Overall I was rather impressed with the taste of the batter around the hotdog. It was nice eating a corndog knowing that I wasn't going to feel like a truck backed over me.

Your kiddos will absolutely love them, and the nice thing about them is that they are very filling. The 3 that I consumed filled me up for the rest of the day.

Happy Monday!  The weather is supposed to be pushing 90 today, which means, let the BBQs begin!!  Summertime (well, just about anytime for Crosby, my hubby) means time for some finger-lickin' BBQ. 

We were definitely inspired by the sun yesterday and decided to BBQ some burgers.  Now, in honor of Celiac Awareness Month (which starts tomorrow), we couldn't just make mediocre burgers.  We had to go all out, and we did!



Gourmet BBQ Burgers
Ingredients:

• Grass fed ground beef (anyone find this for less than $6.99 lb.?!?!...if so PLEASE share!)
• Mas Guapo organic seasoning
• Sharp cheddar cheese slices
• Red onion slices
• Applewood smoked bacon (love Trader Joe's!)
• Tomato slices
• Udi's Gluten Free whole grain hamburger buns
• Condiments (we like mustard, ketchup and relish)

If you haven't tried Mas Guapo seasoning, trust me, you are MISSING OUT!  Since buying this seasoning for my hubby for Christmas we have been addicted to this stuff (I think he's even added it to our eggs! Ha!). 

Directions:
Pretty simple (just like we like it!).

1. Sprinkle the ground beef with Mas Guapo (as much as desired), mix together and form into patties.
2. BBQ that mess (I'll have to ask the hubbs to chime in here with any tips...this is his department!).  Add sliced cheese towards the end, if desired.
3. Slice the onions and BBQ those too (man did this transform our taste for onions!  Delish!).
4. Meanwhile, the Mrs. is cooking the bacon so it's ready when hubbs is done BBQin' (or visa versa...whatever your strength in the kitchen, or on the grill, go with that!  We like to cook together, but that's just us).
5. Pile it all together and enjoy!

We paired our burgers with a simple salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, & sunflower seeds) and potato chips. 

*Note: One thing we forget was our yummy, ripe avocado that was just sitting on the counter waiting to be sliced!  Shoot...don't make that same mistake. :)

And now...for the reveal!  Trust me, it was as delicious as it looks. 



I can honestly say, that was likely the BEST burger I have ever eaten!
Thank you Mas Guapo for transforming the flavors in our kitchen.  And most important, thank you Crosby for being the best BBQer around!!!

Anyone else suffering from a "case of the Monday's" today?  It's only 9:30 and I'm already ready for a nap.  Granted, that's likely due to being sick all weekend (lovely congestion just doesn't want to permanently leave...we're going on a few weeks here! Come on!), but regardless of being sick or not, Monday's are usually lazy cooking days in our house.  Are we the only ones?

Doubtful, considering the above famous coined phrase from Office Space ("case of the Monday's").  If we're feeling that way I work, I doube we gain crazy energy when facing making dinner at home.  Side note, if you have not yet watched the movie, Office Space, you should add it to your list ASAP! ;) 

Anywho, as I sit here with my clouded brain, I can't help but be grateful for...quick, easy, and delicious meals!  On today's menu, quesadills and layered bean dip! 

Check out the layered up quesadilla... hubby made these! Fat & delish!

Quesadillas
Ingredients:

• Brown Rice Tortillas (we prefer Trader Joes brand)
• Mexican Shredded Cheese Blend
• Turkey Lunch Meat (sliced) or Cooked Chicken (shredded)
• Butter

Directions: (just in case)

1. Coat the outside of a tortilla, lightly, with butter.
2. Turn the tortilla over, fill half with desired amount of cheese and meat.
3. Fold in half and place on a nonstick pan over medium heat.
4. Cook until both sides are crispy.  And...done!  Make as many as you need.

