Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Chicken Spaghetti

I am fully aware that these photos suck. They look like messy chicken slop. But let me tell you, this is DELICIOUS messy chicken slop. AKA Chicken Spaghetti.


As with most of my chicken recipes, this involves leftovers. Yeah!
I looked up Chicken spaghetti recipes online, and most included Velveeta and Cream of Mushroom Soup. Ugck. No thanks. Here's one without all that gluteny plasticy mess.

Chicken Spaghetti

leftover chicken, chopped
1 block of cream cheese, softened
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. milk
onion, chopped
sweet red peppers, chopped
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
fresh parsley, to garnish
Cooked GF spaghetti noodles

Get the water boiling for the noodles.

In the Kitchen Aid mixer, mix the cream cheese, milk, and cheddar cheese until blended.

Heat the onion and peppers in a pot with some olive oil until softened. Add in the chicken and let it warm up.

Stir the cream cheese mixture into the pot, and heat through. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Mix in the cooked noodles.

Enjoy your chicken slop! Err, chicken spaghetti.


Now, Hubs commented that his grandma would transfer chicken spaghetti to a baking dish and broil with some extra cheese and breadcrumbs on top. I honestly thought about it, but I wasn't interested in dirtying up another dish. I you want to, go for it.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Menu

Here you go Ash!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

This week's menu


Welcome, November. A lot is going on this month. Birthdays, anniversary, Thanksgiving... it's going to be madness. There's also no meat in the house so until I go shopping, it's freezer meals and using up random things I've found in the pantry!

This week, we're eating:

Monday- leftover buffalo chicken pasta (frozen) + peas
Tuesday- Spring rolls
Wednesday- Pizza + broccoli
Thursday- Crock pot beef (frozen) + mashed potatoes
Friday- Baked fish + (frozen) mushroom rice

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Inspired by Betty Crocker's GF Buffalo Chicken Casserole.


Disclaimer: I realize the last several posts have featured chicken. We eat more than chicken around here. I swear.

Now, I am a huge fan of chips and brownies and wine for dinner, but I couldn't bring myself to serve what is basically a party dip with chips crumbled on top as a nutritious wholesome meal.

So, I tweaked it a bit. It turned out like a glorified mac n cheese. Which totally counts as nutritious.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Boil some gluten-free penne pasta.
Cook 2 chicken breasts (or thighs, or whatevs). I boiled mine.

While the chicken is cooking, place in the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer: (OMG I LOVE THIS THING):

1/2 c. pain greek yogurt
1/2 block of gluten-free cream cheese, cut into chunks
1/2 cup gluten-free hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

These ingredients should come to room temperature while the chicken and noodles cook.

Add the hot cooked chicken and mix on the lowest setting to combine.
Stir in the noodles.

Holy moly it's good. Like go back and pick at the leftovers a couple of times before you put it away good.

Serve with broccoli. For your conscience's sake.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

This week's menu


Monday- Big salads
Tuesday- Pineapple pepper chicken
Wednesday- Quesadillas (with Calvin!)
Thursday- Buffalo chicken pasta
Friday- Fish and glazed carrots

At some point this week I want to put out Halloween decorations and carve a pumpkin.

Have a good week, y'all.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

This week's menu

Here is what we're eating this week:

gluten free menu

Monday- Grilled sausage + zucchini salad
Tuesday- Veggie pizza
Wednesday- Turkey tacos
Thursday- Crock pot beef + rice
Friday- Baked fish + broccoli

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

This week's menu

Sometimes, try as you might, you can't get the menu to move.

I've made the same version of this menu for weeks now, things moving on to the next week for several weeks in a row. As always, not really sure how that happens.


So, here's what we've eaten over the last 3 weeks, in no particular order!

