Where's the (gluten free) BEEF (stew)?

Had a hankerin' for beef stew so I cut up a chuck roast into small pieces, browned the pieces in Spectrum shortening; peeled and cup up carrots, potatoes, and onions; added the veggies to the browned meat, added water to cover, simmered until veggies were soft, thickened it with cornstarch. Added salt and pepper...THAT'S IT! Scumptious!

On the empty nest homefront...After almost three weeks we had a visit from Brad. He had the opportunity to get a ride home so he took it. It is wonderful to have him here, especially seeing how happy he is with college life. Joy abounds. HUGS

To drink or not to drink that is the question...

Old William S. ("To be or not to be...") got me thinking outside the box about drinking while eating. I have been doing so many things differently to make my insides work better by avoiding the foods that I can not tolerate and yet I still suffer bloating and discomfort at times...I wanted to scream when I really just needed to think about it more and ponder why my mother does not drink anything while eating...BINGO...googled it and read all about drinking for some people while eating is not a good idea...may be diluting the digestive enzymes and prolonging the process...I experimented the last two days and geesh...Mom knows best...at least best for her insides and probably best for my insides too...will keep at it and report back...so in the morning I have to take my thyroid med. with lots of water and wait an hour to eat...I am already in that habit so now I just do that all day, eat and NOT drink until a while after I have eaten...I slept great, felt better...at 56 I am still getting my act together, but isn't that true of us all? Or a lot of us...life is an ongoing journey of self discovery. HUGS

Breakfast challenge

I get bored with breakfast so this morning I slapped myself (not really) and tried to think outside the gluten free cereal pancake plopping box and peeled a potato, sliced it thinly and cut a little onion and green pepper and while I cooked a few strips of bacon I cooked the veggies in the grease...meanwhile I microwaved a bowl of grits ... voila...a change from my usual...I ate it before I thought to take a pic...use your imagination...and while we are talking about imagination, I am really into the newest novel I am writing; this one is really sticking...I WILL FINISH THIS ONE because I want to find out what happens...ye-ah!

Brad has been away at college for two weeks now and is loving it. And we are all adjusted to our kid-free life...everyone is happy!!! and Gonzo the Chinese Water Dragon is probably a female so we are beginning to call her "Gonzolita"...enjoy the pic of MISS "G" lookin' at YOU! HUGS

gluten free veggie pancakes...

I made pancakes the other day and tried a recipe for brown sugar syrup which was good but the point is I don't tolerate sweet syrups well. I bloat, feel cruddy, so I found a recipe for veggie pancakes (can't remember where I saw it - sorry) and adapted it...they are very good and I am delighted. I cooked a few strips of bacon and had that with a couple veggie pancakes with a glass of water with a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice this morning...great way to start the day...

Mix
One cup Bob's Redmill Gluten free baking flour mix
pinch salt
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pepper
enough water to make a workable batter
a little oil
add finely chopped potatoes, carrots, onion, and green pepper to the batter and then cook on medium heat greased griddle, flip when it bubbly. Enjoy!

Good cook lately...who knew?

Gluten free, try to be dairy free, and all the other free free free ways I feel best to be...but I don't know what is happening...perhaps the years of running the diner and then kids in the house but never knowing when everyone was going to be home I resented cooking...add my growing list of intolerances and you get the picture...didn't like to cook!

well, since our last kid left the nest I have been into cooking for two. Hubby is so supportive of my intolerances I guess it helps to make it fun.

Last night scalloped potatoes and ham...I did use butter and milk since I was out of almond milk, but I thickened it with Bob's Redmill Gluten free baking mix and layered potatoes and ham and mix and pepper and chopped onions and butter and then poured milk over it...baked it in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered...delish!

Tonight I cooked two skinless boneless chicken breasts and cooked pasta for hubby and brown rice for me...I put the cooked chicken over the pasta and rice and Spaghetti sauce and some melted mozarella and for hubby some parmesan cheese. I also made tossed salad and put oil and vinegar on mine.

Every day I look forward to cooking for the two of us...hubby is loving it. I am too.

Wasn't sure how the empty nest would be...now I know it is happy and fulfilling and wonderful...PHEW!

Out of Almond milk, use water for pancakes

Well...I thought about having pancakes, but was out of almond milk. There was a time when I made my own almond milk, but the store bought ones are so much creamier and well, tastier so I thought...heck, use water instead and see what happens...I liked the results...more crepe-like...

one cup Bob's Redmill baking mix
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (or less)
2 TB sugar
1 cup water
a little vanilla

You know, I was supposed to put oil in the recipe and forgot to, but it didn't need it...ha!

greased griddle med-hot heat...voila!

I sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar and ate them that way, I find maple syrup does not agree with me...too much fructose I think.

You can roll them up too...I am going to try them later minus the sugar for a flatbread to use for wraps etc.

Happy experimenting! HUGS

gluten free turkey dinner...yum!

After closing the diner we were fortunate to have freezers full of food to work with when it comes to making meals. I have been into cooking more than in the past. Hubby is loving it. And he is wonderful about my adapting things.

Last night we had stir fry with scallops and a piece of steak. I stir fried the scallops and steak, removed them from the pan. Then I stir fried peppers, mushrooms, and onions. I microwaved Minute Brown Rice. Then I added the veggies to the scallops and steak and added salt and pepper and a little hot sauce and some cashew butter I had made the day before to kind of bind it all together. YUMMY!

Tonight I took some packs of cooked turkey slices, warmed them up and then made mashed potatoes (with almond milk salt and pepper) and gravy made with sauteed mushrooms and onions and salt and pepper and a little butter (I try hard to avoid dairy)and Bob's GLuten free baking mix to thicken and then almond milk and more salt and pepper and a little poultry seasoning...oh man...delicious! I served peas and cranberries to make an early Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us...AND I have to report that we are doing JUST FINE with no kids in the house...just a couple again and it is nice...sure we love our kids but it is fun to be a couple again and not worried every day about what our kids are doing...with facebook and texting we do seem to know what they are doing any ways...but you know what I mean...it's GREAT!

I almost forgot the corn bread...I followed the recipe on the Bob's Redmill site with the Gluten free baking mix...it turned out very good.

Have a good weekend! HUGS

Empty Nest

We did it...we emptied our parental nest...all gone...just the two of us...the last is gone...as sad as it has been for me, being a career mom, seeing how happy our baby was at college yesterday in his own place made it easier for me to let go. I will miss his daily hugs, but thank God for texts and e-mails and calls...he is the type who will keep in touch...so yeah...ah...on to the next phase of our lives...hey hubby!!! wanna play cards? Hopefully I won't drive him nutso...hehe

Think I will reheat some of my pancakes and have some peppermint tea and think about what to do that does not require thinking about what someone else is doing or not doing or waiting to hear someone say, "MOM!...oh boy, this might take a while...HUGS

Tea and cake

I had a sip from a bottle of peppermint water and thought, I can make that. So I boiled four cups of water and put one peppermint tea bag in it. I chill this and have four cups of peppermint water when I want it.

Then I baked a cake (adapted recipe from the Internet of course) and nibbled on tea and cake...very British...in keeping with our new housemate, Gonzo the Chinese Water Dragon. Hubby and I are housesitting for Gonzo for Brad when he goes to college. Gonzo reminds me of the Geico gecko and I half expect it to stand on its hindquarters and speak with a British accent. HA!

350 degrees for about 30 minutes
I just mixed all the ingredients right in a 9X9 pan

2 1/2 cups Bob's Gluten free baking mix
2 tsp Xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
5 tsps baking powder
3/4 orange juice
7 Tab. oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla