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  • What I Like About Fall and “Soy Sauce” Pork Chops (GF, DF, Paleo, W30)- Blog Post #13

    writer's workshop

    I didn’t feel good on Wednesday night so I did not get this post up for the week.  Headache and tiredness.  Yuck!  It was an early night for me.

    This week’s prompt is what do I like about fall.

    The flavors of fall – cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves

    Pumpkin Spice Latte, Maple Pecan Lattes, and Blackberry Pie Lattes. – I get the Blackberry Pie Lattes from a local coffee shop called Winans.

    The crisp air – I can wear my Mickey Mouse hoodie.

    My Autumn Glory Maple Tree

    Halloween – My town is known for decorating for Halloween.  They usually have a parade celebrating Halloween.  We’ve never done it though.

    • The trees changing colors
    • The decorations
    • Bonfires

    Our dog can go on more car rides because it’s not too hot.

    Things I don’t like about fall

    Foggy mornings

    Extreme Storms – Rain or wind – Or a combo of both

    Mama’s Losin’ It

    When my father-in-law was alive, he would marinade pork chops in soy sauce.  Hubby loved those soy sauce pork chops.

    Soy sauce has wheat in it.  So for a gluten free diet, it’s a no go.

    For a while, I switched to gluten free soy sauce. However, at over $4 a bottle, I didn’t like those prices.

    Then I did the Whole 30 in April/ May of 2017.  I began to use coconut aminos.

    The problem with coconut aminos is that it is $6 a bottle.  Yikes!

    Then I found out Trader Joe’s has their coconut aminos for $2.99 a bottle.  WIN!

    So I stocked up on the coconut aminos.

    Now I can make Asian dishes and “soy sauce” pork chops without feeling sluggish afterwards.  YEAH!

    My family loved my “soy sauce” pork chops.  They did not know the difference.

    If you don’t eat gluten free, you can use regular soy sauce.

    IMG_2295

    ”Soy Sauce” Pork Chops

    • Difficulty: easy
    • Print

    Ingredients

    – 1 lb. boneless pork chops

    – ¼ c. coconut aminos

    – salt to taste

    Directions

    1. In a container or Ziploc bag, place the pork chops and coconut aminos
    2. Allow the meat to marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight.
    3. Cook on a medium high heat for 5 minutes on one side.  Season with salt before flipping the pork.
    4. Flip and cook for 3 minutes on the other side.
    5. Enjoy!

    We ate our dinner with pressure cooker applesauce, plain white rice, and mixed veggies.  If you were doing the Whole 30, I would serve it with the applesauce, califlower rice, and green beans.  Yum!

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Fall Trail Mix (DF, GF) – Blog Post #12

    We went to Meijers the other day.  As I walking back to the front of the store, I noticed the pumpkin spiced Cheerios so I decided to get me a box.

    Once I got home, I decided to use the Cheerios to make a trail mix.

    Now there is some debate whether Cheerios are truly gluten free.  Some people have reactions when they eat them.  If you are one of those people, please don’t use them.

    I had some pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds waiting for me to do something with so I used them in this trail mix.

    You can use any kind of nut.  I had pecans available so I used them.  I think walnuts would be delicious in this trail mix.

    I also used some freeze dried apples that I got at Trader Joes.  However, I think dried cranberries would be delicious also.

    Store your trail mix in an airtight container.

    Fall Trail Mix

    Fall Trail Mix

    • Difficulty: super easy
    • Print

    Ingredients

    – 2 c. pumpkin spice Cheerios

    – ¾ c. chopped nuts

    – ½ c. freeze dried apples or dried cranberries

    – ¾ c. pumpkin seeds

     

    Directions

    1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
    2. Enjoy in moderation!

     

    Store in an airtight container.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

     

  • Plum Crumble (GF) – Blog Post #11

    One of my favorite YouTubers who has her own cooking show is Sara from the Domestic Geek.

    She has some great recipes that I have tried over the years.

    The other day I was looking at a video of hers from a few years ago where she baked gluten free desserts in a mason jar.  Talk about portion control.

    One of those recipes was a plum crumble.  It looked so good.

    It was then I found a coupon for free plums or $2.50 off the plums.

    So I went and got some plums and made our dessert for our Sunday dinner.

    My mom, mother-in-law, and myself loved the plum crumble.

    Sara put pistachios in her crumble.  I left those out.  It was still good without them.

    It would be delicious with ice cream or whipped cream.

