Organized Christmas – Day 37

Day 37 talks about simplifying holiday traditions.

 

The recipe is candy cane cookies.  I have a gluten and dairy free version in my Holiday Cookie e-book which our family uses.

Organized Christmas – Day 36

Day 36 is the kick off of Celebrate Week!  Woo!  Tidy up the loose ends in your holiday planning and start celebrating.

Today’s recipe is a silly stocking stuffer of “Reindeer Poop.”  Use the same filler ideas as for “Turkey Poop,” if you are so inclined.

Organized Christmas – Day 35

Day 35 of Organized Christmas is the beginning Catch-Up Weekend!  ”This weekend, do the things that jumpstart your holiday feeling. Play the special carols music. Bake the family cookie recipe. Take in a live performance at church.”…”Whether it’s gifts or decorating, cards or cooking, catch up on what needs doing. But be good to yourself! Lighten up the load and lighten your hearts, because we’re almost there.”  

 

Today’s recipe is Banana-Nut Bread.  For a gluten and dairy free version I have two:  one gluten and dairy free Banana Bread and one free of the top 8 other allergens and refined sugar as well (Hannah Banana Bread).  Both are delicious.

Organized Christmas – Day 34

Day 34 for Organized Christmas talks about recording holiday memories and there is a free printable holiday journal form.

 

Today’s recipe is one we love to make:  cinnamon ornaments!  Yay!

Gluten Free-zer Friday

I have a secret, a deep dark secret.  Well, okay, it’s not so much a secret, because I would tell anyone who asks:  I do not like to run.  Yes, I know my husband is some kind of stud athlete type.  Even when I was younger I never got why people thought it was fun.  I really like to XC ski or bike, or walk, none of which requires jarring pain of the joints.  Ewww!  Yeah.  If I wanted the same fabulous feeling of running, I would hook wires to my joints and plug them directly into the wall (feel the burn!).  

But I would run if I had to.  You know, if there was an elephant stampede through my kitchen (and with 3 kids and 3 dogs, sometimes it seems like that!) or if there was an insane give away on gluten free flours or dark chocolate, or cute little cupcake liners like any of these, or any of the bento boxes here (cuteness!)…  

 

AND I would run for this face:

 

My 10 year-old daughter decided she wanted to run the 5K Turkey Trot this year.  Which meant we had to train.  And stretch and everything.  And she did.  She is an amazing determined girl who even though she has to work harder than others to accomplish some things, still doesn’t give up.  Which means she usually achieves her goal when others decide things are too hard to even finish.  And she ran.  And I ran with her.  She was so proud!  And she did great!  She ran her first 5K by running for 30 to 60 seconds then walking for 60 to 90 seconds in between – the intervals worked great to have small goals to get through and kept her at a good pace.  Of course we made fun hats to wear, because what would a fun run be without an accessory?  And because Cari will want to know:  She ran her first 5K in 52.16 minutes.  (mile one:  15:53, mile two:  17:16,  mile 3:  16:20 and the last .2 miles: 3:27)  Woo!  She totally rocked!  Way to go, honey!

   

 

Head over to MJ’s for Freezer Food Friday and see what she’s putting in her freezer!  If you have a gluten free recipe that you would like to share, post it on your site and link it here.  Then leave me a comment below and I will add you to the Gluten Free-zer Friday roundup.  Thanks! 

 

My contribution today is a recipe from my dad.  When I was growing up he was the king of making meatloaf and chili.  Mmmm…  and he still likes to experiment.  He likes print off recipes he sees and share them with me and we keep each other up to date with the local food adds.  This is a recipe he found at a local news site (Kare 11) but altered, because, like me he can’t leave a recipe alone!  I wonder where I got that from?

 

Sweet, Hot and Spicy Turkey Three Bean Chili

(from Kare 11 by Chef Linda Binion with adaptions by my dad)  My dad makes this in a crock pot (after pre-browning the meat).  He just lets it go until the veggies are tender and the flavors blended well through out.  He will freeze portions into containers to bring to work, or to have for meals at home.  

 

Sweet, Hot and Spicy Turkey Three Been Chili

1 tbsp. olive oil 1 large onion diced 2 lbs. of Ground Lean Turkey Meat    (or use cut up left over turkey) 2 large green bell pepper chopped 1 small can of diced tomatoes 1 medium can of jalapeno peppers (depending how hot you want it), chopped 1 can 14.5 oz. of tomato sauce 2 cans 14.5 oz oven roasted diced tomatoes  1 can of Red Beans – Drained 1 can of Garbanzo Beans – Drained     1 can of Black Beans – Drained 2 cups tomato juice or V8 Salt and Pepper 1 1/2 tbsp. Chili Powder 1 1/2 tbsp. Chili Flakes 1 1/2 tbsp. Chipotel Cinnamon Mix (my dad used McCormick’s Grill Mates Cinnamon Chipotle Rub) (McCormick Allergen statement) 1/4 cup honey

