Not Beanie Weenies

Not Beanie Weenies? Sounds weird. Actually, I came across the link a couple times before I finally clicked on it.

I am trying to make more gluten-free meals for selfish reasons (I don’t want to have to make two separate dinners)… And non-selfish reasons (I want my family to eat healthier).

So I thought I would put this one to the test. I like all the ingredients in the recipe, it can’t be that bad! Last week, I put it on the weekly meal plan and we ended up grabbing pizza (and crispy tacos at quoba for me) on Thursday. So I rescheduled it for this evening. I spent all day in pain with contractions. (yay for the last weeks of pregnancy :/ ). Hubbs offered to go get pizza again since I was ordered to lay down and drink water. Determined to stick to our meal plan, I got up and started chopping. Cooking is therapeutic for me anyhow. Plus, the kids can help make this meal. There is nothing wrong with making them work for their food!

As I put the ingredients in the pot, I started to get nervous. Hubbs and I devised a plan that I would wait to add all the hot dogs until we taste-tested it. This way if it’s a fail, we can at least have hot dogs for dinner. Thankfully, this meal was a pleasant surprise. I let Boss try it and he said “it’s perfect.” Well then! Hubbs says its not the prettiest meal I have ever made and he would like me to increase the hot dog to sweet potato ratio next time. So I guess there will be a next time! I love it when we try a new meal and it works out.

Hubbs and Boss each had 3 helpings! Wildman and Cakes had one serving. I was STUFFED after one helping! And we had some leftover. Oh, by the way, I doubled the recipe. Also, I used organic fire roasted diced tomatoes because I like them better then plain diced tomatoes.

Here is recipe: Not Beanie Weenies

For your entertainment:
Now, so everyone is aware of the work I have ahead trying to get Wildman to eat healthier, here is the result when I asked him to pack his lunch for tomorrow.

5 bars, a giant marshmallow, peppermint kisses, cheese stick and pbj on a potato hot dog bun… We had a discussion about making healthier choices. He’s a tough one. He loves sweets, A LOT! And I firmly believe that he should not have sugar at all as he is challenged enough to pay attention. Oh but that’s another post!

Tags: gluten free

Potatoes Make My Belly Happy

My belly is a work in progress. I have been to a number of different doctors over the years, and none of them can come to a conclusion. One doctor said I have Celiac based on my blood test, then he tells me he’s not sure, and to swallow the medicine in an inhaler (at which point I decided he was out of his damn mind and left hopeless). Another said he thinks I have IBS.

I have really given up on getting an actual official diagnosis from an actual doctor. My belly hurt every day, all day. I was beyond exhausted all the time. I would describe this level of fatigue like all the blood was being sucked from my body. I felt so tired, it was laborious to just breathe. And I could not lose weight to save my whole entire life (maintaining an extra 40/50lbs over what is healthy for me is an issue too). I have been battling these problems for like over 10 years.

It was the day after my daughters 2nd birthday party … February 13th.

(had to throw a pic in of her royal cuteness.)

I sat down to have breakfast of bread and butter, leftover from her party. Not even 5 minutes after eating, I thought I was going to die. The fatigue was so bad, I decided at that moment, I was cutting gluten. If I felt better, great! If not, I do not know… Probably back to the doctors to try again. This is not normal!

It was hard… There is wheat in a lot of food! Particularly, processed food. I no longer felt sick after eating. I mean I felt better. Like actually felt better. I am now 34 weeks pregnant and have only gained one pound. I know it’s because of cutting gluten. It’s like my body is thanking me or something.

I also had an awful habit of drinking diet coke. Coffee triggers my gag reflex, so my pick-me-up is diet coke. I happen to love it, especially from the fountain. Maybe it’s the bubbles? I have no idea. I REPEATEDLY asked the doctors of the diet coke could also be upsetting my stomach. Every single time, they would tell me No! Soda won’t upset your stomach. I am not convinced. I just recently finally stopped drinking it completely. It was a lot to consider quitting gluten and diet coke at the same time. I had to work up to it. I will make tea when I want something other then water.

Still sometimes my belly will hurt… Usually in the morning. Maybe I ate something that had gluten and I didn’t realize it. Or maybe my tummy is just not settled in the morning. I can remember since I was a little kid having stomach pain in the morning. When I used to work on the horse farm years and years ago, if I got up before 5am, I would end up puking. Like the bile in my stomach too much in the mornings or something? Who knows. I gave up on the doctors remember?!??

So I have found that eating potato instantly calm my belly. Maybe it’s the starch soaking up some of that yuckiness? Especially like a baked potato or I like to make a little hash browns in my cast iron skillet. Sweet potato works too.

