Ginger cookies

It's Christmas Eve and I'm out of cookies!

That's okay. I made some more. Ginger cookies this time. No molasses, here. Just a bright, spicy ginger flavor.

I had made the dough and was rolling it up into balls when I noticed the egg still sitting on the counter. I had forgotten to add it in! They were a smidge dry, but
they are still delicious. I would probably make them without an egg again, maybe decreasing the flour to 3/4 c.

Ginger cookies

2 T. shortening
2 T. Vegan I can't believe it's not butter
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
fresh grated ginger, I didn't measure
1 egg
1 c. GF flour mix
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. baking soda
1/8 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

For the outside of the cookies, mix in a small bowl:
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. ground ginger
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a hand mixer, mix the shortening, "butter," fresh grated ginger, and sugar. Beat in the egg.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Dump the dry ingredients into the sugar/butter/ginger mixture, and mix well.

Form balls of dough and flatten them down a little bit. Dip each side into the sugar/ginger/cinnamon mixture, and place them on a greased baking sheet. These cookies do not spread at all. They will pretty much come out exactly how they were placed on the sheet.

Bake them for 12-15 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and the tops are set.

Makes 8 cookies.

Kale quinoa salad

This year, for my man's family Christmas, in an effort to decrease the stress, he catered BBQ. Yes, the BBQ place has a gluten free menu, and I've eaten there before with no problems, but I also wanted something absolutely safe to eat.

There were quite a few vegetarians and vegans in attendance, so I wanted to at least bring a side that would meet their needs. Us folks with dietary restrictions gotta stick together! We joked that amongst the meat and potatoes and beans, it was the only green thing on the table. I think it was very pretty!

Kale and Quinoa salad

You can really toss in any veggies that are in the fridge. I used:

chopped kale
chopped fresh cranberries
chopped purple cabbage
1 can of black beans, rinsed
sliced almonds
cooked quinoa, cooled
salt + pepper
olive oil
juice from 1 lemon

Stick it all in a bowl, place a lid on it, and shake it around.

There were no leftovers, but I made another batch and ate it with some chicken a couple of days later. Yum.

Travel meals, this week

Do you remember when I said that I might be done traveling for the year?
I was wrong. One more week, and THEN I get some time in my own bed, with my cat, with my man, with my family, with friends.

This week has been lonely, probably because it's so close to the holidays and everyone is having fun back at home without me. Such is life, sometimes.

I booked a hotel room with a kitchen this time, which makes life so much easier.

Here's what I'm eating:

Breakfast: Eggs and kale, with avocado. Plus fruit and cucumber slices.

Lunch: I am forcing myself to eat veggies, since I've been happily grazing on cookies and potato chips for the last few weeks. So I'll have salads on salads on salads.

Monday- Travel day. Packed a salad with any veggies and a leftover burger patty on top, to clean out the fridge. Didn't get to eat it until 4pm.
Tuesday- Salad with no meat because my feet hurt at the grocery store the night before.
Wednesday- Salad greens with leftover chicken and veggies on top
Thursday- Same thing as the day before.
Friday- Travel day. Snacky lunch of pretzels and an apple.

Dinner:
Monday- Long day. I originally planned to have an Amy's frozen dinner but since I had lunch so late, I snacked on pretzels and and apple.
Tuesday- Chicken and veggies
Wednesday- Pasta with meat sauce
Thursday- Leftovers
Friday- Back at home! Dinner at my nephew's birthday party, so I'll probably pick up an Amy's frozen dinner.

Snacks: GF Pretzels + peanut butter from the hotel breakfast, apples, larabars

For reference, the grocery list:
Amy's frozen dinner
Eggs
Kale
Salad greens
Avocado
Fruit
Pretzels
Chicken thighs
Frozen broccoli
Frozen peas
GF Pasta
Spaghetti sauce
Larabars
Prunes
Wine
Water

Bring from home:
Travel kit
Seasonings for chicken
Garlic
Frozen chopped green pepper

Clever leftovers, salad edition

Sometimes, when I'm not sure what to do with dinner leftovers, I put them on top of salad greens. Ha! I'm so clever! I'm getting rather bored with salads over here, so I'm finding ways to get some variety.

