and dinners for the coming couple of weeks.  It’s so much better than buying lunchmeat.  Again, control over ingredients.  I get organic, gluten free and sugar free lunch meat plus save money at the same time.  These breasts came out so tender and juicy and it didn’t take long to cook them either.  I put vegetable and chicken stock in the bottom of the Ninja and put the breasts on the roasting rack.

What I was not expecting with this was a beautiful delicious turkey gravy base when I was done cooking the turkey.  You could of course buy things like this at the stores like Williams Sonoma for $10.95.  Here is what is their turkey gravy base:  Water, turkey flavor (chicken stock, salt, autolyzed yeast extract, flavors, hydrolyzed soy protein, maltodextrin, chicken fat, caramel color, soy lecithin), modified food starch, turkey broth, rendered turkey fat, natural flavoring, gdl (an acidifier).  

Can I just say yuck!  So first of all there are many ingredients in here that could contain gluten such as maltodextrin, caramel color, and natural flavoring.  The modified food starch if made from wheat should note this.  Just in case you have never used a turkey gravy base, all you have to do is add in water or milk and you have gravy.

So I made an amazing tasting turkey gravy base for free since it was what was left after steam roasting my turkey.  I also can tell you every ingredient in it and you can even pronounce them.

I then sliced the turkey off the bones and tossed those bones back into the Ninja to make turkey stock.  I ended up with 15 cups of stock.  This will be perfect for making my Gluten Free Stuffing with Pancetta Sage Sausage and the gravy.  This is a huge money saver since I’m using the turkey bones again, some vegetables and water.  The cost for those ingredients was far less than the $20 it would cost to buy that much turkey stock that usually contains sugar, which is off limits for my youngest son.  Besides if I’m eating something with sugar or sweet, I want it to be a dessert.  Again I get to control the ingredients,  save money and keep that easy, healthy, gluten free life!

PLEASE check the ingredients listed, even if they say they are gluten or dairy free.  Most of these recipes come from non gluten or dairy free blogs.

First I have to share my Cauldron Cakes.  This is a gluten free recipe and dairy free too!  I will be making some version of these this year too.  I’ll also make more chocolate frogs where I melt the Enjoy Life chocolate chips and use my frog candy mold.  

Bakingdom shares a recipe for  Butterbeer.  This gal has tons of Harry Potter inspired recipes.  Now it’s not a gluten free blog so double check ingredients.  Still thirsty how about some Pumpkin Juice?

If you are into Potion Making you will love Affairs of Living gluten free Harry Potter party.

If you’ve read any of the Harry Potter books or seen the movies you’ll know there are tons of sweet opportunities to be inspired to recreate something from the Sweet Trolly on the Hogwarts Express or Honeydukes Sweet Shop in Hogsmead.

Bryton Taylor has created a gluten free verison of Pumpkin Pasties.  They look delicious!

Traditional Chocolate Truffles from Gluten Free Mommy look decadent.   You can also find Licorice Wands on the train.  They are one of Ron’s favorites

If you are looking for more of a breakfast treat, Delight Gluten Free Magazine shared these gluten free crumpets.

For more Harry Potter inspired recipes and fun foods to make for Halloween or any day, check out the fan site, Muggle Net with recipes from Madame Rosmerta (character from books).   Use all of your gluten free knowledge and adapt those recipes.  If you have questions feel free to ask me and I’ll see if I can help with the conversions.  Let me know what you create!

Send in pictures of your gluten free Harry Potter and gluten free Halloween foods, and I’ll post them here.

Hello again, it’s been a while! By no means should you take the recent lack of Gluten Free/San Francisco articles as a sign that there’s not a pretty huge abundance of excellent gluten free options in San Francisco (there are) nor should you take it as a sign that I’m terrible at keeping to an update schedule (I am). After six or so months living in the city by the bay, I’m starting to finally get settled, more or less. As I start to get a routine put together, you can expect more reviews and insight into the gluten free food scene in San Francisco, with any luck, at least once a month.

Incidentally, this particular outing doesn’t have a ton to do with food or San Francisco for that matter, as it’s a product you should be able to get in most Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or similar local grocery chains in your area. Before I launch into this in earnest, though, I’ve been asked to include a number of disclaimers. First, I was invited to Omission Beer’s event as a guest, and given free samples of their beer at said event. Second, I was also told I could take as many of the gift bags as I could reasonably carry. Third, I took more of the gift bags than was reasonable to carry.

