Teal Pumpkin Project!!

You think Halloween is scary?!? 

Well....seriously, try it with food allergies!  Now that my friends is scary!!  Yikes!!

I have a hard enough time passing out a bunch of candy I can't eat to all my little trick-or-treaters.  Fortunately throughout all my trick-or-treating years I never knew I had Celiac, and I could definetly still eat dairy! Thank goodness!  I can't imagine being one of those children!  Sporting your super cool costume and running up to a porch with a light shining down on a bunch of treats you can't even taste.  Why even bother going? 

Let's not make those kids feel like they shouldn't bother trick-or-treating.  Let's make it easier for them (not to mention less stressful for their parents) and include them in something that is so important to a childhood.  Enter the Teal Pumpkin Project!

I seriously adore this!!


It's so simple.  Just offer some non food items.  Buy your usual candy, but also grab some others goodies too....  stickers, glow jewelry, bubbles, temporary tattoos, crayons, and the list goes on

 

 

 

 

Head to the Food Allergy Research & Education site to get all the info, ideas for treats and ways to spread awareness, and to download bunch of different flyers to show that you support the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Getting ready!! :)



I'm so glad that this idea is getting exposure! A ton of bloggers, Fox News, CNN, and countless local new stations have all covered it and as it gets closer and closer to Halloween time I hope to hear more and more about it!

Won't you help me do something small that will make a BIG difference!?  Get out there shopping and get those pumpkins painted!!



I know my whole entourage is ready!! ;) 

 

A Gluten Free Halloween... The big candy list for 2014!

Although I am all about non food items this year because I am in love with the idea of the Teal Pumpkin Project... I thought y'all still might want to know what candy was safe.

The Celiac Disease Foundation has us all taken care of this year.  Click the picture for a link to the list and a super cute CDF butterfly stencil for pumpkin carving!!

Maybe you could carve that butterfly on a TEAL pumpkin!!

And don't forget to grab some non food items when you are picking up all that gluten free candy at the store!! ;)

Cinnamon Coconut Oil Zucchini Bread (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

I'm a little lady, but still....
it's as big as my whole arm!!

I had one last forgotten GINORMOUS zucchini in the garden to use up.  I wanted a really moist bread that was made with coconut oil for a little extra flavor, full of cinnamon sugar goodness, and had some pecans thrown in for some crunch!



Cinnamon Coconut Oil Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 C coconut oil
1 3/4 C sugar
2 C grated zucchini
3 t vanilla
1 C brown rice flour
2 C GF all-purpose flour blend (I use Sarah's)
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
3 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 C chopped pecans
Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat the oven to 325.  Wash your zucchini well.  I peel mine only if they are as huge as the one above because then the outside is tough and I don't like that at all.  When using zucchinis that are a reasonable size I always leave the peel becasue I like the texture and extra nutrients.... and it's just less work!  So peel, no peel, its up to you.  Whatever you choose, finely grate it (use a grater, or just throw chunks into your food processor).  In a large mixing bowl beat the oil and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Mix well and add the zucchini.  Mix well again.  In a smaller mixing bowl stir the flours, salt, soda, powder, and spices together.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients mixing thoroughly.  Stir in the pecans.  Pour into 2 greased loaf pans.  Throw some extra pecan crumbs on top along with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.  Bake for 55 minutes to an hour.

My First Gluten Free & Dairy Free Lasagna.. with Cashew Ricotta

I had so many fresh tomatoes in the garden this year and I made a bunch of delicious sauce.  After a couple glasses of red wine I looked at all my jars of tomatoe sauce and got brave!  I decided to not overthink it and just attempt lasagna!  Lasagna is one of those things that I have been a bit overwhelemed by since I've had to go dairy free too.  But the wine and I figured why the hell not?!  What's the worst that could happen?


I honestly couldn't tell you what was really in my tomato sauce... garlic, garden fresh tomatoes, garden fresh basil and oregano, onion... who really knows.... it's not important..

I could use any old tomato sauce.  Hell I could even get lazy and use a jar (gasp)!

What I didn't know how to handle was the cheese... that's what was important...



