Baked Penne in Three Steps {Gluten Free}

Dinner.  Simplified.  Three steps.

1. Boil 1 package of gluten free penne pasta until al dente.

2. Saute 1 pound of sausage or ground meat with Italian seasonings, onion and garlic. Then, add a jar of pasta sauce.

3. When both are done, mix together in a bowl, spoon into a baking dish and sprinkle with your favorite shredded Italian cheeses and bake for 15 minutes.

This dish is seriously soul warming and so easy!

Muffin Tin Frittata {Naturally Gluten Free}

Ever since learning about simplyrecipes.com I have been obsessed.  It doesn't hurt that recipe creator and master food blogger lives probably within 30 miles of me and I have met her at a few California Food Literacy Center events.

Now, whenever I need inspiration for a recipe I know I can start there.  I LOVE supporting local talent.

Oh, and did I mention her recipe library is insane?

So, as you can imagine, I got the recipe and inspiration from here and tweaked it to create the delightful little Muffin Tin Frittata for Christmas morning.

Ingredients

12 eggs
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped onion*
3/4 cup quartered mushrooms*
1 clove garlic (or more - to taste)
1 cup Quattro Formaggio shredded cheese blend from Trader Joe's (or similar)
Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

*Any veggies you would put in an omelet would work here!  Be creative!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a muffin tin (butter, olive oil, or coconut oil will work)

Saute your vegetables in the olive oil and add the Italian seasoning to taste for 5-7 minutes (until they are soft but still recognizable!).

Beat your eggs in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.

Fill muffin tin wells halfway with beat eggs.  Add sauteed veggies to each one,  generously sprinkle stinky cheese (that's what The Bear calls it in our house!) nnd then fill the rest of the way with remaining egg.

Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes making sure the egg is thoroughly cooked!

Notes:   When adding spices, vegetables and cheese be very generous!  I thought I was OVER-seasoning and when I tasted them, they could have used more!

Now go get your booty in the kitchen and warm it up! CHEERS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Gluten Free Eating through the Holidays {10 Tips to Not Get Glutened!}

Are you a holiday partier?  Do you eat gluten free? Peruse the tips below to prepare yourself for the impending holiday food overload and how NOT to get GLUTENED!

Below, I will steer you to keep your gluten-free eating in check while still celebrating the season with parties, potlucks and family-style meals WITHOUT being a huge pain in the butt.

In an effort to keep this concise and give you bite-sized pieces as your take-away, I have broken this topic down into ten delectable tips.

10 Tips to Not Get Glutened

1.  Eat before you go. If you are certain that you won't be able to avoid gluten at a prospective potluck, eat something substantial before you go so you are not starving.  Then, hang around the pickled platter!

2.  Bring the gluten dishes. If you are concerned that the proposed meal may have some hidden gluten, offer to prepare that dish! Hosts are often grateful for you to take something off their plate.  If you know the host and know the potential recipe calls for a gluten-laden product, offer to bring over the gluten free substitute before they start cooking!

3. Chat up your chef. Hang out in the kitchen while your host is putting finishing touches on their meal.  Ask questions about ingredients of potential gluten dishes.  This is usually not a problem for me since I am usually genuinely curious about the ingredients in a recipe.

4. Steer clear of sauces, dressings, and gravies.  This tip can be a challenge because these are some of my favorite things!  They also are common culprits of hidden gluten.

5. Keep your drinks simple.  Fancy drink mixes can also trick you.  Having a simple glass of wine or cider is a safe route.

6. Host the meal at your house. This one is the most work but if you are a party planner it should be a piece of gluten free cake! Naturally, you will prepare most of the food.

7. When in doubt, don't risk it.  Everyone's gluten sensitivities or intolerances are different but most everyone who doesn't eat it are trying to steer clear of unpleasant symptoms as a result.  Play it safe and return to Tip #1 of you are worried!

8. G-Free themes.  Suggest themes that are more likely to be naturally gluten free (not Italian! :).

9. Read labels.  This seems like a no-brainer but often I have been duped by clever marketing (or, more likely, I didn't ready the full ingredient list). One hundred percent rice crackers could have added soy sauce for flavor (not that I would know...)!

10. Be gracious.  Respect that many people do not know how or want to cook gluten free and be okay with that (i.e. don't expect gluten free versions of dishes).  The good news is more and more people are becoming aware of what gluten is and what foods it is in!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!!

Pinecone Projek: The Bear's Glitter & Pinecone Project

The Bear has been collecting pinecones.... well, as long as I can remember.  My mom passed on her love for them to him. 

He collects them for her. 

He collects them for himself. 

He collects them for general piling-in-the-front-yard purposes.

Whenever we can, we include pinecones into art projects.  The latest is aptly named by The Bear: "My Pinecone Projek"

We got the glue. We bought the glitter, and lord knows we have the pinecones!

Here it is and yes, you should try this at home.  Kids and adults alike can make some pretty gorgeous pinecones for fun, for gifts, for centerpieces, for the mantle... you understand!