With that out of the way, we’ll join a (very) slightly more inebriated version of me about a week and a half ago, standing on a very full N Judah train just exiting the tunnel that precedes the stop in my neighborhood. It was at this point that I began to realize that three gift bags may have been more than I could reasonably carry. This realization was spurred by an increasing concern that I was going to re-dislocate my shoulder* and doing a bit of mental math as to the weight of 36 bottles of beer. For those interested, it’s about 49 pounds, I weighed it when I got home.

You might be asking yourself, “Why did Andy carry 49 pounds of beer home via public transit?” There are about three answers to this, two of them are very good. The first answer, San Francisco is a very expensive place to live, and, despite very much wanting to, driving from Herndon, VA to San Francisco, CA would have been a bad idea for more reasons than I can quickly come up with a number for. The second answer, San Francisco is a very expensive place to live. I was carrying 36 bottles of free beer, which in my mind, was an economic decision. The last, and best, answer, this is very, very good beer that happens to be gluten free.

Let’s talk about beer.

For the better part of my college career, I didn’t drink it, or any other sort of alcohol.  This abruptly stopped after turning 21 and moving to downtown Harrisonburg, with quite a few good bars. Aided by the availability of a bunch of excellent beer, I was labeled a “beer snob” about a month or two after I started to drink. I make a point of seeking out great beers I’ve read about and trying them out. I’d always rather have a single bottle of a good craft brew than a six-pack of mediocre lager.

I’ve noticed that more than most anything else, great hops and the right brewing grain make excellent beer. With this in mind, I think that’s the issue I tend to have when trying to drink a gluten free beer. Pretty nearly every gluten free beer I’ve tried tends to be made with an alternative grain, such as sorghum. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the beer won’t be good, there are some great brews made with sorghum (Dogfish Head’s Tweason’ale comes to mind) but what you wind up with is a beer that doesn’t taste quite like what you’re used to.

Enter Omission. Upon arriving at their event and taking my first sip of their pale ale, I knew this was a brewery that knew beer. Omission Pale Ale’s flavor is exactly what I expect in a pale ale, bitter but pleasant, a bit of citrus, and an extremely clean aftertaste.  This isn’t a beer that needs to qualify itself as gluten free, this is a beer that stands on its own as a great craft brew.

While sipping the pale ale, I had the chance to speak with the CEO of Craft Brew Alliance, Terry Michaelson. Craft Brew Alliance comprises a few other brands, (Widmer Brothers, Kona Brewing, and Redhook) all of which make some absolutely excellent, but non-gluten free beer. Having had a few of their other brands, I’m not at all surprised they could make such excellent gluten free beer. As the gluten free market grows, I’m not terribly surprised to see a craft brew company get into the GF field either. That said, for Craft Brew Alliance, Omission was born at least as much out of personal reasons as it was economic ones. Both CEO Terry Michaelson and Brewmaster Joe Casey’s wife have been diagnosed with Celiac Sprue. Omission was brewed to bring back the experience of having a beer with friends to the gluten free community. Having shared the pale ale with friends who don’t follow a gluten free diet, I’d say they’ve succeeded. The secret behind this success is the process that goes into making Omission gluten free. As far as the brewing is concerned, Omission is a standard beer up until the end. It’s brewed with malted barley, citra hops, all the things that make a great craft brew. Eventually it’s run through a process to extract the gluten from the beer, and the result is a great beer with less than 5ppm of gluten according to the R5 Competitive ELISA test, one the international standards for gluten free designation.

If you’re interested in finding some Omission Beer for yourself, they’ve set up this lovely site here, https://omissionbeer.com/find-omission/ where you can do so. I’d make a very strong recommendation for the pale ale.

*As far as dislocating my shoulder is concerned, I’m pretty sure it’s fixed itself at this point, but in the case that you ever find yourself sitting in front of one of these,

my best advice would be to check your machismo and just walk away. Even if you beat the robot, you’ve got a pretty good chance you’ll dislocate your shoulder in the process.

