Gluten-Free Menu Swap-Light & Easy for Summer

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

I’m sure everyone knows who Stephanie O’Dea is and if you read my weekly menu plans, you are familiar with her slow cooker books and her blog. I’m a big fan of Stephanie’s approach of ‘let’s get this job done and get to the fun’ parenting style and her new book tackles household chores and menu planning with a streamlined, get it done and get on with life attitude. I have tried all kinds of organizing systems and all sizes and shapes of planners and even tried using my iPhone to organize my life. The planners are too big or too small or the spaces don’t accommodate my messy handwriting. The systems are too detailed and fussy and I last a few weeks before abandoning them.

I’ve been reading through Stephanie’s new Totally Together Journal that she kindly sent to me to review and the plan is to the point, get the most important and critical jobs done and then remember to schedule family time and fun too. The menu plan template and sample menus are practical and the charts are clean, clear and not too fussy. The Weekly journal pages with chore reminders are just what I need as I forget things like car washing until I’m embarrassed to be seen in the mom mobile. For young families there are regular chores and housekeeping habits that will work for your kids for a lifetime and help take the chore wars and squabbles out of who does what, but also work for couples with older teens who need reminders. I think the perfect gift for new parents would be all three of Stephanie’s new books to get a new family off to great start.

Meal planning, even when I color outside the menu has been the one source of sanity in our busy lives and I love how Stephanie incorporates that into her journal. This week, Renee of Beyond Rice and Tofu is hosting our swap with the theme of ‘light and easy for summer.’ The temperatures are going to be 90 plus all week and we will need some light and easy around here. I’m actually thinking I will make cool vegetable salads before work in the morning to have when I get home after a long day in the and out of the heat.

  • Salmon with stir fry veggies.
  • Asian cucumber and carrot salad topped with leftover salmon and a light rice wine vinegar, sesame dressing.
  • Chicken quesadillas for the guys and chicken topped salad for mom and stir fry for the paleo girl all from pre-grilled chicken.
  • Zucchini pasta with my new spiral slicer and wouldn’t you know-Heidi has a link to a Gluten-Free Goddess recipe and tutorial on her menu plan for the week.
  • Diane’s Muffaletta Burgers, grilled veggies.
  • Omelets stuffed with leftover grilled veggies and leftover salad.

Visit Renee for the rest of our swap and Laura at Organizing Junkie for hundreds of menu ideas on Menu Plan Monday. Laura if off this week and the Menu Plan Monday Swap is at Finding Joy in My Kitchen.


 

 

Posted in gluten free dinner, gluten free meal plan, gluten free menu plan, Gluten Free Menu Swap, Menu Plan Monday | 5 Comments

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

I have some life. For the past week, gluten-free bloggers have been filling my inbox with photographs of food. I’ve been so distracted by the deliciousness that I’ve had a hard time figuring out how to organize all the gluten-free goodies that my blogging friends have cooked up for Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger. I decided to just fling them all together at the top of this post so everyone could be amazed by all the gorgeous food that was created this month and then list the adoptions and send you readers off to explore all of these great gluten-free blogs and find even more recipes. So, don’t anyone tell me it’s hard to be gluten-free or you’re feeling deprived and pathetic. Here’s the road map to some glorious gluten-free eating:

First up is the founder of this community-building buffet of blogs, SeaMaiden of Book of Yum. Sea of the Bay Area adopted Bernice of Wheatless and Meatless in New York City. Bernice’s Bombay Beastless Burger and her Cauliflower Chestnut Cheese were big successes at the Yum household. Follow Bernice on twitter as @gfveg and Sea as @seamaiden399 for gluten-free vegetarian tweets.

AndreAnna, a Jersey girl living somewhere in Iowa, adopted Heidi of Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom, an Ohio transplant living in New Mexico. Visit Life as A Plate to see what AndreAnna has to say about Heidi and her Mayo-Free Chicken Salad. These two are probably the funniest gluten-free bloggers I know. Follow Heidi on Twitter as @adventuresgfmom and AndreAnna as @AndreAnnaRose.

For more of AndreAnna, head on down to Virginia and  Shirley’s campsite for a cocktail and some Mexican pulled chicken stuffed peppers. Gluten Free Easily is one of the hubs of our online gluten-free community and Shirley’s adoption of AndreAnna is the perfect summer camping trip. Follow Shirley on Twitter as @Shirleygfe.

Shirley was adopted by Tina of Madame Gluten-Free Vegetarian. Tina made Shirley’s Perfect Pound Cake. Follow Tina as @MadameGFVeg.

In a slight twist on the adoption, Iris’s housemates made Alta’s vanilla cake recipe to celebrate her birthday. Head to Washington to the DailyDietribe to read about the birthday made more special by a recipe from the Texas based Tasty Eats at Home. Follow Iris on Twitter as @DailyDietribe and Alta as @tastyeatsathome.

Heading over to the Washington DC area to Valerie at City|Life|Eats for her adoption of well-loved gluten-free blogger close by, Cheryl of Gluten Free Goodness. Valerie tried quite a few of Cheryl’s recipes and found them all pretty wonderful just as I did when I adopted Cheryl. These two have teamed up for a Self Care Retreat series this month with tips on taking to time ourselves. Follow Valerie on Twitter as @citylifeeats and Cheryl as @cherylharrisrd

Valerie, the gluten-free lunch box expert, also adopted Heather of Gluten Free Cat in Nashville. Valerie made three recipes from Heather’s blog and recommends them and Heather’s reviews of gluten-free products. Follow Heather on Twitter as @GlutenFreeCat.