Obviously some things work better than others, but cold leftover meat and veggies almost always taste great on top of a salad.

I feel like I'm winning the cold lunches game right now.

Chicken and veggies

Y'all know I'm so happy to have a kitchenette in my hotel room. It's lightly equipped, so meals have to be simple, but simple is good!

Tonight I cooked chicken and veggies. I planned ahead and brought the seasonings from home, then today after work I went to the store and bought some chicken thighs and frozen broccoli.

I'm not used to cooking on an electric stovetop, so I tend to get the pan too hot and have to quickly turn it down to avoid setting off the smoke alarms.

Chicken and veggies

Turn the pan to MEDIUM heat. Add in 2 chicken thighs, 1 clove of chopped garlic, and 1/2 of a chopped green pepper. Sprinkle with 1 tsp ground thyme, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Let that cook for a minute before adding in frozen broccoli, straight from the bag, and then throw in some torn kale from the fridge (because there's a huge bunch in there).

Let that all cook merrily for a while. If it starts to look too dry, add in a little bit of water and cover. Again, I'm paranoid I'm going to set off the hotel smoke alarms.

When the chicken is cooked through, shred it into smallish pieces with a fork, and let the veggies get a tiny bit of char on them. I'd let them get more charred at home, but, again, smoke alarms.

There ya go, a simple meal on a Tuesday.

Travel salad without meat

I went grocery shopping this evening after a very long day, and walked across the store and back before I realized I forgot to get lunchmeat for my salad tomorrow. Being on the opposite of the store, with my feet and back hurting, I said screw it. I can go without meat for a day.

I grabbed a little salad kit, although I did not use the packets of dressing, cheese, or spices. I was mostly interested in the assortment of greens to add a little interest.

For protein, I boiled a few eggs and tossed one in. When I cut into the avocado in the morning for breakfast, I'll add the other half to the salad.

Not the most exciting thing, but I'll get my greens.

This salad contains:
kale
greens from the salad kit
sundried tomatoes from the salad kit
boiled egg
sliced cucumber
avocado
olive oil
salt and pepper

I layer everything in the order listed above, and add the olive oil to a corner instead of drizzling over everything. This way, it stays in a localized area and doesn't wilt the greens. The kale is on the bottom and can handle an overnight soak in olive oil.

Happy Monday, I'm going to finish this glass of wine and unpack.

Peanut butter cookies

For some reason this year I've been really into making cookies. Peanut butter cookies are my favorite.

I like this recipe for a peanut butter cookie, because it doesn't use any butter or shortening, instead using all peanut butter for a stronger flavor. Plus it's naturally dairy-free.

Peanut butter cookies:
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 egg (or, 1 T flax seed meal + 3 T hot water)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c. GF flour mix
1/2 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt

With a hand mixer, beat together the peanut butter and sugar. Add in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be oily. Form into small balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil, for easy cleanup. Press a fork into the dough at 90 degree angles. (This is required).

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until the bottom of the cookies have started to brown. Top with chocolate, if desired. (I did half and half, but this is recommended)

Makes 1.5 dozen smallish cookies that freeze well.

colorful, non-boring salad

Hi there. This is a salad.

I don't particularly like salads, but my body does. So I try to eat them as much as I can. Usually for lunch, because if I pack it, I have to eat it.

There's only so much salad you can eat before it gets boring.

Sometimes, I try to mix it up with lots of colors.

This one has
kale
lettuce
shredded carrots
purple cabbage
walnuts
tomato
fresh cranberries
avocado
salt, and pepper.

Dressing is extra virgin olive oil with a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Not too bad for something I sometimes have to force myself to eat!

chocolate chip cookies, dairy free

I found out late tonight that my day tomorrow will be more mellow than expected. So, at 10pm, it's okay to make cookies, right?

Right.

I haven't baked lately, especially not since I've decided to avoid dairy, so I've been experimenting. So far, so good. My waistline may not eventually agree but hey, it's the holiday season so cookies at 10pm are ok, right?

Right.

*sips wine*

I like that these are not overly sweet, so that you can actually taste the chocolate, salt, and vanilla. These are a little crispy, a little soft, and way too good.