This week we found out my son will need to be on a Candida diet.  That means at the beginning no fruits or sugars at all, stay away from grains and increase those vegetables.   There’s more to it than that but that’s the abbreviated version   So basically I’m taking away all of his snacks and favorites and giving him his least favorites.

This was the inspiration for the Magic Meatballs.  These are gluten and dairy free but full of vegetables.  It includes natural antibacterial foods like garlic and detoxing herbs like parsley.

The trick to making meatballs like this is the spices you use to dominate the taste buds.  I opted for a Southwestern blend from Penzeys that is strong and flavorful and contains no sugar.  It contains salt, sweet ancho pepper, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, Tellicherry black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, sweet paprika, chipotle pepper and cilantro.

I will be making many variations on this recipe I’m sure.  These are great for week days, weekends, game days or of course you an always serve these for Halloween too!

I also want to tell you about a new piece of kitchen equipment I was given to try.  It’s called the Ninja Cooking System.  It’s a stovetop cooker, oven, slow cooker and steam roaster/baker in one.  When I heard this I thought that’s too many things in one so none will work well.  I’m so skeptical.  But as I’ve mentioned before I’ve moved into an apartment and something that does many things sounded appealing being in a smaller kitchen.  I’ve also found out that when using my oven it heats the whole apartment which is not great in a warm climate.  So I busted this out of the box this weekend and started cooking like crazy.  I made my Paleo Scrapple without having to use an extra pot.  I steam roasted a turkey breast which tastes amazing and I made these Magic Meatballs.  So I’m sold.  I love it.  I can cook anything in here and it’s super easy to clean.  But don’t take my word for it, read Stephanie O’Dea’s review, from A Year of Slow Cooking.  This recipe was shared on Allergy Friendly Friday.

What do you like to hide in your meatballs?

Announcing:

I am very excited to share with you that I have created the ultimate cookbook. Wait until you hear how it works. This is a 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar. That means it is a calendar and a cookbook that sits on your desk in the size of a CD case!

Each month features a color photo and calendar on the front and an easy recipe on the back. Every recipe is gluten and dairy free plus instructions on how to easily make it Vegetarian, Vegan and Paleo. How cool is that?

I don’t know about your family and friends, but mine all have their own dietary needs. My oldest son is a vegetarian but can’t eat soy, my husband eats Paleo, my youngest son thinks the word vegetable is a swear word and for me it’s strictly gluten and dairy free. Having to juggle these needs and not cook 3 or 4 different main dishes for one meal has taught me how to take one recipe and make it work for everyone at the table.

This is what I’ve shared with you in the 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar. Each recipe is coded and noted to make cooking a breeze.  I even had my non-cook husband give some a try and he looked like a master chef! Check out the August photograph, that’s his work. 

Each cookbook calendar comes in a clear case that flips open to sit on your desk or your countertop as you are cooking from the recipe. I know, brilliant right? So much goodness in a CD case the size of your hand.

BONUS: Every calendar comes with a special code to a hidden page on The WHOLE Gang website that will include additional recipes, tips, tricks, tools and how to make each recipe suit multiple dietary needs at the same time.  That means cook once and everyone eats!

This 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar is not only great for you, but it makes a great gift for family, friends, teachers, hostesses, co-workers, employees, clients and that person who has everything. Each calendar comes in it’s own gift/shipping box so you’ll be ready to send them out as gifts. If you are giving them as client gifts there is a space in the back for you to place your business card so they’ll know who to thank!

Pre-Order Special:  I am offering you a special pre-order deal for ordering now. If you order this month you will receive $2 off the list price of $14.95 each. This discount will expire October 31st, 2012.  Even bigger savings the more you order.

[button link=”https://bit.ly/UNFiho” size=”xl” bg_color=”#a5b53a” window=”yes”]Pre-Order Now![/button]

Here’s what some folks are saying:

Hash in a Flash is a great one pot dish the whole family loved, including my 12 year old daughter. – Sara Nicole in Bellflower, California

This Vegan Tunisian Frittata has become a staple in my gluten free kitchen. Prior to making it, I wasn’t convinced that I could make a decent tasting frittata without eggs, but this recipe completely changed my mind. It is beyond delicious and on the first and second day, the leftovers were just as delicious as when it came out of the oven. Try it, you’ll be glad you did! – Ellen Allard, Worchester Massachusetts

We very much enjoyed the Vegan Tunisian Frittata. The recipe is very straight-forward and easy to follow for a quick prep meal. While it would make great leftovers, we’re yet to have any left after a meal–it’s a big hit! I would not hesitate to share this with egg eaters, the tofu is a slick substitute! We now keep a container of the easy harissa on hand so we can make this often.  – Johnna Perry Kansas City, Missouri

12 months of great meals!

