Oh Granola, How I’ve Missed You!

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Since going gluten free I have tried box after box of gluten free granolas, only to taste yet another cereal that tastes like cardboard. I MISS good granola! My mom used to make heavenly homemade granola. I also loved a really good  boxed granola. I have always loved it as a snack or my favorite, as a topping on vanilla ice cream!

This recipe, The Best Granola uses GF oats, cinnamon, chopped almonds, shredded coconut, honey, brown sugar and coconut oil to make a scrumptious recipe that even has me snacking on it as I write this post. I use Topical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil. Coconut oil can also be found in health food stores.When melting coconut oil, it’s best to melt in a glass measuring cup placed in a pan of hot water on the stove. It’s best not to use the microwave.

This recipe is simple, stirs up quickly, and will give you all the granola pleasure you’ll ever want!

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St Patrick’s Day Shamrock Cookies and More Kid’s Fun

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My grandkids helped me choose which things we planned to eat and do for this years St. Patrick’s Day. We chose these dough ball cookies, since they are easy and so much fun for kids to help with! The cookies can be eaten plain, have green sprinkles, or covered with green frosting.

Other foods we chose were:

• Green Pancakes. I have two recipes we love. Just add green food color. See Applesauce Pancakes or Golden Delight Pancakes for recipes.

• Frozen Lime Yogurt Pops. For these I used key lime yogurt, inserted Popsicle sticks and froze. Delicious!

For fun we will:

• Use the green pail to follow and collect a trail of dollar store green rocks (set out by Big Sis for Little Brother) to find the Green Candy or Sprite.

• Have a St. Patrick’s Day Green Hunt, using a green pail. I found this idea, along with the dough ball cookies at Little Family Fun. So many more ideas on her blog!


Dough Ball Shamrock Cookies

2 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3-ounce package lime jello
1/2 cup sugar
A few drops green food color
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon guar or xantham gum
1 cup millet flour
1 cup quinoa flour
1 cup brown rice flour (any GF flours can be used – I like these the best)

Combine eggs, oil, vanilla, jello, sugar and food color then mix. Sift dry ingredients together. Add them to the mixture a little at a time until well blended. Grease cookie sheet. Roll batter bits by hand into balls. Place three or four together to form a clover. Add a stem then squish with a glass or lid. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes, depending on cookie size, until edges are just browned.

Frosting

1/3 cup softened butter or shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk (almond, soy, rice)
A few drops green food coloring

Blend ingredients well with a mixer then spread.


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Tilapia Tostadas

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talapia tostadas

I love tilapia, and also Mexican food! These tilapia tostadas are seasoned and fried for an authentic “fish tacos” experience. This is my daughter Kayli’s favorite meal, so we have it often, and I am always happy to have her help in the kitchen. It is easy and fun to prepare. This meal is a hit with our guests, even those who don’t usually like fish. The tilapia is combined with black beans, a lime-coleslaw plus avocado, making it both delicious and satisfying.

Corn tortillas can be tricky to “cook” just right. My favorite way it to do it on a baking sheet under the broiler. The directions are included in this recipe.

This recipe is both gluten free and casein free – a plus for my family and others!

Get the recipe for Tilapia Tostadas.

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Valentine’s Day Fun for Kids

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DSCI0012a
I have made finger jello for my kids for at least 25 years. Now I am making it for my grandkids. This is a fun way to make it for Valentine’s Day!

The basic recipe for finger jello is:
4 packages Knox gelatin
3 small (3 oz.) boxes Jello (any flavor)
4 cups boiling water
Put Jello and Knox gelatin into a bowl. Add water and stir until dissolved. Pour into a 9×13 inch pan. Cool in refrigerator. When firm, cut into squares.

For these hearts, I place the mold on a cookie sheet then spray the molds very lightly with oil, then pour the gelatin in with a measuring cup. Since it makes more than the heart molds, I also put some in muffin tins or a square pan to cut up.

Since the molds are in high demand for Valentine’s day, here’s a link to save time looking for one:

Wilton Petite Silicone Heart Pan

For more fun with the mold, I found this idea very popular on Pinterest. I am giving these heart-shaped crayons to my grandkids. I have seen a variety of ways to do this, but this is what works best for me:

I use 2 packs of 24 Crayola crayons. (I found that cheaper crayons don’t color as well.) I slit the paper on the crayon with a X-Acto knife and use scissors to cut each crayon into 8 pieces. I fill the molds full, and have fun experimenting with different color combinations. With my mold on a foil-lined cookie sheet I place the crayons in a 250 degree oven. My oven takes about 20 minutes to melt the crayons fully. I’m sure ovens vary, so check them often after 10 minutes. When melted, I set my pan on a cooling rack for a few minutes before placing them in the refrigerator. After they are cold, I pop them out, then use a potato peeler to take off the fine white wax that is formed on the back ridge of the heart.

The photo shows two sets of crayon hearts.

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My Traditional Gluten Free Holiday Dinner

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My holiday tradition, from the time I got married and had a family has been a Christmas Eve dinner, which has included my Christmas Potatoes, ham and Christmas jello. Since going gluten-free I have changed my potatoes, by leaving out just one ingredient, which my family never misses! I have recently eliminated pork from my diet, due to causing migraines, so I have come up with a delicious holiday meat. We vary the jello, which originally was strawberry and do raspberry now.

All of these dishes are quick and easy – a necessity for me! I usually don’t measure when I’m cooking or baking, so my recipes might not give exact amounts.

Christmas Potatoes

1 bag frozen shredded potatoes
1 pint sour cream
1 stick butter
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 oz shredded cheese (about 3 – 4 cups)
3 slices gluten-free bread (I use Udi’s whole grain)
¾ cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In very large bowl stir together potatoes, sour cream, butter, green onions and cheese. Pour mixture into 9 x 13 baking pan. Tear bread into pieces and crumble in blender. Mix with melted butter then spread over top of potatoes. Bake 45 minutes.

Holiday Poultry Dish

This is also casein free. This is a moist and tasty meat, since the seasonings and bread crumbs taste like stuffing – my family LOVES this!

Chicken or Turkey breasts (one for each family member)
Kraft mayonnaise
Sage
Poultry seasoning
Onion salt
Garlic salt
Celery salt
Gluten free bread slices (I use Udi’s whole grain)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pan with foil. Spray with oil. Arrange breasts so they don’t overlap. Spead thin layer of mayo over each breast. Then sprinkle each with sage, poultry seasoning, onion salt, garlic salt and celery salt. Break bread into pieces and crumble in blender. (Two slices covers about 6 breasts.) Sprinkle over tops. Bake in oven about 45 minutes, depending on size of breasts.

*I put BOTH the potatoes and poultry in to bake at the same time on two different racks, then switch dishes to different racks half way through.

For Christmas Jello I use a large package of raspberry jello and use thawed, frozen raspberries. When set I top with Cool Whip – which is casein free.

My kids are grown up with their own families, but still BEG for Christmas Potatoes way before Christmas! They are SPOILED and will being having them at least THREE times this season!

Happy Holidays!

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White Bean Chicken Chili

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white bean chicken chili

I have always made chili for Halloween, plus my family is in the mood during the weeks before. This week I put this chili on my menu, then realized I’ve never added it to my website! Since this is my family’s favorite chili I wanted to share. My grandkids love this version, since there’s no actual “chili” in it.

If I plan ahead, plus have the patience to remove the bones and skin, a whole chicken has the best flavor. It also makes a good broth. But I also make it using chicken breasts, which I usually have on hand. For both, I cook the chicken in the crock pot overnight.

Get the recipe:

White Bean Chicken Chili

Enjoy!

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