Kick it up a notch with Veggies!

I have to say, one thing about being gluten intolerant is that it’s a good thing I love vegetables. Squash, corn, peppers, celery, carrots, cucumbers…love them all! But like everything else, moderation is best. I find that I get fixated on something and eat it for 2 weeks, and then I am burned out on it. For example, nachos, I LOVE nachos. Chicken nachos, beef nachos, turkey….you get the point. I must have eaten nachos for a month. It is quick and satisfying. But be careful of those calories! They can add up quick with the guacamole, sour cream, cheese, etc. Try to do variations of what you like. Nachos can be tacos, or burritos or 7 layer dip or even a chicken casserole. Try things that are different but have the same ingredients. Like Emeril Lagasse says, “Kick it up a notch!”

My ‘kick it up a notch’ recipe includes both Mexican and Greek flavors.

Meek (Mexican/Greek) Stuffed Poblano’s

4 medium sized poblano peppers, washed

1 ½ lbs   Ground lamb

1 T          Greek seasoning

1 T          Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1              8 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained or fresh diced

¼             sweet onion, diced

1 C          Fresh spinach

½ C         Feta cheese

½ lb        Fresh mozzarella, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Set oven to 350 degrees. Take the olive oil and add it to a hot, oven proof pan. Add diced onions and sauté until translucent. Add the ground lamb and heat until brown. Drain fat from meat. Add the Greek seasoning, spinach and feta cheese. When spinach is wilted, add drained diced tomatoes. Heat through. Cut open the poblano peppers starting from about ½ inch from the stem to ½ inch from the tip. Make sure there is a flat side on the bottom to set them flat in an oven safe pan. Open the peppers enough to get your fingers in there and clean out the seeds. Wash the peppers to make sure the seeds and veins are cleared out. Once clean, take the meat mixture (taste it first to see if you need to add something) and stuff it into the peppers, overstuffing them just a little. They will cook down in the oven. After being stuffed, put them in the oven safe pan and into the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the peppers are somewhat pliable. At the 25 minute mark, take your sliced mozzarella and put it over the top of each pepper. Bake until cheese is melted, approximately 3-5 minutes. Take into account this recipe was proofed at 7200 ft, so cooking times may vary. Serve with toasted gluten free focaccia or favorite Rudi's bread and dill butter.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I had fun making it!

Happy Eating Everyone!

You Can Can!!!

It’s getting cooler out; the days are shorter; the nights are cooler. I love this time of year! Here I am with the first garden I have had in a LONG time. So I water, feed, water, feed…oh look! There are some flowers! Ohhh, darn, it’s almost the end of September and I am just getting flowers? So much for life at 7200 ft. Ok, so I have beans and tomatoes plus the fruits and veggies from the co-op. There are only 3 of us. I do not want to throw out food (which we all do). What do I do now? How about preserving them for a later date? Yes, I am speaking of canning.

Daunting? Yes. Difficult?  No. I would say there is a learning curve, but it’s not difficult. So how do you start? Well I will tell you what I have learned and you can take it from there. The wonderful part of canning is that you control your ingredients. Gluten Free all the way! Once you have canned, you have a ready supply anytime you need it. If you want to put it in your rotating stock for your emergency kit or your winter supply or to give to friends for Christmas, or if you want to teach your kids the value of fresh produce (and of course the taste!), all of those reasons are great reasons to can.

The first day I canned, I prayed upon every batch I made. Well, that didn’t work. I think the big guy was taking a siesta or something. It is daunting because I can cook. I can put flavors together and tell you, on an elementary level, what kind of wine will pair well. I first tried to make jams and jellies. They turned out more like preserves, or at least the American version….runny and good over ice cream. Ok, new batch! Plum, peach and strawberry jam (all together in one). What I didn’t realize is that, much like baking, this is a science. Ripe plums, peaches and strawberries have a low to medium pectin content. Pectin is what makes the fruit set to a gel-like consistency after being heated. Here’s a hint: Get a cookbook that helps you figure out the pectin content in fruits. Another hint: take the time to do it right. Take the time to make sure the fruit mixture has set. I got too impatient and most of my jellies turned out watery. Now I know to add more pectin or to get ripe fruit. But I have to remember, my fruits were almost over-ripe. Just ripe produce is the best. Pick it in the morning at its ripeness and can it that day. This will ensure the sugars and starches will be at their prime. You will taste that at the table in the middle of winter when you open the jar and are grateful that you sweated over a hot stove for a day or two.  Please, please use a recipe. Do not use your own method if you are just starting out. Make sure you use 5% vinegar or 5% cider vinegar. I had to throw out a whole batch because I didn’t use any vinegar! Like I said this is a science and you do not want to get anyone sick.