Heather adopted Iris of the DailyDietTribe. She made a quinoa dish and Iris’ Raw Artichoke Salad.

Cheryl of Gluten Free Goodness was an adoptee and did an adoption this month. She adopted Lexie of Lexie’s Kitchen in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Lexie’s scones and chocolate cake were a hit.  Follow Lexie on Twitter as @lexieskitchen.

Debi of Hunter’s Lyonesse adopted Canadian, Maggie of She Let Them Eat Cake. I have to say there is a lot of chocolate going on in this adoption. Follow Debi as @HuntersLyonesse and Maggie as @maggiesavage.

Maggie adopted Kim of Cook It Allergy Free in Arizona. She tried Kim’s Granola Cookie Oatmeal Bars. Follow Kim as @cookallergyfree on Twitter.

Alta of Tasty Eats at Home is another adoptee who did an adoption too. She adopted Canadian Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs. Follow Ricki as @RickiHeller on Twitter.

Sunny from Ingredient Challenge Monday adopted Bay Area slow cooker expert, Stephanie O’Dea from A Year of Slowcooking. She tried Stephanie’s Boston Baked Beans and Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables. Follow Sunny and her blogging partner Shea as @ICMondays. Shea also did an adoption of Stephanie on her own blog Dixie Chik Cooks. She made Stephanie’s Crockpot Blueberry Buckle. Follow Shea as @dixiechikcooks.

Sunny also has a gluten-free blog of her own and she adopted Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free of Texas there. She tried Amy’s Homemade Crockpot Catsup. Follow Sunny as @andloveittoo and Amy as @Amys_SSGF

Nicole of Nicole’s Special Diet Creations adopted Liz of Eat the Cookie!. Both of these blogs were new to me, so it was fun to find new blogs in this round of adoptions. Follow Nicole as @Nicoles_SDC .

Renee of Beyond Rice and Tofu is one of our little band of gluten-free menu planners who show up for the Gluten Free Menu Swap that is headquartered at Gluten Free Goodness. She adopted Pete and Kelli of No Gluten No Problem, the authors of  Artisanal Gluten- Free Cooking and Artisanal Gluten-Free Cupcakes. Renee tried three of their recipes for her adoption. Follow Pete as @PeterBronski.

Elana of Elana’s Pantry in Colorado was adopted by Lauren of As Good As Gluten. Lauren made Elana’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. Follow Lauren as @asgoodasgluten and Elana as @elanaspantry.

Johnna from 52 Sweets, 52 Donuts, 52 Foods on a Stick and Beyond 52 and my roomie at Eat Write Retreat in DC last spring adopted Kalinda of Meat FreeWheat Free. she made Kalinda’s Millet Breakfast Casserole. Follow Johnna as @Johnna52.

Kalinda of St. Louis who cooks vegetarian and gluten-free for her hubby adopted Valerie of City|Life|Eats. She made Valerie’s Apple Dal.

Thomas of the GFCF Experience in Montana adopted Jenn of Jenn Cuisine who left Ohio for  Switzerland. Thomas made Jenn’s Buckeyes. I’d say Go Bucks, but my alma mater is in hot water these days. Follow Thomas as @tcdzomba and Jenn as @jenncuisine.

Gretchen, part of a mother and daughter blogging team at The Gluten Free Edge adopted Angela of Oh She Glows in Canada. Gretchen made Angela’s GF Vegan Walnut Chip Brownies. Follw Angela as @ohsheglows and Gretchen and Rita in Texas @gfedge.

Brooke from B & the boy! adopted Lenora of Fat and Glamorous in the Kitchen. Brooke chose two dessert recipes from the sassy Canadian’s retro looking blog. Follow Brooke as @brookelippy and Lenore as @fatglamkitchen.

Sue from GF with Pizzazz in Florida adopted Nicole of Gluten free on a Shoestring from New York. Sue did a ‘Chopped’ version of Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger with ingredients on hand. Follow Nicole @gfshoestring and Sue @GFPizzazz.

Finally, I adopted Brittany of Real Sustenance and made her Thai Beef and Broccoli Slaw Spring Rolls. Follow Brittany as @realsustenance.

There you have it. We’ve traveled all over the US, Canada and even Europe for this gluten-free buffet. I don’t know how Sea does it almost every month and she is hosting the adoptions next time. So go visit some of these lovely bloggers and browse their recipes and follow them on Twitter. Check your links and please email me if I’ve messed them up. It was a big job and I get so easily distracted visiting all of you and snooping through your posts and recipes that I may have some of the links wrong, but I did have some fun on my tour of the gluten-free blogging world.

Posted in Adopt a GF Blogger | 20 Comments

Self Care Retreat for July-Food

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

Cheryl and Valerie cooked up a plan for a Self Care Retreat for the month of July and asked me to share my thoughts on self care and food. I was tempted to politely decline, but Cheryl is such a sweetheart, so I’ve been thinking about this post for weeks. Why would I decline? I did so well working with Cheryl last July on my 30 Days to 50 series. I lost weight, had a regular and enjoyable fitness regime, became more mindful in my eating—and then it all fell apart.

