Gumbo, homemade

The best way I can use left overs when I have a variety of meats in the refrigerator. So I had left over, roast chicken, pork roast and pot roast. So go grab your left overs and we will get started.

  I diced up onion,garlic,green pepper and carrots and extra virgin olive oil, placed the in a saute pan over low to medium heat until nicely caramelized. When they are done add them into the bottom of your crock pot, or stock pan on the stove. Next I cut up my left over meats and placed them in the same saute pan and just got them warmed through, added them to the crock pot as well. Make sure you get everything out of your saute pan, scrape the bottom with a spoon, theres a lot of flavor in the bottom of the pan. Okay so next I added a box of beef broth and a jar of homemade spaghetti sauce (use store bought if thats what you have) Stir it all together in the crock pot and add your salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, soy sauce about 2 tbs and Worcestershire sauce about 2 tbs and a bit of A1 about 2 tbs. Make sure you mix it together well. Put the lid on the crock pot and slow cook on low for 8 hours. This is a meal you want to start early in the morning and let it cook all day. You want to give time to allow for all the flavors to blend and marinate together, the longer it cooks the better it tastes.
  So after the 8 hours is up you want to make your white rice. Make as much as you want, I usually do about 1/2 cup of rice to a bowl of gumbo. After the rice is cooked put it in your bowl then add the gumbo. Garnish with green onion. Now some add shrimp in their gumbo I do not because no one in my house likes fish. I will however add sausage into the gumbo along with the other meats when I have it on hand (meaning my kids did not already eat it all) Sit back and enjoy, no one in your house will think you used left overs to make this and it is a good way to not waste food. If it made to much you can always freeze the rest for another day.

stcky buns

Gluten free sticky buns were a success !!!!

okay here we go
 6 to 7 cups gluten free flour (all purpose for the others)
2tbs zanthan gum
2 tsp salt
2 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 egg


Combine 2 cups of flour, zanthan gum, yeast and salt in your mixers, mixing bowl. In a sauce pan heat up milk, water, butter. In a small dish beat your egg. Once milk,water and butter have all melted together add it to our dry ingredients and add your egg. Beat at medium speed for like 4 minutes. Stir in and additional 3 cups of gluten free flour, so while mixing it is pulling off of the side. Next kneed it by hand with another 1 to 2 cups of flours. Place your dough in a bowl, place plastic wrap over it then a cotton towel, let it rise for 45 min to an hour.

After it is done rising take half of your dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle shape. Okay now use a basting brush if you have one and paint the dough with a light layer of soft butter. Next I mixed 1/2 cup of stevia (you can use sugar) and 2 tbs of Cinnamon, mixed it to gether and dusted it on top of the dough. I used all of it, just make more for the other half of your dough. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 mins.  Remove them from the pan as soon as they are done cooking. You will want to drizzle a little something extra on top. So 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tbs of butter, 2 tbs of milk 1/4 tsp of vanilla mix it real well and drizzle over the sticky buns. Serve warm and enjoy.

Candy cookies

Now this is a winner of a cookie. Who doesn’t love snickers candy and peanut butter cups? We are going to take the candy and hide it in a cookie, so you chose which candy to use, me I do a double batch using both kinds.
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
mix it all together very well
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well
It is easier if you chill the dough for like 20 min
Grab your bag of candy and warm up the oven to 375
theres two ways to do this cookie, use which ever is easier for you

now you can wrap the dough around your candy and then place it onto a greased cookie sheet or you can take a muffin pan and scoop the dough into the muffin pan bake your cookie for 9 min and as soon as it comes out of the oven push the candy in the center. We have done both ways and they are both yummy. Make sure you let the cookie cool before removing it from the cookie sheet or the muffin pan. Again these are gluten free so you want to freeze any that wont be eaten with in 2 days

Chicken riggies

This is what the finished product looks like, this meals has some prep work and things you may want to do through out the day. It is a bit time consuming, but so worth it. I bring to you my adaption of chicken riggies, it's a Utica thing.

So here we go. I baked up boneless, skinless chicken breast. With salt, pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper and a bit of chicken stock in the bottom of the pan. Bake it till its cooked, when it is done place it off to the side and allow it to cool before cubing it up. I had mine in the oven in the morning so I could cube it by lunch time. Okay so cube it in to bite sized pieces. Set it off to the side. Next we want to start chopping our peppers and onions and garlic. I used yellow, red and green peppers. Put all my chopped veggies in to a saute pan with extra virgin olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook them until soft.