GF Dairy free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 T. shortening
2 T. Vegan I can't believe it's not butter*
1 egg
1/4 t. vanilla
3/4 c. GF flour mix
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. baking soda
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. Enjoy Life chocolate chips 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Using a hand mixer, mix the shortening, "butter," and sugar.
Add the egg and vanilla, and mix it well.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add them to the wet ingredients and mix them together, then stir in the chocolate chips.

Place balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with greased foil.

Bake them for 8-10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and the tops are set.

Makes about 12-16 smallish cookies that freeze well, if they last that long.

*Currently experimenting with this. So far, it's a decent substitute for butter, both as a spread and in baking.

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

These crisp little cookies are a mix of tart and sweet, and are delightful.

Great with coffee or tea or just by themselves, they also make a darling small gift. I think the shape makes them seem more special than regular round cookies.

This recipe makes about 10 biscotti, depending on how you slice them. I always eat the shorter end pieces as "quality control," so realistically this makes about 8 cookies.

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

2 T. butter*
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. GF flour mix
1/2 c. almond flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. grown cinnamon
1/4 c. chopped fresh cranberries
2 T. slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar. It can be difficult to cream small amounts of butter and sugar. I use a hand mixer and a deep bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until everything is nicely mixed.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well with the hand mixer.

Stir in the cranberries and almonds.

The dough will be wet. Scrape/pour it on a greased cookie sheet (lined with foil to assist with cleanup). Shape the dough into a big oval. If it is sticky, it's helpful to wet the spatula with hot water and use it for spreading.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Let the biscotti cool for 10 minutes.

After cooling for 10 minutes, carefully cut the giant cookie into inch-thick strips at an angle and spread them out on the cookie sheet. Return the pan to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool. They should be firm and crispy.

If they're still a little soft and cookie-like, you can enjoy them just the way they are, or stick them back into the oven.

The end pieces are usually fine, but the larger middle pieces might not be crispy enough. Flip them on their sides so the bottoms don't burn, and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes.

*Trying to avoid dairy, instead of butter I used the vegan "I can't believe it's not butter" and it worked well.

travel meals, this week

Ok folks. This might be my last week traveling this year! I packed my crock pot and had time to plan a menu beforehand, so here's what I'm eating:

(Making gluten free travel meals look good)

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with ham and kale. Plus oranges and carrots

Lunches: There was no microwave onsite, so I had to make cold lunches.

Monday- Travel day. Stopped at a gas station and got an EPIC bar and little packet of almonds. Ate that with an apple I brought from home. I was pretty hungry when it got to dinner time.
Tuesday- Salad with shrimp and edamame
Wednesday- Kale salad with edamame, carrots, and ham
Thursday- Wednesday lunch on repeat
Friday- Travel day. Meat roll ups with the last of the ham and kale, plus a carrot.

Dinners:
Monday- Salad with shrimp and edamame
Tuesday- Crock pot beef + a baked sweet potato
Wednesday- Chili and cornbread, brought frozen from home
Thursday- Leftovers from Tuesday.
Friday- At home, stir fry

Snacks: Apples + nuts

For reference, the grocery list:
eggs
kale
spring salad mix
bell pepper
sweet potato
lime
oranges
carrots
apples
stew beef
frozen cooked shrimp
ham lunchmeat
frozen edamame
nuts

Bring from home:
travel kit
crock pot + liner
seasonings for the beef (bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, garlic)
frozen chili and cornbread
chopped celery

Travel meal: Kale + salad accessories

Isn't this salad pretty?

It's got kale + some spring mix, edamame, carrots, and sliced ham with lots of pepper. Plus olive oil and lime juice for a dressing.

I feel like some shredded purple cabbage or dried cranberries would be really good here, but unfortunately when you're traveling, the large jar of craisins in your pantry is not available.

So, you enjoy your pretty salad anyway and life goes on.

Oy, happy Friday Eve.

Reviving wilted kale

Y'all know I'm a fan of kale. As dark leafy greens go, it has a mild flavor and a good crunch and lasts longer than, say, spinach, which gets slimy so fast.

As sturdy as it is, often the big bunch of kale in my fridge will begin to wilt after a few days.  Fortunately, wilted kale is easily revived.

All you do is tear the greens from the stems and submerge in cool water. If the water from the tap is not very cold, stick it in the fridge.

