Daze of Adventure

Gluten free crockpot meals

April 20, 2012 By jenn 3 Comments

Anyone who knows me knows that my crockpot and I are really good friends.

The best, actually.

It usually goes where I go.

Well, not on planes.

But definitely on road trips.

And weekend getaways.

have crockpot. will travel.

It’s the reason that my family eats most weeks.

It’s surely not because I am in the kitchen slaving away every afternoon.

On those crazy we-are-living-at-the-ball-field kind of weeks, it saves me.

And thanks to it, I don’t have to think of food all day.

Although I usually do think of food all day.

But I am able to think of dinner being in the crockpot and the fact that I am not going to have to stand in the kitchen and cook.

Those are the happiest of thoughts.

Here are 5 of our family’s favorite gluten free crockpot meals::

buffalo chicken:

4 chicken breasts – cooked, shredded
2 – 8oz cream cheese, softened
16oz ranch dressing
4-6oz Franks’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce (adjust according to taste)

While you are cooking chicken on stove, add all other ingredients to crock pot set on medium/high. Add cooked, shredded chicken to mixture in crock pot. Continue to cook in crock pot on medium/low for an approximately 30minutes.

Great for an appetizer or a meal! We will eat this served over rice as a meal, or alone served with chips as a dip. If you have another way to enjoy this, be sure to let me know – this seems to be a weekly *fix* for us!

red beans and rice:

Note: We used to cook an already-seasoned pre-packaged red bean mix. Not these days. I am so paranoid of cross-contamination, so I assemble my own.

2 bags of red beans (no, I did not pre-soak them)
chopped celery
1 can of black beans
1 can of garbanzo beans (just for giggles)
1 chopped green bell pepper (I would have used a red too, if I had one)
1 or 2 (depending on preference) smoked sausage or kielbasa
2 chopped onion
Creole seasoning
Prepared white rice
Shredded cheese & chopped onions (for toppings)
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the beans and pour in Crock Pot. Fill almost to top with water. Cook on low for 2 hours. Add the remaining ingredients (minus the rice and toppings) Cook on Low for an additional 5-6 hours. (Watch water level – you may need to add more after a few hours)

Serve over prepared rice. Add your toppings. And prepare to cook this again next week. The end.

cabbage and sausage:

1 large cabbage
1 smoked sausage
salt, pepper, seasoning to taste
Water

Cut the cabbage and sausage. Layer in crock pot, adding seasoning throughout.

Fill crock with water. Cook on Low for 8 hours.

Serve with gluten free cornbread.

easy crockpot roast:

1 pot roast
Use all or what you have on hand…..carrots, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, celery, potatoes (quartered), onions
Salt, pepper, seasoning to taste

Lay the seasoned roast in the crock pot and layer the cut veggies.

Cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Receive a thumbs-up from your peeps.
Add it to next week’s menu.
Rinse and repeat.

basic chicken:

6 chicken breasts
1 lg onion
1C-ish EVOO
1/2 tsp-ish kosher salt
Minced garlic (optional)
1tsp-ish Paprika
Pepper, seasoning to tast

Slice onion and cover bottom of large crock pot.

Mix the remaining ingredients (minus the chicken) in bowl. Coat chicken breasts well with mixture. Lay on top of onions.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

(pork chops can also be prepared this way)

So, what’s for dinner??

@dazeofadventure

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Filed Under: in the kitchen Tagged With: crockpot chicken, gluten free crockpot meals, roast in the crockpot

Gluten free desserts

April 19, 2012 By jenn Leave a Comment

When you think of desserts, what first comes to your mind?

Cakes? Cupcakes? Brownies??

Yeah, mine too.

Thankfully today all of those are available in gluten-free form.