• January: Jicama Tacos & Tostados
• February: Little Lasagna Flowers
• March: Tunisian Frittata
• April: Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Prosciutto
• May: Easy Layered Mexican Casserole
• June:  Oven Roasted Pesto Vegetables Deluxe
• July: Can’t Beet California Cobb Salad
• August: Summer Vegetable Rosettes
• September: Hash in a Flash
• October: Smoky Simmering Soup
• November: Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni
• December: Mushroom Party

Cashew Cream Cheese Pumpkin Dip 

Gluten and Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pudding

Apple Pupusas

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Roasted Cauliflower and Peas with Indian Spices

Paprika Spiced Cauliflower Dumpling Soup with Crispy Pancetta 

Shrimp, Chorizo and Cauliflower Rice

Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Stew

Beef Brisket Vegetable Soup

What are your favorite fall foods?

Here are two examples of recent versions.

Now it’s your turn to share what’s in your gluten free Salad Niçoise.

This was shared on gluten free easily.

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Apple.

Healthy Facts

Apples are one of those foods where that old saying has a lot of science behind it.  An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Apples have 4 grams of fiber per medium apple for only 9r calories.  They are a good source of immune boosting Vitamin C and antioxidant pectin.   It’s been shown that those who ate an apple a day lost weight and had a lower risk of strokes and heart disease.  If you’re looking for something to eat before you exercise, try an apple.  It’s been shown to boost your exercise endurance.

How to Buy

Look for firm, crisp, well colored skin.  While you’re picking it up give it a good whiff.  Yes smell it.  It should have a bit of an aroma.

How to Store

Store your apples on the countertop.  We have a large apple bowl filled each week.  If you’re not going to be eating them very soon store them in the refrigerator.

Favorite Tip

So how many different varieties can you name?  Everyone usually has their favorite.  Mine is a Winesap.  When I was a kid we would go to the orchard and get a bushel every fall.  Love those apples.  These are great apples to bake as they retain their flavor.  They are also good for making apple sauce, tarts, pies, and cobblers.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

J and Me shared Roasted Chicken Breasts with Lemony Bombay Potatoes

Tess the Domestic Diva shared Paleo Warm Chicken BLT Salad and Simple Vietnamese Grilled Chicken

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”https://thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”https://thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Friday Foodie Fix will be taking a break as I move to Santa Monica and get settled in.  I can’t wait to find some great foods in the farmers market to share with you.  

Fill up on apple recipes this week!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with apples below.

This was so delicious I had a hard time not making it every day.  Well I did for a couple days in a row but who could blame me.  I love pesto and the health benefits of basil makes it even sweeter.  This is a great way to use up any cooked protein you have around and can be made start to finish in about 15 minutes.  Now that helps with that easy healthy gluten free life.  You can also keep this vegetarian and vegan by not adding in the chicken. Beans make a nice sub here.

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Chicken.

Healthy Facts

Chicken is a great source of protein and vitamin B6 plus it contains vitamin B3 or niacin.  It also contains the minerals selenium and phosphorus.   It’s typically available just about anywhere you go but be very particular about the quality you purchase.

How to Buy

Look for organic, no hormones or antibiotics and free range.  When you have a happy chicken you are going to have the best tasting chicken you’ve ever eaten. Look for good color and soft to the touch.  You don’t want a hard piece of meat as it will not have as much flavor.

How to Store

Keep very cold in the refrigerator and use within a day or two of purchase.   You can also freeze.

Favorite Tip

Always look at the date it was packaged and the date it should be sold by.  I also smell the package.  It should not have any smell.  If you can get it from a local organic free range farm you are in for a real treat.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

gluten free easily shared Double Chocolate Nut Butter Oaties 

Cook It Allergy Free shared 50+ Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Ideas

Tess the Domestic Diva shared 10 GF Wraps

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”https://thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”https://thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is …  Apples!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with chicken below.