Layered Bean Dip
Ingredients:

• Refried Beans
• Guacamole (again, we prefer Trader Joes brand)
• Plain Yogurt (or sour cream if you don't like yogurt)
• Salsa (Trader Joes garlic salsa is delicious!)
• Shredded Cheese (optional if you want to cut down on your dairy)
• Sliced Olives
• Tortilla Chips (I know I reference Trader Joes A LOT, but we are addicted to their organic tortilla chips with no salt!  Seriously, no salt on the chips and they're delish.  We get plenty of salt from the rest of this dinner, and you don't even miss the salt on the chips.)

Directions:

1. Heat refried beans, in a small pot, over medium heat. 
2. Use a small glass dish to layer your dip in (bread pan size tends to work for 2-3 people, a larger 8x8 square dish or pie dish for 4 or more).
3. Layer following the above ingredient list: beans, guacamole, yogurt, salsa, cheese, olives.  And...done!  Dip in your chips and enjoy!  You may want to dish some up into containers for lunch tomorrow before you dig in, or you may eat it all tonight! :)

Dinner is served! *Don't forget tortilla chips.

This dinner is a fail safe guaranteed to go quickly and keep your tummies happy. 

*Note: Whenever Crosby and I make this (or any other dish) we always make enough for lunch the next day.  I don't know about you and your family, but we definitely don't get up early enough to make lunch in the morning.  I barely give myself enough time to make some toast and slap almond butter on it! :)

So, what's your fail safe, quick dinner?  We'd love to add it to our menu, so PLEASE SHARE! :)

So Rachel keeps getting all of these products to try and I am the lucky one who gets to try some of them.

I'm such a wuss! I have to start with that so that the rest of this post makes sense.

I'm trying the New England Clam Chowder from Kettle Cuisine for lunch today and I'm scared...haha, I guess not scared, just nervous.


I feel like a kid...what if I don't like it? Which brings me back to my wuss status. I don't care for funky, chewy food (just ask about mussels in London during our honeymoon...they just got pushed around on our plates!).

So here I sit, faced with clam chowder. I do have to say though, it smells really good!

My first bite was safe with just potatoes and broth (would you call it broth?) and it was tasty!!! Creamy, peppery, giant potato chunks, yum! I'm quite impressed. As the flavor lingers in my mouth I find myself wanting another bite. And another.

Which brings me to the clams! Ahh...what will I find?!? Surprisingly, the yummy flavor continues! Wow! Pretty stinking' good, even with the clams chewiness. But I will say they are quite chewy in that funky seafood way. However, I find that as I eat, if I just don't think about it, they're fine! I'm afraid though that if I focus on the chewiness too much it might not be good!

And with that...let me end this post and continue to enjoy my chowder!

One quick note...if you enjoy seafood, I'm sure you will not just like, but love this soup!! I imagine in a gluten free bread bowl would be quite scrumptious!

Monday have you singing the blues?  You're tired...it's cold...I know. :)



SOUPS, CHILIS & CHOWDERS

 
Well, sing no more because Kettle Cuisine is here to the rescue!  Their soups are designed for people like YOU (and me...it's tasty!). 

Here's why.  You're headed to work and you didn't have time to prepare lunch the day before.  Sound familiar?  Stock your freezer with these soups and you'll be set.  They'll provide you with a warm, cuddly meal that's also nutritious. 

I don't know about you, but I love a nice warm, fuzzy meal in the winter.  It just hits the spot, you know.  But, so often the problem with soup is that it's not filling and leaves you not just wanting, but needing more.

That's where Kettle Cuisine comes in.  Pop one of their soups in the microwave and be prepared to curl up in your office chair with a great meal that's satisfying.  Now, I do need to add, that depending on how much you eat, you may need to pair the soup with something else to fill you up (I've eaten them alone at lunch and been fine, but you may be different...).

Roasted Vegetable Soup w/ Quesadilla (homemade)

I started with trying the Roasted Veggies Soup with a quesadilla for dinner and OH MAN!  It was delicious and I was full.  This soup is packed full of chunky veggies and spices.  Best of all, it's gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian!  The creators of Kettle Cuisine, definitely worked hard to cater to each of our dietary needs.  And to make something that's tasty, wow! 

