Dang! Summer sure made a sneak attack on me.

My kids are officially on summer break. What? Yup. I know. Crazypants.

I really do love having the boys home for summer. And I really LOVE the un-structuredness of summer. No schedules. Sleeping in. Trips to the library to stock up on summer reading. Lots of pool time. And beach time. And lake time. And more pool time.

But, I’ll be honest…I have to try really hard to not think too much about some of my own work that is not getting done while the boys are home.

Like I said… I try. But, man, sometimes the anxiety of it hits me like a brick. Or one of those rogue footballs that can too-often be found flying through my house.  Anyway. Like I said…I’m working on it.

Unfortunately, letting go of my to-do list is not one of my finer talents. 

It can really stress me out. And make me no fun. And make my husband really really annoyed at me.

I promised myself that I’m going to be much better about that whole “letting-go” thing this summer. It is my main goal for the next couple of months. I guess you’ll have to ask my husband, come August, how well I really did.

With this lack of schedule in the summer though, I do tend to let go and get a bit lazy in the kitchen.  I end up focusing on meals that are super quick, light, healthy, and easy to prepare … because, really, when it is 115 degrees here most of summer, spending too much time over a hot stove is sooo not appealing.

This Gluten-Free Barbecue Chicken Pizza definitely ends up being a regular guest around here. It uses leftover chicken, a few fresh veggies and herbs, and prepared pizza crusts. We don’t do a ton of grains around here though, so when I’m feeling ambitious I will often put together an easy Almond Flour Pizza Crust for this.

It all comes together pretty fast and then a quick 10-15 minutes in the oven and you end up with super simple, quick, and light meal, ready to go -  and the oven is barely on long enough to heat up your house and kick on the AC…which is all my husband really cares about anyway.

I tend to serve this one most often with our favorite Pineapple and Bacon Arugula Salad. 

It is a huge favorite around here and the kiddos usually devour the salad as fast as the pizza. I just throw it together in the time the pizza is baking and then dinner is done.

Are your kids out for summer yet?

Dinner Time and Food Allergies. Two phrases that, when paired together on a busy weeknight, probably invoke stress in even the most Zen of minds.

While I love spending hours coming up with fun new meals that the family might love…I will tell you right now that on the nights where we have to run to 2 different practices, do pick ups or drop offs for carpool, get homework done, and eat a healthy dinner that will tide us through it all … standing over my bubbling pot on the stove while I’m singing away is just NOT in the cards …

In fact, promise me you will not ask my husband or my children what I am really like on those nights. You might not like me very much if they told you the truth.

I have a motto I live by on those hectic days in order to prevent a loss of my sanity.

(...although, those who know me well may say that I may already be too late for that though).

My motto? Cook Once. Eat Twice.

I have gotten darn good (if I may say so) at the art of cooking extra servings of one meal to create something new with the extras for the next one.

Oh. And they are only called leftovers if the meal looks the exact same as it did the night before. When you switch a few things up and add a twist… it is a brand new meal. You can then call it anything. Just do not call it leftovers. People get funny about leftovers. Trust me. I know this.

This is the simple way I can make sure my family is still eating healthy on nights when I have anything but time to spend concocting up grand meals in the kitchen.

Since I am pretty sure that there are a lot of you out there that are like me and just want to be able to get a healthy and simple ALLERGY-FREE meal on the table for your family, I thought I would share some of my ideas with you.

I have put together an easy 7-Day Allergy-Friendly Meal Plan AND the corresponding shopping list to make your week just a bit less hectic! It even works with our craziest of schedules!

SO…If you want your free copy of it, just enter your name and email into the box at the top right. It will be in your inbox shortly and you can run to the grocery store with your list and get everything you need to make your busy dinner hour a bit easier this week!

Then pop over to my Food Allergy Coaching Website – Allergy Free Food Coach – and discover more ways to feel less overwhelmed about your food allergies!

Time for a Spring Picnic and a Recipe for Allergy-Friendly Lemon Herb Rice Salad

You may (or, quite possibly, may not) have noticed that it has been a while since I posted last.