NOTE TO SELF: Never use glitter with a toddler again. Ever.

Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers {Gluten Free} {Low Carb}

I was stumped on what to name this rich concoction. It is not simply a stuffed bell pepper. It has spice. It has kick. It has the inside of a taco as its stuffing. And, as it turns out, they were more open-faced than "stuffed" per se.  You'll catch my drift as we go along. 

Simply put: these are easy, delicious, and you can actually switch up the spices and toppings to create any style meal. 

Taco Stuffed Bell Pepper

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 chopped onion 

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 pound ground beef, turkey, or chicken

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3 bell peppers (remove stem, membrane and seeds and cut in half)

7 sliced white mushrooms

1 quartered and sliced zucchini

(add any other vegetables that you may have on hand that will fit the style of stuffed pepper you're making)

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, jack or pepper jack work great)

avocado

salsa

sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute olive oil, garlic, and onions on low to medium heat for a few minutes (until someone in the house says it smells soooo good in the kitchen!). Add meat and spices and cook until meat is almost thoroughly cooked. Add vegetables (except bells!) and cook until slightly soft but not soggy.

Place bell pepper halves on their backs on a baking sheet. Scoop meat mixture with a slotted spoon into heaping mounds into bells. Place in preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and add generous amounts of shredded cheese to the top and cook for 3-5 more minutes (until cheese is melted).

Remove from oven and place on serving dish.  Add additional cold toppings (avo, salsa, sour cream to preference).  

I added a green salad to the side with a little balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.  After we cut into the bells and the ingredients co-mingled it was divine.

Note: I sliced the bells in half for easier filling AND more square-inchage for shredded cheese!

Variations:  

Add rice and/or black beans for a heartier meal.

Change up the seasonings and veggies for a different flare.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies {Gluten Free}

The Bear and I were looking through a magazine and saw a version of these lovelies (Hershey's has named them Peanut Butter Blossoms) and we ripped it out to make for the holidays.  We even remembered to buy the Hershey's kisses on our next Target trip. As life would have it the recipe which was secured to the fridge via magnetic letters has gone missing.  I imagine it was from either a dog tail whipping by or some sticky toddler hands rearranging things as they do. 

Regardless, we were determined to taste these and as serendipity would have it there was a recipe directly on the bag of red, silver and green kisses. I have made many a peanut butter cookie but never one as decadent and and rich as these.

Kid Bonus:  While you make the batter, have your bears and birds unwrap kisses under your watchful eye! They told me they only ate one each!  Also, when they come out of the oven the big bears can assist in plopping the kisses on the warm cookies!

So, here is the recipe directly from the bag. I must say, while totally out of character, I followed the recipe measurement for measurement! Yay me!  

3 Swaps I Made: 

Real butter for shortening.

All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter for the Reese's Brand 

Trader Joe's All-Purpose Baking Mix for all-purpose flour

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies {Gluten Free}

Ingredients

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Additional granulated sugar

Directions:

1. 1
   Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. 
2. 2
   Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 
3. 3
   Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 
4. 4
   Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each 
   cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 
   Makes about 48 cookies.
5. 
   

Eat it and weep.

Breakfast Casserole Fit for Bees

My wonderful Bee-in-laws will be hosting Thanksgiving this year at their home up in beautiful wine country. DaveBee's mama always makes a wonderful spread and she is ultra-conscious of not using gluten ingredients which can be no easy task especially when cooking a large meal like Thanksgiving! She does delectable gluten-free versions of the traditional stuffing and gravy! I am a lucky girl.

I am making a few things to help lighten the meal load!

This breakfast casserole is a first for me.  Two of my sister-in-laws and my mother-in-law make versions of it so here's to hoping it lives up.  Mine is currently in the freezer ready to heat up on Black Friday morning while we are cozily tucked in up in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  If smell is an indicator I think it will be good. With these simple ingredients how can you go wrong?

Simple Breakfast Casserole {Naturally Gluten Free}

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bag of frozen Tater Tots (Trader Joe's has some with simply ingredients)
1 pound of Breakfast Sausage (out of the casing)

10 ounces shredded cheese (I used a mexican blend but cheddar or jack would do)

8 eggs

1/3 cup of Milk

Seasoning (Salt, pepper, garlic powder)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook up your breakfast sausage in a frying pan until the are not pink and it is crumbly. Remember to remove casing if there is any.  While cooking up the sausage, layer the bottom of a casserole dish with frozen tater tots. Drizzle evenly and generously with olive oil. Season with salt. Stick in preheating oven to lightly toast while sausage is cooking and oven is preheating.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and add milk and any seasonings you like.

When the sausage is done, pull the tater tots out of the oven and layer the sausage on top.  Next, layer the shredded cheese over the sausage. Lastly, pour the egg mixture over the cheese layer. Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes.  You will know it is done when the top is lightly browned and there is no more liquid egg mixture.

Cool and serve with salsa or hot sauce! (We always have hot sauce with anything with eggs!)