My self care for July has been to explore the ways that my plan fell apart and how I ended up not only regaining the weight I lost while working with Cheryl, but adding 10 more pounds. How did I go from that size 10, energetic, confident 50 year-old who stepped out of her comfort zone and into the food blogging world and traveled all over the United States to conferences, to a tired, overweight, size 14, and (I’m told) grumpy almost 51-year-old? What role did my food choices play?

The first thing that comes to mind is that every time I traveled, despite following all the rules of gluten-free dining out and travel, I was glutened. With my travel schedule, that meant that every two months, I had a major gluten hit. For me that means, chronic pain, brain fog, flu-like symptoms and depression for 2-3 weeks. During those weeks, I would eat for comfort and go back to looking for carbs and dairy that would have that sedative, comfort effect that gluten used to have for me. Of course during that time I didn’t exercise either. So it was a year of falling down and starting over. Very high highs of career growth and exciting opportunities mixed with days hobbling around with all my joints inflamed.

So for July, I have been slowly observing, experimenting and finding out how and when I use food to moderate my mood and looking for times when food is used for nourishing my body. As a food blogger there is pressure to review books, create recipes and be an expert on food and that has contributed to my disordered eating. It has also shown me that certain foods are now off the menu. About the time I started to realize that starches, gums, and grains-even gluten-free-were not sitting well with me or my kids, I did a negative review of a lovely cookbook by a gracious and forgiving mom. My frustration with the realization that all the hype and ‘can do’ attitude in the gluten-free community was not going to work with us anymore was evident in my review. I have come to the realization that we can’t use all those flours and gums and that eating out is a gamble I can’t take anymore. When Shirley did a post on grief over at Gluten Free Easily, I realized I was going through all the stages that I had skipped when we got the first celiac diagnosis and relief and joy at finding an answer was all we felt.

So here is what I’ve been doing for self care in relation to food this July.

  • Cutting back on caffeine-a biggie. From half a pot of coffee a day trying to rev up to meet the day’s tasks-to one cup savored each morning and finding myself actually skipping my morning’s ration.
  • Eating by color. Eating things in their natural form. That’s what all the fresh fruit shots are for in this post. Instead of blasting fruits and veggies to bits in smoothies and adding flax or chia or protein powder and making a nasty medicinal brew, I’m eating them slowly and using my senses. It’s much more satisfying than holding my nose and tossing back a brown smoothie. Summer is the perfect time for this with all the in season produce.
  • No more eating out. About the time I made this decision, I heard from a few friends who had just been glutened at a celiac/gluten-intolerant conference and knew I made the right choice. If it can’t even be done by the experts in gluten-free eating, how can I gamble with teenaged dishwashers, uneducated servers, and the chaos that reigns in most commercial kitchens. A brief stint as a line cook in a local restaurant run by a gluten-free friendly chef convinced me I was right in giving up dining out. Watching the fruit for the buffet fruit platter being sliced on a cutting board that was used for slicing bagels and with only a cursory brush off of the crumbs taught me that even naturally gluten-free fruits and salads were easily and efficiently contaminated in restaurant kitchens.
  • I’m following the lead of my ‘almost paleo’ daughter. She listens to her body and follows it much better than her mom. She has been in the kitchen stir-frying lean meat and veggies all summer and avoiding dairy and grains and she is a picture of health and vitality. I’ve started trying to eat like her and my energy is already improving.
  • Playing with raw food eating part time and enjoying the tastes and textures of food in their natural state. I especially love my new spiral slicer and making long thin ‘noodles’ from carrots and squash. I need texture and I’m finding that it’s more the noodle-like shape than it is the pasta for me.
  • Breaking my addiction to dairy. It has the same effects as gluten for me: a sedative effect, skin breakouts, body aches. It is easier to fool myself sometimes since I don’t get all the GI effects from gluten or dairy that many, many celiacs suffer. It’s all about inflammation for me and I am slowing ridding my diet of all the known inflammatory foods and exploring the idea of cross-reactive foods.

I’m not sure where this is leading or what the effects will be on the future of Celiacs in the House. The kids are both leaving home for dorm life at different colleges and that has me stressing in light of my own discoveries this year. I think the self care lesson in all of this is that we need to slow down, be mindful, listen to what our bodies are telling us and  to not let the outside pressures to conform to a certain kind of eating distort our own truths.


This virtual self-care retreat is to inspire you all to make July a month of reflecting on self-care and the many ways to nourish ourselves. We encourage everyone to participate in this event in a way that feels appropriate to them, whether through personal reflection, journal or other self-care.  If you would like to share your experience with self-care, we would love to include you in the experience, whether you join us for one week or every week.  You can write generally about self-care, or focus on one of the themes (movement, food, family/friends/pets, creativity and meditation and mindfulness), or write every week about each of the themes.  We ask that you link back to this post so that more people can learn about this retreat, and leave a comment for the weekly theme host, too!.  If you would like to be included in our  roundup, please email a link to your post, along with your name and blog name, to us at selfcareretreat at gmail dot com by July 30, 2011.  Feel free to use the badge in your posts.  Non-bloggers who would like to contribute,please email the full text to the same address and it will be included in the roundup.