    Plum Crumble (GF)

    Plum Crumble

    • Difficulty: easy
    • Print

    Ingredients

    – 6 to 8 plums, pitted and sliced

    – 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

    – ¼ c. honey

    – ¼ tsp. Cinnamon

    – ½ c. gluten free oats

    – ⅓ c. almond flour

    – ¼ c. brown sugar

    – ¼ c. butter, at room temperature

     

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 6 – 4 oz. Mason Jars.
    2. Toss the sliced plums with the cornstarch and cinnamon.  
    3. Add the honey.  Stir until coated.
    4. Divide the plums amongst the Mason jars.
    5. In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free oats, almond flour, brown sugar, and room temperature until combined.
    6. Top the Mason jars with the oat mixture.  
    7. Place the Mason jars on a cookie sheet.
    8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
    9. Enjoy!

     

    Source:  The Domestic Geek

     

  • Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins – Blog Post #10

    I love the flavors of fall – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves.  All of those flavors make my taste buds sing.

    Hubby laughs at me buying all of the pumpkin flavored goodies.

    When I got up on Saturday, I was craving pumpkin muffins.  Since I’m eating gluten free, I can’t just go to Panera and get myself a muffin.

    So it’s up to me to bake my own muffins.

    I googled gluten free pumpkin muffins and found this recipe.

    I adapted the recipe by using regular milk with apple cider vinegar to get the lift she discussed in the recipe.  She also suggested adding chocolate chips which I did.  Yum!

    Since I added the chocolate chips, I was able to get 10 muffins out of the batter instead of the 9.

    I enjoyed my muffin with butter and a mug of pumpkin spice coffee.  Delicious!

    Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

    Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Print

    Ingredients

    – 1 & ¼ c. all purpose gluten free flour

    – ¾ c. brown sugar

    – 2 tsp. Baking powder, double acting

    – 1 & ½ tsp. Pumpkin pie spice

    – ½ tsp. Cinnamon

    – ¼ c. nutmeg

    – ¼ tsp. Salt

    -1 c. pumpkin puree

    – 2 eggs

    – ¼ c. softened butter (½ a stick)

    – ¼ c. milk

    – 2 tsp. Apple cider vinegar

    – ¼ to ½ c. chocolate chips

     

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with wrappers or grease the muffin tins.
    2. Combine flour, baking powder, and spices in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.
    3. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs.  Add to dry ingredients.
    4. Add the butter, pumpkin puree, milk, and apple cider vinegar to a bowl.  Mix.  Pour into the dry ingredients.
    5. Using an electric mixer, blend until combined.
    6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
    7. Fill the muffin cavities ⅔ rds full.
    8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are browned.
    9. Enjoy!

     

    Source:  Dishing Delish

    Happy eating,
    Traci

     

  • Mom, What’s For Dinner? – Week of October 9, 2017 – Blog Post #9

    This weekend we went to an outdoor festival for our lunch on Saturday. We also watched some of the dog jumping, slack line gymnastics, and BMX bicycle tricks.

    Here are some photos that I took while we were at the outdoor festival.

    I was lucky that one of the food trucks, Harvest, had a gluten free option on the menu. So I had a taco from them. We also love the fries from Harvest. The fries are a combination of sweet potato and russet potatoes with fresh herbs. It is served with a sriracha ketchup that is to die for.

    The family minus the Wee One also enjoyed kettle corn that was so fresh that the bag was warm to the touch when we bought it.

    We also got frozen lemonade. I got to watch the lady make the lemonade from scratch. She squeezed fresh lemons and added the water and sugar. Then she blended it up with ice. So yummy!

    The best thing of all is that all of the food containers were compostable. So neat.

    Please continue to the next page for the menu of the week.

    Pages: 1 2

  • 10 Recipes on my blog that are gluten free – Blog Post #8

    On Sundays instead of posting a new recipe, I’m going to share recipes of mine that are gluten free.

    Today I’m going to start at the beginning of my blog to share the recipes.

    1. Sloppy Joes (GF, DF)Sloppy JoesI would serve these on baked potatoes instead of on a bun. Yum!
    2. Instant oatmeal Packets (GF, DF) – Make sure you are using gluten free oats for those oatmeal packets.
    3. Skyline Chili (GF) – Serve over baked potatoes with cheddar cheese or gluten free spaghetti. My favorite gluten free pasta is from Ronzoni.
      Skyline Chili
    4. Pinto Beans and Ham (GF, DF)- Serve with gluten free cornbread. Yum!

      Pinto Beans and Ham
      Pinto Beans and Ham

    5. Sweet and Salty Halloween Treats (GF) – Use gluten free pretzels. My favorite gluten free pretzels are Aldi’s G Free Pretzels.
    6. Roasted Kielbasa Skillet (GF, DF))
    7. Sweet and Sour Pork or Chicken (GF, DF) – Use coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce instead of the soy sauce in the original recipe in order for the recipe to be gluten free.
    8. Rolo Turtles (GF) – Once again use gluten free pretzels instead of the regular pretzels.
      Rolo Turtles
    9. Easy Fudge (GF)
    10. Spanish Rice (GF, DF)

    Next Sunday, I’ll share 10 more recipes of mine that are gluten free or can be easily adapted.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Breaded Cube Steak (GF, DF) – Blog Post #7

    The Imaginative One loves hamburger.  In fact, he loves to order hamburgers with ketchup only when we do go to fast food restaurants.  Since cube steak is similar to hamburger, he enjoyed this meal.