Beef Stew + cornbread
Spaghetti + salad
Paninis + glazed carrots
Baked chicken + roasted potatoes
Shrimp + edamame stir fry
Burgers + beans
Chicken Salad
Vegetable soup + cornbread
Pizza + salads
Chicken nuggets + cheesy zucchini rice
Grilled steaks + broccoli

Bon Apetit.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Clever leftovers: Chicken Salad

We always have a lot of leftover chicken around here. I simply can't seem to cook a normal amount of chicken. It's always got to be a ton. It's kind of like spaghetti.

Which is why I have another edition of Clever Leftovers, Featuring: Chicken!


This particular leftover chicken was some chicken breasts + rosemary + garlic in a crock pot with a bit of water. Served with carrots and potatoes for dinner yesterday.

The cold leftover chicken (and a few of the carrots) got tossed into a bowl, with:
  • 1/2 sad zucchini, shredded
  • pickle relish
  • halved cherry tomatoes
  • mayo
  • salt and pepper
  • celery
Stir together and serve. My original plan was to serve with lettuce inception-style (chicken salad salad), but the lettuce I bought Saturday was already slimy by today. The never-ending frustration with fresh produce. Sometimes salad greens last for weeks, sometimes they last for 3 days.

So, I ate it with some GF organic Tostito's scoops. In fact, we're going to a BYOSnack neighborhood night out party this weekend and I think I'm going to bring [a fresh batch of] chicken salad scooped into those. Fancy.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Pumpkin Chili

Or, more accurate, make regular old chili but hide the leftover pumpkin puree in it. Because Suzy  even suggested it and I was already thinking about it which means it's fate.

Make it even better- take this opportunity to use up old sad veggies! Which is why I added zucchini. Poor, sad zucchini. Squash on squash.

The chili doesn't taste like pumpkin. It's possibly a smidge sweet, but not noticeably so. Pumpkin gives it a nice texture and an extra layer of flavor in the background. I would not hesitate to hide leftover pumpkin in chili again. It just works.


I didn't tell hubs the secret ingredient until we were done eating dinner and he cleaned his bowl. Without any encouragement, I might add.

Muahahaha he is an unwilling participant in the pumpkin trend that I demand he partake in every fall. When you're the cook, you get to make demands like that.

Chili (+ pumpkin)

Brown some ground beef in a pot. Add in some chopped onion and celery and cook until soft.

Stir in 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of kidney beans, chopped zucchini. Do not drain the tomatoes or beans; dump in the whole can, juice and all.

Stir in leftover pumpkin puree.

Stir in seasonings:
2 T. chili powder
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder


If it's thick, stir in a little water. I like my chili on the thick side so I don't add much water.

Simmer until everything is heated through and the veggies are tender. Serve with cornbread.

Enjoy the pumpkin season!


Psssstttt: More Pumpkin.
.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

This week's menu

I opened the door this morning and was greeted by sweet, fresh, cool air. Not exactly the cold bite I usually start waiting for this time of year, but refreshing anyway. It's okay to turn the oven on again. (Which means granola is in the oven right now)

gluten free weekly menu


Here's the menu for this week:

Monday- Spinach artichoke chicken with brown rice
Tuesday- Pork chops with glazed carrots
Wednesday- Pizza
Thursday- Grilled steaks with smashed potatoes and broccoli
Friday- Black bean and quinoa chili

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust

Pretty much any chicken leftovers get turned into Chicken Tortilla Soup or Chicken Pot Pie. Lately, I've been partial to Chicken Pot Pie.

I've posted before about Chicken Pot Pie, but using the ready-made Pillsbury GF Pie Crust. Honestly, I usually make it with a biscuit crust. Much tastier, less greasy, without an aftertaste. I've made it in a pie tin, cupcake-size, and-between with fantastic results. It even freezes well, if there are any leftovers.

So here you go.
Make a batch of biscuits. Split it in half. Press the first half into the pie pan.


Fill with leftover chicken + vegetables.


Press the second half of biscuit dough into flat pieces and place on top.