Posted in 30 Days To 50, gluten free weightloss, midlife celiac | 23 Comments

Gluten-Free Menu Plan July 11th

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

I fell off the menu plan last week with the holiday weekend and cooking classes, but I’m back with a menu plan to keep us on track this week. Heather of Celiac Family is hosting with a theme of pineapple. There is almost always pineapple in our house. We love it fresh and frozen in smoothies and I even use my dehydrator to make dried pineapple rings for snacks. I’ve had my eye on a recipe from Kim at Cook it Allergy Free for mini pineapple upside-down cakes.

The menu for this week

  • Grilled BBQ chicken, grilled asparagus, slaw
  • Pizza night
  • Grilled Salmon with veggie stir fry over noodles with San-J Thai peanut sauce
  • Spinach, Feta Turkey burgers with Sea’s Roasted Veggie and Quinoa Salad
  • leftover Quinoa salad, cucumber salad
  • Big salad with leftover salmon
  • Quesadillas with leftover roasted veggies and chicken

Visit Heather for the rest of our weekly gluten-free menu plans and Laura at Organizing Junkie for more great ideas.

Stop by later this week for the Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger roundup. There were 25 adoptions this month. And don’t miss Diane’s contribution for the Lindsay Olive series. Visit The Whole Gang on Tuesday for one of Diane’s original recipes.

 

Posted in gluten free meal plan, gluten free meals, gluten free menu plan, Gluten Free Menu Swap, gluten-free family meals, Menu Plan Monday, quick gluten free meals | 3 Comments

Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger-Real Sustenance

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

One of the best parts of traveling to the Gluten Free Allergen Free Expo this year was being able to meet gluten-free bloggers I have been following. I got to meet Brittany of Real Sustenance at the Expo while she was moderating Carol Fenster’s baking class. Brittany’s fresh approach to gluten-free recipes inspired me to adopt her this month and I had a lot of recipes to consider. She has millet cakes, a gluten-free Chocolate Espresso Angel Food Cake and even a Fig Newton recipe that is on my to try list. I chose her Thai Beef & Broccoli Slaw Spring Rolls because I had the ingredients and they seemed like a quick and satisfying meal for some very hot and busy summer days. These went together fast and they were a nice change from my spring roll recipe with the addition of a few slices of lean steak. I loved using the broccoli slaw because it goes right from the package into the pan and I still get all those veggies.

If you’re looking for a real food approach to gluten-free and dairy-free living, I suggest browsing through Brittany’s Real Sustenance and checking her weekly Seasonal Sunday roundups that use what’s in season for recipes each week–real soon.

Check back in a few days to see the rest of the 25 adoptions in my round up post. The photos arriving in my email inbox have been delicious.

I’m linking up to Linda’s Gluten Free-Wednesdays over at The Gluten-Free Homemaker this week.

Posted in Adopt a GF Blogger | 5 Comments

Gluten-Free Summer Cooking with Lindsay Olives

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

The man of the house has been traveling the last two weeks and I’ve been in charge of the grill. I’m getting better. I don’t turn the fire up and char dinner, but I still could use a little more finesse and patience. I tried a recipe from the Lindsay Olives site for dinner this week and I am proud of my results. The recipe for Barbecued Chicken with Olive Relish was easy to follow and gave grilling times that kept me out of trouble. The barbecue sauce only needed a slight tweak to make it gluten free. Making sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce was all I needed to do and I used San-J Tamari. The recipe calls for optional chipotle chili sauce, but I subbed Sriracha since spicy is not optional in our house and we always have a bottle handy.

The olive relish made with grilled peppers and onions brushed with some of the barbecue sauce was a hit with all of us. This is something I will be making often this summer and not just to top chicken. I used a bit of red, yellow and orange peppers along with a sweet Vidalia onion.

The leftover relish topped burgers for lunch the next day. I grilled burgers and Rudi’s Multigrain gluten-free buns and as we were eating we decided that the relish would be fantastic on pizza too. The olives add a flavor and richness to dishes that make it easy to do without cheese or dairy and still feel satisfied. That’s important to a lot of us with gluten issues limiting or omitting dairy. They also seem to satisfy my cravings for salty, fatty chips. We are big olive fans at our house and I am so pleased that Lindsay has sponsored our gluten-free blogging series. If you haven’t checked out AndreAnna’s original tapenade recipe, head over to Life As a Plate. Look for more Lindsay Olive ideas from Sea at Book of Yum with a Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad featuring kalamata olives, Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang with a Muffaletta Burger, Bernice at Wheatless and Meatless with a tomato and olive salad, Alisa at Alisa Cooks with a fish taco adaptation, and Alta from Tasty Eats at Home over the next month.

I’m linking this post to The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Follow Lindsay Olives on Twitter and Like on Facebook for great olive recipes and ideas. And if you see their new Naturals Green Ripe Olives, you have to try them.

Posted in gluten free meals, gluten free product review, gluten-free family meals, Gluten-Free Recipes | 29 Comments

Ice Pop Joy and Tovolo Star Ice Pop Mold Review

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

How do you sell a cooking class to 60 kids? Shelby and I decided that using fun cookbooks and equipment that incorporated local produce was our best pitch. We tempted the kids to chose our class over the swimming pool with the colorful and kid-friendly book, Ice Pop Joy and some star shaped ice pop molds from Amazon.

The class was filled immediately and we had the church basement kitchen full of kids with cutting boards and fresh fruit the next day. While most chose not to follow the cookbook exactly, they did search through it for ideas and inspiration and the beautiful photography was inspiring. They enthusiastically blended fruit, Greek yogurt and juices to create their own personalized popsicles.