Cashew Ricotta Cheese

1 1/2 C Raw Cashews
1/2 C Water
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Garlic Clove
dash of Onion Powder
1 T Nutritional Yeast
sea salt & pepper- to taste

Soak the cashews for at least two hours in a covered bowl of warm water, covering the cashews with the water.  Drain the water and place the cashews in a blender (hello vitamix!) with the remaining ingredients.  Blend until nice and creamy- you will probably have to keep scraping down the sides.  Taste and adjust the flavor.



Click the picture for the original recipe from The Simple Veganista

This looks just like ricotta cheese.  Tasting it you could tell it really wasn't, but it was close.  I figured once it's mixed in with the yummy tomato sauce, meat and noodles you wouldn't even notice the difference.


After this was figured out the lasagna came together easily....

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
1 red onion
4 garlic cloves
2 C chopped spinach leaves- just because I like to sneak greens in wherever I can!
1 jar of homemade tomatoe sauce- I'll pay attention next time I make it and share a recipe!
fresh herbs- whatever you like
1 batch of cashew ricotta
1 package of gf lasagna noodles- I used tinkyada

I just browned the meat with the onion and garlic.  When it was done I added the spinach in to cook it down.  Then I added the tomato sauce and let it simmer while I made the noodles.  Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.  Layer the noodles, meat sauce, and ricotta in a 9 by 13 dish however you like.  I baked it at like 350 for 40 minutes covered with foil.  Then uncovered it and baked it another 5-10 minutes.  I threw some nutritional yeast and more fresh herbs on the top to garnish it.

This was the happiest lasagna has ever made me.... there may have even been tears! :)

My Favorite Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce

I had been on the hunt for a dairy free alfredo sauce that tasted like real alfredo sauce.  I found it here...Thank you Silk!

This honestly tastes like real alfredo sauce... and that's not just my opion... my gluten eating friends agree!



Dairy Free Fettucini Alfredo

16 oz fettuccine noodles- whatever gluten free brand you like!

3 T olive oil or margarine

3 T flour- I use brown rice flour

4 T dry white wine or vegetable stock

2 C Silk Unsweetened almond milk

1 t onion powder

2 t garlic powder

1 t salt

1 t white pepper- don't skip it.. it's important!

1/4 t nutmeg

1 T nutritional yeast

Fresh herbs for garnish

Prepare fettuccine according to package directions.  While pasta is boiling, heat olive oil or margarine in a medium saucepan. Add flour and wine/stock and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and everything else (except the herbs).  Bring to a simmer and stir continuously until thickened- about three minutes.  Remove from heat.  Toss with the pasta and garnish with fresh herbs.

There are so many possibilities with this recipe. Add veges, shrimp, chicken... whatever your little heart desires!  Or just keep it simple and serve it just as it is with nothing but a glass (or whole bottle.. I won't judge) of good wine! 

I use it in A LOT of different recipes.... I'll share more soon!

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili

This may be my all time favorite soup!

It's hearty and creamy (even though I make it dairy free!) with just the right amount of spice... and, HELLO... it is full of bacon!!  What's not to love?!

This chili is great for this time of year because of fall... and football!!  But it's also great becasue we have soooo many jalapenos left from the garden that we need to find a use for!  Perfect!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

1 small red onion- diced
1 red pepper- diced
4 jalapenos (seeded)- adjust depending on how much spice you like
3 garlic cloves- minced
1 1/4 lb chicken- cut in bite size pieces
salt & black pepper- to taste
1- 2 T chili seasoning
1 t cumin
2 t oregano
1 ( 14 oz) can diced tomatoes with the juice
4 C chicken broth
1 can red beans
1 can white beans
1 C corn (frozen)
8 oz cream cheese- I use Go Veggie brand chive and garlic flavor (GF & DF!)
EVOO
1 lb bacon- cooked extra crispy and crumbled

1.  Heat 1-2T EVOO in a soup pot over medium.  Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic until soft.
2.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Add to the pot.  Add the other seasonings and cook until lightly browned.
3.  Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, and corn.  Cook 30 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
4.  Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
5.  Stir in the crumbled bacon.