Bake at 450 until the middle starts to bubble. Eat dinner.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

This week's menu


Things have been weird for us lately. I'm waiting on a response that could seriously change my daily life. School has started for Chris, and he's settling into that groove. The weather is ever-so-slightly tilting away from sweltering and towards pumpkin spice, but it's still hanging onto the humidity for dear life.

I wake up every day determined to make a change for the better, with all its intimidations and anxieties. Makes for some longg days, as there's only so much you can do while waiting for someone else to help make that decision.

Food wise:
There's still a ton of food in the freezer, so this week I'll be creatively trying to use it all.
Leftover chicken goes into a pot pie
Leftover beans go into quesadillas
Leftover soup (that I initially forgot to season) will either be chili-like or tortilla-soup-like, depending on which way I season. Horray for scrap meals!


Monday- We'll probably be eating the food mom sent us home with yesterday. Burgers and beans and, if anyone needs me, I'll be hoarding the potato salad all to myself.
Tuesday- Chicken Pot Pies
Wednesday- Pinto bean quesadillas
Thursday- Black bean and quinoa chili leftovers
Friday- Shrimp and grits

Monday, August 31, 2015

Clever leftovers: Chicken Spaghetti

Remember how I said the Chicken Stuffed Chiles made a TON of extra filling? Well. Into the freezer it went, and today it got new life as chicken spaghetti.

A super quick dinner that even got compliments from hubs. I get the most compliments from him on my leftover-type scrap meals. Go figure!


All I did was defrost some of the creamy chicken and combine it with GF noodles (oops I was out of spaghetti noodles so penne went into the pot!) and an extra chunk of cream cheese. And peas, because I can't help myself. Peas and pasta belong together.

And yes, it is now acceptable to boil water on the stovetop because the temperatures have dipped below 100 degrees.

Chicken Spaghetti

Combine:
-Leftovers from Chicken Stuffed Chiles
-boiled GF noodles
-An extra chunk of cream cheese
-Extra shredded cheddar cheese, because I think it needed it
-Ooh, maybe a shake of chili flakes for a kick.


Serve with leftover shredded lettuce and tomatoes from the nacho bar you had over the weekend and call it a salad. Yay for no waste!

Sunday, August 30, 2015

This week's menu

There is a ton of food in our fridge and freezer, because hubs randomly decided to smoke a brisket, woo!
Which means the only thing we need to get at the store this week is milk and OJ. I get to be creative with leftovers, and I'm pleased I get to skip a weekly shopping trip because it was hard to get out of bed today.

Here it is:


Monday- Chicken spaghetti + salads
Tuesday- BBQ Sandwiches + beans
Wednesday- Quesadillas
Thursday- Shrimp + grits
Friday- Leftovers, I'm working really late. Boo.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Chicken stuffed chiles

Dude, I made a really tasty dinner tonight.

Originally inspired by (I hate to admit) Rachael Ray's Cheesy Chicken and Corn Stuffed Chiles recipe. Somehow I ended up subscribed to her magazine. Still can barely tolerate her, but there's usually a couple of neat recipes. I switched up a few things and converted this meal halfway* to crock pot heaven.

Hatch chiles are a big thing in grocery stores right now. Seriously, every store flyer for the past couple of weeks has had some kind of hatch chile theme. There was a giant bin right when I walked in the store, so obviously I used those.

The best news is, the crock pot recipe made WAY more chicken filling than needed, so I can easily use the rest in enchiladas, soup, tacos, etc. I will probably end up freezing some as well.

gluten free crock pot chicken stuffed chiles

Crock Pot Chicken Stuffed Chiles

Place in the crock pot:
3 chicken breasts, sprinkled with paprika, cumin, and pepper
1 c. salsa
1/2 block cream cheese

Cook until the chicken starts to fall apart, or until you come home from work. If necessary, shred the chicken and place back in the crock pot. Stir in 1 c. frozen corn.

