Saturday, April 5, 2014

Blog Reclocation to BackToMyRoots.ca

Hello Everyone,

 I just wanted to let you know that all my articles (and focus) have been moved over to my own self-hosted blog at

  www.BackToMyRoots.ca

I would love it if you checked it out. I have some awesome gluten free recipes like:

Gluten Free Pulled Pork Shoulder

Gluten Free Shortbread

Gluten Free Paleo Pita Bread


But I also talk a lot about homesteading and learning to be more self-sufficient:

Regrow Green Onions

Regrow Romaine Lettuce From The Stump

My First Baby Chicken Hatched

Boiling Down My Own Maple Syrup

I hope you check some of these articles out! You might really like them and I've had a ton of fun on my adventures that I would love to share with you :)

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Gluten Free Graham Crust


Graham crust is a great base for many desserts including cheesecake, coconut cream pie, vanilla custard and banana cream. Here is a quick Gluten-Free version of the original. I use different nuts sometimes but often I use almonds.

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour
1/2    cup   Margarine, melted
1/2    cup   Brown Sugar
1/2    cup   Chopped Nuts

Mix ingredients and spread evenly into a pie pan. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, or until brown. Top with your favorite filling (cheesecake!!).

To make the Gluten Free flour mixture that I use for this recipe, combine:

6 cups sweet Rice Flour
2 cups Tapioca Flour
1 cup   Potato Starch

Gluten Free at Burger King


Just like all of the major restaurants, Burger King does not have any menu items that are completely Gluten-Free because they do not process things in a different way than they do with the items with gluten. The burger they serve to you will be contaminated with gluten from other products. This is a list of items they serve that DO NOT have Gluten but if you are extremely sensitive, beware!

Meat, Eggs and Side Dishes:

Whopper Patty
Whopper JR Patty
Hamburger Patty
BK Chefs Choice Patty
Tendergrill Chicken Fillet
Bacon Slice
Ham Slice
Egg Patty
Sausage Patty
French Fries
Tacos

Dips, Sauces, Dressings, Beverages:


Dips:

King Kung Pow
BBQ Roast Jalapeno
BBQ
Buffalo
Sweet and Sour
Honey Mustard 
Marinara
French Fry
Ranch
zesty Onion Ring

Stacker Sauce
Chocolate Fudge Sauce
Sweet Baby Ray's Hot N' Spicy BBQ Sauce
Tartar Sauce
Vanilla Icing

Dressings:

Ken's Honey Mustard
Light Honey Balsamic
Avocado Ranch
Ranch
Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Beverages:

Barq's Root Beer
Coca Cola Classic
Coca Cola
Diet Coke
Dr Pepper
Sprite 
Minute Maid Lemonaide
Minute Maid Apple and Orange Juice
Seattle's Best Coffee
Seattle's Best Iced Coffee
Mocha Frappe
Caramel Frappe
Tropical Mango Smoothie
Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Produce, Condiments, Dairy and Dessert:

Fresh Apple Slices
Onion
Tomato
Carrots
Lettuce
Spring Mix
Romaine
Garden Fresh Salad with Apple and Cranberry with Tendergrill
Breakfast Syrup
Grape Jam
Honey
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Strawberry Jam
Sliced Pickels
American Cheese
Pepper Jack Cheese
Sharp Cheddar
Swiss Cheese
Three Cheese Blend
Milk and Chocolate Milk
Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry Shakes
Soft Serve in a Cup
Caramel Sundae
Chocolate Fudge Sundae
Strawberry Sundae




Fall; The Season of Abundance

The fall is a beautiful time of the year to be Gluten Free. It might not seem that way when starting out but it really is. All of the best veggies are ready for harvest and for the most part, the big family get-togethers focus on turkey and chicken now that it is cool enough to get the oven going.

Thanksgiving and Christmas both have an abundance of options as long as you stay away from the stuffing and the dessert table. Many Gluten-Free breads actually make the best stuffing because of their texture.

