Tasty treats, I've had some good ones lately.

Hello blogland. Oh how I've neglected thee. I have been busy in my absence however, tasting and treating myself to many a fine gluten free meal and treat. I think in this post I'll get my feet wet again by sharing what I thought of some of them.

In early April I headed to Northwest Washington to visit my sister. While there I decided I would order myself a gluten free pizza from Garlic Jim's. I'd missed the chance to try one while they were located in my hometown, the store here wasn't open long. I ordered a Gourmet Hawaiian; canadian bacon, pineapple, coconut and almond slivers. Let me tell you, this was a very good pizza, the crust was buttery and crisp, the sauce and toppings completely delicious the price wasn't ridiculous either. I was so very happy with the customer service as well, they were VERY excited to provide me with a gluten free pizza and it was quite endearing. If I lived anywhere near a Garlic Jim's I would most certainly be ordering from them again.

I've also tried Kinnikinnick's personal size pizza crust. These are easy to handle and dress. The dough has a pleasant slightly sweet taste that I actually like quite a bit. Its a quick and easy way to put a meal together when I'm running short on time. I love that the box comes with 4 crusts in it which makes it a worthwhile purchase for the cost in my book.

Next up, I got my hand's on some Udi's white sandwich bread.... omg! I was eating it plain straight from the bag. It was soft, had great texture and taste; like a really great piece of french bread. I made sandwiches for dinner three nights in a row just so I could have an excuse to keep eating it. The bread was so good I decided to have a go at the lemon streusel muffins, what can I say other than these were very tasty. I cut them in half and ate them with just a bit of butter. The lemon flavor was light, the muffins texture was chewy and not to dense and the topping wasn't overwhelming. You'll find me buying more of them in the future. I can't wait to taste the rest of Udi's line of so far very satisfactory goods.

I'll leave you with these products to chew on for now and share more with you later. I hope that your late spring/early summer is shaping up to be a great one. I know I'd love for mine to have just a bit less rain than it has so far.

Leftover Makeover - Chili

In my house we eat chili fairly often... I probably make a batch every five weeks or so. The thing about chili is that one batch makes quite a bit, we'll eat it for two nights and I'll still have enough leftover to freeze for another two meals (of course its just my hubby and I eating). After the first two bowls I kind want to change it up a little.

There are plenty of things I could do I suppose but I like to stay true to the chili and enjoy it just on its own. So what do I do? Add a tablespoon or two dark brown sugar to my bowl of hot chili and voila I now have sweet chili. It's a quick and easy way to change it up without losing integrity.

I'd like to know how you change up your leftover chili, there are so many options lets share a little.

Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger - March

It's the last day of the month. We're enjoying the beautiful weather and grilling some steaks. This month has been full of tasty treats and good company. One of the meals to grace our table (twice even) was a dish I stumbled upon Margo's blog, Off the Wheaten Path, so I decided I would adopt her for this months Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger carnival event. I really enjoy reading her blog and am probably going to be trying more of the yummy ideas she posts, but for now I just have this one, gluten free chicken enchiladas.

I have to say this dish was very easy to put together. I made it a little more difficult by making my own corn tortilla's and not using canned chicken, however the dish is set up to be super easy to prepare and quick to get in the oven. Minimal ingredients make it so you don't have a huge mess to clean up when you're done. I love how Margo is taking items that you'd likely find in your pantry and combining them to make a complicated dish easy.

We love chicken enchiladas in my house and I do make traditional ones 3 or 4 times a year, but its time consuming and a little overwhelming when I need dinner on the table fast. Margo's version is yummy and quick and will serve in a pinch or if planned ahead. It makes a full 9x9 dish so would serve 4 adults with leftovers no problem.

My husband asked me to add the recipe to my box so you know it went over well. The first time I made the dish I did it as instructed. There is something missing in the flavor profile so when I made it the second time I added a can of diced green chili's and a dash or two of hot sauce. It was better but I think that next time I'll add a couple of pureed tomatilloes as well. I guess I want it to taste more like enchilada's suisas, which I love and this recipe is lacking the "tang" I'm craving in it.

This is also a great recipe to try out for Gluten Free Wednesday!! An awesome carnival hosted by Linda over at The Gluten Free Homemaker. Check it out and throw up a recipe of your own!