 Okay next step is making our sauce. We are going to begin like making a roue for Mac and Cheese. equal part of olive oil, or butter to flour, we use rice flour. Add your milk (we can't use heavy creme) Salt, pepper, A bit of hot sauce(the hotter you  like the more you add), nutmeg, cinnamon, spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning, I also add a block of shredded cheese into my sauce. Let it cook till it thickens. Don't forget to get a pot of water going for your noodles (of course we use gluten free.) Once noodles and sauce are all done combine everything together (veggies and chicken, sauce and noodles) and place into a baking dish. Top with more cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 mins. Make a tossed salad and dinner is ready. This has so much flavor in it, it is worth all the different things you had to do to make it come together. It is great for get together's one dish and a side salad and your all set, it is also very filling. Let me know what you think.

lemon garlic chicken

Well my kids love this and are always asking me to make it. It really is not that difficult. You may not have all the items you need in the kitchen so make yourself a list as you read down through the recipe.
-I use a roasting chicken but you can use any kind you have
-you need to clean the chicken inside and out..yep that means removing the neck and gizzards.
-after hes been washed pat him dry with a paper towel
-put him off to the side as we get the sauce together for inside the roasting pan.
-you’ll need a pretty good sauce pan or deep skillet, you want enough sauce left to drizzle over the chicken after it is done cooking.
-you need chicken broth or stock at least a box I use two. Dump in in the sauce pan
-take a lemon roll it on the cutting board then cut in half. Holding the cut side up squeeze the juice from both half’s into the pan.
-green onions, fresh parsley and basil, salt and pepper to your taste
-also at least 4 cloves of garlic chopped and put into sauce.
-let everything sit in there and simmer a few mins together before transferring the sauce to the bottom of your roaster
-once the sauce and chicken are in the roaster it is time to give the chicken a massage.
-I rub my chicken down with extra virgin olive oil, cover all parts of skin.
-salt, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic salt and paprika are to be sprinkled on him next
-Take another lemon roll it on the cutting board and cut it in half. With the cut side up squeeze the lemon juice of both half’s on the chicken
-now for the rear of the chicken. Cut a lemon, orange and onion in half and put them in his rear. yep where you would put the stuffing. Also put in a few cloves of garlic
-its ready to go in a 350 degree oven. how long it cooks depends on how big he is.
-usually I do an hour in a half at 350 then i cover him up with foil and slow cook him at 200 to 250 for the remainder of the time in the oven
-I do warn you your house will smell wonderful while he is cooking and it may increase your and your kids appetite for the day.
It takes a bit to get him going but it is so worth it. When i serve this not only to I put sauce over the chicken on the platter I also have a dish of sauce at the table for extra dipping fun.

texas pot roast

I am not sure why I call it Texas pot roast I guess its the sauce. This is good and best when started earlier in the morning and slow cooks all day. It’s time to dig out the crock pot. I love this when I know i have a busy day ahead and won’t feel up for cooking after the days events are done. I also like to use it on a field trip day and I know I will be gone all day, it makes dinner one less thing to worry about. I make everything from scrtach you might not want to and there are alternative ways to make this.
So first we need to make the sauce. In a skillet place a few drizzles of olive oil, chopped onion, garlic and green pepper. Don’t over cook them you want to do it till the are nice and soft but we don’t want them burned. Okay next step in your skillet add a cup of brown sugar, 2 cups of ketchup about a 1/4 of a cup of mustard and a jar of homemade pasta sauce { I keep this in my freezer, I make it out of my tomatoes from my garden} if you dont have home made pasta on hand use a jar of it from the grocery. Now for seasoning, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley and a few twigs of thyme. Mix it all together, you dont have to let it simmer because it is going to simmer all day in the crock pot. So you want to transfer the sauce to the crock pot and then place your choice of meat in the crock pot as well. If your pot is big enough add your potatoes and carrots. This sauce taste so good on the potatoes they really soak it up and give them such a blast of flavor in your mouth. Put the lid on and let it go all day.

texas pot roast

I am not sure why I call it Texas pot roast I guess its the sauce. This is good and best when started earlier in the morning and slow cooks all day. It’s time to dig out the crock pot. I love this when I know i have a busy day ahead and won’t feel up for cooking after the days events are done. I also like to use it on a field trip day and I know I will be gone all day, it makes dinner one less thing to worry about. I make everything from scrtach you might not want to and there are alternative ways to make this.
So first we need to make the sauce. In a skillet place a few drizzles of olive oil, chopped onion, garlic and green pepper. Don’t over cook them you want to do it till the are nice and soft but we don’t want them burned. Okay next step in your skillet add a cup of brown sugar, 2 cups of ketchup about a 1/4 of a cup of mustard and a jar of homemade pasta sauce { I keep this in my freezer, I make it out of my tomatoes from my garden} if you dont have home made pasta on hand use a jar of it from the grocery. Now for seasoning, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley and a few twigs of thyme. Mix it all together, you dont have to let it simmer because it is going to simmer all day in the crock pot. So you want to transfer the sauce to the crock pot and then place your choice of meat in the crock pot as well. If your pot is big enough add your potatoes and carrots. This sauce taste so good on the potatoes they really soak it up and give them such a blast of flavor in your mouth. Put the lid on and let it go all day.