The star shaped molds were a hit with this crowd and made it easy to do individual treats with the separate molds on a stand. Each child used a piece of painters tape to label their popsicle. The next day, the frozen treats were returned to their creators and the real test of the durability ensued.  The popsicles were tugged and pounded onto the counter as the kids tried to remove their treats while impatiently waiting for their turn at the sink to run the molds under warm water.  The water worked to release the ice pops and the molds survived the ordeal intact and ready for another week of cooking class.

I’m linking up to Linda’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays at the Gluten-free Homemaker where we share gluten-free ideas.

 

Posted in cookbook review | 2 Comments

Gluten-Free Menu Swap-Olives

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

This week our gluten-free menu swap features olives. I’ve gone from the kid who would put the holiday olives on all her fingers, but would never eat them, to an olive fan as an adult. I love Greek olives and black olives top pizzas and tacos. Summer pasta or rice salads and Cheryl’s Quinoa Italiana wouldn’t be the same without the olives in the mix. I recently found a new olive to love at a food blogging conference where I was introduced to Lindsay Olives green ripe olives. These are buttery and creamy and not what I was used to in a green olive. I loved them so much that I asked Lindsay if they would be interested in having me and some of my blogging friends introduce their olives to our readers. Starting this week through the end of July, six of my gluten-free blogging buddies and I will feature Lindsay olives in gluten-free recipes. These are sponsored posts that are paid for by Lindsay Olives, but we are all olive fans and we can’t wait to share some fun, summer food just in time for grilling, parties, and picnics. If you’re an olive fan and can’t wait for our weekly posts, visit the Lindsay Olive recipe page for more ideas. If you have a great recipe using olives, there’s still time to enter their recipe contest and win $1000 (deadline is June 30). Follow @lindsayolives on Twitter and on Facebook for great recipes and contests.

My menu this week will feature plenty of olive love:

  • Barbecued Chicken with Olive Relish
  • Grilled Greek Chicken Salad Pizza using Udi’s crusts and leftover chicken and olive relish
  • Salmon baked with San-J Thai Peanut Sauce, brown rice, broccoli
  • Grilled burgers with olives on Rudi’s multigrain hamburger buns, coleslaw, baked beans, fruit salad, pasta salad for the 4th
  • Stir-fried tofu and veggies over Tinkyada brown rice spaghetti and San-J Thai Peanut Sauce
  • Leftovers
  • Fish Tacos

I’m hosting the swap this week. Stop by on Monday afternoon to see what our other menu planners are cooking up this week. Visit Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness for the headquarters of the swap. Laura at Organizing Junkie has her Menu Plan Monday links with hundreds of menu planners and great ideas on menu planning.

Heather of Celiac Family has a lot of olive love going on in her menu this week. There’s pizza, a Greek salad, rice bowls with shredded chicken and avocado salsa, burgers, and a wild rice salad in her plan.

Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness reflects on the loss of a family friend and memories of his garden from her childhood. She serves up  Quinoa with Kalamatas over sauteed mache , Curried Kale and Turkey, Herb Salad with Salmon and cassava crackers in her new home.

Claire from My Gluten Free Home is cooking up lots of summer flavors and stretching chicken with chicken salad sandwiches, a Greek salad, Mrs. Leeper’s Chicken Alfredo, and some hotdogs on the grill this holiday weekend.

Alta from Tasty Eats at Home joins the swap with a gorgeous Summer Squash Chicken Fritatta recipe and a week of salmon, pork chops, meatballs, and chicken– all spiced and grilled and brined. Alta also includes breakfast and lunch menus.  Go see what she is serving this week.

Angela of Angela’s Kitchen is cleaning out her fridge and going camping, so she has olive envy. She will be cooking up some tempting salmon and sweet potato cakes, pulled pork sandwiches on homemade buns, and slow cooker chicken tacos.

Renee of Beyond Rice and Tofu jumps in a little late this week with her menu. After being distracted by her web surfing and recipe reading, she sticks to some old favorites like a pasta salad with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives, a chickpea curry, a deep dish pizza and a Mexican salad.

Find more gluten-free menu plans in my posts from the last two years.

Posted in gluten free meal plan, gluten free meals, gluten free menu plan, Gluten Free Menu Swap, gluten-free family meals, Menu Plan Monday, quick gluten free meals | 15 Comments

I’m Hosting Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger This Month

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

I’m hosting Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger this month. This fun way to get to know other gluten-free bloggers and their recipes was created by my friend Seamaiden of the Book of Yum back in 2008. Zoe of Z’s Cup of Tea just posted last month’s adoption round up and she did a beautiful job. Stop by and see for yourself.

Here’s how you participate.

1) Pick a gluten-free blogger whose recipes you admire and adopt them by commenting on this post with your name, blog name and their name and blog name.

*Blogger’s recipes must all be gluten-free or have a way to sort and read ONLY gluten-free recipes
*Please pick a different blogger every time you participate
*Please pick a blogger that has not been adopted yet this month!

2) Pick one (or two!) of your gluten-free blogger’s recipes to try.

3) Make the recipe, photograph it and write a post in your blog introducing the blogger and their recipe.