After 20 minutes or so, the leaves will perk up.

Then, just lay them out to dry and you've got perfectly good kale again.

I hate throwing out food, and am so satisfied when I can bring wilted greens back to life.

Travel meal: crock pot beef

Sometimes, it's worth taking up valuable suitcase real estate to travel with the crock pot.

It's chilly outside, I'm traveling all week, and a hot, safe gluten free meal after a long day is such a mood booster. There is a mini fridge and microwave in my hotel room, and that's all I need.

Well, that and the ingredients.

I have my trusty travel kit and planned ahead, so I brought a few ingredients with me to avoid buying full-size versions at the grocery store (crock pot liner, bay leaf, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce).

Crock pot beef:

Put into the crock pot, in this order...
crock pot liner
1 carrot, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 peeled garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb of stew meat
1/4 of a green bell pepper, chopped
1 big kale leaf, torn into pieces
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce, transported in a small, leakproof container
pepper
a few glugs of red wine
enough water to make the liquid level just hit the kale

Set it to low when you leave, put up your Do Not Disturb sign, and come "home" to a delicious, hot meal and a hotel room that smells amazing. The only thing missing is my cat.

I ate it with some mashed sweet potato.  Not bad for no kitchen, eh?

Travel meal: non-boring salad

Can you tell I'm tired of eating the same old salad?

This one has cocktail shrimp, cubed baked sweet potato, edamame, and a big squeeze of fresh lime juice. All accomplished in a hotel room, thanks to frozen shrimp and edamame, and a microwaved baked potato.

That's basically the whole recipe, but here's the rest. There is a specific order to assembling this, I swear.

Non-boring hotel room salad for lunch the next day:

Nestle some torn up kale into one side of the container. Then add in shelled edamame next to it. Next add spinach greens and baked sweet potato, cooled and cut into cubes. Plus carrot slices and leftover cocktail shrimp, tails removed.

Pour some extra virgin olive oil (from the travel kit) into the corner with the edamame and kale, and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Roll a lime around on the counter and cut in half. Tuck one half of the lime into the container.

The kale can take an overnight soak in the olive oil, but the spinach will wilt, so be sure to nestle the kale in the corner and pour the olive oil directly on top. Store it kale-and-olive-oil-side down in the fridge.

Prior to eating, squeeze the lime juice on top, replace the lid, and shake it up.

So much better than a crummy pre-packaged salad.

gf birthday cake

I quietly turned 35 yesterday. I spent the day relaxing, without any fanfare, and it was pretty great.

When my brother and sister-in-law found out that I didn't have a birthday cake, they went to two different stores to find me one. Isn't that sweet?

We didn't even take it out of the grocery bag before lighting the candles, lol. 

It was delicious. So delicious that we each had a small piece, then we each got another small piece, and then I ate another small piece.

I sent the rest home with them so I wouldn't continue to stuff my face. My niece-in-utero could use the calories, right??

I would have simply gone without a birthday cake if it wasn't for them. It's so great that things like this exist, and I'm grateful that they went to the trouble to search for a gluten free cake for me.

Feeling very loved. 

Small batch cornbread

Cornbread is one of those things that can round out an otherwise light meal. Sure, soup is good, but soup PLUS CORNBREAD is better.

This basic cornbread recipe makes a small batch; about 4-6 servings, depending on how big you slice it. Plenty for one person, plus leftovers. This freezes very well, too. 

Cornbread

1/2 c. cornmeal

1/2 c. GF flour mix

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. water

1 egg

2 T. light olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Measure the water into a glass measuring cup, then add the egg and olive oil and mix well with a whisk. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix well.

Pour into a small greased baking dish. I use a 6-inch round glass dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Perfect with chili, soup, or with a happy drizzle of honey.

Travel meals, this week.

Boy, I am excited to be traveling again! I lied. I'm not excited at all.
I do not like this particular town, but that's life.

I did not expect to travel this week, so there wasn't much prep time and I opted for simple meals.

Here's what I got:

Breakfast: I gotta say, I'm digging this microwave egg recipe with turkey, eggs, kale, and an apple on the side.

Lunch: I'm keeping it simple with a turkey and avocado sandwich for lunches. I have become a mustard and mayo packet hoarder and bring them with me in my travel kit.

