Can I just vent for a moment? Some restaurants have NO idea what Gluten Free really means. It's scary when they even try to guess because you wonder if your food is actually going to be safe. I have a great list of restaurants to choose from on my Gluten Free Restaurant Page but what if you can't find one of those??! You're at the mercy of people's knowledge of Gluten Free. Which I'm finding, is minimal in some places. 

One guy, when I told him we were Gluten Free, replied with "Oh, I've heard of that diet...what happened is you've got a bunch of doctors on a kick right now telling people they should stay off wheat. I'm sure it will be out just as quickly as it's been in." Can you believe that?! I was floored. I tried not to get upset but just realize he has NO IDEA what he's talking about! Gluten allergies are for REAL! Despite some beliefs, people don't do it because it's the "in diet" right now but it really affects us! 

Hopefully one day Gluten Intolerance will be taken a little more seriously. You don't see people telling those with peanut allergies that their allergy is just a fad or they're just doing it to loose weight. Why in the world would they tell a Celiac or a person with Gluten Sensitives that then? It's beyond me. 

On the trip, a nice lady wanted to share some snacks with my daughter and I said "Oh, she has some severe allergies to wheat, gluten, and dairy so there's not many normal snacks she can eat." The lady pulled out some crackers (made from wheat) and the orange goldfish crackers (made from wheat and dairy) and said, "So are these safe?" YIKES. That tells me some people have no idea what they are even eating themselves. 

If you have some great ideas on how to eat SAFE while on vacation I would LOVE to hear them. I'll share them with everyone in a post so we can all benefit. I'll also be sharing a couple of our tricks in the next week or so, so be sure to watch for that. 

Until then, here's another great recipe for you! It's a great winter time soup with a super yummy taste. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Corn Free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by Jenny Swim

Ingredients:

• about 1 & 1/2 cups cooked & diced Chicken (I often cut up day old rotisserie chicken)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 4 cups gluten free chicken broth
• 1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
  
• 1 (4oz) can of diced green chilies
• 1/2 tsp season salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)
• 3 cups of Great Northern Beans (with juices) or your can use 2 cans
• 3-5 drops of Tabasco Sauce (optional)

Directions: 

1. In a large saucepan add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the cumin, oregano and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, add the cilantro, diced chilies, season salt, salt, and pepper. (Add Tabasco sauce if using.)  Simmer for 20 minutes or until a good flavor is established. 
2. Add the chicken and beans and simmer on low until heated through. 

Goes great served with avocados and tortilla chips. Enjoy! Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Can be frozen as well. 

I've been craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich lately but the problem is I rarely buy gluten free bread. It's too pricey and often goes DRY fast. I can make my own bread (and have some great recipes for it-see below) but there's a QUICK way to satisfy my craving! RICE CAKES. You heard me. Those weird patty looking things that healthy people eat. If you haven't tried one in a while, you should! They may surprise you. They're gluten free and come a HUGE variety of flavors. They have a great shelf life so you don't have to worry about them like you do bread. It's my go-to when I have a snack attack. 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Created by jalene

Ingredients: 

• Brown Rice Cakes
• Organic Peanut Butter
• Organic jelly (I used raspberry)

Directions: 

1. Spread on the peanut butter & jelly & eat! ;) Super simple, super yummy.

What do you like on your rice cakes! Share with us below:

I have a super easy breakfast recipe that will sweeten up your breakfast... sweet potato hashbrowns! Maybe you have already tried them, but if not, you're in for a real treat! They are really fairly easy to do and they change up the breakfast norm (not to mention add some new nutrients to the breakfast plate such as Fiber, B6, and Potassium!) They also cook about the same amount as regular frozen hashbrowns so sometimes I will make a little bit of both. 

These are super tasty with a little oil and sea salt but you can also try serving them with mango salsa. YUM! Let me know what you think. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free, Corn Free, Grain Free)
Adapted by jalene

Ingredients: 

• 1-2 sweet potatoes
• extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
• sea salt (optional)

Directions: 

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Grate with a large grater.
2. Lightly pour some oil over the bottom of the pan. Add the grated sweet potatoes and cook until turning slightly brown. Flip and cook on the other side. (Takes about 15-20 minutes total.)

I've heard a rumor that our tastes buds die as we get older and that's why we're able to "like" more things... haha. True? I don't know but I do think perhaps we just get a little braver and try new things. This next soup is definitely one I did not start liking until just about a year ago. I took a European cooking class and this was on the menu one night. I remember thinking, I'll try a spoonful (because that's what I expect of my own daughter when I make new stuff). I ended up not only eating that entire bowl but going back for 2nds! Ever since then we have enjoyed this dish! 

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Created by jalene

Ingredients: 

• 5 cups diced onions
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) 
  
• 2 Tbsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce
• 1 & 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3 Tbsp gluten free beef broth base
• 6 cups water

Directions: 

1. Place the onions, butter, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper into the pressure cooker. Seal and cook for 25 minutes. Quick pressure release and add the beef broth base and water. Boil for about 15 minutes more and serve. 