So yum!!
How fun is my black cat soup mug?!

What to do with the Molasses?...Super Soft Pumpkin Gingersnaps

I had a bottle of molasses hanging around from when I made some yummy Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce (I will have to share that recipe with you!). Every time I opened the pantry door it begged for me to do something with it. I'm not a big molasses kind of gal, but anything mixed with pumpkin is perfectly fine by my book... And my book didn't let me down this time!  I think these may be thanksgiving worthy!

Super Soft Pumpkin Gingersnaps

½	cup butter, room temperature
1	cup granulated sugar
½	cup pure pumpkin
¼	cup molasses
1	large egg
1	tsp vanilla
2⅓	cups all-purpose gluten free flour
2	tsp baking soda
2	tsp cinnamon
1½	tsp ground ginger
1	tsp ground cloves
½	tsp salt

    

1.  Beat the butter & sugar together until creamy & smooth. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, & vanilla, mix until well combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, & salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients & mix until combined.

2.  REFRIGERATE the cookie dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 2-3 days).  When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350*F.  Put some cinnamon-sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in the sugar until well coated & place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. 

3.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked & set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mr. Kat turned his nose up at the thought of molasses, so it seems funny to me that most of these cookies didn't even make it to the container because he swiped them right off the baking sheet! I'm pretty sure I just changed his stance on molasses with these little guys! 

Molasses haters... I could probably change your minds just as quickly as I changed his... Make these cookies! Now!  Thank me later! ;)

Bloody Mary Sloppy Jimmy's!

I never used to be that girl... you know that one that wants something she can't have.

 

Until Celiac.... Now I find myself wanting things for the simple fact that I can't have them!  Silly things that I have never even had or liked before.

 

Perfect example.... I wanted a Bloody Mary like no other!  I've never even liked Bloody Marys.  Or  tomato juice, or really even vodka for that matter! Not before Celiac, not ever.  But I wanted one, so that means I had to figure out how to make it happen.  I hate letting Celiac win!  I would make a gluten free Bloody Mary.  And it wouldn't be just your average Bloody Mary.... no, it would be one of the best damn Bloody Marys ever mixed.  We don't half ass things around here!

 

I could have done it the hard way and made it all from scratch, but being a bloody mary virgin I didn't even know what a good bloody mary tasted like.  So I figured it would be best to go with a mix.  The problem with Bloody Marys is that there is soooooo much (including worcesteshire sauce) that goes into making a good bloody mary mix.  So if the company isn't loud and proud about it being gluten free and specifying all the ingredient sources there is no way to know if it is really celiac safe or not.  I set out to see if I could find a company that loved us Celiacs.... and I did!

 

 

There were a couple choices at Hy-vee, I chose Jimmy Luv's becasue I liked the name pretty much!

 

                                                                  Check them out here!

 

 

 Now when mixing my Bloody Mary I did not go cheap on the vodka.... It's Tito's for this celiac!  Which is super smooth, and of course gluten free.  I added a dash of Lea & Perrin's and a bit of hot sauce because I like it spicy.  Then I garnished it with celery and salami (I don't like pickels and can't eat cheese, but that's what you should add if you can!). 

 

Yum!!  And you get to feel like you are getting some veges with your cocktail.. bonus!! :)

 

As I set there so proud of my first Bloody Mary sipping it happily I glanced at the bottle and wondered what else I could do with it.... thinking about bloody mary chili and sloppy joe's.   I checked Jimmy Luv's website and found recipes, including for those exact things! 

 

 

 

 

Bloody Mary Sloppy Jimmy's

 

2 lbs. ground beef

1 red onion

1 green pepper
1 1/2 cup Jimmy Luv's Bloody Mary Mix

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon minced Jalapeno Pepper

 

Brown ground beef and drain fat. Stir in all ingredients. Let simmer uncovered for 1/2 hour or until sauce reaches desired thickness.

 

 

 

 I call them Sloppy Jimmy's and tweaked them a bit as usual, but they are delicious! Serve them with your favorite gf buns and a Bloody Mary of course!