Betty Crocker jumped on the gluten-free train a couple of years ago and offers brownie, cake and cookie mixes .

warning: you will eat an entire pan of the brownies before you know it. #askmehowiknow

Here are some other yummy ideas for gluten-free desserts that will make your momma want to convert to gluten-free. Seriously.

better than carmel apples
snicker-doodle pie
{regular} peanut butter cookies
fruit-leather-rollups (Fruit Roll-Ups, eat your heart out!)
ice cream pops
{flourless} peanut butter cookies
no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies
tiramisu cupcakes
cheesecake
sunbutter buttons
two ingredient muffins (not really what they are called; i renamed them)
oatmeal peanut butter cookies

If that isn’t enough to satisfy, gluten-free goddess has an {almost} never-ending list. Just be prepared to be there a while.

Enjoy!

@dazeofadventure

Filed Under: in the kitchen Tagged With: betty crocker gluten free, gluten free brownies, gluten free deserts

Gluten free breakfast

April 17, 2012 By jenn 6 Comments

We all know the importance of breakfast.

It’s a brain boost.

It is what gets our bodies and minds going each day.
~~That and coffee.~~

Not everyone is a morning person, ready and willing to take on the day and whip up a gourmet breakfast. No matter how much we love our families, eh?

Here are 10 simple ideas for a gluten free breakfast::
(if you have other faves, I’d love to hear them in the comments)

Overnight crockpot breakfast casserole. (highly recommend this one. it helps me to feel very accomplished early in the morning. when i haven’t even done a thing) <grin>
Fruit smoothies! Whip up a banana and strawberry fave with a few ice cubes and your choice of milk (or substitute). easily adaptable to whatever fruits you have on hand
Cereal. For those kind of mornings.
no fear. we all have them. some ~~of us~~ more than others.

A few of our fave gluten-free cereals…. Gorilla Munch , Leapin’ Lemurs and Gluten Free Rice Krispies .

(so, yeah, we stock up when we find a deal. $2 a box, y’all! my mother-in-law bought every box on the shelf)

p.s. a lot of people think that the original Rice Krispies are gluten free. because of the word rice. take note: they aren’t. they contain barley malt.

Gluten-free donuts. for the mornings you wake with super-powers. or you just need a sugar fix.

gluten free pumpkin donuts
1/2C Gluten Free Bisquick
1/2 can of pureed pumpkin
1 egg
1T oil
Powdered sugar

Pre-heat and spray the mini-donut maker with a non-stick spray before filling. Sift the Bisquick into bowl. Add egg, oil and pumpkin. Stir well. Scoop small amount of batter into each slot. Our donut maker cooks in approximately 3minutes.

For topping, sift powdered sugar.
Yields 10-12 mini-donuts.

(the kids are fans of cheesecake donuts, too. just know, they are addictive.)

Gluten free pancakes or waffles. Plain is old-school, y’all. Why not make the kids think they are at IHOP and top them with fruit and cool whip. Or fill them with blueberries. The possibilities are endless.
Toast with honey, boiled egg and fruit. Fresh berries are a hit around our house.
Breakfast Banana Split

*photo credit

breakfast banana split

1 banana, cut in half lengthwise
1/2c fave gluten free cereal or granola
1/2c yogurt, any flavor
1/4c berries, melon, pineapple, etc.
1 maraschino cherry (optional)

Place banana in bowl and sprinkle 1/4c cereal on top. Top with yogurt, fruit, and remaining cereal. And a cherry on top!

Gluten free muffins – experiment with flours such as King Arthur muffin or Bob’s Red Mill , as I did when I made these pumpkin-corn muffins. they are the best!
Omelets, filled with veggies. And bacon. With bacon on the side. You only live once.

(yes, those muffins are purple. thanks to nicholas and his friend, we were having
a dr. suess kind of morning. minus the green eggs and ham.)
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats . Bob’s Red Mill is our brand of choice here. We keep them in the oatmeal business. I promise you. Oatmeal was a staple in our house when I was growing up. Nan introduced the kids to oatmeal with milk and sugar. I on the other hand introduced them to jelly. It’s the lesser of two evils, y’all. Nicholas still today eats his with jelly. While Maggie-Peyton prefers ‘oatmeal like Nan’s’ – I add honey to mine, topped with berries. Use your imagination. There are many ways to serve-up a bowl of oats.