We serve this over my Soft Gluten Free Rolls, sliced and toasted. If you're not dairy free this is really yummy with cheese too. 

You can still make this yummy soup. Simply cook your onions and butter for a LONG time on the stove.  You can cover them to speed up the process but watch them carefully so they don't burn. They need to be soft and transparent by the time you're done. Then add all the other ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Some recipes are born out of not letting things go to waste... 

So you know my Soft Gluten Free Roll Recipe? Well, when those rolls start to get stale (2-3 days) there's a couple of options you can do with them. You can make breadcrumbs (and then turn it into my Gluten Free Stuffing) or you could make the type of breadcrumbs you put on salads. 

Well, introducing a new favorite: French Toast Sticks. These are great finger foods for little ones and I found that Audrey actually eats less dip than if I poured it over the entire toast! Now if you're little one has discover the dip and lick method, that might be a different story for you... ;)

A great BONUS- these babies freeze too! I simply throw them in a freezer bag and defrost them with our toaster oven when I need a quick no-hassle breakfast. You could also microwave or put them into the oven to warm them back up. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Created by jalene

Ingredients:

• 2-3 My Soft Gluten Free Rolls (I used 2 day old ones)
• 1 egg
• 1-2 Tbsp milk (use almond or rice milk to make it dairy free)

Directions: 

1. Preheat your skillet. Beat the egg and milk together. Set aside. 
2. Slice off an 1/8th of an inch of the top and bottom of each roll. Then Slice it into 3 round disks. (Our rolls were made in a muffin tin so if yours were made differently just simply try to slice them in bread-width sections. 
3. Dip the disks in the egg mixture, coating each side.  Then cook each side until brown and golden. Cut into sticks and serve with a dip of your choice: Sugar Free Syrup, Maple Syrup, Unsweetened Applesauce, jam, etc. 

Last week I introduced you to my Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream but I realize that not all of you are chocolate lovers out there. Take for example my own nephew. He actually HATES chocolate! Is that weird? Willfully hating chocolate... Seems strange to me! ha ha. 

If you haven't heard it before coconut milk makes THE BEST ice cream. It's so creamy and smooth. It seriously hits the spot when you can't have the real thing. This next recipe is so simple and you can choose what type of sweetener you prefer. We served ours with my Gluten Free Apple Crisp! It was so yummy my dad had to have 2nds! :)

Don't forget, our Free Gluten Free Class is tomorrow (Tuesday night: Jan. 8th). To RSVP please visit HERE. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Created by jalene

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup sugar or evaporated cane juice sugar or you can use 2 & 1/2 Tbsp honey instead
• 1 can coconut milk (not lite)
• 1 & 1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla

Directions: 

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and combine for 30 seconds, scraping sides if unnecessary. 
2. Pour into your prepared ice cream maker and process for at least 30 minutes. The ice cream will harden more as you freeze it. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe off allrecipes.com

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb cubed stew meat
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 cups gluten free beef broth
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano (optional)
• 1/2 tsp majoram (optional)
• 2 & 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 & 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

(PS- you can add in celery too if you prefer or any other tasty veggie. Simply make sure they all equal to 5 cups. So for example I've done 2 cups carrots, 2 cups potatoes, and 2 cups celery before.) 

Directions: 

1. In your pressure cooker add the meat, onion, broth, salt, pepper, oregano & majoram (if using). Seal the lid and cook for 25 minutes on High Pressure, with a quick release at the end. If you're using frozen stew meat you will have to increase this time or thaw your meat before. 
2. Add your potatoes and carrots, seal the lid and cook for 11 minutes on High Pressure, with a quick release. Remove from heat and serve. 

Simply add the meat, onions, spices, and gluten free beef broth to your crockpot and cook on low for 7 hours. Add the carrots and potatoes and continue cooking for another 1-2 hours or until the veggies are tender to your liking. NOTE: You may or may not need to add more liquid as it cooks so adjust it accordingly. 

Time for a treat!!!

Usually I'm a strawberry kind of gal but the other day I was craving some good ol' chocolate ice cream. Audrey has been asking me to add chocolate chips into everything lately but this time I finally agreed! If you don't have chocolate chips you can simply leave them out or try broken pieces of candy canes or some other gluten free add-in.

If you haven't tried coconut ice cream before you're in for a REAL TREAT! The coconut milk adds such a great creamy flavor- you'll think you're eating the real thing! 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene

Ingredients: 

• 1 can of coconut milk (I don't recommend using lite)
• 2 & 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder (I used organic)
• 1/3 cup sugar or evaporated cane juice sugar
• 2 Tbsp dairy free mini-chocolate chips (optional)

Directions: 

1. In a blender mix all the ingredients EXCEPT for the chocolate chips. Pour into your ice cream maker and process for about 25-30 minutes. Add the chocolate chips in the last 5 minutes of processing (if your ice cream maker allows it) or stir in the chocolate chips at the end. If your ice cream is softer than you like, don't worry, it will harden more as you freeze it. 

Store the ice cream in a covered container in the freezer.