The other option I ensue is freezing. The vacuum sealer is a wonderful thing! Everything from veggies to baked goods to meats that I can put into one little pouch, label and throw in the freezer. I also have had the idea of taking leftovers, putting a dinner sized portion into one bag, seal it and put it in the freezer. This will allow me, my husband or my daughter to take dinner out, throw it in the microwave and have a quick, delicious, nutritious, gluten free dinner for all of us (I am the only one with a gluten intolerance) in less than 10 minutes. How awesome is that when you get home and you have 20 minutes to get the kids ready for soccer, dinner on the table, feed the dogs, take out the garbage…..whew! No worries, dinner is done. It’s better than going through McD’s drive thru or Taco Bell, not that us gluten free people can! And like that commercial, kids are what they eat and so are adults. Feed them something wholesome that you do not have to worry about preservatives, additives, salt content, hidden gluten, etc. It’s fresh because you made it from organic materials you grew or bought.

Growing in your own garden is not the only way to can or preserve. I also look for the 10 for $10 specials that the supermarkets have. But beware, that’s how they lure you in and get you to buy more. Stick to your list and your money will be all the more well spent. Wash them well. I use a veggie scrubber to get most of that wax off. Some people buy the solution that you soak your veggies and fruit.

Look around your community and find out if there is a co-op of farmers that sell to your area. Most areas have a non-profit organization that caters to communities. If you don’t, most of those co-ops have an opportunity to start one near you. I enjoy the one near me called Bountiful Baskets….www.bountifulbaskets.org. You can go on their website and find a location near you or start one yourself! Be bold, be brave! Give back to your community and start a co-op near you!

There are also government resources to get the Ball rolling. Pun intended J. There is a National Center for Home Food Preservation (go figure!) www.Uga.edu/nchfp. You can also Google brands like Ball and Kerr to get information and recipes.

Get your kids involved in the whole process from starting seeds to canning. My daughter and I love to go out to the garden and report to each other how the beans or the corn is doing. And she is 13!! Get excited about cooking, preserving and eating fresh, healthy foods and your kids will follow your lead.

Happy Gardening and Happy Eating Everyone!

A HUGE Thank you!!

A HUGE thank you goes out to Deborah Grigsby of Deborah Grigsby Illustrative Photography. She had so much patience, ingenuity and the eye for my cookbook shoot yesterday! I knew she had the eye because I am a repeat customer. She shot our wedding and those pictures turned out awesome as well! Contact her and see what she can do for you!

Check her out at www.deborahgrigsby.com.

Love you girl!!

My experience....

When my Mom was diagnosed with colon cancer, the doctor told her to watch what she was eating. He told her to cut out processed foods and go as organic as she could. I went to stay with her for a little bit and I would do some of the grocery shopping. Well, that started me thinking. Why would he tell her not to eat processed foods? Why would he tell her to go organic? Those questions and many more started racing through my head.

When I started shopping for her, it initially took a long time because I had to start reading labels. I found shortcuts and started knowing where to look on the labels, etc. Then I found the organic section and really had a ball! Holy crap was that a lot of information in such a short time! Well, little did I know, it was a precursor to what I would go through about a year later.

Like more and more people today, I discovered I was gluten intolerant. A year later, it still is difficult. But I have a great family support system that has made it a little easier. We adjust our eating habits and get fresh ingredients to cook with. But it’s a family affair, it’s not just a lifestyle taken on by just one member of the family. So now, I have found grocery stores that I can go right to the gluten free aisle, look at labels and know what brands I can buy. Well, I have come to the conclusion that buying fresh and going back to the way Grandma cooked is the way to go! Right out of the garden, fresh, no pesticides, proven good stuff!! My Grandmother, Mother and Aunts were awesome cooks. Grandma and Mom would be in the kitchen canning from Grandma’s garden on the hottest of hot days in the summer.