I do have a couple of reasons why … one is because of a little surprise I have been busy working on. I’m just about ready to share it with you in a couple of weeks (and with it will come one HECK of a cool giveaway)…but you’ll have to be patient until then.

The other is because I was on the committee for the Silent Auction at my son’s school and it consumed most of my waking hours these last couple of weeks. I do just have to share though (okay, maybe even brag a little) that we ROCKED the auction and brought in an amazing amount of money for the school!

Now that I have a couple of my biggest projects behind me, and now that we are starting to see some first hints of Spring around here, I am ready to relax and enjoy some much needed play-time with my family.

Weirdly enough, I have been dreaming of having a picnic lately. I don’t even know why. Probably because we have been bundled up all winter long. And now that it is finally warming up, the thought of spending a sunny afternoon napping on a big fluffy blanket in the grass while the kids frolick around sounds heavenly about now.

Okay, so my kids don’t really ever just frolick. They are two active boys. Wrestle is a much better term to describe what they do. And all of that wrestling usually leads to someone in tears.  Which then leads to mom having to get involved. Which then means that that nap on that big fluffy blanket probably won’t happen. But…a mom can dream, right?

Aside from the lack of nap in this daydream, that picnic still sounds wonderful.

And my favorite thing to do for picnics is to pack up a meal that is sort of an all-in-one main-dish recipe so that we do not need to tote along a gazillion different food containers.

This Allergy-Friendly Lemon-Herb Rice Salad with Roasted Shrimp is just the perfect recipe for something like this. It has such a refreshing flavor from the Lemon-Citrus Vinaigrette. And it is so simple to throw together and pack up for a picnic. The best part is that it can be made a day in advance to make picnic prep easy and is a hit with the kids and adults.

What are your favorite things to pack up for a picnic? Any good ideas for me?

Do you wince at the thought of roasting a whole chicken or turkey? Does it seem a bit overwhelming to attempt?

I swear I used to feel this way too. And honestly? I am not even sure why. It just seemed like it was such a grown-up thing to do. And really, even nearing 40 now, I still do not feel like a grown-up yet.

I watched my mother roast literally hundreds of birds during my childhood. Seriously…that number could even be closer to thousands if I really calculated it out.

I saw firsthand how she would throw some seasonings together, rub that chicken or turkey up real good, then toss it in a roasting pan and into the oven. She made it look so simple…she even swore it was.

When I first started cooking for my own family, for some reason I just could not bring myself to attempt roasting a chicken or turkey by myself with all of those dangling limbs, and bags of giblets, and that awkward body cavity.

If  I have not grossed you out yet with that vision of dangling raw chicken limbs, I just wanted to fill you in on a little secret…

It really is as easy as Mom made it look! Promise.

I finally got over my fear years ago, and now it is a staple meal in our house.

It can literally take you ten minutes to prep and get into the oven. Throw in some diced potatoes and veggies around it about halfway through cooking. And BAM…a full meal is cooking away in your oven-perfect for a Sunday meal with guests or a busy weeknight.

PLUS, there are some extra perks that might just convince you yet…

1. During the months leading up to the holidays, you can save all of those yummy chicken/turkey drippings to add to your Thanksgiving turkey gravy…and I assure you that your gravy (or your guests) will NOT know (or care) if some of those drippings came from a turkey, a chicken, or both!

This is a perk in my house for sure, where I swear my family thinks there is going to be a national gravy shortage. They hoard it like they are in survival mode. Thus…I say the more drippings the better.

2. You get a beautiful carcass to save for use in none other than a beautiful pot of nourishing bone broth.  If you know one thing about me, it probably is how much I love my Bone Broth. Once you make your own, you will be hooked too. There are so many health benefits to Bone Broth.

You can then use it in everything from your cooking liquid in rice, as the broth in soups, as the liquid in sauces….and of course, in your gravy!

3. If your chicken or turkey is on the larger size, you will likely even have leftovers that you can use in a simple meal the next night. That is a two-for-one meal in my opinion.

A perfect way to use up your leftovers would be in these super simple Gluten-free Dairy-free Mexican Pizzas that I have posted over at the Balanced Platter today- a healthy and quick meal that will get you in and out of the kitchen fast on those busy weeknights.