This morning, I put a couple potatoes on a paper plate. Draped them in a soaking wet paper towel and cooked on high for like 5 minutes. I checked one of taters in the middle for fineness by sticking it with a fork… It gave me a little resistance so I put them back in for a minute and half. While that was going on, I got my skillet hot. I chopped a large shallot, like 4 small cloves of garlic, and half a jalapeño. I am like coconut oil right now. (makes the house smell like the beach) put a spoon full of oil and a like half teaspoon of butter (I love real butter). Once potatoes were done, I used a fork and knife and sliced them. They are hot. I didn’t feel like burning my fingers. I through shallots, garlic, jalapeño in to soften maybe like a minute or two. Then added potatoes. Turn the pan up high. Mix it all together then smush potatoes down into a one layer – oh an add salt and pepper! Let brown and get crispy. Flip and lite other side get crispy. Yum.

Hash browns are not complete without

Now, it’s time for me to heal my belly.

Instantly soothed.

Tags: gluten free, Hash browns

Crabs

Born and raised in Maryland, these are our pride and joy. So happy they are GF

Pickin’ Crabs is more then eating. It’s about family and friends gathered around the table together, enjoying one another’s company. You see, the process of extracting the crabmeat is a little time-consuming so there is plenty of time to laugh and talk between bites. It’s an all afternoon event. No rushing. Just picking, talking, and drinking.

Tags: gluten free, MD Blue Crabs

Gluten-Free Dessert: “Krispie Treats”

Who hasn’t had one of these?  Better yet… who doesn’t love them???  (Well, Boss did go through a thing when he was younger where he would not eat them because he didn’t like to get his fingers sticky.  He’s over that now.)

Fun fact:

In 1941, Kellogg’s employee Mildred Day concocted and published a recipe for a Camp Fire Girls bake sale consisting of Rice Krispies, melted marshmallows, and margarine.

Fun fact:

In 2008, I worked in the Confectionary in the Magic Kingdom, Disney World, while participating in their business internship program.  I made enormous versions of these everyday, in all sorts of variations.

Fun fact #3:

That was my most favorite job EVER even though I gained 10lbs in a semester, and it was not from beer.

See what krispie treats do to you… you can’t help but feel FUN!  okay okay okay enough…  In case you were deprived of ever making these with your ma or pa as a child, here’s the recipe:

 

Krispie Treats Recipe 

1/4 cup butter
1 (10 oz., about 40) pkg. regular marshmallows or 3 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies cereal

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and continue to stir until the marshmallows have completely melted. Remove from heat.

Stir in the rice krispies cereal coating them well with the melted marshmallow mixture.

Using a buttered or silicone spatula, press the mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan which has been buttered or sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with wax paper.

Cut into squares when the mixture cools.

Makes 24 squares.

 

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:

 

Microwave butter with marshmallows on high setting for 2 minutes in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir together when melted. Microwave again on high for 1 additional minute. Stir in cereal, mixing until well coated. Press into pan as above.

Tags: Gluten Free Dessert, Kid Friendly, Krispie Treats

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Grilled Spring Onions and Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Okay… so this meal plan turned out so well… we ate it all and I neglected to get a photo before it got devoured.  Sorry.  Trust me, it’s good.  To make up for it, here’s a picture of the view from my deck.  Our weather has been crazy beautiful lately.  This pic certainly doesn’t do it justice.  Whatever, just make this meal for your family!

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Grilled Spring Onions is an Anne Burrell recipe.  Generally, I have had amazing results with her recipes.  I don’t particularly care if she’s a little weird… she can cook!  I used a skirt steak because it was on sale.  It worked fabulously for this recipe.  Just be careful not to overcook.  My theory with a cut like this, is you can always put it back on the heat if it’s too medium for someone.  I cooked the steak on the grill tonight.  I was out of propane last night… that’s why my grilled island chicken didn’t get grilled.  I did make this with the horseradish sauce called for in the recipe, which the adults rather enjoyed.  Generally, the kid’s sauce of choice is ketchup.  Seriously, I am okay with it if Wildman wants to dip everything in ketchup.  At least he’s eating food that’s good for him, that’s covered in ketchup!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries.  I love sweet potato fries.  I used to hate sweet potatoes… now I LOVE them!! (it’s weird how that happens) These weren’t really spicy.  They should be called Smokey Sweet Potato Fries but still super delicious!!

Served up with a light salad… It was a wonderful dinner.  Everyone ate and asked for more.  (okay, Wildman didn’t love the sweet potato fries but we all know by now that he doesn’t really like anything good for him)  Honestly, this dinner was not very time consuming although one might think it would be.  I plan to put this one in the regular rotation!

