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?

…at least I hope they will eat it. Hmmm. Perhaps I better cross my fingers on this point.

But my kids seem to really like this…so I think yours could too!

The reasons I think my kids find this salad fun is because it is:

Sweet. Crunchy. Tangy. Purple. Did I already say Sweet? And Purple?

Oh. And parents will like it because:

It only has a few ingredients. It is super easy to throw together. And it is super-duper healthy.

Did you know about all of the health benefits of Cabbage? Especially Purple/Red Cabbage?

Well, here are just a few things to get you excited about the possibility (again, fingers crossed) of your kids eating this wonder food:

1. Cabbage is an amazing detoxifier due to abundant amounts of Vitamin C, Sulphur, and other minerals that help it to purify the blood and remove toxins (primarily free radicals and uric acid).

2. Cabbage has wonderful anti-cancer properties, due to over 30 different anti-cancer chemicals identified in it. The most beneficial property is due to the high content of anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids that has been linked to cancer protection.

3. Cabbage is known to boost immunity, due to the high levels of Vitamin E which are known to assist in DNA repair and other metabolic processes, along with developing immunity building properties.

4. Juice from the red Cabbage is known to aid in ulcer and digestive healing because of it’s high levels of the amino acid called glutamine.

Hopefully, some of those above reasons will encourage you to see if your kids will try this salad!

Okay, now tell me….do you think YOUR kids (or whoever your picky eater might be) would like this? 

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

I admit it. I have a hard time keeping up with my normal blogging schedule when the kids are home for summer. I have wanted to share this recipe for Gluten Free Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes with you for a while now.

I think it really is due to the fact that I do not budget my time properly. Or at all, for that matter.

But, it is summer. And we are having fun. And a lot of it.

So, I am not making excuses. I am just looking for ways to get in and out of the kitchen fairly quick these days.

Most of our meals have been coming off of the grill or from a quick flash in the pan on the stove-top.

This is mainly because my husband has officially turned on his “Do Not Turn On the Oven” sign.  Now that we have officially reached the triple digits outside, he deems the oven as off limits until we dip back down into the 90′s.

Okay. He does not really have a sign…Yet. But you can bet your oven mitts that one of these days, with all of the times that I break his rule, there will be one soon. And he will probably have it made…in Neon Lights. And it will probably be obnoxiously big.

And because he rarely reads my blog, I will make an admission. I am going to say it here…he is right. GASP! The oven really does heat the house up entirely too much during the summer.

But. Do. Not. Ever. Tell. Him. I. Said. So. Ever.

Okay. I feel better now that I have gotten that off of my chest.

So about this recipe…I have been making a version of this for years. And recently, the April issue of  Cooking Light had a very similar recipe to the one I have been making all of this time. It inspired me to whip it up again (especially since my yellow tear-drop tomatoes in my garden are growing faster than we can eat them). It is so easy to throw together. And as you can see, it also makes an absolutely beautiful and colorful side dish.

Oh, and my friend AndreAnna, from Life as a Plate, marinates her tomatoes overnight in balsamic vinegar for her Balsamic Grilled Cherry Tomato Salad and I think that would be absolutely brilliant in this recipe as well! The next time I make this, I am using her method.

Oh…and make sure to check back next week. I have a fun, fast, and easy Red, White, and Blue treat to help you enjoy our nation’s Independence Day with a big smile!

This Gluten Free Pineapple Avocado Salsa is going to hit the spot on those hot summer days.

Yes. I said it. Summer.

I know. It is hard to believe that even though Spring feels as if it just began, Summer is officially starting TODAY..at least for my boys. This is the last day of school before they are out for summer break.

It completely snuck up on me.

So? This is our signal to the beginning of… Summer camp. Endless hours in the pool. Weeks of fun at the beach. Art projects. Hot hot weather. Oh yeah..and air conditioning. Lots and lots of air-conditioning.

I suppose it is time to start getting into the summer cooking (or the absence of it) mode.  I am mentally digging through my recipes that are great for our hot Arizona summer days.

Did I mention how grateful we are for  that air-conditioning?

This Gluten Free (and everything-else-free) Pineapple Avocado Salsa is just one of those repices that fits the bill perfectly. The unbelievably sweet pineapple sitting on my counter, right next to the perfectly ripe avocado, reminded me of this delicious pairing.

The boys love snacking on this salsa with Organic White Corn Tortilla chips. And they think it is a total treat when I top my citrus-marinated flank steak tacos with it.  They call those tacos an “easy dinner”…with “easy” referring to the fact that they do not roll their eyes at their plates and can devour more than one helping without any prodding from Mom and Dad.

This perfect summer appetizer is such a deliciously simple recipe and it is packed with only good things. It is fresh, fun, healthy, and totally colorful.

Oh..It also might just put you in the mood for a refreshing cocktail. I have a few of those up my sleeve, too. I will be sharing them soon. Consider yourself warned.

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?

Before I get to this amazing Gluten-Free Baked Beans Recipe, I thought it was time to reveal the truth about me.  If you read my last post, The Gluten-Free Diner Giveaway and 5 “Facts” About Me, you saw my list of the 5 “facts” that I posted about myself. Only one of those was an actual fact.  The rest? All lies.  And only a few of you guessed right.  So, now for the true reveal! I have re-listed the facts and why or why they may not be true.

1.  My house is always a complete and total disaster.

Nope this is not the right one.  Why? Because I have a problem. My friends tease me about it. Some actually have had dreams about this said problem. One girlfriend just recently dreamt that my house was, in fact, a complete and total disaster and she said she woke up feeling so excited, relieved, justified …until she realized it was just a dream.

So yes. I keep an organized house.  I have a basket or storage spot for everything. That does not mean that I do not always have toys strewn all over the house. I do.  Or ingredients for four different recipes always sitting on my kitchen counters. Again, yes. Or art supplies for the two different art projects my kids have going at any time strewn across my dining room table.  A given.

These things, in fact, are a usual state for our home.  But, a complete and total disaster? I would not go that far. Maybe I should just start calling it an “organized mess”.

2.  I have a wake-boarding boat that is so big it will not even fit in our over-sized garage.

Part of this sentence is true. We do have a wake-boarding boat. It is very big.  However, my husband actually had the garage designed and built to fit his “boat baby” along with our cars and all of his other “toys”.  It is a man’s playground in there. Thank goodness I have two boys who love to fix things in the garage with Daddy. Mommy gets a lot of time to herself in the house these days.

3.  I know how to surf pretty well and love to ride the waves with my husband.

This, in fact, is not a fact at all (much to the complete chagrin and utter disappointment of my husband). I have surfed before.  But there are two things about the above statement that make it not true. One – my surfing abilities are more closely related to drowning scares. And two – because of said drowning scares, I anything BUT love to be out there with my husband.  And because of Number One, it actually relieves my husband not to have me out there with him.

He only can save me from near-death so many times.

4.  I love my chocolate chip cookies hot and straight from the oven.

A little bizarre and possibly very un-American of me, but….I actually do not like my chocolate cookies straight from the oven. Instead, I love my home-made cookies straight from the…FREEZER! I love the hard, frozen, chocolate chunks. I wonder, if there were to be some analysis about this, what, exactly it would say about me?

5.  I have been to over 10 Jimmy Buffett Concerts in the last seventeen years.

Who would have guessed?  Well, apparently only a few of you! But…this is it! This one is true!  A Parrothead I am. Are you surprised?

——–

Okay, so now for the secret that makes these Gluten-Free Baked Beans so darn good. Ready? It is Artisanal Root Beer.  You know the kind that comes in a glass bottle and is made from sugar and spices and NOT from High-Fructose Corn Syrup?

Back in July, Bon Appetit included a recipe for Root Beer Baked Beans in their magazine.  I could not resist trying it.  I love home-made baked beans. And then to include an Artisanal root beer into the mix?

I have fond memories of those cool glass bottles of Artisanal Root Beers and Sarsaparilla that were part of many special occasions of my youth. And, to add a bit of this to a baked beans recipe? What a perfect touch.  You will not be disappointed by this recipe. I have adapted it a bit from the original recipe to make it slightly healthier and more suited to our particular tastes.  The kids devoured these, as did my husband and I.

Oh. And we may or may not have eaten these for breakfast again the next morning.  They were that good.

Gluten-Free Artisanal Root Beer Baked Beans

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, July 2010 issue

Ingredients:

3 slices Applewood Smoked Bacon (I used Applegate Farms Organic Sunday Bacon), cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces

3 cups onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 – 15 ounce cans Cannellini Beans or Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained, preferably Organic

1 cup Artisanal Root Beer (such as, Virgil’s – which, has NO HFCS and even says it is Gluten Free on the bottle)

3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Tablespoons Organic Coconut Palm Sugar (original recipe calls for light Molasses)

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (optional, or more to taste)

1 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground

Green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook sliced bacon in large oven-proof pot, over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Use slotted spoon to transfer bacon to paper towel. Drain all but 2 Tablespoons of bacon drippings from pot.