Cut chiles in half and remove seeds. Fill with cheesy chicken mixture and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes, just until everything is heated through and the cheese on top has started to bubble.

Serve with rice.

gluten free crock pot chicken stuffed chiles

*Full crock-pot version:
Chop the chiles and put everything in the crock pot at once. Serve over rice. I think the flavors would have a chance to mingle and this method would actually improve the recipe.

Ideas for leftover chicken:
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Spaghetti

Saturday, August 22, 2015

This week's menu

This week school starts. Which doesn't really affect me except for my daily commute extends by 30 minutes each way. Bummer-iffic. What can you do? Carry on. And try a few new recipes. In the crock pot.

gluten free weekly menu

Monday- Chicken (crock pot) and corn stuffed chiles
Tuesday- Glazed pork chops (crock pot) and sauteed sweet potato
Wednesday- Burgers + coleslaw
Thursday- Black bean and quinoa chili (crock pot)
Friday- Fish tacos. They're so good we're eating them 3 weeks in a row.

Have a good week, loves.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

GF Honey Nut Cheerios

Hello, old friend. It's been roughly 8 years.
I may have squealed in Target.


The best part? They're the SAME price as the regular kind! Thanks for not jacking up the price, guys. ♡

Monday, August 17, 2015

Crock pot bbq chicken

It's hot. It's still hot. It's going to be hot for a while longer.

When it's 100+ degrees outside, the A/C can only do so much. Cooking has become an event that literally has me sweating in the kitchen. I just can't do it.

Oven? Forget about it. Stovetop? Maybe. Toaster oven? For something quick. Microwave? Yes. Grill? Yes, but it's still hot out there and hubs has started boycotting as well. Crock pot? If you simply must eat something hot, okay. Sandwiches? Now we're talking! ...which is why I made sandwiches for dinner three times last week.

However sandwiches get old after a while and it's time for something with a little more dinner-feel.

gluten free crock pot bbq chicken

Enter crock pot BBQ Chicken. It's stupid-easy.

Step 1. Put chicken in the crock pot.
Step 2. Pour BBQ sauce over it.
Step 3. Cook on low until you get home from work.

Serve with coleslaw, salad, spiralized zucchini, or something you don't have to heat up the kitchen for. Because did I mention it's hot?

P.S. These leftovers make great chicken sandwiches. And they're good straight out of the fridge cold. Kuz it's hot outside.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

This week's menu


Ok folks. Here's the week's menu. Let's hope it gets used unlike last week where I scrounged up whatever I could that didn't heat up the house.

Yes, I know I have pizza on the menu. I'm craving it, I've got a forgotten block of mozarella cheese in the fridge to use up, and I think I can handle the trusty toaster oven heating up for 20 minutes. I think.

Monday- Crock pot bbq chicken
Tuesday- Pizza
Wednesday- Tuna salad sandwiches
Thursday- Grilled pork loin with sweet potatoes
Friday- Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

Last week's menu:

gluten free menu

was pretty much a funny joke. It was too hot and I was kinda sick so I had sandwiches and randomly scrounged freezer food. Except Thursday. Thursday I made fish tacos and they were DELICIOUS.

I got the craving from a magazine cover I saw in the drugstore. They looked so fresh, and I happened to have fish in the freezer and the last 2 corn tortillas in the fridge. I improvised the rest.

gluten free fish tacos
My punchy orange garage sale 25 cent placemats match the carrot :o)

Fish Tacos

Heat up a pan on the stove (I know, it's too hot to cook. but it's only on for a short while.)

Place a thawed tilapia filet in the pan and sprinkle with cajun seasoning. We like Tony Chacheres. Keep in mind that if you use a cajun seasoned salt, it's SALT and you can't overdo it. You're supposed to use it in place of salt, and use as much as you'd normally use if you were using salt. Some people can't get this through their heads and end up over-seasoning. Moving on.