As I said earlier, this evening was absolutely beautiful.  We have been really blessed recently with some absolutely perfect weather here in MD.  Hubbs had a long day today working all the way in NJ and he arrived home just in time to enjoy dinner on the deck with us.  And my in-laws stopped up for a little visit.  It was just a great evening.  Love!!

Tags: Gluten Free Dinner, Grilled Skirt Steak, Sweet Potato Fries

(Grilled) Island Chicken & Honey Citrus Glazed Carrots

This is another meal I pulled from the Gluten-Free Mom site.   Her meal consisted of Grilled Island Chicken, Honey Citrus Glazed Carrots, and Sauteed Broccoli Rabe.

Last time I attempted to make broccoli rabe was about 5 years ago and it resulted in Boss barfing it up all over the kitchen floor.  My Boss man is such a little foodie… even as a toddler… he tries everything I put in front of him.  As us Mom’s usually end up doing, we serve kids and spouse before ourselves.  I followed a recipe and make the classic mistake of not trying the broccoli rabe before serving it.  Initially, I thought he was sick but he then told me it was the green stuff.  I tasted it and gagged.  AWFUL.  I felt so bad for Boss, apologized profusely, and threw it directly in the trash.  Maybe there is a super secret to cooking it to where it is actually edible?

The main lesson learned from this experience was not that broccoli rabe is the devil but that I have to taste food before serving it.  Always taste your food before serving it!!!  Avoid having to clean-up barf before you even get to your dinner!

Okay, now that I have probably sufficiently grossed you out (sorry, just wanted to warn you)…  I had every intention of grilling the Grilled Island Chicken but my grill wasn’t cooperating.  We only use charcoal around here and I have the lovely Weber with the little propane tank to aid in lighting the charcoal in a more timely manner.  Well, I was either out of propane or the lighter thingy needs to be replaced.  Anyhow, I wanted to get dinner done before taking boys to Tae Kwon Do so I went to plan B and threw it in my cast iron skillet.

Boss was already working the carrots for me on the stove, so no biggie. (I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that the boys like to help cook!! love it!)  This chicken recipe calls for lemon juice in the marinade.  Hubbs is not a fan of lemon (but he likes lemonade?  he’s weird) but I went with it.  I am wondering if cooking it in the skillet may have made it more lemony tasting then if it had been grilled???  Hey, I liked it!  But I am also in love with lemons.  So I would cut down on lemon a little next time for everyone else’s sake or maybe try it with lime!  It’s especially yummy with the carrots – they pair very well together in the same bite.  The carrots got rave reviews from Hubbs.  The kids weren’t so happy with them but they don’t really like cooked carrots.  I made them eat some raw baby carrots instead.  Oh and one more thing on the chicken, if you are GF, use a gluten-free soy sauce.

As you can see, I made some steamed (regular) broccoli instead of broccoli rabe.

Recipes:

Grilled Island Chicken

Honey Citrus Glazed Carrots

Microwave (?!?!?!) Potato Chips

Yes.  You can make potato chips in the microwave.  I had no idea.  I stumbled across it on the internet a while back and tried it.

To my surprise, it worked!  Say what!?!?! I LOVE potato chips.  Love, love, love, them.   They are fried and fattening.  I have always dreamed of a solution to this dilemma.  To be able to enjoy crunchy, yummy chips without all the fat and cals… oh living the dream!

My friend had a Pampered Chef party and they sell these microwave chip trays.  First thing on my order form.  I finally tried them!!  Love it!!  Sweet potato chips with a little chili powder and sea salt.  Get out.  So good.

 

Here is product demo.  I lost my instructions that came with the trays.  Thank goodness they make videos for people like me!!

Pampered Chef Microwave Chip Maker

Tags: gluten free, healthy potato chips, microwave potato chips

Working on it

The schedule has been working nicely.  We have not been able to stick to it 100% but it’s helping.  Ya know, life gets in the way sometimes.  This weekend was kind of a blur.  Saturday Hubbs was working and so it was me and the kids.  I wanted to take them to do something fun but, of course, it didn’t happen.  Boss got up early on Sat to help me with household chores.  It was my Mothers Day present.  He is such a great helper.  We worked in the garden.  They got to play on the slip  n slide and with the neighbor kids.

Sunday, was Mothers Day, and it was tough for me.   A couple times I had to reel myself in and look at the bigger picture.  There are stresses in my life that I cannot write about on here because I know who reads my blog… and if there is anything I have learned in my 29+++ years is that, generally, people don’t change and, especially, you cannot change anyone.  Knowing this, there is generally no point in wasting energy to even try to talk about certain issues.  That being said, it does not mean that these things still do not get to me from time to time and I let the hurt in.  I try hard not too but sometimes, it’s too much.   Luckily, yesterday ended on a great note and my Mother’s Day didn’t feel like a complete fail.