Dinner:
Monday- Soup and crackers
Tuesday- Tuna salad wraps
Wednesday- I left the hospital later than expected, so I just ate another turkey sandwich.
Thursday- I drove home, so I ate the last thing left in the fridge: turkey lunchmeat with hummus and carrots.

For reference, the grocery list:

eggs
kale
turkey lunchmeat
apples
avocado
tomato
bread
crackers
soup
larabars
wine
tuna salad kit

Last week's menu

(last) week's menu:

It's going to be a cold one, yay! I cranked up the fireplace today, but I have yet to turn on the heater. This week may force me to.

I'm glad I'm in town this week because I'll be able to cover some of my favorite plants and save them from the few hours that it will be below freezing.

I am sorry, I had pictures but I accidentally deleted them. But here's the menu.

Monday- Chili
Tuesday- Spaghetti (sauce from the freezer), Barilla GF pasta was on sale so I'm going to try it
Wednesday- Chicken soup with biscuit dumplings.
Thursday- Pizza with lots of veggies
Friday- Pot roast
Saturday/Sunday- I will be painting my bathroom, so it will be mostly snacks and leftovers

P.S. my bathroom looks really good but damn that's a lot of work.

Travel meals, this week

Are you ready for another week on the road? I am.
Five days out of town are so much easier when you plan a menu.

Here's what I planned:

Breakfast: Eggs, microwaved. Plus fruit and carrot slices.

Lunch:
Monday- Travel day. Peanut butter sandwich + apple
Tuesday and Thursday: Salad, with avocado and turkey
Wednesday: Turkey roll ups with carrot slices
Friday- Travel day. Turkey roll ups with carrot slices

Dinner:
Monday- Tuna salad wraps
Tuesday- Bbq chicken sweet potato + broccoli
Wednesday- Leftover bbq chicken sweet potato
Thursday- Cold, rainy day. Soup + crackers
Friday- At home, chili from the freezer

Snacks:
Mixed nuts + apple
Larabar

I reserved a hotel room with a big wet bar and a fridge/microwave, which made meal prep a little easier.

For reference, the grocery list:
eggs
kale
turkey lunchmeat- I like this kind because it comes in a ziplock bag
avocado x 2
apples x 4
salad kit
frozen broccoli
carrot slices
tuna salad kit
sweet potato
mixed nuts
frozen chicken tenders
bbq sauce
larabars
can of soup
crackers
water
wine

Bring from home:
mayo- I found these in a 10-pack at the grocery store.
coffee
vitamins
prunes
travel kit

Travel meal: baked sweet potato with bbq chicken and broccoli

This is one of the most successful hotel meals I've made. It was so, so good and I have enough leftovers for another meal.

I was initially going to make this meal in the crock pot, but I didn't want to lug it in my suitcase. My plan was to make it using rotisserie chicken, but after I looked at the ingredients on the rotisserie chicken, I reconsidered that plan.
(WHY are labels still allowed to claim "natural flavor" without specifying?? No, thanks.)

I looked around the grocery store and found these frozen chicken tenders that did the trick. They were expensive, $6.99 for 7 tenders but at least I know they're gluten free.

To make dinner, I washed a big, round sweet potato and poked holes in it with a fork. I microwaved it for about 4 "baked potato" settings.

Then, I microwaved the chicken tenders according to the package directions.

When they were done, I microwaved one of those broccoli "steam in bag" things.

I cut the sweet potato in half and smooshed it up a bit, then added the chopped up chicken tenders and drizzled with bbq sauce. Topped it all with a little bit of kale, because I bought a huge bunch and I'm trying to use it before it gets sad.

Served with a side of broccoli.

Now my belly is full and I'm happy.

Travel meal: turkey and avocado salad

One of the easiest things to pack for lunch is a salad, especially while traveling.

It's easy to toss veggies and accessories into a container, plus it forces me to eat those veggies my body loves so much.

This salad has:
baby spring mix
kale
sliced carrots
1/2 avocado
2 slices of turkey lunchmeat, rolled and chopped
salt, pepper
olive oil
not pictured: 1/2 a lime

I put the kale into one side of the container, then pour the olive oil onto that side and store it that side down in the fridge so that it doesn't wilt the greens. The kale is tough and can take it. When I'm ready to eat, I squeeze the lime juice over the greens, put the top back on, and shake rattle and roll to mix it all up.

Nom.

Travel meal: Tuna salad kale wraps

On the menu after a long day of travel + work in a construction zone (seriously, the foreman made me wear a hard hat and bright orange vest and told me to get better shoes): quick and easy tuna salad kale wraps.

I had a peanut butter sandwich and and apple earlier in the day, but it was not enough to sustain me through a busy afternoon.

After checking into the hotel, I headed to the grocery store and, thankfully, had already made a menu and a list so it was streamlined.

I have to say, these. hit. the. spot.

I was slightly queasy from hunger, and these made my belly so happy. I fought it for many years, but my body really likes vegetables.

For this meal, I grabbed a tuna salad kit at the grocery store, threw away the crackers, and mixed up the tuna with mayo and relish. I added some salt and pepper, too.

Washed some kale, dried it, then tore it from the main stalk. I arranged the strips of kale into little nests, then topped with the tuna salad. They were pretty easy to eat by squishing the kale nests into little taco shapes.

I enjoyed these with some carrot slices, and also some wine and potato chips, because I'm human.

Happy Monday.

simple stir fry

I ate a sensible breakfast today.

Then, I went over to my sister's house to hang out with her and her cute nugget offspring, and also I was watching my man's dog, who likes playing with their dog, and everybody had a great time. It was especially joyful for me because my (previously nonverbal) youngest nephew kept saying, "Hi Aunt Nen!" every time he saw me, and the oldest was making pretend youtube videos that were so funny, and I miss hanging out with my sister and talking about nothing/everything.

Naturally, for lunch I had two kinds of chips and some popcorn. It was all delicious and I regret nothing.

However, this evening when I got home at around 8:30, I was ravenous and craving real food, except, as usual, I have nothing in the fridge because I'm always traveling.

Usually in this case I'll grab freezer food or heat up a can of soup, but sometimes I make a stir fry.

This was heavy on the ginger, light on the soy sauce, and in my belly in less than 30 minutes.

Stir fry:

Put a pan on the stove, and turn the heat to medium.
Drizzle in some olive oil. Add a little bit of onion, plus any veggies you have in the freezer or fridge. I had broccoli and carrots and cauliflower rice.

Let that heat up for a minute. Add fresh grated ginger (I keep a peeled root in the freezer and grate it as needed) and some pepper. After a few minutes, create some space in the middle of the pan and crack an egg in it. Put a lid on and let it cook until the egg is done to your liking.

Dump everything in a bowl with a drizzle of sesame oil (which is necessary) and GF soy sauce.

Quick, simple, and delicious.

veggie-ful breakfast

Look at how pretty this is.

I still have a bunch of shredded beet and carrot and kale, so I shoved as much of it as I could into breakfast. It was actually really delicious.

Place a smallish pan on the stovetop and turn the heat to medium.

Drizzle in a bit of olive oil, a few pieces of onion, some kale that's been torn into pieces, some shredded beet and carrot, as well as any other appropriate veggies, and let that cook a little. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over it and stir. Let it cook a little more.

In the meantime, beat an egg in a bowl with a splash of water. Make sure the veggies in the pan are evenly distributed and have softened up. Pour the beaten egg over the veggies and swirl the pan so that the egg is evenly distributed. Cover and turn the heat to low. When the egg is set, it's time to eat.

Transfer to a plate and enjoy.

quick travel meal

Sometimes, even when I book the hotel with the kitchen, the day is too long to cook. After driving for 5 hours, forgetting my delicious salad at home and having to stop at a gas station for a (crumbly, old) larabar and a bag of chips, then working for 4 hours, then having to get groceries, I was over it.

I dragged my weary ass to the store, grabbed a bottle of wine and a frozen dinner.

Thank goodness for Amy's. I can usually find these in every major grocery store and they are a life saver sometimes. Especially when you've had a long travel day.

I did pick up some eggs, kale, and fruit for breakfast, plus a fresh larabar for a travel snack tomorrow.

chicken stew

Hey, it's 57 degrees here! I've got all my doors and windows open and am loving this cool, fresh air. Hello, welcome cool weather, I hope you stay.