2.  Add onions to reserved drippings in pot. Sautee until browned, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic, stir 1 minute.

3.  Add beans, root beer, vinegar, sugar, tomato paste, mustard, chili powder, Sea Salt, and pepper. Mix all together.  Stir in bacon and bring to boil.

4.  Transfer pot to oven. Bake uncovered until liquid thickens, about 30 minutes. Serve topped with green onions for garnish, if desired.

So did you have me pegged for a Parrot Head? I cannot help it. His music just reminds me of relaxing vacations in the Caribbean and many wonderful House Boating vacations on Lake Powell.

This post is linked to:

Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

PART 4 of The Ultimate Thanksgiving Prep Series: Gluten-Free Stuffing with Apples, Sausage, Pine Nuts, and…a special twist.

It is the age-old question. It comes up every year. Some say what you call it is based on what region of the country you are from. Others say it has everything to do with whether or not that mixture is stuck inside a turkey’s bum.

I am not going to beat this topic with my wooden spoon.

Stuffing? Dressing? Call it what you like.

So, just for the record…I call it stuffing. And…I grew up on the West Coast. Oh….And I do not stuff it inside my bird. Got it?

The recipe I am sharing with you today evolved eight years ago when my Mom and I were on a quest to make a stuffing dish that would shine next to our Cider Glazed Brined Turkey and Apple Brandy Gravy (recipe coming in my next post of this series).

It was my first year to tackle the holiday by myself (okay, my Mom had my back the entire time…but, I like to remember it as my day to shine). I wanted everything to be spectacular. After all, I had some big shoes to fill (alright, her feet are smaller than mine, but her talent and energy make those little size 6’s seem like clown shoes).

That year we created the perfect base for this stuffing recipe that has evolved only slightly over the years. And it is with great pride that, today I present you with what will most likely be our Family Stuffing Recipe that will be handed down to the generations that will follow my mother and I.

This stuffing creation contains a mix of both my Gluten-Free Cornbread recipe and The Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef’s Crusty Bread Recipe from their new cookbook. The combination of these two make this dish unbelievable (although, I will insert here, that I have also made this with Udi’s Gluten-Free Multi-grain Sandwich bread, when short on time to make my own, with amazing results as well).

Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe

Gluten-Free Crusty Bread

On top of that magical bread combo, there is also a secret ingredient in this recipe. This ingredient, when mixed with the other delectable flavors called for, knocks this one out of the park.

No more teasing.

The ingredient is…Pumpkin Puree. Yes. Really.

Do not leave it out. You will be sad. And I like you all too much to know that you will be sad on Thanksgiving.

And I have proof that even an official pumpkin hater loves this ingredient in his stuffing (even if he does not know it is in there). But you have to read my guest post over at Glugle, Gluten-Free to see how I have even managed to trick good ole’ Uncle Norm. All of these years and he still has had no idea that pureed pumpkin is such a key in this recipe.

Well, until he reads this post.

THE ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING PREP SERIES:

PART 1: The Menu and The Plan of The Ultimate Thanksgiving Series

PART 2: Cranberry Citrus Cider Sauce AND Green Bean and Shallot Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette.

PART 3: The Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe for the stuffing (with the Variation to make the Savory Cornbread Rosemary Muffins to go with the meal) and Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes.

PART 4: The Gluten-free Cornbread and Crusty Bread Stuffing with Apples, Sausage, Pine Nuts, Golden Raisins, and…Pumpkin Puree.

PART 5: Cider Glazed Brined Turkey with Apple Brandy Gravy

PART 6: Toffee Pecan Caramel Apple Streusel (Gluten-free and Egg-free already, but ways to make this baby Dairy-free and Nut-free as well) and Crustless Pumpkin Streusel Pie.

PART 7: The MASTER Shopping List

PART 8: The Recap, with links to everything.

PART 3 of my Ultimate Thanksgiving Prep Series is all about Crock-pot Mashed Potatoes (yes, you read that right) and Gluten-Free Cornbread that you can use both for the stuffing and as a savory muffin to go along with the meal. Another two-for -one day for you.

Okay. I have a confession.  I make my mashed potatoes…in a crock-pot. Now I have a secret to go along with this confession.  They are, by far, some of the best mashed potatoes I have ever had.

And, I am not alone.  There are others like me (I apologize if that sounds a little creepy).  Case in point, Stephanie O’Dea, of the blogA Year of Slow Cooking and author of Make It Fast, Cook It Slow, has the same secret (well, hers is not a secret since she posted her recipe for them a couple of years ago on her blog).  But I am just happy to know that I am in good company.