Cook on each side for a few minutes until the fish is cooked. It will be white and flake in the thickest part when it's done. While it's cooking, shred some lettuce and carrot. Taditionally shredded cabbage is used but like I said, I improvised. Lettuce and carrot provided the necessary crunch and a pop of color.

Spread a little greek yogurt or sour cream on the corn tortilla, and top with the fish and greens. Nom away.

gluten free fish tacos

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Kabobs

What? You have a bunch of sad veggies in the fridge?
Never fear, kabobs are here!



Ok I'm done being a dork about kabobs.
Kabobs are easy. They're like summer on a stick. Plus they don't heat up your kitchen when it's already 100 degrees outside. Plus it's super easy to use up all your sad veggies.

Kabobs

1. Cube your steak or chicken. Marinade in something you looked up online.
2. Soak kabob sticks in water.
3. Cut up all your sad misfit veggies. Ours included mushrooms, peppers, onions, and zucchini.
4. Spear the meat and veggies in artful succession.
5. Grill and drink wine until the meat is done.

P.S. Fellow GF blogger made kabobs this week, too, and she included PINEAPPLE. Yum.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

This week's menu

Welcome to another week of me refusing to turn on the stove or the oven.

Last night we got takeaway from the nice italian restaurant down the block that makes a bomb GF chicken alfredo. Worth every penny.

gluten free menu

Monday- Beef kabobs with baked sweet potatoes
Tuesday- Crock pot BBQ chicken with salads
Wednesday- Freezer cleanout! Choices include chicken soup, tortilla soup, honey sesame pork, and chicken spaghetti that the sweet neighbor brought over when Chris broke his wrist. It's full of gluten, so none for me!
Thursday- Leftovers
Friday- Grilled Fish and probably lots of wine.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

chicken soup for when your tummy is crummy

Let's say you eat a taco from a place you've eaten before with no problem. You get it on a corn tortilla and even while you're chowing down you notice it's not sitting quite right in your stomach. Then the thought crosses your mind that it's probably not 100% free from cross-contamination but you take the chance because you're hungry and you've already eaten half of it.

Most of the time that situation happens without any consequences. The discomfort passes without incident and you chalk it up to hunger or a miniscule amount of gluten.

Then there are those times that you regret it and you can't believe how stupid you are for taking that chance. You could have stopped eating when you noticed the discomfort. You could have avoided the situation altogether by not ordering gluten-questionable food. You could have reminded yourself that hunger is much more preferable to being glutened.

Yesterday was one of those times. One of those times that I'm thankful for zofran and pepto bismol and heating pads and understanding husbands.

After a glutening, even one followed by drugs and tons of water, sometimes it takes a few days for things to get back to normal. Even simple things like cereal are hard to digest.

Which is why today I made a simple chicken soup. Chicken soup is inherently comforting. It's easy on the tummy but substantial enough to call it a meal and keep you going.

My mother in law made a big pot of this soup when my husband broke his wrist. I loved it and was surprised at how ridiculously easy it was.


"I got glutened" Chicken Soup

In a big pot, combine:

chopped carrots
chopped celery
chopped onion
chicken breasts or thighs

Add enough water to cover the contents.
Bring to a boil and then simmer until the chicken is cooked. I let mine go for about an hour.
Remove and shred the chicken, then add it back in.
If you'd like, add rice and simmer until it's cooked. If you'd like a brothier soup, stir in more water. It's a very forgiving recipe.
Add salt to taste.

Start by eating just the broth, then add in chicken and vegetables when you can handle it. Then remind yourself that taking a chance with gluten is never worth it.

This week it's hot and here's the menu

Did I mention it's hot?

I've been avoiding cooking on the stovetop and I sure as hell have vetoed turning on the oven. I wish I could say we've been eating more salads and vegetables, but... meh.

To avoid heating up the house in the evening, we've been eating out, cooking simple, quick meals that require the least stove time, breaking out the crock pot, and grilling. I might figure out a way to cook quesadillas on the grill. I'm thinking in the cast-iron pan.


Monday- Black bean and zucchini quesadillas
Tuesday- Grilled burgers with beans
Wednesday- Grilled sausage with veggie mac & cheese
Thursday- Grilled kabobs with baked sweet potatoes
Friday- Grilled fish

Sunday, July 19, 2015

This week's menu

It's hot. My sweet little toaster oven is getting some lovin' lately, for last week's pot pies and enchiladas, and this week because hubs insisted on requesting baked chicken with broccoli for dinner. Not grilled, even though I got him a super cool meat-brander this weekend. He is less interested in branding meat and more interested in pretending to brand my boobs. Which I predicted.

Still cramming the last of the kale into everything I can. I even made kale artichoke dip. I am determined.


Monday- Paninis- maybe I can get Chris to grill these ;o)
Tuesday- Grilled sausage with veggie mac and cheese
Wednesday- Honey sesame pork
Thursday- Baked chicken with rice and broccoli
Friday- Grilled fish

Sunday, July 12, 2015

This week's menu

This week's theme: KALE. I bought a giant bag last week for 2 bucks and I've eaten kale all week, even given some away, and barely put a dent in it. So kale is going into everything this week.

Anyone want some kale?


Monday- Vegetable Soup (with kale, sweet potato, maybe quinoa)
Tuesday- Chicken pot pies
Wednesday- Grilled sausage with veggie mac and cheese
Thursday- Creamy chicken enchiladas
Friday- Grilled fish (or shrimp kabobs if I can find some for a good price)

Friday, July 10, 2015

Carrots

The carrot. A simple, cheap, often overlooked vegetable.

gluten free carrots

Sometimes I get fancy and cut them at an angle, and sometimes I sweeten them with a bit of brown sugar. Honestly I rarely add sugar, but sometimes they taste better with a bit of glaze, especially when paired with a really salty dish or one with contrasting flavors.

Glazed Carrots

Combine in a saucepan:

3 carrots, peeled* and sliced
1/2 c. water
dash of salt
1/2 T. brown sugar (optional)

gluten free carrots

Bring to a boil and cover, simmering, until they are tender. The time varies. I do this last while preparing dinner, and I let it go for as long as it takes for the rest of dinner to cook. Sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 20. It's all good and a very forgiving recipe.

*I am generally not the type of gal who peels her carrots, but in this case if you don't peel them, the skins get all tough and brown and yucky. Peel the carrots.

gluten free carrots

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Turkey Meatballs

... or meatloaf, or burger patties. I've made this recipe all different ways, following the same recipe but cooking it differently to fit my needs. These were supposed to be mini meatloafs today, but it was too darn hot to crank up the oven. Stovetop meatballs it is!

I love adding shredded veggies to these. Any way I can sneak in extra vegetables is an automatic win in my book.


Turkey Meatballs [or Meatloaf or Burgers]

1 pound ground turkey
2 eggs
2 handfuls of GF chex cereal, crushed.
1 shredded carrot or zucchini
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. GF BBQ sauce (I'm obsessed with Sweet Baby Ray's)

Mix all of the above in a bowl with your hands. Yes, your hands. Get in there and smoosh it up.

Form into patties, meatballs, or place into greased muffin tins for mini meatloaf.

Cook in a pan over medium meat or place in an oven at 350 until a meat thermometer comes out reading 170. I always use a meat thermometer with these because I haven't developed the eye for telling when ground turkey is done.

Top with extra bbq sauce because like I said, I'm obsessed.


This week's menu

Firmly into summer, are you surprised to see bbq and salads? Frankly, the only reason we're not doing it more is because of my wonky work schedule. When I'm done with night shifts, (I think next week should be the end) I'm going to be relying heavily on the grill to avoid heating up the house with the darn oven. Good thing I've got a trusty little toaster oven that can get most jobs done just fine.


