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.

Mashed Potatoe casserole

This is a side dish you don't want to miss. So mashed potatoes any kind, fresh, instant or left over. Place them in the bottom of a casserole dish. Next 1 stick of butter in a sauce pan and sauteed onions. Just till the onions are side. So on top of the mashed potatoes add 1 cup of ricotta cheese. Then the onions, half of the melted butter. Half of block (8 oz) of shredded extra Sharp cheese. Next a later of thinly sliced potatoes, just 1 layer. So now the rest of your butter. And then the other half of your shredded extra Sharon redder cheese. Now crumble bacon in top. This is your last layer. Place in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. And serve. It's my favorite mashed potatoe.

a sinner saved by grace

Comfort food for dinner

Nothing better then comfort food. Tonight I am trying a new pot roast recipe. So far we have extra virgin olive oil, onions sliced, garlic whole not cut, a mix of A1 sauce, beef broth,salt,pepper, a dash of hot sauce and a touch of balsamic. I will slow cook it the rest of the day. Make sure you check back to see the side dishes. Potatoe casserole with ricotta cheese , Bacon and shredded cheese.

a sinner saved by grace

lemon Bars

The crust:
2 cups gluten free flour (reg flour for non gluten free)
2 cups of regular flour for non gluten free
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter soft
1/2 tsp zantham gum (omit if non gluten free)

mix until crumbly then add to the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

The filling:

4 eggs beaten
2 cups of sugar (I used stevia for my hubby)
1/4 cup gluten free flour (use regular flour for non gluten free)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 tsp zanthan gum (omit for non gluten free)

mix well, pour over warm crust. Return to oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool completely before adding the glaze.

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbs of lemon juice
this way is thick keep adding lemon juice to get the desired consistency 

gluten free cheese its

Theses are very good.They smell like and taste like cheese it's, best part they are gluten free. Thanks Ashley for the recipe. ( I will include the link to Ashley's blog so you can find this and other tasty treats)


  So here we go:
2 TBS butter
1 large egg
1/2 TSP salt
1/8 TSP pepper
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup potato starch
1 TSP zantham gum
salt to sprinkle on top

preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter until creamy, add salt, pepper and egg. Beat until blended. Beat in cheese gradually. Stir in flour and gum. Work the dough into a ball. If it is not sticky enough add 1 TSP of water at a time. Roll the ball to about an inch thick. Now I roll mine right on the cookie sheet with a small roller. Then I take the pizza cutter and cut them into small squares. Sprinkle with salt and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. Store in an air tight container so they don't go stale on you.

Snack wrap

My kids have been asking for snack wrap, so it was time to figure out a way to make them gluten free.

Tortillas:

1/2 cup gluten free flour(1/2 cup regular flour for non gluten free)

1/2 cup corn meal

1 cup of water

1 egg

Mix it all together to make a thin batter and transfer to a measuring container.

Heat up a non stick frying pan, after pan is hot turn to medium heat.

Pour batter into hot pan and swirl the batter around the pan. Cook on this side til the edges begin to curve up, then flip for the other side. Remove from pan place on a paper towel and cover with another paper towel. Make sure you mix the batter before you pour your next one into the pan. 

 Fill with what ever you would like and enjoy.  

 Now if you want take the snack wrap let it sit for a day, then throw it in the deep fryer and you have home made corn chips

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.

vanilla crisp

Vanilla crisp
for non gluten free use 2 1/2 cups regular flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups gluten free flour (use regular flour for non gluten free)
1 tsp zantham gum (leave out for non gluten free)

Creme together your butter, shortening and sugar, add your vanilla, and the eggs 1 at a time. Blend in your flour.

Drop by the spoonful on a non greased baking pan. Or roll into a log and cut, flatten with a dusted cup. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

The frosting

2 cups of confectionery sugar
2 tbs of butter
2 tbs of milk
1 tsp of vanilla
2 tbs of nuttela (or whatever else you have like melted chocolate)

fried chicken with homemade honey mustard

Here we go, lets grab our supplies;

mustard, any kind you like
eggs, we use brown
a dash of milk
sea salt
pepper
sweet rice flour or regular rice flour
regular flour for non gluten free
a zip lock bag
boneless, skinless chicken

I will give you more items to grab later for a home made hone mustard sauce for dipping fun

The batter. I used 5 eggs, about 1/4 cup of mustard, salt and pepper to your liking, and a dash of milk. Mix it all together.  So take your chicken and give it a bath in the egg mixture.

So place your sweet rice, or rice flour and put it in your zip lock bag, toss in your dipped chicken pieces. Close the zip lock bag and toss the chicken around until it is well coated. Now off to the sauna of hot oil it goes. Canola or peanut oil are good ones to use for deep frying, healthier as well, but use what you have on hand. Our pieces are small so it took about 10 minutes in the deep fryer. Place the cooked pieces on a plate. Now lets make your dipping sauce.

All right home made honey mustard sauce. Very simple and you probably have everything you need already. So we need 
mayo, for  my husband and I, I did 5 heaping tbs.
mustard, I used 2 different kinds, one was a spicy mustard the other was regular mustard. Jut a few squirts of the spicy and 3 good squirts of the regular.
Honey of course about 1 big tbs
and extra virgin olive oil, just a few drizzles.
salt and pepper to taste.
Mix it up, give it a taste add accordingly.

We had mashed potatoes and corn to go with ours. Plate it all up and our ready for some fantastic fried chicken with home made honey mustard.

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