*Follow the recipe as written, as closely as possible. And, please don’t print their recipe on your post- just provide your reader a link to their original recipe.
*Provide a link to this event announcement page

4) Email me at wgregorykaho[at]yahoo[dot]com with your photo of the recipe, the URL of your post, name of the recipe and the URL of the original blogger’s recipe post. PLEASE SIZE PHOTO TO BE A MAXIMUM OF 500 pixels wide.

5) Post YOUR POST’s URL in a comment to this post, and if possible please try to visit two other blogger’s posts that are posted here (and comment!).

*The goal is to make this event more interactive and fun!

Deadlines:
Sign up BEFORE June 30(loose deadline; late sign-ups are ok)
Post your Review and Email me by July 10 (firm deadline, no foolin’)

If you don’t have a blog, you are still welcome to adopt a gluten-free blogger. Sign up to adopt a blogger, write a review of one of their recipes, including your name (or pen name), the recipe URL and recipe title. Then take a photo of the completed recipe (if you can) and EMAIL ME the review and photo. I will create a special page just for our non-blogging participants and post it for you.

Take a look at my past adoptions if you are new and want an idea of how we do them.

I’ll start the adoptions by adopting Brittany of Real Sustenance. Now it’s your turn!

  1. Brittany of Real Sustenance(adopted by Wendy of Celiacs in the House)
  2. Iris of The Daily Dietribe (adopted by Heather of Gluten-Free Cat)
  3. AndreAnna of Life As a Plate (adopted by Shirley of Gluten Free Easily)
  4. Kalinda of Wheat Free Meat Free (adopted by Johnna of 52 Sweets)
  5. Alta of Tasty Eats at Home (adopted by Iris of The Daily Dietribe)
  6. Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs (adopted by Alta of Tasty Eats at Home)
  7. Kim of Cook It Allergy Free (adopted by Maggie of She Let Them Eat Cake)
  8. Shirley of Gluten Free Easily(adopted by Tina of Madame Gluten-Free Vegetarian)
  9. Cheryl of Gluten Free Goodness (adopted by Valerie of City|Life|Eats)
  10. Heather of Gluten-Free Cat (adopted by Valerie, too.)
  11. Heidi of Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom (adopted by AndreAnna of Life As a Plate)
  12. Valerie of City|Life|Eats (adopted by Kalinda of Wheat Free Meat Free)
  13. Maggie of She Let Them Eat Cake (adopted by Debi of Hunter’s Lyonesse)
  14. Kelly of The Spunky Coconut (adopted by Consuela of Gluten Free Living L.A.)
  15. Elana of Elana’s Pantry (adopted by Lauren of As Good As Gluten)
  16. Pete of No Gluten No Problem (adopted by Renee of Beyond Rice and Tofu)
  17. Liz of Eat the Cookie (adopted by Nicole of Special Diet Creations)
  18. Lexie of Lexie’s Kitchen (adopted by Cheryl of Gluten Free Goodness)
  19. Bernice of Wheatless and Meatless (adopted by Sea of the Book of Yum)
  20. Angela of Oh She Glows (adopted by Gretchen of the Gluten Free Edge)
  21. Jenn of Jenn Cuisine (adopted by Thomas of the GFCF Experience)
  22. Lenora of Fat and Glamorous in the Kitchen (adopted by Brooke of B and the boy)
  23. Nicole of Gluten Free on a Shoestring (adopted by Sue of GF with Pizzazz)
  24. Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free (adopted by SunnyB of And Love it Too!)
  25. Stephanie of A Year of Slow Cooking (adopted by Sunny of And Love It Too and Shea of Ingredient Challenge Monday)

 

Posted in Adopt a GF Blogger | 45 Comments

A Week of Gluten-Free Meals

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

Last week’s menu didn’t make it on the blog. We pretty much ate leftover party food like stir fries with leftover broccoli, carrots and snap peas from the veggie platter. We grilled more hamburgers and used Udi’s wholegrain hamburger buns and I made Hallie’s Southwest Pasta Salad again. It was so hot that our appetites were depressed, so it was lots of salads with grilled chicken or steak on top or quick panini from leftovers.

The hit of the graduation/birthday party was a Cake Mix Doctor recipe for strawberry cupcakes. Shelby was in the class at the GFAF Expo taught by Anne Byrn and she raved about the cake. We also made a chocolate and vanilla gluten-free Betty Crocker mix, but those cupcakes were not as popular as the strawberry. The addition of fresh strawberries and a little Jello makes a big difference.

Angela is hosting our swap this week with the theme of “Get Your Grill On.” I like it. I’ve inventoried the freezer and the protein this week is what I’ve discovered lurking in the kitchen and the basement freezers. I’m doing a little recipe testing for a friend and those will be dinner too.

  • Tilapia with Coconut Curry
  • Grilled Marinated Chicken Breasts on Salad with red onion, avocado and Hallie’s pasta salad dressing with cilantro
  • Grilled Turkey Sliders on Schar ciabatta with Spicy Slaw, baked beans
  • Secret Salmon recipe test
  • Secret shepherd’s pie recipe with a twist
  • Slow Cooker Simple Thai Beef with rice and broccoli
  • Leftovers

Sour Cream Kale and Onion chips that I read about on City|Life|Eats and Roasted Honey cinnamon Chickpeas are on the snack menu this week along with two test recipes.

Visit Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness for the swap headquarters and Laura at Organizing Junkie for hundreds of weekly menu plans.