Menu Plan Monday

Hmmm, what's for dinner this week? Good question, here's what I have planned. I've notice that I tend not to write what we're having for sides, generally because I decide last minute what I'll make with the main dish and gauge what I think the boys might choke down, haha. I wish there was an easy way to get them to eat their veggies.

Monday: Chicken Enchilada's (Off the Wheaten Path) I'll be adding a little something extra to this this time around, made them to spec a couple of weeks ago.

Tuesday: Tacos

Wednesday: Beef stir fry

Thursday: Pork medallions in pan gravy

Friday: Leftovers of some sort

Saturday: Pizza

Sunday: Hubby's choice. Should be interesting.

Menu Plan Monday

Going for some yummy meals this week. It seems that most of the time when I write a menu plan out for the week I'm able to follow it quite well, making the planned meals on the planned days. Every once in a while however, a kink gets thrown in the work and I have to ad lib some grub. I don't mind, it keeps the kitchen interesting. What do you do when things don't go as planned in the kitchen?

Monday: Super short ribs and potatoes with onions

Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas (from Off the Wheaten Path)

Wednesday: Pasta carbonara

Thursday: Leftovers of some sort

Friday: My son's third birthday so we'll be going out to eat.

Saturday: Shrimp pad thai

Sunday: Lime broiled chicken and brown rice with veggies

For more great weekly menus head over to OrgJunkie

What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free? Soup, a collection.

It's Wednesday again here in blog land and The Gluten Free Homemaker is hosting her "What can I eat that's Gluten Free" carnival. This weeks challenge is soup! I have to say that its been warm and beautiful around here lately and so, not so much soup weather. That doesn't stop me from eating or making soup, I'm just not doing it quite as often as I had been the last couple of months.

I've got a few recipes up for some tasty soup already so I thought I would make a collection of the soups that I've previously posted and link them for you here. I have many more soup recipes that I love, hot and sour soup and a hearty vegetable beef are just a couple of them but have yet to blog about and so I may add them later on.

I'll start off with a soup that just screams fall to me. A friend of mine made a beautiful squash soup for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago and since then I've been dying to have it again. This year I took matters into my own hands and did my best to recreate the wonderfully smooth, slightly sweet bowl of perfection I ate so long ago. This soup is great and the bacon adds just the right touch.

Living Without Wheat: Roasted squash soup.

This next recipe utilizes black beans. I've come to really enjoy black beans over the years. They are a softer, slightly sweet bean that lends itself very well to any number of dishes; chili, salads and soups to name a few. If you haven't tried them yet you really should, you may be surprised. I chose to use black beans and a mild sausage (that I had an abundance of and needed to use) in this soup. It was very tasty, my husband would have liked a stronger tasting sausage but that's the beauty of cooking, you can change ingredients to fit your liking. So feel free to try this recipe out and change it up a bit!

Living Without Wheat: Sausage and Black Bean Soup

I'm a great BIG fan of asian food/flavors and of a light meal every once in a while. It was in this frame of mind that I put together a quick, easy and light version of egg drop soup a classic meal opener at many an asian restaurant. I find when I have no time and don't feel like being weighed down by my lunch that this is what I turn to. I eat it frequently and appreciate the simple pleasure of it.

Living Without Wheat: Light and easy = Egg drop soup

I hope you enjoy some of the many soups that have been posted here, and on the Gluten Free Homemakers page. I always look forward to seeing what other people are making and giving their recipes a try.

Menu Plan Monday... a little late, again.

I'm excited about eating this week. We have a lot of yummy stuff going on!!

Monday: Smoked chicken (we have a nice smoker that does a great job) and mashed potatoes

Tuesday: Leftovers from Monday, there's no way we can eat a whole chicken in one evening.

Wednesday: Sushi, it's my moms B-day and that's what she wants

Thursday: Pizza, I'm so excited. It's been a while since I've made myself a pizza.

Friday: Steak with caramelized onions and sweet potato fries

Saturday: Going to a birthday party so don't know what we're eating, the host is gluten free though so I'll have plenty to eat.

Sunday: Baked tilapia with jasmine rice and sweet peas