Now, regardless of whether you make this quintessential Thanksgiving side in the crock-pot or on the stove as you are putting the finishing touches on the rest of your dishes for your meal, there are a few tricks of the trade that will help you whip up (although whipping is not really the preferred method) the perfect mashed potatoes:

* Always start your potatoes in a pot of cold water and then bring them to a simmer, not a boil (boiling will give you water-logged potatoes).

* For good flavor, you can simmer the potatoes with the skin on and then once they are cool enough to handle, peel them.

* Make sure that the ingredients you are adding to the cooked potatoes are warm (i.e. heat your milk, cream, yogurt, cream-cheese, butter, or whatever you are adding).  Cold ingredients will tighten the starches in the potatoes and make them ooey and gluey.

* Use a masher or a ricer, instead of an electric mixer.  A mixer will leave you with gummy potatoes.

Making them in the crock pot using this method, eliminates the need for that well-known Thanksgiving jig called the Last Minute Potato Mash. It frees you up for all of that hectic chaos that usually ensues right before your crew sits down to the Thanksgiving meal (and yes, no matter how organized you are, it still seems that some form of frazzled energy erupts right before you are all about to sit down and give thanks).

And, like I said before, they are really some of the best potatoes I have ever eaten.

I also have a special stuffing recipe that I will be sharing with you in my next post this weekend.  Because part of this recipe includes cornbread, and because I also like to serve savory cornbread muffins to go along with our holiday meal, I make a lot of cornbread during the week of Thanksgiving.

One would think that after all of these years, I might be getting tired of cornbread. Umm…one might be right.  And next year, I think I may risk changing it up a bit.  But for this year, I will prevent any family upheavals and will keep with what they love best.  Cornbread.

I use the cornbread recipe below for both the stuffing cubes and, after adding some optional ingredients, for my savory muffins as well.

THE ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING PREP SERIES:

PART 1: The Menu and The Plan of The Ultimate Thanksgiving Series

PART 2: Cranberry Citrus Cider Sauce AND Green Bean and Shallot Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette.

PART 3: The Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe for the stuffing (with the Variation to make the Savory Cornbread Rosemary Muffins to go with the meal) and Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes.

PART 4: The Gluten-free Cornbread and Crusty Bread Stuffing I have been promising (and trust me, you will not want to leave out the secret ingredient).

PART 5: Cider Glazed Brined Turkey with Apple Brandy Gravy

PART 6: Toffee Pecan Caramel Apple Streusel (Gluten-free and Egg-free already, but ways to make it Dairy-free and Nut-free as well) and Crustless Pumpkin Streusel Pie.

PART 7: The MASTER Shopping List

BEFORE GLUTEN FREE….

So many things were different before gluten free.

A cake made from scratch?

No, not ever from me.

Homemade pasta, fresh scones, a pie crust not frozen?

Not then. But now? Yes. I gladly make them by the dozens.

A gluten free bread loaf made with these two hands?

No.. Oh yes! And it has earned me some of my greatest fans.

A smoothie, bright green? Not in my blender, oh no.

But now, it is a Vitamix – whirring kale – that I happily own.

Farmer’s markets, Co-op’s, hauls from CSA’s

The bounties of these leave me fully amazed.

All of them full of foods safe for us to eat,

But no labels needed: just naturally “G – Free”

So if you are new to gluten-free and just starting out.

Go through those emotions, then get out those pouts.

But once you have said so long to that wheat.

Just know what is waiting can be forever sweet.

Embrace it and greet it with arms open wide.

The gift to your health will be your greatest surprise.

For us, gluten-free has changed for good who we will be.

But the gluten free “label” will not define who is “we”.

It is the lifestyle, the love, the fresh foods that are grown.

And it has shaped forever what our meals mean in our home.

By Me

With that, I will leave you with my recipe for homemade Cinnamon Vanilla Applesauce.  It is the easiest thing to make and you will never want to eat the store-bought stuff again.  I got into making it when I started making my boy’s baby food.  Who knew that making applesauce from scratch could be so simple, yet so rewarding?

I make this a lot of this during the fall and winter months, especially.  It goes so nicely with a good savory pork roast, or even as a topping for my cinnamon vanilla ice cream (recipe coming soon).  Either way, give it a try and you just might be surprised by how easy this is.  And, of course, it is naturally gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free, soy free, corn free, … (somebody stop me).  And, staying true to my pumpkin obsession, I have also included a little optional pumpkin twist to this recipe…

Now..who were you before gluten free?

This post is linked to:

Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

Gluten Free Wednesdays

Real Food Wednesday