4. You will feel really grown up once you accomplish your first bird. And you will be really amazed at your new kitchen prowess!

*Save remaining chicken/turkey for leftovers, such as these Gluten-free, Dairy-free Mexican Pizzas, for the next night.

*And, of course, save your carcass to make your own Simple Nourishing Bone Broth.

Okay. At least my dreams are….

This IS, by FAR, my most favorite salad ever.

It is an entire meal in a bowl. And even better is that my whole family will eat it.

The basic recipe comes from a favorite restaurant of ours here in Scottsdale, Cowboy Ciao.

We have adapted it over the years to fit our own special diet restrictions, but no matter what you do to this salad, it is still amazing.

The Stetson Chopped, as it is called here, is a salad with a quirky combination of salty/sweet/chewy/crunchy flavors and textures that will completely surprise your palate in that totally oh-so-good way.  The magic that comes from the combining of these flavors is sheer bliss in your mouth.

It can be tailored to meet most food allergies, by subbing a few ingredients here and there, or leaving some out all together. You can even get creative with your own ingredient ideas as well. And it is fairly simple to throw together. The most time consuming part is chopping up a few ingredients for the salad and then whirring the dressing away in the blender for a minute.

The fun part is in the presentation.  It is a salad that will surely “wow” your guests when you bring it to the table.  The amazing color combinations of the wonderfully fresh ingredients lined up so dramatically on the plate is definitely a conversation piece.  But the best part is when you pour that amazing dressing over it all and create a cornucopia of flavors for the palette!

And like I mention above, when I have not had it for a while, I seriously start to dream about it.

So…because I am definitely craving it right now, I am sharing this amazing Allergy-friendly chopped salad with you again.

And, I just may dare to say, that once you have tried it…you may start dreaming about it too!

Here is the final product all mixed together:

Not quite so pretty this way…but this is when the pure MAGIC happens. Trust me on this.

This is being shared with Allergy Free Wednesdays.

A simple post for you all today…

Below you will find my go-to lunch on a fairly regular basis – 5 Minute Swiss Chard and Kale Saute with Golden Raisins and Optional Pine Nuts.

But first…

I thought I would share some fun inspirational words that I am hanging around my house these days (and posting all over our vision boards as well).

Why?

Because…I am always thinking about how I am going to help my children to grow up to be the most confident, happy, joyful individuals/leaders that they can possibly be (and aren’t we all trying to do that these days?).

My husband and I try to focus our parenting on doing what we can to foster this, but I thought that keeping some of these simple words out in plain sight as reminders for us on a daily basis would also be fun.

So who knew you would come to my food blog today and gain a few happy reminders of what we should be focusing on each day…

Just note that I did not come up with the quotes written in rainbow colors – they are simply ones that I have collected over time. I am sorry, but I do not know who said them first.

My Path of Good Thoughts to take my children (and you) throughout the day…

“Wake up every morning with the thought that something Wonderful is about to happen. “

because when you look at each day this way, you will be able to…

 “Start Each Day With A Grateful Heart.”

 for that grateful heart will help you to…

 “Be so Happy that when others look at you they become happy too.” 

 then, hopefully, all of that happiness will give you the confidence to understand that when you…

 “Believe that you can, you are already halfway there.”

 and then once you get this you will…

 “Never lose your Sense of Wonder.”

 and with all of that wonder you will be able to…

 “Shine Your Light so that the Whole World can see it.”

 because that light will help you, most importantly, and above all…

 “Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you. Because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl

And as you find the hidden secrets in those unlikely places,

“Look up at the stars and truly believe who you are. Then BE PROUD, BE CONFIDENT, and most of all, BE HAPPY!”

Because, after all, THAT is the most important thing.

 Oh. And when all else fails….

Now, with all of this great perspective for your mind and soul to get you through your day, you must be aching to nourish your insides as well. So here is a great way to do that…

Swiss Chard and Kale Saute with Golden Raisins and Optional Pine Nuts (note that the pine nuts are totally optional and easily traded out or omitted).