texas pot roast

I am not sure why I call it Texas pot roast I guess its the sauce. This is good and best when started earlier in the morning and slow cooks all day. It’s time to dig out the crock pot. I love this when I know i have a busy day ahead and won’t feel up for cooking after the days events are done. I also like to use it on a field trip day and I know I will be gone all day, it makes dinner one less thing to worry about. I make everything from scrtach you might not want to and there are alternative ways to make this.
So first we need to make the sauce. In a skillet place a few drizzles of olive oil, chopped onion, garlic and green pepper. Don’t over cook them you want to do it till the are nice and soft but we don’t want them burned. Okay next step in your skillet add a cup of brown sugar, 2 cups of ketchup about a 1/4 of a cup of mustard and a jar of homemade pasta sauce { I keep this in my freezer, I make it out of my tomatoes from my garden} if you dont have home made pasta on hand use a jar of it from the grocery. Now for seasoning, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley and a few twigs of thyme. Mix it all together, you dont have to let it simmer because it is going to simmer all day in the crock pot. So you want to transfer the sauce to the crock pot and then place your choice of meat in the crock pot as well. If your pot is big enough add your potatoes and carrots. This sauce taste so good on the potatoes they really soak it up and give them such a blast of flavor in your mouth. Put the lid on and let it go all day.

Peanut butter cake

No sugars, no flour no carbohydrates..And yummy!

1 cup peanut butter
1 banana
1 egg
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp of almond extract


mix it all together till smooth the longer you mix the better. Butter a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins..Then slice and enjoy.

Banana pancakes

The easiest pancakes in the world.....Are you ready?

1 banana mashed up
1 egg

mix the mashed banana and the egg together. Get your pan hot on the stove spread some butter in the pan and fry the pancake on both sides.

We serve Halaynas with honey to avoid the sugar of the syrup. This time we served it with pumpkin bread and orange juice. I will be posting the pumpkin bread recipe soon.

candy cookies

Now this is a winner of a cookie. Who doesn’t love snickers candy and peanut butter cups? We are going to take the candy and hide it in a cookie, so you chose which candy to use, me I do a double batch using both kinds.
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
mix it all together very well
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well
It is easier if you chill the dough for like 20 min
Grab your bag of candy and warm up the oven to 375
theres two ways to do this cookie, use which ever is easier for you

now you can wrap the dough around your candy and then place it onto a greased cookie sheet or you can take a muffin pan and scoop the dough into the muffin pan bake your cookie for 9 min and as soon as it comes out of the oven push the candy in the center. We have done both ways and they are both yummy. Make sure you let the cookie cool before removing it from the cookie sheet or the muffin pan. Again these are gluten free so you want to freeze any that wont be eaten with in 2 days

chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate chip cookies

2 1/4 cup gluten free flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 cup soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of M&M's

preheat oven to 375

mix flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside

beat butter and sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl with mixer till creamy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each egg. Slowly beat in your flour mixture. Add chocolate chips and M&M's. Place your round drops of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 mins or until lightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for about 2 mins before placing them on a wire rack. This makes about 5 dozen cookies if they are small enough.

I leave a good amount on a plate for the kids and the rest I place in a ziplock freezer bag and put them in the freezer for later. You have to remember gluten free products will go stale very fast if not frozen. They also defrost very quickly so there always ready for when you need them.
 

rgluten free muffins

This was our breakfast the other morning.

I make my muffins a smaller size so that they are perfect for my kids. I made blueberry and chocolate chip muffins out of the same recipe.








So here is what you need:
a bag of chocolate chips
frozen or fresh blueberries
2 cups of gluten free flour (for non gluten free use 2 cups all purpose flour)
1 tsp of zanthan gum
  1/2 cups of sugar (I had to use diabetic sugar)
  3 tsp of baking powder
  1/2 tsp of salt
  3/4 cup of milk (use lactose if your intolerant)
  1/3 cup of oil
  1 egg beaten

So i always mix all my dry ingredients together and put them off to the side. Then in my mixer I start with the egg, get it beaten up and add the rest of the wet ingredients. After the wet ingredients are mixed well I add the dry to the wet and mix it well. When that is all mixed well I add my chips or blueberries. Now scoop your batter into your sprayed muffin pans.. So here is what you do next:

  3 tbs of sugar
  2 tbs of brown sugar
mix them together and sprinkle on top of your muffins
place your muffins in a 400 degree oven for about 15 mins, but keep an eye on them time depends on your oven.
  Let them cool in the muffin pan a few mins before putting them on a wire rack. Then eat them up, they are so yummy. They also freeze very well for another day or for large batches.