Place onions and peppers in a heavy pot with olive oil and stir until mixture has soften. Remove vegetables and add ground turkey and brown thoroughly. After meat has browned add salt and pepper and all the other spices. Mix thoroughly.   Drain and rinse the beans and add to meat mixture and then add tomato sauce, tomatoes, jalapenos and cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add brown sugar at the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Serve with tofu sour cream and green onions, if desired. Chef Linda Binion   To Freeze:  Cool chili completely, then package into freezer safe containers.  To serve, thaw, heat and serve with a salad and tortilla chips or gluten corn bread.     Participating in Gluten Free-zer Friday: 1. If you would like to participate, simply email your post link or leave a comment below and I will add you to the roundup. 2. Link back to this post on the post with the recipe you have linked.

Organized Christmas – Day 33

Day 33 lands on Thanksgiving, so the assignment is to give thanks!

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  

Organized Christmas – Day 32

On Day 32 of Organized Christmas, talks about enjoying the “Holiday House.”  Switching off the stress of the holidays and focusing on the childlike expectation of the upcoming season…

 

The recipe for the day says, “today’s recipe … What? You need a recipe, today of all days? Get back in that kitchen!”    Ha, ha, ha!

Organized Christmas – Day 31

Day 31 of Organized Christmas has us taking stock of what we have for decorating, organizing and cleaning it up.

 

Today’s recipe is Oatmeal Scotchies.  I haven’t found a dairy free butterscotch chip, so if any one has, please let me know!  I would replace this with Like Real Oatmeal Cookies from Delightfully Gluten Free.

Organizing Christmas – Day 30

Day 30 talks about making a “tearfile” to sort your holiday ideas.  I use this technique with recipes and cookie design ideas, actually.  I have all the photos I have seen in magazines and newspapers over the past few years in a 3 ring binder so I can remember the great cookie design ideas I have seen.  My binder is a great jumping off point for our own designs when we bake!

 

The recipe for today is Lemon Sugar Cookies.  You could try the amaranth flour-based GF Lemon Sugar Cut-out Cookie from about.com or the GF version of Lemon-Basil Sugar Cookie from CF Whitney.  Alter the dairy to the same amount of dairy substitute (such as GFCF milk substitute or Earth Balance Buttery Spread) as needed in the recipe to make dairy free also.

Menu Plan Monday & Thanksgiving

Head over to Laura’s for Menu Plan Monday.  There are a TON of menus linked over there, many of which have yummy things for Thanksgiving, if you need some inspiration.  For the Gluten Free Menu Swap, go see Book of Yum where Sea has picked sweet potatoes as the theme ingredient.

 

 

The good news: my kids are home for the entire week!  Yay for me!  The bad news:  I have been fighting off some sort of nasty sinus thing…  So, I am hoping it clears up the rest of the way before Thursday.  Our family is running the Turkey Trot that morning before we eat our feast, and I don’t want to tote a jumbo box of kleenex around!  Blah!

 

Monday:  No school!/Conferences for elementary school/dental cleaning for the big boy/Boy Scout meeting (swimming)

    Meatloaf and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes (done with all sweet potatoes), salad

 

Tuesday:  No school!/Middle school conference/piano lessons

    Sticky Coconut Chicken(use GF ingredients), salad

 

Wednesday:  No school/pick up salad and fresh turkey/brine turkey (using this brine) and make sure prep all finished for tomorrow’s feast!  Bake apple and pumpkin pies.  

    Salsa roast beef, salad

 

Thursday:  No school!/Turkey Trot 5K/Thanksgiving Dinner

   **Following the Thanksgiving Menu Plan e-book (with a couple extra family requests):

          **Roasted Maple Turkey 

          **Gravy

          **Sage and Sausage Stuffing (made with **Stuffing Bread)

          **Orange Cranberry Sauce

          Instead of Roasted Brussels(**) we are having a gluten and dairy free green bean casserole (I will post on Tuesday, including the crispy onion topping- my kids don’t eat it, but the rest of the family misses it.)

          Instead of Roasted Autumn Vegetables (**), my sister is making another roasted root dish with a glaze to share…

          Mixed greens salad with orange cranberry dressing

          **Gluten & Dairy free Clover Leaf Dinner Rolls (and a second batch of the recipe making a orange cardamon version by adding 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest, and 1/2 scant teaspoon cardamon to the dough, topping with an orange juice glaze)

           Freezer Apple Pie

          **Impossible Pumpkin Pie (made by my oldest daughter)

          **Whipped Coconut Cream

           Pecan Tartlettes (made my my son)

          Cranberry cupcakes with maple butter cream (left over and frozen until Thanksgiving from the Iron Cupcake competition this month)

 

Friday:  No school!

    Grilled turkey sandwiches on stuffing bread (with a little cranberry sauce on the bread…mmmmm) and any other left overs.  There will be left over salsa roast sandwiches for anyone not wanting turkey.