Shelby and I will be experimenting with two new books as we plan a month of cooking classes for kids. We’ll be making ice cream with local produce based on a new book by a favorite local ice cream maker and experimenting with ice pops using healthy ingredients. Don’t know if the kids will go for kale in their popsicles, but there are plenty of delicious fruity recipes to try.

 

 

 

Posted in gluten free dinner, gluten free meal plan, gluten free meals, gluten free menu plan, Gluten Free Menu Swap, Menu Plan Monday, quick gluten free meals | 10 Comments

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger-Hallie of Daily Bites

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

Shelby and I met Hallie of Daily Bites when we attended the GFAF Expo outside Chicago. Hallie is the tiniest little thing, but she is just full of creativity and passion in the kitchen. I’ve been testing a few of her recipes over the past month and tried a few from her blog for my adoption post. Somehow she manages to take ingredients that I already have in my pantry and refrigerator, but combine them in new and creative ways. Her use of herbs and spices are perfectly balanced and her recipes please those of us in the house who love spicy, yet don’t overpower the one at the table who breaks out in a sweat over just a little too much spicy heat.

If you read Hallie’s bio, you can see she was raised in a home where good, whole foods were a part of everyday life. That must explain her natural instinct for flavor from whole ingredients and liberal use of herbs and spices. My family just raved over her Southwest Pasta Salad with Black Beans and Avocado. The dressing of cilantro, parsley and garlic whizzed up with oil and vinegar added zing and a garlicky green coat to all the Tinkyada fusili, black beans, corn, and tomatoes. Adding cubes of silky avocado right before serving added a satisfying bite and made it a filling salad. We chose to have just this salad for dinner and skipped the grilled chicken I planned on a day of over 90 degree temps. It was just the right meal.

We also tried Hallie’s Grilled Fish and Baby Green Salad. Of course we ate it and then I remembered I needed a photo, so you’ll just have to look at her shot and believe me when I say that the Orange Sesame Dressing she created is another example of her intuitive sense of combining ingredients I always have on hand in a light and refreshing way that brings out the flavors of the rest of the ingredients, rather than overpowering them. This was another great dinner for this very hot summer.

So if your gluten-free diet is having a case of the summer doldrums and it’s only June, visit Hallie for some delicious ideas to cool off your summer dinner like her recent Citrus Salmon & Red Cabbage Salad, Chilled Peanut Noodles, or Soft Corn Tacos with Greens, Salmon and Pumpkin Seed Pesto.

Visit Z’s Cup of Tea where Zoe will be doing a round-up of all the gluten-free adoptions soon.

Posted in Adopt a GF Blogger, Adopt a GF Blogger gluten-free recipes, gluten free dinner, gluten-free family meals, Gluten-Free Recipes | Tagged | 8 Comments

Gluten-Free Menu Swap/Menu Plan Monday What’s in season?

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

I’m hosting the Gluten-Free Menu swap with a theme of menu planning with what’s in season at the farmers market. Here in Central Ohio this week looks like lots of greens with kale, spinach, baby lettuces and radishes. Strawberries are here and one box is for fresh, sliced berries and one for making Elana’s strawberry cupcakes. There’ll be green smoothies with the kale and spinach for breakfast. The young kale has been so tender, mild and sweet and perfect for combining with fruit for smoothies or for lunch salads.

  • Grilled Fish with Baby Greens Salad for my Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger post of Hallie at Daily bites.
  • Southwest Pasta Salad with Black Beans & Avocado also from Hallie
  • Spinach, Onion, Mushroom Frittata with Baby Greens and Radish Salad
  • Pesto Turkey MeatLoaf with chunks of partially frozen pesto cubes in my regular meatloaf recipe along with baked sweet potatoes and sauteed green garlic and kale
  • Make your own panini night and clean out the refrigerator while you’re at it. See my gluten-free panini post.
  • Grilling burgers with lots of toppings, gluten-free cupcakes, fruit platter, chips and guacamole and salsa, and pasta salad for the graduation/birthday party this weekend.
  • Party leftovers

Cheryl announced that her video project is completed and ready to view. I got to see some of the videos while she was working on them and they are a great resource on gluten-free living and celiac disease. It’s also moving week for Cheryl and she is making gluten-free meals with only a stovetop this week while they wait to move into their new home. She has salmon, Sniffle Stew and chicken in coconut sauce to ease the transition. Garlic and kale will be the last farewell from her old garden.

Over at My Gluten Free Home, Claire is serving up Grilled Chicken Fajitas with sweet Texas onions she got on a trip to the farmers market. I’m so pleased that Claire is joining us and that my theme inspired her to go see what was in season. She’ll be grilling stuffed portabellas and BBQ chicken this week too.

The menu plan features lots of cold salads at Celiac Family. Heather has her usual tasty photo menu with Wild Rice Salad, Seven Layer Salad, and Berry Fruit Salad. Rounding out the menus are pupusas, grilled chicken and beef kabobs.

Angela is excited about our theme of seasonal produce and her menu is full of them. She has links to her great recipes like Napa Cabbage Slaw, Kale-idoscope Potato Salad, and fish tacos at Angela’s Kitchen.

Renee from Beyond Rice and Tofu is back to sharing her menu plans with Moroccan Chickpea Salad, Pasta with White Beans and Kale, and Grilled Tofu with Vegetables.