Here’s what you’ll find in my freezer right now:

Chicken Croquets with gravy I froze in ice cube trays for easy use.

Creamy Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes – yes you can freeze them.  I scoop them out onto a cookie sheet and freeze them individually, then put them into a large plastic bag.

Meatloaves- again make individual portions and use the cookie sheet method for freezing.  Or you can just make slow cooker Meatloaf.

Meatballs -very versatile and always a favorite here.  Again, use the cookie sheet method for freezing.

Chick and Pig Balls

Meatballs with a Heart

Simply Dressed Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

Italian Meatballs

Fish Cakes – gosh I really need to share this recipe.  Easy and fast.  (cooked fish, cooked potatoes, seasonings of choice, gf breadcrumbs, egg)

Paleo Scrapple – I freeze it in individual small sized loaf pans.

Here’s what I’ll toss into the slow cooker:

Chicken Fricasse with Noodles and Mushrooms

3, 2, 1 Chili 

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Stew

Jerk Chicken and Pork

Sloppy Lentils from More Make It Fast Cook It Slow Stephanie O’Dea

Now there are a lot more possibilities for both and I bet you have some up your sleeve.  

What do you like to make extra of to freeze for use later or what’s your favorite slow cooker meal?  Please share now.

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is School Lunches.

Healthy Facts

Well that depends on what you put into those lunches.  Let’s see what great ideas you have for healthy lunches now that many are back to packing them.

How to Buy

Look for fresh single ingredient foods, not foods in a box.

How to Store

Lunches need to be kept cool if they are perishable.  Use an icepack or better yet freeze a smoothie and let it be the icepack for you.

Favorite Tip

Get the kids involved in the planning and the making of their own school lunches.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

The Tasty Alternative shared Sweet and Sour Chicken 

Jaime and Me shared Crispy Salmon with Variety of Peppers

Tess the Domestic Diva shared Easy Cuban Picadillo

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”https://thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”https://thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is … Chicken!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with school lunches below.

But before you dive into the stories of these and other amazing athletes and how living gluten free has changed their life and their ability to compete, start at the beginning and read the personal stories of Pete Bronski (No Gluten, No Problem) and Melissa McLean Jory (Gluten Free For Good), the coauthors of this book.  I’m guessing there will be some familiarity in them for you as there was for me.  But Melissa’s journey began out of love for her father and is an amazing story.  Don’t skip over these stories on pages 8 and 13.

The rest of the book is filled with amazing information about our health, our bodies, the food we put into it and how to achieve peak athletic performance and an active gluten free life.

The book includes:

• Inspirational  profiles of athletes who are gluten intolerant, or who simply feel gluten inhibits their performance and recovery
• Sport, gender and age-specific advice for athletes of all kinds
• Principles for training and advice for dealing with accidental gluten exposure
• A thorough introduction to the basics of nutrition and how the body uses food for energy
• 50 simple, high-octane recipes that won’t leave anyone missing gluten

The Granola-Style Energy Bars and the Cherry Cabbage Recovery Smoothie taste amazing!  But besides the smoothies and on the go snacks and trail food, you can find recipes for breakfast, salads and savory dips, lunches and dinners and yes even desserts.

The amount of information in this book is just amazing.  It will be a resource that I will recommend to anyone and everyone who lives gluten free.  You will discover answers that you may have been searching for a long time to find.

I want to give you a copy of this book.  I actually have two I can give away.  If you would like a chance to win this amazing book here is what you need to do.  Pay close attention because this is a little different.  You must do both #1 and #2.

If you can’t wait to see if you win, you can order the book on Amazon, The Gluten-Free Edge: A Nutrition and Training Guide for Peak Athletic Performance and an Active Gluten-Free Life(affiliate link).

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who participated.

Here’s how to enter to win a copy:

1.  Sign up for my newsletter.

2. Leave a comment here telling me if you have an active gluten free life or if you are an athlete, what is it that you do?  Or, maybe you are in transition and you would like to move into a more active life.  Tell me what you will be trying.  Is it yoga, walking, Zumba, tennis, hiking, or anything else?

I will draw two winners from the comments but if you are not signed up for the newsletter you won’t win.  So go back to step number 1 and sign up for the newsletter then leave your comment here.