Fall is also zucchini season and there are soooo many things you can do with zucchini. I slice it into strips and use it in place of pasta noodles in sauce. Sometimes I take a large zucchini to the mandolin slicer and cut into large "noodles" for lasagna. Just keep in mind that they do not soak up liquid like pasta does so keep it a little drier.

In the fall/winter I make a full roasted chicken at least once a week. I love the smell in the house while it roasts and since I am only feeding Jonny and I, we have lots of leftovers. I am able to make enough chicken salad for the first part of the week and broth to last the full week. The day after we roast chicken, I like to make a giant Chicken Caesar Salad or Greek Salad even! Jonny gets a full breast and a leg for his lunch on Monday with leftover veggies. It really works out perfect!

The time is almost here for me to get out my canning supplies and get started. Last year I canned tomato sauce, peaches, spicy beans and jalapenos and I learned so much along the way. This year I plan to do things a little different. First off, I am going to dehydrate more items. I love dried fruit as a snack and it takes up far less space than the jarred kind. I am not going to can any jalepenos as I made way too many last year.  It was also and extremely painful process when the heat started coming through the gloves!

Fall is upon us! Feel happy as it signifies more than the oncoming winter. It is harvest, one of the most abundant times of the year for produce! Keep your chin up and a smile on your face because all your favorite foods are ready for you to create into a culinary masterpiece!

Happy Almost-Fall Everyone! :)

Friday, August 10, 2012

Creamy Coleslaw


Coleslaw is a great side dish with many meals from family get-togethers to picnics to a quick lunch. It is gluten free and can be served with almost any fish or meat you can think of. I love it as a side dish to fish and chips. It is so easy to make (especially if you have a food processor).

2  Tbsp heavy Cream
2  Tbsp light Mayonnaise
1  Tbsp Vinegar
1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Celery Seed
1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
4    cups shredded Cabbage
1    large shredded Carrot

Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the cabbage and carrot. Mix it together and chill it for at least an hour. Serve cold and enjoy!


Thursday, August 9, 2012

Greek Salad Dressing

Being Gluten-Free definitely means that you are going to miss out on a lot of great meals that the world has to offer. On the bright side, you can become the king or queen of salads. There are endless options and combinations and as long as you are making your own dressing, you know it will be Gluten-Free.

I love how salty and wonderful Greek salad is. Any chance I get to put some olives and homemade feta cheese into, I'm all over it! Traditional Greek salad has no lettuce at all but I really enjoy more of an Americanized version of the salad. I toss this dressing in with romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, black olives and feta cheese.

And of course, it is Gluten-Free!

1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1        Clove Garlic, crushed
1/2    tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1/4    tsp Salt
1/4    tsp Dried Oregano
1/4    tsp Dried Basil

Blend together all of the ingredients in a jar, shaker or food processor. Crumble some feta into the dressing if you would like.

Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette


This is a great salad that I found in an old Curves book that I picked up at a garage sale. Not only is it Gluten-Free but it is also very good for you!

No one can deny how good spinach really is for you. It is packed with vitamins and minerals. Many of us remember having the green slop on our plates during dinner but nowadays there are much nicer ways of serving it. It is also hard to ignore how much healthier it is for you in its raw form. Vegetables lose a lot of their nutritional value when you cook them. The heating process breaks down the vitamins and minerals in the food and they are gone before they get to your plate.

The recipe is simple and very quick to make. A great last minute salad.

Vinaigrette:

2 1/2 Tbsp Orange Juice
1       Tbsp Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4     tsp ground black pepper
1/2     tsp salt

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker or jar and mix until well combined.

Salad:

2    cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup sliced baby mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Place the salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix with the vinaigrette and serve right away.


Try adding almonds, pecan, cranberries, raisins, bacon bits or any other topping you enjoy. There are endless ways to enjoy this salad.