Blog update on updating the blog…

I have all the content, words and what-have-you, transfered over to this site now.  Yay!  However, I do still have quite a bit of work left to clean up the entries, reattach photos, assign categories, and linking recipes to the recipe page.  Soooo, if you are looking for something specific, please use the search button to the right.  If you need something linked up to the recipe page sooner, leave me a comment and I’ll hook it up as soon as possible.  

 

Thank you for your patience!

Girl Scout Day Camp 2009 – Friday

Today is the end of Girl Scout camp.  This weekend I will update this week’s posts with how things went and photos of all the fun!

breakfast: cheerios or pancakes, toast, sausages, bacon, bananas, fruit mix, milk, apple and orange juice

a.m. snack: chocolate pudding in ice cream cones

lunch: Walking tacos (hamburger, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, doritos, sour cream, taco mild sauce)

pickles

water and whatever is left

desert:  ”must go”  (what ever dessert is left)

No cereal for us.  For breakfast I had made pancakes and sausage with fruit the other day for lunch.  I packed enough pancakes and sausage for each of us for breakfast, then served the rest for lunch.  When I made bacon for the calico bean meal, I packed some bacon into the breakfast containers also.  It’s camp let’s go wild!

I was able to find a flat bottom cake-style cone at my local gluten free store!  Yay!  They are the ones from Let’s Do… They are so great and just the right size.  I love this company’s products.  Their sprinkles (gluten free, dairy free, no artificial ingredients) make every thing fun!  We will bring ZenSoy pudding cups for the pudding.

For the walking tacos, I have more of the ground meat cooked with onions, green pepper and tomatoes, individual bags of corn chips. toffuti sour cream etc.  The camp has left over popsicles they are saving for the girl’s dessert.  Nice!

Girl Scout Day Camp 2009 – Thursday

Today at camp we are canoeing, doing archery, and having our tent sleep over.  At Girl Scout camp a sleepover always means s’mores!

a.m. snack: rice krispies bars (We are bringing our own gluten free ones)

lunch:  mini pizzas (english muffins, pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni)

“Wood ticks on a toilet seat” (apples, cored and sliced in half horizontally, top with cream cheese or peanut butter, sprinkle with raisins or chocolate chips)

fruit punch, lemonade or water

cookies  (bring our own from freezer)

Dinner: pasta, sauce, motz cheese, salad, salad dressing, french bread, milk, water, punch

evening snack:   s’mores

We have gluten and dairy free krispie bars and cookies in the freezer (already individually wrapped so we just have to grab the number we need and go).  For the pizzas, I had one mini pizza already made in the freezer.  I made a batch of our favorite pizza crust then shaped and topped two more pizzas.  With the rest of the dough I made the sub buns for Wednesdays lunch and bread sticks for tonight’s dinner.

For dinner, I made gluten free veggie spirals noodles and topped with our own sauce to heat there.  We have veggie sticks instead of salad as it is more portable.

I have homemade graham crackers in the freezer, so those are being packed with marshmallows (I send their own baggies to roast so they aren’t crossed contaminated, etc.) and small squares of gluten and dairy free chocolate.  I tell the girls they are their “S’more Kits!”

Girl Scout Day Camp 2009 – Wednesday

Today we are going fishing with the girls at camp and going over canoes safety for when we go canoeing tomorrow.  And, of course, we are going to swim!

a.m. snack:  mixed up cracker snack

lunch: sub sandwiches (meat, cheese, pickles) cookies

root beer floats

For the snack the girls and I each have a bag of gluten free pretzels packed.

When I made mini pizzas and bread sticks for tomorrow’s food, I shaped part of the dough into 6″ sub buns.  I have the buns (sliced), a couple of types of GFCF deli-style meat in a baggie for each of us and baggies of pickles packed.  The camp has packets of mayo and mustard that are naturally gluten and dairy free and they will also have water melon and baby carrots.  I had our own chocolate chip cookies in the freezer to bring.  I made the camp cookies much larger than I normally do for home, so they would be extra fun for the girls.

The camp’s root beer is naturally gluten and dairy free and the camp bought a non-dairy, gluten free “ice cream” for us.  That is great!  Now I don’t have to figure out how to transport “ice cream” in a cooler!

Girl Scout Day Camp 2009 – Tuesday

a.m. snack: fruit kabobs

Lunch:  ants on a log (celery, choc chips, peanut butter)

Girl Scout Gumbo (hamburger, cheese, vegetable soup) with Frito’s

Brownies in a box

Fruit punch, lemonade and water

For our “appetizer” our group will be having cream cheese on out celery logs due to other allergies (no peanut products for our group!) so I am bringing Toffuti Cream cheese and GFCF chocolate chips.  The camp leader isn’t doing the more usual raisins on the “ants on a log” as she finds the girls flick them into the woods attracting critters…

For the gumbo, it’s the same as I have done in the past:  ground meat cooked with onion, green pepper and tomato.  We stir in a bit of Toffutti “sour cream” after heating at camp.  Bring corn chips in individual bags.