This recipe is the easiest thing to whip up and it is a great way to put to use all of the greens that are piled high in the stores right now and, incidentally, growing rampant in my vegetable garden.

And yes. Please do not hate me. Here in Scottsdale, Arizona our winter weather is gentle enough to keep the fall gardens growing straight into spring (as long as you are diligent about covering them with frost cloths on many nights).

BUT, if it makes you feel any better, we melt in the summer here. I think we have 100+ DAYS (yes, days) of 100+ degree Temps! Not much is growing here in our gardens then as all of yours are probably flourishing during your more moderate summer temperatures.

Do you have any “happy thoughts” that you like to share with your children, or remind yourself of, on a daily basis?

This post is being shared with Superfood Sunday over at Pain free Pregnancy

Maybe not the most romantic of meals, but this Drunken Garlic Chicken and Vegetables is packed full of good healthy goodies and would make a perfect Valentine’s Meal for you and your sweetie to eat together.

The best thing is that you will cancel each other’s stinky garlic breath out if you eat it together!

But have no fear, I have tips on how to get rid of that garlic breath as well as Health Benefits of Garlic, just in time for that Valentine’s Day KISS!!

SO..run (er..click) on over to The Balanced Platter and discover 10 Health Benefits of Garlic, how to get rid of that garlic breath, AND a wonderful immune-boosting Drunken Garlic Chicken and Vegetable Recipe.

Wow. Week 4 of the Gluten-Free Holiday Event, hosted by Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, is already here. How can that be? 

In case you missed the first 3 Weeks of this event, here is a little recap:

Week 1 - Amy shared her tips for Healthy Holiday Baking

Week 2 - I shared my Thanksgiving Prep Series and a Candied Apple Cranberry Upside Down Cake in honor of Thanksgiving Favorites.

Week 3 - Alta shared her Edible Gifts of Good Taste with her Gluten-Free Chipotle Maple Mixed Nuts.

And now for Week 4…

Hallie, over at Daily Bites, is focusing on Holiday Entrees and Sides with her beautiful Butternut Squash and Cabbage Salad. Make sure to go and link up a favorite savory holiday dish, either in the linky or in the comments. This will enter you to win a copy of Hallie’s amazing cookbook, The Pure Kitchen. It is one of my favorites and it soon could earn a spot on your counter.

Now, is it just me or do you too feel like time is passing by so quickly these days? I am really focusing on staying in the moment and enjoying each memory we are creating this season.

We have already decked the halls…

and hung the stockings by the chimney with care…

My husband and the boys have already donned the outside of our home in so many lights that Clark Griswold would be jealous (after all, ours are set to music ).

We are taking part in all of our favorite family holiday traditions: hot cocoa and cider by the fire, a different Christmas story book each night, Christmas music playing all afternoon, and the mad dash each morning to find where our special little Elf (on the Shelf) is hiding.

We named our Elf Canyon years ago and he never disappoints in reappearing each year. He is certainly a mischievous and antics-filled little fellow. And last night he made a dashing debut into our home… and  then somehow got stuck in the air vent uptake.

Hopefully he will manage to get himself out of this pickle tonight as he has an important job to do.

He has to get back to the North Pole to report to Santa on who has been naughty or nice in our home.

I know one thing for sure. Mom has been nothing but nice this year.

It is great that December marks the month that my boys are sweet little angels, not wanting to upset Santa in any way. It is just too bad they do not have elves for every other month of the year. How about a Valentine Elf? Or a St. Patty’s Day Elf? Perhaps a Patriotic Elf for the 4th of July? Ooh. And what about a Birthday Elf, for the month before their birthday?

Okay, enough dreaming. I want to share a recipe that I love making during this time of year. The boys in this house, old and young alike, love them. These Savory Baked Apples are Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Corn-free, and easily Vegan. They are a huge hit around here and are packed with healthy ingredients that no one even notices.

You can play around with the ingredients in the stuffing. Omit the Italian sausage for a Vegan version. Play with the herbs. Kick it up with some spice. Anything goes really. But below is our favorite combination of goodies.

Do You Have An Elf? What is his or her name? Canyon would love to get to know some of his friends!

If you have followed my blog for a bit, you may know that there is one thing I am very consistent about in the summertime.