More and more people are starting private and community gardens. Grab a friend and start one! It really doesn’t take that much of your time. I had a community garden as well as one at home when I was a kid. I LOVED to watch things grow, especially the seeds I planted. If you and your friend both have a private one, you can each take seeds and grow different things. Then when the harvest comes in, you can share or plan a canning day and you won’t have to do it by yourself.

We have gotten to be a rat race. The digitally connected, always on the go, always have to be doing something society. REALLY?! Why can’t we turn off the television, grab your kids, put them in the kitchen with you and COOK SOMETHING TOGETHER! Good, quality family time has been getting more rare as the years go by; let’s get it back.

Get your fresh fruits from a co-op and pay less, plus you will be able to can them if you aren’t able to eat everything. I got 12 pounds of organic plums for $10 at the co-op. I made preserves and jam for the first time! It is daunting, but if you make bigger batches, you will have them on the shelf for your emergency kit, when you can’t get to the store, time saving dinner addition or as Christmas gifts for your neighbors, kids teachers or co-workers! And if you have your kids help, they will beam with pride when they tell their teacher they made it! It will make it extra special too.

So come on! Get off the couch, turn off the television, put away the phones and laptops and get outside and get growing!!

Happy Eating Everyone!!

School is in!

It’s Back To School Time!!! So this week we are going to continue our kid theme.

What happens when they go to school? Are you concerned about allergic reactions at school? What does your school do for children with allergies? All these questions and more…..

First thing to do is look on the website for the district you are in or are moving to. They should have guidelines on how they handle kids with allergies to food and other allergens. This will give you a heads up and now you know how to plan for your special someone’s school year!

The next thing I would do is approach the counselor and the school nurse. Give them a 3x5 card with your child/children’s picture(s) on it and write down the allergies and how severe they are. I know they have allergy forms you need to fill out, but let’s face it, they won’t remember your kid the second you walk out that door. It’s not their fault; they have hundreds of kids to remember. If they do not accept the 3x5 card, place a picture with the formal allergy form.

At Back to School Night or Parent / Teacher conferences, give each of the teachers the same 3x5 card. This will be a handy tool for them to remember and a quick reference for them. If you really want to be thorough, give one to the lunch lady as well.

So, with all of this said, there are different severities of gluten intolerance. There are the people that have an intolerance, an allergy or Celiac’s Disease. I am one of those ‘fortunate’ ones that just has an intolerance. No itchy skin, hives or such a massive intolerance that I can’t even be in the same room as a gluten product. Yes, that was a little of an embellishment, but not to the people who cannot have any contact with it at all. It is a very important aspect to their lives and it becomes part of their lifestyle.

Next are lunches! I used to LOVE my Mom’s lunches…ok, not all the time. But what kid does? So think of that AND being gluten intolerant. They can’t have the nachos that all the other kids are having, or the hamburger that looks sooooo yummy! Oh and how about that ice cream sandwich to finish it off? Nope, not that either. UGH! What to do?!

Well, here are some simple tricks to getting your kid to have a normal lunch period:

      Find puddings and fun snacks that he / she can eat.

      Most candies like Starburst are gluten free…let them have fun!

      How about chips? Boulder Canyon and Kettle brand chips are both gluten free

      Sandwiches – find one of those plastic sandwich holders. This helps the sandwich stay cool, dry and out of contact with other peoples gluten.

      Fruit – fruit is a wonderful thing! Let them pick new fruits at the store and put them in their lunches

      Veggies – how great are these?! Give them some cut up veggies and a GF dip to go with and they will be the envy at the lunch table!

      And most important of all – give them a little love note inside their lunch….they will love that too!

      Homemade soups are great! Put it in a soup carrier or thermos and they can have soup too!

The nice part about these things is that most of them can be done the night before, Sunday for the week, or right after grocery shopping! You will just have to grab and go! And if you have multiple people in the household, grab two colored plastic bins (two of the same color) and put one in the fridge and one in the pantry so you know that is the ‘special’ bin and not for anyone else!

Be a conscious shopper and enjoy your family! It’s the only one you have!!

Happy Eating Everyone!!!