    You could certainly make this with all purpose flour instead of the gluten free flour blend.

    Speaking of gluten free flour blends, I’ve shared two recipes that have used gluten free flour blends.  My favorite blend is from Krusteaz.

    I can find it at Kroger’s for $5.99 a bag.

    The Krusteaz’s gluten free all purpose flour is a one to one flour blend which you can replace the all purpose flour with the same amount of this blend.

    So what did I serve with the breaded cube steak?  I served the remainder of the applesauce and potato casserole.

    Breaded Cubed Steak

    Breaded Cube Steak (GF, DF)

    • Difficulty: easy
    • Print

    Ingredients

    – 1 lb cubed steak

    – ¼ to ½ c. gluten free flour mix

    – salt and pepper, to taste

     

    Directions

    1. Preheat a skillet with a Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
    2. Place the salt and pepper with the gluten free flour mix into a ziploc bag.
    3. Place the cubed steak into the ziploc bag.  Make sure the bag is closed tightly.
    4. Shake the bag until the cubed steaks are coated.
    5. Cook in the skillet for 5 to 6 minutes on one side.  Flip.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through.
    6. Enjoy!

     

     

     

  • Pressure Cooker Applesauce (GF, DF, and Paleo) – Blog Post #6

    The Wee One loves this applesauce. He had two bowlfuls at our Sunday dinner.

    It take a little time to prep the apples but it’s worth it when you smell the delicious aromas of cooking apples with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.

    I used gala apples, golden delicious, and Macintosh apples at different time.  Each one was delicious as applesauce.

    Instead of refined sugar, I used coconut sugar which has a lower glycemic index than white sugar.  (35 instead of 60 so your blood sugar won’t spike as easily.)

    Since I’ve been loving pumpkin spice lately, I use pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon.  You can use either spice.

    Cooked down apples
    The applesauce

    To make it Whole 30 friendly, omit the sugar.  Remember only eat a little bit of fruit while on the Whole 30 because you don’t want to feed your sugar dragon.

    Pressure Cooker Applesauce

    • Difficulty: easy
    • Print

    Ingredients

    – 2 to 4 pounds apples:  peeled, cored, and sliced

    – ¼ c. water

    – ¼ c. sugar

    – 2 tsp. Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

     

    Directions

    1. Prepare the apples.  Add to the pressure cooker.
    2. Pour the water over the apple.  Sprinkle the sugar and spice over the apples.  
    3. Put the lid on the pressure cooker.
    4. Manually set the pressure cooker to 5 minutes.
    5. When the apples are finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 20 minutes.
    6. After the pressure cooker’s pressure has been released, open the lid and place the apples in the blender.
    7. Blend until smooth.  (About a minute)
    8. Enjoy cold or warm!

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Potato Casserole – Blog Post #5

    I decided to create a new potato casserole for our Sunday dinner.  My mother-in-law told me that she loved it as she scooped up a second helping of the casserole.  So I think it’s a winner in my book.

    (more…)

  • Homemade Chicken Nuggets (Paleo, GF, DF) – Blog Post #4

    Eating Gluten Free

    I’ve only tried Aldi’s brand gluten free chicken nuggets.  I really did not like them.  So last week I decided to make my own chicken nuggets.

    They were super easy and were on the table within 30 minutes.

    When I pulled them out of the oven, the Wee One was already wanting to try one.  I had to remind him they were super hot because I just got them out of the oven.

    While we were at the dinner table, Hubby and the Wee One told me how much they liked the nuggets.  Hubby told me he could taste the chicken unlike when you eat processed chicken nuggets.

    I served them with ketchup and Trader Joe’s North Carolina Gold barbecue sauce.  YUM!

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    Homemade Chicken Nuggets

    • Difficulty: easy
    • Print

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound of raw chicken breast, diced
    • ½ c. almond flour
    • 2 tsp. Salt
    • 1 tsp. Pepper
    • 1 tsp. paprika

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
    2. Cut the raw chicken into bite size pieces.
    3. Place the almond flour and seasonings into a small bowl. Mix to combine.
    4. Place the chicken in the almond flour. Coat all sides.
    5. Place the chicken pieces on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. (Make sure the chicken pieces are on a single layer on the sheet.)
    6. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
    7. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauces.

    Happy Eating,
    Traci