I mean, it might sound silly, but this soup really was amazing.  I couldn't get over how homemade it tasted.  Seriously, I've tried many different gluten free frozen meals (remember, I'm a teacher so we don't exactly get a real "lunch" break!) and most don't taste that good.  I was impressed to find something that I'd be excited to just pop in the microwave and eat!  After trying this soup I can honestly say that I will be keeping our freezer stocked with Kettle Cuisine. 

To quote their website, "Our Roasted Vegetable Soup begins with a bounty of farm fresh vegetables perfectly roasted for optimum flavor and texture, lightly pureed, and seasoned with our own hand-blended spices. Then it’s finished with extra virgin olive oil to further complement the diversity of its flavors."

To highlight another soup very quickly, let me tell you about the Chicken Chili with White Beans.  Man!  Spicy and rich, this stuff hit the spot.  I tried this on one of those grab something out of the freezer and run to work days and I was impressed.  The chicken tasted like real meat and the flavor was intense.  I've never tasted a chili quite like this.  I noticed the ingredients listed cocoa powder...I wonder if that was the key to the unique, delicious taste?  The spice was definitely apparent, but it wasn't too overwhelming.  Another great thing I loved was that it was creamy, but not heavy!  In my opinion, this is definitely a soup you can eat alone and be filled. 

Chicken Chili and White Beans

One note...this soup is gluten free, but not dairy free.  But, if dairy isn't an issue, then enjoy!  To quote Kettle Cuisine again, "Our made-from-scratch chicken stock is the foundation for this satisfying chili that’s loaded with all natural chicken, hearty white beans and finished with sour cream and fresh cilantro."  Yum!

One last note.  All Kettle Cuisine soups are gluten free, but you'll need to peruse their selection to see what's dairy free, vegetarian or low fat.  Each is clearly labeled and the site is very easy to navigate!

Mac and Cheese...a standard and easy comfort food for many, but does that comfort trasfer with the gluten free version? 

Trader Joe's has their own brand of Gluten Free Rice Mac and Cheese.  The box looks so happy with a smiley face made out of cheese macaroni.  I had high hopes.  Now, while I knew better than to expect the cheesy creamyness of Kraft, I couldn't help but hope for it.  A quick easy meal that satisfies some inner desire from childhood, who wouldn't want that?

As I continued cooking, my hopes remained high.  The process was simple, comparative to the original.  Boil water, add pasta, drain, add cheese sauce and milk.  DONE!  Would it be a success?

It looked good.  It mixed well together.  But was that enough?  Sadly, the overall conclusion would be no.  The pasta was al dente, and tasted fine, but the cheese sauce just didn't add that necessary element.  There is a certain nostalgia that comes along with Mac and Cheese and you can't miss it.  This final dish tasted cheesy, but not the right cheesy.  This was different, and a bit funky.  There was no smooth, creamy, melt in your mouth texture.  I just couldn't close my eyes and imagine being a 7 year old girl again.

However, it was decent enough that I didn't have to make another meal, so that was a plus!  And now begins my search for a delectable Mac and Cheese.  I do believe I will venture into the homemade world for this one!

From start to finish, I had a good feeling about these pizza cups.
1. I LOVE pizza.
2. My husband LOVES pizza.
3. The process didn't seem as long as making a complete pizza from scratch.


Needless to say, my hopes were high and these babies didn't disappoint.  We paired them with a nice green salad and just sat back as each bite was savored in our mouths.  Mmm...just writing about them makes me want to eat some more!  Seriously people, gluten free or not, if you like pizza you will love these pizza cups.  Pair them with extra marinara sauce and ranch!  Bon appetit!

Mixed together-looks funny!

Ready to bake!

*Courtesy of Easy Eats magazine



Pepperoni Pizza Cups


Preheat oven to 400 and generously grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

• 2 cups Gluten Free Bisquick
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Pepperoni, chopped
• 1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Milk or Nondairy Milk
• 1/4 cup Pizza Sauce (*I used closer to 3/4-1 cup and in my opinion that added much more of a good "pizza" flavor)

PS-

It's SO fun!

Simple gluten free at it's finest!