I had originally taken some chicken out of the freezer for chicken soup, but I wanted a different flavor profile today. Since I already had the oven turned on for muffins, and I ran out of crock pot liners, I decided to make some stew in the oven.

Chicken stew

Place in a small casserole dish:
1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh
1/4 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground thyme
1/2 potato, cubed
1 carrot, sliced
a few fresh parsley leaves
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
1/4 c. water

Place the covered dish in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. It will come out smelling like heaven.

I shredded the chicken a little and placed it back into the oven while it cooled, so the potatoes absorbed a lot of the herby broth.

So tasty.

Pumpkin veggie muffins

Today I have for you, another edition of "put as many veggies as I can into whatever I'm eating."

Inspired by the random bowls of shredded veggies in my fridge, today we get muffins, again.

These are so good, and you can't even tell there are veggies in them.

Seriously, when I took the picture, I thought to myself, "Did I forget to put in the beets?" because they disappeared. If you look closely, you can see tiny flecks of the zucchini, but the beets, I suppose, are a secret.

Pumpkin veggie muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix in a bowl:
1/2 c. gf flour mix
1/2 c. almond flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice*

Mix in another bowl:
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T. light olive oil
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. shredded beet
1 t. fresh shredded ginger

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and scoop into a muffin tin. Top with slivered almonds and a few dried cranberries. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tip: If you're not making a full pan of muffins, and don't own a 6-muffin pan, pour a little bit of water into the empty wells. It keeps the muffins moist and prevents the pan from warping.

*[Pumpkin pie spice:]
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t.ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves

hidden veggies pasta

Today I made a pasta sauce completely loaded with veggies. I even used beets, which I've never cooked with before.

I tasted something with beets a long time ago and thought it tasted like dirt, so I've never been a fan. I always wondered why people ate them if they tasted like dirt. I gave them a second chance, and it turns out... they do not taste like dirt. I must have had a bad beet dish those many years ago.

Anyway, I started this sauce with ground beef, sauteed with onions. Then I added in some shredded beet, zucchini, and carrot. I like using shredded veggies because after you sautee them, they practically disappear.

Then I added a jar of GF pasta sauce and frozen peas, and let that simmer while the noodles cooked. 

I had a sample bag of Jovial brown rice penne from a GF festival a while back, and while it's not my favorite pasta, it worked just fine.

Such an easy, tasty meal that was ready in 30 minutes.

My kind of Thursday night. 

Quick travel meals

This week I had to spend 1 night in a small town.

Into the lunch bag went:

Breakfast: Boiled egg, fruit
Lunch: Salad
Dinner: Frozen chili and cornbread

Easy, safe, and healthy. Plus the frozen chili acts as an ice pack to keep everything cold until I get to the hotel room. It's nice to be strategic sometimes.

Pulled pork taquitos

Today I made a recipe that did not include pumpkin. It's October and I have every right to put pumpkin in everything... but I exercised my basic bitch right and chose not to.

Instead, I chose to deploy my other secret power.

I hid veggies in this.

Look. Do you see veggies?

I don't. But they're in there. Spooooky. Shredded zucchini virtually disappears in this dish and not only does it discretely spike the veggie content, it helps keep the pork moist.

I could have stopped there and made pulled pork sandwiches, but I felt like something else. Taquitos.

With extra veggies, because even though I choose to, I don't actually have to hide veggies from myself.

Pulled pork taquitos (with hidden veggies)

Layer in your crock pot, in this order:
a crock pot liner (essential.)
1/2 chopped onion
2 boneless pork chops from the freezer
a handful of shredded zucchini
a generous squirt of your favorite gf bbq sauce

Set it on low for 6 hours, until the pork is falling apart. Shred it with a fork in the crock pot.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Then, assemble the taquitos. Take a corn tortilla, stick some extra shredded zucchini on it, then add the pork. If you're feeling saucy, add a little more bbq sauce.
Roll up and place on a greased sheet pan, seam side down. Repeat until you're out of supplies, about 6 taquitos. Spray with a little cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until they get hot and crispy. I use my toaster oven for this and it works great.

Drizzle with extra bbq sauce and if you're feeling extra, some ranch dressing.

So good, so good. The cat agreed.