Monday- Grilled deer sausage, beans, broccoli (per hubs request)
Tuesday- Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Wednesday- Artichoke and Chickpea Salads
Thursday- Chris has dinner with family but I'm working late, so leftovers!
Friday- Fish baked with olives and lemon with glazed carrots

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Patriotic dipped strawberries

July 4th is not complete without patriotic food. America likes to celebrate with food and explosives. No surprise there.

This year is no exception. I've seen this idea for Red White and Blue Strawberries on Pinterest before, and it's really easy. The hardest part is the prep. If everything is prepped right, the process goes pretty smooth.


Patriotic Dipped Strawberries

Step 1: Wash the strawberries and lay them out to dry.

Step 2: Create an assembly line:
-Put a pot of water on the stove to simmer and place a bowl over it. Add in white chocolate chips so they melt while you prepare the other equipment. (Double-check to make sure the GF status. Some may be manufactured on shared gluteny lines.)
-Prepare a cutting board or other portable flat surface by placing a sheet of waxed paper on it.
-Fill a bowl with blue sugar. Make your own by adding blue food coloring to sugar and shaking in a jar or plastic bag.

Step 3: Dip. Dip.
-Dip the dried strawberries into the chocolate. If they're a little damp, dry with a paper towel before dipping or the chocolate won't stick. Leave a little red showing at the top.
-Dip the end of the strawberry into the sugar to make a blue "stripe."
-Lay on the waxed paper to set.
-Repeat.

Step 4: Place the cutting board/wax paper in the refrigerator to let the chocolate harden, and serve!


Step 5: Optional- Take advantage of the fact that you have melted chocolate and dip anything else you can find. Other fruit, GF pretzels, etc.  No sense in wasting it!

While you celebrate today, eating your patriotic strawberries and trying not to get sunburned, remember, always:


Saturday, June 27, 2015

This week's menu

More night shift days this week, although not quite as late. Good thing, too, because I'm not used to that. Makes planning dinner really hard, and last week we had to forego a few meals in favor of sandwiches [and a rotisserie chicken with instant mashed potatoes] because I ran out of time. What-- I put avocado on the sandwiches so they're gourmet. Lunchmeat saves the day a lot around here. The rotisserie chicken was just a genius random idea.

This week focuses on meals that are a little more leftover-friendly, because I learned that reheated shrimp stir fry is a little funky. Ya herrd?


Monday- Meatball Stroganoff with peas
Tuesday- Crock pot BBQ chicken with zucchini salad
Wednesday- Vegetable quinoa soup
Thursday- Turkey meatloaf with cheesy zucchini rice
Friday- Fish baked with olives and lemon with glazed carrots


Also it's so hot lately that I don't want to cook or eat much, so honestly I've been happy some nights with a popsicle or some watermelon. Watermelon is surprisingly filling. For like an hour.
Here's to enjoying this hot, muggy summer weekend. My neighbor gave me some aloe vera babies that I'm hoping to plant them in a place where they'll thrive. I think I already killed the Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow she gave me. Bummer.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Sloppy Joes

The thing about sloppy joes is that they're super easy and are a great way to use up ground beef, even leftover ground beef or burgers. I grew up eating Mamwich out of a can that my mom would doctor up with a few extras. These taste a lot like I remember. Nostalgia plays a big factor in these!

Sweet and tangy and meaty and on a sandwich. What more could you want?

Sloppy Joes
1 pound ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. water
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 tsp mustard
1/2 c. bbq sauce
1/4 c pickle relish

Cook the beef and onions in a large saucepan over medium heat until the meat is cooked and no longer pink. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer until the consistency is still sloppy but not soupy.

 Serve on GF bread (I like Udi's) or buns with sliced pickles. Cheese is optional, and this is one of the rare occasions that I choose not to add it.