Good luck to all.  Deadline for entries is Sunday, September 9th at 10pm ET.  I will notify the winner via email to obtain the address and them mail it out before the moving van shows up at my house.  You will want to get your hands on this book ASAP!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Red and Orange Peppers.

Healthy Facts

Red peppers have a little more health benefits than it’s green relative.  They supply lots of beta-carotene which your body converts to vitamin A, great for night vision.  The orange are top source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which may guard against cataracts.  The orange peppers contain more zeaxanthin than any fruit or other vegetable.  Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids.

How to Buy

Look for firm peppers with a tight skin and no wrinkles.  Yeah I know, sounds like I’m discriminating against those of us who have seen a few summers but you want your peppers young.  Also keep in mind these beauties love to hold on to the toxins in chemicals so please buy organic as much as possible if not every time.

How to Store

Pop them into the refrigerator in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer.  They will keep for around a week.

Favorite Tip

Anytime you are at the store pick some of these beauties up and toss them into your salads, scrambled eggs, or stuff them.  Just get them into  your menu!

Last Week’s Favorite Links

Hunter’s Lyonesse shared Healthy Stuffed Peppers

The Tasty Alternative shared Jalapeño Poppers stuffed with cheese and bacon

Tess the Domestic Diva shared Jambalaya

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”https://thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”https://thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is … School Lunch Ideas!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with red peppers below.

My new kitchen will be a lot smaller than this one and with no pantry.   I will have to figure out what comes with me and what gets left out.  Once I get settled I’ll share how I downsized and still keep cooking our favorite meals.  I have to bring my Keep Calm dish for sure!

If you have any space saving tips I’d love for you to share them.  As you’ll see below I do have a fetish for kitchen appliances and tools.

For now I present, my gluten free kitchen.

My kitchen is truly the heart of my home.  I spend more time in that room than any other with exception of my bedroom.   I usually cook three meals a day starting with breakfast.  On the weekends I often will prepare for a busy week by making many meals and getting others prepped  to cook so during that week it’s a short time to getting meals on the table.

My kitchen is my refuge.   It’s the room where I have complete control over what is in there, where it’s placed and how it’s used.  I go there to relax from a busy day and to escape into the world of food.  I love to create recipes for my family, friends, clients, website and for companies that like to pay me for using their whole food ingredient.  My goal is to keep easy healthy gluten free living not just what I teach clients, but how I live my life everyday.

I have a lot of strong thoughts about where things go in my kitchen according to how I cook.  There are things that can be stored and then there are the things I want at my fingertips so I can grab them as I cook.  I’m one of those cooks who often likes to open the refrigerator, see what I have on hand and create a meal.  This means everything is a grab and go as I cook.

Starting in May we have been doing renovations in the house including a new granite countertop installed with a nice deep double sink.  I love that sink.  It’s really deep and it’s a double.

But before we dig into the kitchen I want to share my funky table where we eat our meals.  We had it made for us from Sticks Furniture.  There are pictures on this table that mean something to each of us.  Around the outer edge are sayings we choose:  Seize the day, Do you best, Smile, Follow you heart, Happiness depends upon ourselves, Rest, Choose wisely and many more.  These tables are a lot of fun to have made and a great snapshot of our family.

As you can tell I’m a quirky artist type so of course I had to have a glass ball curtain.  These are really cool and have sayings on the metals like Follow Your Bliss, Dream Big- Live Large and Live, Love, Laugh A Lot and Wish I May  – Wish I Might.    You can also see that the bottom of the table is also painted.

In the eating area I also have my cookbooks in a bookcase and on the shelf.  I have to keep giving some away as I get new ones all the time.  My husband keeps his wine stash here too.  Maybe someday we’ll have a real wine cellar or storage.

Each week I create a menu and write it on these cool Wallies peel and stick chalkboard squares.

Wallies Peel and Stick Chalkboard Decal, Squares

I don’t have room for a big board and I didn’t want something that would damage my walls.  These are also great for kids rooms to leave them messages or for them to keep track of school work or give them a helper list.  Love these.  Also my little step stool.  Great for a short gal like me.

As you will see throughout my kitchen I have a thing for aprons.  I have a huge collection and many are in drawers.  They hang on doors and are right out in view so you think I would wear them more often and protect my clothes.