The girls will help make the brownies in a box.  The brownies will be cooked in a box oven, so it should be fun.  We are bringing our own already made gluten and dairy free brownies to eat.  There is a great tutorial on how to make a box oven here.

Menu Plan Monday – July 6, 2009

I’m walking 60 miles in the Breast Cancer 3-day!  Will you help me reach my goal?

This week the girls and I are off to Girl Scout Day Camp with our gluten and dairy free goodies.  I have pre-posted for each day this week what our camp menu is and what we are bringing instead, so keep an eye out for that.  The posts should be up by 7 a.m. Central time, if I have figured out the post time correctly.

For my dinner menu this week, I will be mostly using my crock pot and husband to get dinner on the table.  I have all my crock pot meals prepped and frozen.  I will only have to make rice or quinoa and a salad for dinner.  I wanted to keep dinner EASY for myself this week as each night I need to be sure to have the meals for the girls and I together for camp the next day.  Everything that can be done is in my freezer ready to go, but I need to be sure to gather the correct things so I am not in a rush in the morning.

Head over to Laura’s for Menu Plan Monday.  For the Gluten Free Menu Swap, see Gluten Free Goodness who is our host this week.  Cheryl has picked garlic, one of my favorites!  Next week I get to host – I so excited!

Monday: Girl Scout Day Camp/baseball game

Slow cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken, rice and salad

Tuesday: Girl Scout Day Camp/summer band/soccer game

G-ma’s Calico Beans (slow cooker), salad

Wednesday: Girl Scout Day Camp/youth group meeting/baseball game

Daddy’s cooking!

Thursday:  Girl Scout Day Camp (we’ll be staying overnight this night)/summer band

Daddy’s cooking!

Friday: Girl Scout Day Camp

Slow Cooker Chicken Jambalaya, rice or quinoa and salad

Girl Scout Day Camp – Monday’s Menu

Snack: Edible Fire This year they are using the following:

Rocks:   M&M’s – we are using Skittles.

Flame:  Candy Corn – we are using dried apricots cut into triangles.

Tinder:  Shoe String Potatoes – we are bringing a small uncontaminated can.

Kindling:  pretzel sticks – I tried to get the Glutano GF pretzel sticks, but my local store was out, so I got the GF pretzel twists.

Logs:  Licorice cut into chunks – We are using a mix of Candy tree Organic Raspberry Bites and GFCF Turkey Sticks

Coals:  Red Hots – my girls don’t like them, so we are using the red skittles for this one.

Water – to put out the fire…

Lunch: Hot dogs (they have all beef, no filler, naturally gluten and dairy free ones at camp.  Woo!), buns (made our own), baby carrots, ranch dressing (GFCF recipe here, but my kids aren’t into dip, so we are skipping it), ketchup (have our own packets), mustard (have our own packets), potato chips (bringing our own single serve packets for each of us).

Desert: Snicker Salad (used the alternatives here, but as I couldn’t find that candy this year, I am cutting up a EnviroKids Peanut Butter Panda Bar and tossing in a few GFCF chocolate chips to replace the snickers bar.  My kids are pleased with that replacement, and it is easy for me!  Gotta love it.)

The before going home snack everyday will be a popsicle (the camp has already GFCF ones) or fudgicle (the camp is getting a box of Toffuti fudge bars for us to have at camp.  How nice!)

Countdown to the 3 day walk: 7 Weeks

Your Training Schedule for This Week:

Monday	Rest
Tuesday	5 miles	Easy walking
Wednesday	45 minutes	Moderate cross-training
Thursday	6 miles	Moderate walking
Friday	45 minutes	Easy cross-training
Saturday	17 miles	Easy walking
Sunday	13 miles	Easy walking

Happy Fourth!

Menu Plan Monday – June 29, 2009

I’m walking 60 miles in the Breast Cancer 3-day!  Will you help me reach my goal?

I’m having a bit of trouble with my plan this week.  I’m not sure what’s up…  the list of stuff I feel needs to get done, my snugged up budget, needing to get ready for Girl Scout camp, or the lack of too much action in my garden yet.  All that, maybe, but mostly I just want to let it go this week…  Yeah, just not feeling the menu planning this week.  So, with a pathetic menu plan (read NONE AT ALL) I am not linking to Menu Plan Monday or the Gluten Free Menu Swap this week, though you should go over there and get inspired.

My menu will be updated every day as I figure it out from my pantry and freezer.  I know, not a great plan, but, hey, it’s summer, so I can take a bit of a break this week and not schedule myself out too much.  Fortunately I have options hanging around the house and sometimes my best meals are ones that are inspired by the back of the pantry.  Let’s see what happens!

Monday: Orchestra/little kicker’s soccer

Herb de Provence Pork Chops, spinach salad, carrots

Tuesday: Orchestra/dental cleaning for me (edit:  no cavities and a great lack of tarter build-up – I ROCK at flossing!  Woo!)/band/baseball game

Hamburgers (again…  sigh), roasted sweet potatoes, salad

Wednesday:  Orchestra/little kicker’s soccer/youth group meeting/Boy Scouts pack for BWCA trip

Bar-B-Q chicken on the grill, watermelon, spinach salad

Thursday:  Orchestra/big boy leaves for the BWCA with the Boy Scouts (at 4:30 a.m.!!!)