So, what are y’all having for breakfast??

@dazeofadventure

Filed Under: giveaway/review, in the kitchen Tagged With: crockpot breakfast casserole, gluten free breakfast, gluten free cereal, gluten free donuts, gluten free pancakes

Gluten free bread

April 16, 2012 By jenn 5 Comments

With Celiac Disease, wheat and gluten must be avoided.

Just because something is wheat free doesn’t mean it is gluten free.

And vice-versa.

Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats.

Wheat is just that – wheat.

A product can contain no wheat flour, but still contain rye or barley. Therefore, making it wheat free, but not gluten free.

Big difference, y’all.

One of the first reactions from people when they learn that we are gluten-free is oh, so you can’t have bread??

Yeah, something like that.

#NOT

Here’s a secret:: we eat bread.

And just like millions of other households in the world, we eat a lot of bread.

Sandwiches. Bagels. Breadsticks. Toast. Hamburger buns.

We just eat a different kind. A different brand.

Thankfully there are a number of companies that offer a lot of options, so we ~~aren’t deprived~~ don’t miss out.

When it comes to the numerous Celiac friendly brands, you name it – we have probably tried it.

I went through a spell when I made Gluten Free Girl’s bread mix.

Y’all, hats off to her! It was a short lived spell, because, while I loved having a fancy-smancy canister full of bread mix that I put my heart ~~and a lot of time into~~, I do not have the patience – nor enough hands to carry 327 different flours from the pantry to the mixing bowl to make something I have found I can buy straight off the shelf.

Y’all do know it doesn’t really require that many ingredients, right??

While there are many great options out there, our family has our faves.

When we are home, Bryan is the best at making a couple of loaves of gluten-free bread on the weekends so we have plenty for sandwiches and toast throughout the week. What does he use?? Pamela’s Products.

gluten free sandwich bread

2 1/4C Pamela’s Baking Pancake Mix
2T sugar
1/4t salt
1/2T baking powder
1/2C water
2 eggs, beaten
2T canola oil
Mix dry ingredients well. Add liquid ingredients. Mix on high for 2-3 minutes. Bake in loaf pan at 350° for 10 minutes. Slit the top of the loaf, and lower the heat to 325°, baking for an additional 35 minutes. *oven temps will vary for this recipe

When I have coupons or find a great sale, we stock up on Udi’s sandwich bread and bagels – regular and cinnamon raisin. (cinnamon raisin is my all-time fave)

I am also a fan of the Gluten Free Bisquick , but can not spend $5-$6 on a mix that will make 8ish waffles when I feed a football team every weekend.

This momma has to go with the deals.

One Saturday morning, Bryan was making pancakes a la the gluten free version of Bisquick. Until we ran out. He subbed the difference with Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix. And voila!

2 parts Gluten Free Bisquick + 1 part Pamela’s Pancake Mix = fluffiest pancakes ever!

Sometimes the best recipes are discovered by accident.

When I was little, we’d visit my grandparents on Sunday. In my world, my grandma’s cornbread muffins were famous. Seriously. She’d make an extra pan of them just for me. What can I say? I was a kid with a high metabolism. So, needless to say, when I was diagnosed Celiac, gluten free cornbread was at the top of my list to find.

And I am quite picky, y’all.

gluten free cornbread

1 1/4C Pamela’s Baking Pancake Mix
1C yellow cornmeal
1/3C sugar
1/2t salt
2 eggs, beaten
1C milk (we use soymilk)
2T butter, melted

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased pan and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes. Smother with butter.

I cringe when I hear people say, ‘it’s just too expensive to eat that way’ (referring to gluten free) Here’s my response:: if you have a physical condition that demands you to avoid specific products, there is nothing you can’t do!

You either pay now, or you (and your family) will pay later.

more of our fave products and recipes:
pumpkin-corn muffins
banana bread (again, we use pamela’s flour)
cut biscuits
glutino gluten free breadcrumbs
udi’s hamburger buns
ener-g hamburger buns
dr schar rolls
gillian’s gluten free bread crumbs