We grill. A lot.

So that we do not get stuck in any grilling ruts, I try and change things up a bit. I play with marinades. I tinker with new meat cuts. And I ask my husband to put things on the grill that make him shake his head in bewilderment at me. Watermelon? He asks. Peaches? He questions.

But I know that he likes it. He loves when guests are over and claim such grilled meals to be delectable delights. After all, unlike the winter months, he gets to claim just a bit of that glory all for himself.

He is, of course, a self-proclaimed King of the Grill around here in the summer.

And even if I did prep, marinade, coddle, rub, and love that food before it ever entered his hands, he was the one who laid it on those hot grates. For that, I suppose I can let him take some of the credit. I am just generous like that.

One more thing. I am going to admit it here.

He is a darn good griller. He has an uncanny knack for pulling that meat off at precisely the right moment. Every single time. It is a skill that was completely inherited from his mother. She is the Queen of her outdoor cooking domain in her home. She has passed down her talents to her son. And I am ever so grateful…considering I am inherently barbeque-challenged.

This Grilled Chicken Recipe is one that makes it onto those grates often around here. It is so simple to throw together and has such a refreshing summer flavor. It pairs perfectly with my Gluten Free Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes or with my Grilled Veggie Packages (recipe to come). And I love that I can throw the marinade together early, let it sit through the day, prep some vegetables beforehand, and then just hand it all off to my hubby at dinnertime, and viola. Dinner. Done.

What is the most unique thing you have thrown on the grill?

I fully intended to get this recipe for my Easy Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Spring-time Fingerling Potato Surprise up before the Easter and Passover Holidays.

But, then again…you did not know that, did you? So I am not even sure why I just mentioned it. Now you know that I am behind schedule.

Oh well. I figure I should at least get them up before Spring has passed us by and we are into the Summer months where turning on an oven for any long period of time is the equivalent of turning on the air conditioning in the dead of winter….

At least that is how it works in our house where summer temps are usually hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Literally. We have done it.

I am not allowed to use my oven much from June through September. So I thought I better get this recipe out now while I still have a month to spare.

I guess I will spoil the surprise part of this recipe now.  I am sure you are all on the edge of your seats. Right?

Okay. Here you go. I add one of my favorite condiments, and, incidentally, one of the few store-bought ones that I use on a regular basis. Sriracha sauce.

I used to despise this sauce. I would actually gag whenever I saw my husband dousing this spicy red concoction on absolutely everything.

And then, somehow, after two pregnancies, and a hormone shift, something changed in me. I completely started to crave it.

So now? I am always on the lookout for ways to include this Thai hot sauce, made from sun ripened chilies, into my recipes. And just recently, my good friend Shirley, from gfe-gluten-free easily, shared this wonderful link with me of 100 Ways to Use Sriracha, from Endless Simmer. All I can say is..Holy Spicy JACKPOT! I have a plethora of new ideas now.

And a note here: I used to be unsure if the Sriracha sauce that I used was gluten-free, but I found this email from the company that stated the following:

From Huy Fong Foods, Inc:

Thank you for your interest in our products! We strive to produce the best sauces using quality ingredients in every bottle.

Our vinegar supplier has ensured us that the vinegar used in all of our sauces is gluten-free. If you would like the name and number of our supplier, simply email us back and we would gladly comply.

Again, thank you for your inquiry. If you have any further questions or comments please do not hesitate to e-mail us.

Sincerely,
Customer Service
——————————
Huy Fong Foods, Inc.
5001 Earle Avenue
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 286-8328
(626) 286-8522 fax
http://www.huyfong.com

My husband eats this all of the time, and knowing how absolutely sensitive he is to gluten-contamination, I can say that he has never once reacted to this sauce.  Thus, it works for our family as a safe condiment for us. You may want to make your own decision regarding this condiment since it is not certified to be gluten-free.

But, if you are ready to step it up a notch and add a little heat to your potatoes, then this just may be the recipe for you.  These work great as either an appetizer or a side dish. I have used them as both.

Now…How do YOU use Sriracha? Or maybe… “do you use Sriracha?” would be the better question?