Anyhow, I am tired and exhausted, and tired, and achy and feeling extremely old this morning.  I managed to get the boys off to school and get back to hop on my laptop.  In between taking care of some immediate work-related items, I updated my weekly schedule project.

My kids like having this to reference.  Especially, Boss, who thrives and lives for structure.  Wildman doesn’t like structure but DESPERATELY needs it (as do I).   Boss loves to check the schedule everyday.  He likes to be prepared and on task.  There are some changes I need to make and I believe I will be constantly tweaking until we get it right.

I am no longer letting the boys ride the bus at all anymore.  Unfortunately, the bus is a free for all. There are too many children that cannot control themselves or behave, and my kids just do not need to be around this sort of behavior.   I had blocked our time for getting on the bus or car riding anyway.  Personally, I am having serious issues with the public school system at the moment and looking into other options for my children.  (Note:  I LOVE my kids teachers.  LOVE them.  They are wonderful and my kids are doing well educationally.  My issues are with the administration, other kid’s behavior, and their parents or lack of parenting.  I will get into this more in another post but if I did so in this one, it might be 867 pages long.)

The laundry.  My nemesis.  First of all, for me to put on the schedule that they need to do their laundry for PM chores on their day, is a fail.  This is an all day process okay.  Their dirties need to go in the washer in the AM before they leave for school.  I then need to put them in dryer during the day so they are ready to fold and put away for PM chore time.  Second, Wildman is wild.  His room and laundry needs to be maintained like daily at this point.  I found it helpful to work on his room a little bit each night last week.  It kept stress down a little.  He’s the kid who when you walk into his room, you may instantly have a panic attack.  It’s extremely overwhelming.

Here we are for this week:

 

Now I get to try to coax my 2 yr old from behind the couches so I can change her diaper.  Happy Monday!

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day!

For me, Mother’s Day is usually just another day. I feel the same way about Valentines Day and my birthday. I know what an awful thing to say, right? We might go out to dinner, but other then that, it’s business as usual. There’s no flowers or chocolates or presents or breakfast in bed.

Just moments ago, I found myself having a self-pity party. I felt jealous that I couldn’t lay around all day in the beautiful sunshine, drinking cocktails. Kids needed to be fed, things picked up, dogs taken care of. Plus, I am 33 weeks pregnant so cocktails are out of the question… Maybe if I demanded more of a fuss?

And time to get real!!!

Right now, I am enjoying a couple moments of peace sitting on my front porch. Hubbs, Boss, and Cakes are all passed out. Wildman is playing with the neighbor kids. Just sitting here listening to all the birds and the kids laughing… And thinking.

What more could a Mom ask for? (well, I could certainly think of a couple things haha). But for real, so I don’t get fussed over or waited on for Mothers Day. I do know that my family does appreciate me. I need to be thankful for all that I have… My hard-working, loving, and loyal Hubbs, my beautiful healthy children, food in our bellies, and a roof over our heads. We live in some of the most beautiful country here, I am thankful I can walk out into my yard and I am surrounded by trees and fields and luscious green grass. It wouldn’t be as enjoyable if I didn’t have my family (and my lovely extended family aka our neighbors to share it with. Really, I am the richest woman alive!

Being a Mom is hard work, there are no vacations (even if you are lucky enough to get a actual vacation – you still worry and miss your children). And when they get older, it doesn’t end. You worry and care for them and their children too! It’s part of the job description. It’s generally a self-less, thankless, and never-ending job.

I hope you enjoy your Mothers Day. If you don’t get fussed over (and I hope you do because it is kinda nice), I wish for you to at least get a couple peaceful moments today to enjoy some reflection and to be grateful for all your blessings.

Sunny Saturday

(Cakes takes her sun protection seriously! Lol)

The kids got up early to help me with laundry for this beautiful mothers day weekend. Well, it was so gorgeous out, I had to let them try out their new slip n slide! I only got pics of Cakes in her super cute bathing suit. Sorry. Couldn’t help myself. So cute! The boys wouldn’t sit still long enough for a pic anyway!

We worked on our vegetable garden and then the kids played with the neighbors. Sassy aka Lucy got to play with her neighbor buddy too.

For dinner, we headed to the deck to grill burgers and hot dogs for dinner and the kids played in the yard while waiting for the men to get home from work. So, apparently, this day wasn’t perfect enough! We had two hot air balloons pass over. The kids completely went crazy! Cakes was screaming, she was so excited. She loves balloons and airplanes, so really it doesn’t get better for her.

Oh it does get more perfect! S’mores by the fire with our awesome neighbors!

The boys told me that they had a great day, if Dad was home, then it would have been perfect. I have to agree. Beautiful day enjoying what’s truly important. <3

Tags: Kids