I need to start by saying I have the best husband ever!!  He takes care of me when I don't feel good...makes me food and everything!  Granted, if he could just run down the street to Del Taco and grab me a quick bite he probably would! :-)  Ohh, my fellow Celiacs, do you remember the taste of those yummy chicken soft tacos and chili cheese fries!!!  Mmm...mmm...oh my taste buds! Ha, how easily I forget the upset stomach that was sure to follow (probably undiagnosed Celiac and certainly not the quality of Del Taco's food!).  But, I digress, back to the wonderful man I'm married to.

Crosby made me this delicious Tuna Melt sandwich. It was so tasty and yet so simple!  He made the sandwich on Udi's Gluten Free hamburger buns, such a wise idea!  Having the sandwich on the buns rather than regular bread was so nice, especially since it toasted so well.

How to make the Tuna (all from Trader Joe's)

1. 2 cans Tuna (we like the Albacore)
2. 2-3 T organic mayo,
3. 1-2 T organic mustard
4. 1 T organic sweet pickle relish
5. Dash or 2 of pepper

Crosby simply mixed all of the above together (feel free to add/subtract ingredients as you like, tuna is so fun to experiment with), topped it with some grated cheese, put everything into the bun and toasted it in the toaster over.

One thing to note is that we were out of lemon pepper, or that would have been our choice over regular pepper.  Nonetheless, deliciously satisfying!

So Rachel calls me around 12 p.m. and asks what sounded good for dinner so she could go to the store and get some stuff... (oh the joys of being a teacher and getting to spend your summer days leisurely prancing around town doing random things.)

Anywho, so we decided to chow down on some baked potatoes with chicken and Alfredo sauce.

Now we've gone to restaurants and have had this meal before, but for some reason we like making it ourselves. We get to choose the quantity of each item, rather than just being given a huge slab of everything and having horrible tummy aches from all the fattening goodness that we consumed. (We like to make our own Alfredo sauce... but for this one we cheated and just went to the store and bought some).

We opted for Classico's Alfredo Sauce and it's Gluten Free!!!

We also added some diced corn, green onions and tomatoes to the menu to add some "vegetables" hahaha... at least that's what I call them because I'll actually eat 'em...

So this is one of the easiest meals to make.

I like to oil up my taters with olive oil and sea salt, gives the skin a nice flavor (for those of you who like to eat the skin of the potato).

Roll up the potatoes and cobs of corn in foil and chuck it on the grill... (cobs of corn, corn on the cob... whatever!!!).

Give the potatoes about 45 min to an hour (you can check it with a fork to your desired tenderness).


I let the corn go for about 20 min, turning the corn every 5 minutes or so until you're happy!

The chicken took about 20 minutes to cook because We wanted it a bit crispy.

Throw those onions on last or you will end up with a big black stringy looking thing.

I bought this at Whole Foods in Valencia. The brand, Evol, has "regular" things along with gluten free. I've bought my husband a few things from them, but I've never bought any gluten free for myself. After heating it up in the trusty ol' microwave, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! You never know what you're going to get with a gluten free prepared meal and this was pretty good! It even tasted like an enchilada! :-) Now, it's not homemade status or anything, but it was definitely pleasant to eat.

Did I mention it came with a free sticker?  That's what the red "evol" to the top left of the bowl is! Wow, neat! :-)

I think it's safe to say I'll try more frozen meals from this brand.
Anyone have other gluten free frozen meals they've tried and enjoyed?!? Let me know and I'll try them out myself.

Celebrate Independence day in style with a wonderful BBQ hamburger, bun and all (thanks again Udi's).
Well, in my case this is leftovers heated up in the toaster oven. Nonetheless, delicious!

I started with some organic ground beef that can be found pretty much anywhere. Then moved on to some organic mayo, mustard, ketchup and sweet pickle relish. I've found that though a bit more expensive, the organic tastes 100 times better than the processed stuff.

But no meal would be complete without some oily and greasy potato chips.

These buns are whole grain hamburger buns and are so tasty you won't miss the original. Did I mention my husband even said they taste normal...not that he's giving up his "normal" food, but he did taste them, which is saying a lot!!

Fire up those grills and enjoy! Also, where I live these buns are found at Lassen's but I do believe Whole Foods carries all things Udi's! :-)