Alta from Tasty Eats at Home shares a variation on a Shepherd’s Pie that has me planning one when the weather cools down. She also shares a Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomato casserole and a quinoa pizza. Alta has all the meals for the week including breakfast and lunch.

Heidi has menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner over at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom and big plans for her garden.

Visit Cheryl for the headquarters of our weekly swap and Laura of Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday with hundreds of menu plans.

What’s in season in your part of the world?

Posted in gluten free dinner, gluten free meal plan, gluten free meals, Gluten Free Menu Swap, Menu Plan Monday | 14 Comments

50 Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam Review

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

Elana Amsterdam’s The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook is one of my favorites. From her Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies to her Thai Fish Cakes to her Cheddar Cheese Crackers and her pie crust, featuring almond flour, all have been easy to make and satisfying to eat. It is one of the most used cookbooks on my shelf. When I heard she was releasing Gluten-Free Cupcakes I pre-ordered a copy immediately. Lucky me, I met Elana, and her publisher offered up a review copy so I could test some of the 50 recipes in this beautiful little book. I have to say that I love the format of both her books. Small, filled with beautiful photography and all the recipes appeal to me. Both are under $10 on Amazon right now, which is an incredible value for cookbooks with easy, nutrition-packed and delicious recipes.

I was especially pleased to see a whole chapter devoted to savory treats. There are six savory muffins included and I tried two. The Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins were a surprising hit with my college-aged kids for breakfast. While I have been baking with almond flour since Elana’s first book came out, these muffins would be hard for a gluten-eater to identify as not only gluten free, but grain free. They were moist and tender with the flavor of green onions throughout and then the creamy goat cheese topping made them a filling breakfast treat. Elana’s Spinach Feta Muffins would make the perfect party fare when made in mini muffin pans. Hot from the oven, these would make elegant appetizers, but also would be a nice accompaniment with soup or salad meals or for breakfast and brunch menus.

The strawberry cupcakes were surprising. I don’t think I’ve ever baked with strawberries. These cupcakes are just bursting with strawberry flavor and are moist and naturally sweet. We tried some for dessert with the frosting and ate the rest for breakfast without. I think that is one of the things I liked best about this cookbook. The cupcakes are just as good plain as they are dressed up for a party or celebration. The flexibility of being able to whip up a quick casual dessert from Elana’s recipes, paired with frosting options to take the cupcakes to an event make being gluten free easy.

When Elana described her Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes as rich, dense to enjoy with a ‘nice strong cup of coffee,’ I knew I had to try them. These are dark and not too sweet and were the perfect grownup treat with coffee. I used Bob’s Red Mill hazelnut meal instead of grinding hazelnuts and it worked. Sometimes you have to use what you have and Bob’s had just kindly sent me some gluten-free flours.

Elana has generously shared the recipe for the Strawberry Cupcakes on her blog, Elana’s Pantry. Some of my blogging friends have reviewed Gluten-Free Cupcakes and the publisher has given permission for them to share recipes. Heidi from Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom made Elana’s Lime Cupcakes. Shirley from Gluten Free Easily shares Elana’s Marble Cupcakes. Visit them and see what they have to say about this delightful new gluten-free cookbook.

I’m sharing this review as part of the Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays. Visit Linda for gluten-free recipes, reviews, and ideas each Wednesday.

Posted in cookbook review, gluten free baking, Gluten Free Blogs | 6 Comments

Gluten-Free Panini Press

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

With our tiny kitchen, the countertops and cupboards are valuable real estate. When I lugged home a new Calphalon Panini Press from Eat Write Retreat, the man of the house wanted to know where I was going to put it. Would it end up in the basement where the rarely used appliances and specialized bakeware are hidden?

The first day I knew where this new appliance would be living. Right on the the countertop is where it’s been since day one and used once or even twice a day. I recommended using cool gadgets and appliances in my post for Diane’s 30 Days of Easy Gluten-Free Living on Fast Food for Gluten-Free Teens, but I didn’t realize that my 20-year-old and 17-year-old would fall so hard for a panini press. And I couldn’t have imagined what would get panini-ed. Continue reading →

Posted in gluten free breakfast, Gluten Free Teen, quick gluten free meals | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Gluten-Free in Washington DC

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Wendy Gregory Kaho

I was watching an old episode of Chopped a while back and saw something that reminded me of my feelings about gluten. One of the competing chefs cut up a raw chicken on her cutting board, cooked the chicken and returned it to the same cutting board. Watching the faces of the judges when this beautifully prepared dish was set before them was the same one I make and I see other celiacs or the gluten intolerant make when confronted with possible gluten-contamination.

So just imagine someone in food service saying to you, “I don’t think it has salmonella in it.” Or how about, “I think that is the salmonella-free dish.” Does that inspire confidence in you? Would you eat something served with those words? How about if a cooking school told you they didn’t realize that salmonella could hide in the cuts in the classroom cutting boards and contaminate the food you will be using to prepare a dish? Or what if a server tells you that they will just remove the salmonella tainted food from your plate so you can eat what’s left? When you change the word gluten for the word salmonella, I think anyone can understand why the gluten free get that queasy, uncomfortable look when they are confronted by maybes and not a definitive “Yes, that is safe.” I pretty much spent the weekend in a cloud of maybes when I expected yeses. Continue reading →

Posted in activism, Food Blogging Conferences, Gluten Free dining, gluten free travel | 16 Comments