I’m very lucky to have double ovens.  I hope wherever I live I always have double ovens.  They come in handy.  I keep a lot of extra pans in one so I have to pull them out when I’m using both.  It’s great when having company over so I can cook for a big party.  I hope you can see the sign over the ovens but just in case it says This is a drama free zone.  Every house needs one of these.

My pantry has always bothered me.  There seems to be more room in the walls than they actually used and could have had a double door and more room.  But I make good use of the space to the ceiling and the door.  I think it has more equipment than food in it.  I keep cans of beans around but we really don’t eat them anymore.  I guess I keep them in case we had nothing else to eat.  I have lots of nuts and seeds in jars.  I usually choose glass over plastic.    I also have an assortment of honey that I like to use as my sweetener, peppers  and mustards and different oils and vinegars.  It’s how I can change up the same ingredients into a different meal on a whim.

I do have a microwave which knowing about the studies that shown any food defrosted or heated in their can change the contents to carcinogens, I regretfully still use it.  I keep saying I’m going to stop but then forget and use it.  I think I need to put a sticker on the front that reminds me so I can at least make other plans.  I’ve heard people use theirs for storage to keep from using it.  I think I might try that but I’m sure my family will start throwing things at me.

My frig is so not exciting.  It’s usually so stuffed with vegetables that you can’t see anything else.  I keep my probiotics in there too along with some peppers, hot sauces, mayonnaise and a variety of mustards.  I keep a couple dozen of farm fresh eggs.  If you are lucky enough to live where you can get these or have your own chickens you will never go back.  The taste is so amazing that there is just no comparison. Whatever room is left we squeeze in any leftovers from meals in there.

I have more cold storage in the garage so I can keep my gluten free flours in there and stock up on organic meats from the farm as well as homemade bone stocks and seasonal finds I like to freeze for use later.

On my countertop I have an assortment of appliances that I use a lot.  The rest were in the pantry.  My Hurom Slow Juicer and Vitamix plus the electric kettle get the most use every day.  I currently have two different sizes of food processors and would love to have the Cuisinart that has multiple sizes in one appliance but just can’t justify buying something new.   I also have my KitchenAid mixer and my Breville Toaster/Convection Oven.  This oven is very handy when you don’t want to fire up the full sized oven or believe it or not, both are already in full use.

The closer you get to my stove the more you see in way of things I want to grab while cooking.  My collection of salts and peppers, many different oils and measuring cups that I hate to use all gather around this little crate.

As you can see I have 7 crocks full of utensils and gadgets.  There are lots of different spatulas both flat and those for scraping, wooden spoons, peelers, paring knives, scissors, and assortments of whips or whisks, my rolling pin and an assortment of knives.  I used to have a knife block but it seemed I always tried to put the knives away in the wrong slot.  I got really tired of that so I took one of my baskets and filled it with bamboo skewers.  Now I can put any knife any where in there and it fits.

In the bottom corner turn style I keep all of my spices.  That entire cabinet is filled with spices, arrowroot, Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, vanillas and chocolate but mostly spices and herbs.   It looks like a Penzey’s or Spice House store display but I love having options.  I can change the same basic ingredients into so many different meals just by changing out the spice profile.

I added drawers and shelves that roll out and it makes a big difference.  In the heavy duty rack I have my assortment of Le Crueset pots and I keep measuring cups and strainers in there.

Under the stove top I have my assortment of cutting boards, some for fruit and vegetables, red for meat only and some for carving large pieces of roasted meats.    I use the doors too to keep the wraps and bags I use.

In this cabinet I have all of my frying pans from small to very large and a large pot that wouldn’t fit in the other cabinet.

I like the vertical cabinet to keep all my jellyroll pans and cooling racks.

In the other corner turn style cabinet I have my mixing bowls, baking dishes and glass leftover containers.  I tossed all the lids into the bread drawer since we don’t use it.

I hope you liked the tour of my kitchen.  Now you know why many of my friends think I’m too attached to my kitchen.  No matter the size or equipment you have or don’t have, get into your kitchen.  This is key!  Decide what you want at your fingertips and easy healthy gluten free living will the way you describe your life too.  Cooking food for you and your loved ones is the best thing a person can do.

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Green Peppers.