Broiled fish with lemon, garden salad (from the garden – Woo!)

Friday:

Saturday: Fourth of July!

Countdown to the 3 day walk: 8 Weeks

Your Training Schedule for This Week:

Monday	Rest
Tuesday	5 miles	Easy walking
Wednesday	45 minutes	Moderate cross-training
Thursday	6 miles	Moderate walking
Friday	45 minutes	Easy cross-training
Saturday	8 miles	Easy walking
Sunday	6 miles	Easy walking

Menu Plan Monday – June 22, 2009

I’m walking 60 miles in the Breast Cancer 3-day!  Will you help me reach my goal?

Head over to Laura’s for Menu Plan Monday.  Then see Esther at the Lilac Kitchen, our host for the Gluten Free Menu Swap.  She has lovely black currants as the theme ingredient.  I am going to have to go with red currents, as that is what I have in my yard.  My crop this year is a bit low as my Dad went a bit too crazy with pruning last year.  Poor things!  I am hoping to get enough for red current jelly.  We will have to see…

Monday: Morning after a sleepover for the big boy/Summer Orchestra/Boy Scout meeting

Curried Chicken Salads, mixed greens salad, blue and raspberries

Tuesday: Summer Orchestra/summer band/soccer game/baseball game

Maple Chili Glazed Pork Tenderloin, salad

Wednesday: Summer Orchestra/little kicker’s soccer/Boy Scout canoeing

Grilled hamburgers, salad, salsa and tortilla chips, nectarines

Thursday: Summer Orchestra/Summer Band/Soccer game/baseball game/Mother-in-law and hubby in town

something in the crockpot…  still thinking about what…  I will update when I decide…

Friday: Sleepover for my big girl/Gluten Free-zer Friday (hey, look, my computer works again!  Woo!)

Veggie stuffed Omelettes, berries, homemade turkey sausage

Saturday: Girl Scout camp leader meeting/birthday party (both girls going)

Also this week:  Make mini chocolate cupcakes for Saturday’s birthday party (decorated with flowers), post Daring Baker Challenge (reveal date is June 27th!), make gluten and dairy free Mississippi Mud Pie (more of a cake type of thing) for Mother-in-law and Father-in-law, walk, walk, walk…

	Countdown to the 3 Day Walk: 9 Weeks

Your Training Schedule for This Week:

Monday	Rest
Tuesday	4 miles	Easy walking
Wednesday	30 minutes	Moderate cross-training
Thursday	5 miles	Moderate walking
Friday	45 minutes	Easy cross-training
Saturday	15 miles	Easy walking
Sunday	11 miles	Easy walking

Gluten Free-zer Friday – On hold due to the computer… again…

So, my post for today is in a computer that is not working right now.  Bummer.  Yep, if anyone is keeping count, it is the second one recently that wants a vacation.  Most of my photos are in the first one.  (Sigh)  Technology – what cha going to do?

I have an a check-up scheduled for the little darling (the laptop) tomorrow .  Wish me luck!

Slow Cooking Thursday – Sesame Slow Cooker Ribs

I’m walking 60 miles in the Breast Cancer 3-day!  Will you help me reach my goal?

Whew!  It’s been awhile since I joined in with Slow Cooking Thursday.  When it was so crazy around here, I just stuck with family favorites and things from the freezer for the crock.  Such a life saver when the schedule is packed!  Head over to Sandra’s for Slow Cooker Thursday and join in the fun!

Sesame Slow Cooker Ribs

Serves 8-10

5 pounds country-style ribs (boneless, pork or beef)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

Sauce:

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

3 Tablespoons corn starch **

1/2 cup  gluten free soy sauce

1/2 cup gluten free ketchup

1/4 cup honey

2 Tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground ginger (or one Tablespoon fresh finely minced ginger)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional and to taste)

When done cooking:

3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Mix brown sugar and corn starch sauce in a bowl (this will eliminate the corn starch from clumping).  Mix the rest of the sauce ingredients into the brown sugar mixture, blending well.  In a 6 quart slow cooker, layer onions and ribs, pouring some sauce on each layer before adding the next.  When all onion and ribs are in the slow cooker, pour the remaining sauce over all.  Put lid on slow cooker.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until pork it cooked through and tender.  Right before serving, sprinkle ribs with sesame seeds and green onions.    Yum!

**If you cannot use corn starch:  At the end of cooking time, remove 1/2 cup of liquid from crock pot and allow to cool.  to do this quickly, you can place the bowl of liquid carefully into a larger bowl with ice water (this is and ice water bath).  After liquid cools, whisk 3 tablespoons arrowroot into the liquid, mixing well.  Add arrowroot mixture back into the crock pot, allowing to cook until the rib sauce has thickened.