Healthy Facts

Green peppers come in lots of varieties.  Most people think about the green bell pepper as pictured here.  For this event you can share your favorite green pepper.  I like the pablano peppers a lot and of course green hatch chile peppers.  Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids.

How to Buy

Look for firm peppers with a tight skin and no wrinkles.  Yeah I know, sounds like I’m discriminating against those of us who have seen a few summers but you want your peppers young.  Also keep in mind these beauties love to hold on to the toxins in chemicals so please buy organic as much as possible if not every time.

How to Store

Pop them into the refrigerator in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer.  They will keep for around a week.

Favorite Tip

Find your favorite green pepper and use them often.  There are bell peppers and a ton of green chile peppers.  Then roast them to bring out even more flavor. (don’t rince off the roasted skin or you’ll rince off the flavor)

Last Week’s Favorite Links

gluten free easily shared three great recipes:

Watermelon Orange Smoothie

Watermelon Sherbet

 Watermelon Margaritas

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”https://thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”https://thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is …Red or Yellow Peppers!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with green peppers below.

Plan it!

Pack it!

Pursue it!

Eating Out Tips

Now I’d like to hear from you.

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Watermelons.

Healthy Facts

Here are some juicy facts about watermelon.  First it’s made up of 90% liquid.   It is high in Vitamin C, A, the potent carotenoid antioxidant lycopene, vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium

How to Buy

When choosing a whole watermelon, look for one that is heavy for its size with a rind that is relatively smooth and that is neither overly shiny nor overly dull. In addition, one side of the melon should have an area that is distinct in color from the rest of the rind, displaying a yellowish or creamy tone. This is the underbelly, the place that was resting on the ground during ripening, and if the fruit does not have this marking, it may have been harvested prematurely, which will negatively affect its taste, texture and juiciness.

How to Store

If the watermelon is whole you can leave it out on the counter-top but once you cut into it store it in the refrigerator.  It will usually last 3-5 days if it’s kept cold.

Favorite Tip

Wash the watermelon before cutting it!  If you want to dive deeper into watermelon, check out this website National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

Pink Peony Style shared Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms 

J and Me – Cooking Jamie shared Garden Fresh Pizza

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”https://thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”https://thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is ……. Green Peppers!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with watermelon below.

I served these with the Chick and Pork Balls.  Again another recipe working to help you live an easy healthy gluten free life.

You can keep this totally vegetarian and vegan by serving it with beans, tofu or your favorite protein.  Or just serve it alone.  It doesn’t need any help on the plate to make it a meal.

Both of these recipes use what I found fresh at the farmer’s market.  If you find something different, change up this recipe and please let me know what you created.  This was shared on Wellness Weekend.

We’ve been eating a variety of meatballs around here for some time.  I love to make them because there are fast, easy and you can put just about anything into them.  They make great every day food, party food, special occasion food, can be served alone, with a side dish, in a soup or in a sandwich and are easy to make as a gluten free recipe.

I’ve made Meatballs with a Heart, Chicken Meatballs, Simply Dressed Meatballs, North African Meatballs, and the traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs.  With the price of meats increasing I’m sure I will be making more balls from assorted foods.  What’s the most interesting ones you’ve made or eaten?

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Edible Flowers.

Healthy Facts

There are tons of edible flowers.  I found this chart of 65 different flowers and a small list of ones not to eat.  Before you head out to the garden and start picking flowers to eat, look over this extensive chart on poisonous flowers.

You can use flowers as a decoration or as the main dish.  Just remember if you put it on a plate it should be safe.  One of my favorites is the Zucchini Squash Blossom.

How to Buy

My favorite places to buy edible flowers are the farmer’s market or picking them from my garden.   You really want to make sure you know if anything has been sprayed on these flowers just like anything else you eat.  Look for bright fresh flowers and no little white bugs still eating their meal.

How to Store

You can store edible flowers in your refrigerator, just not where it will freeze them.   If they have stems on them you can place them into water.  Make sure they have good air circulation.

Favorite Tip

Start with flowers you already know as culinary foods and work slowly up from there.  Try saffron, thyme, arugula, lavender, lemon verbena, squash blossoms, violets or nasturtium pictured here.   People can have allergies to flowers too so go slow.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

gluten free easily shared Lemon Lime Coconut Basil Ice

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”https://thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”https://thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is … Watermelon!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with edible flowers below.