Friday, November 6, 2009

Meat Loaf with a Twist!

One night I was in the kitchen and running behind.  (Imagine that... seems more the norm.)  I had planned on hamburgers for dinner, but just did not want to roll out the patties.  Didn't want to stand there and flip... I was just in a non-conformist mood.  So I had this idea!  Meatloaf! 

Meatloaf is a word that has not been spoken in our household since tomatoes became a "no-no" in our main dishes.  I honestly had never known that meatloaf could be made without ketchup.  What to do?? I improvised and dug through my cabinets and concocted the following recipe.  It was truly not a beautiful main dish... being rather colorless.  (You can read here about my thing on colorful foods.)  I served it up to my family with some steamed broccoli on the side and held my breath!

My kids never cease to amaze me (on so many levels).  They scarffed that loaf down and asked for more.  I actually ended up making another for a Sunday meal at a friends house a few days later.  You just never know....

(This recipe could easily be adapted for your crockpot.)

I've posted my recipe and a copy of a completely different meatloaf recipe from the LivingWithout Magazine.  Both are sooooo yummy!

You Just Never Know Meatloaf

1 lb. ground meat (beef or turkey)
2 tbsp. dried onion flaked (or fresh)
1 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh)
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 c. gluten free oatmeal

Mush all this together in a bowl.  Knead until seasonings are completely mixed in.  Shape into a round "loaf" and place in large frying pan.  (I have surgical stainless steel pans that have "weighted" lids that help keep the moisture in and cook more evenly.  If your pans are not like this... just watch it a bit more carefully.)  Heat the frying pan on medium heat. You can brown one side of the meatloaf then flip it over or just leave it be.  It's up to your tastes.  I just put the lid on that baby and turned the heat down on low until it was done in the middle.  The oatmeal helped keep the moist loaf together.

Next time, I think I will shred some veggies and mix them in the loaf.  Anyway to get a veggie in a kid.

OK... if you WANT to... you CAN put ketchup on top!

==========================

This recipe comes from the http://www.livingwithout.com/ website.  (One of my fav magazines.)

Gluten-Free Meat Loaf
Serves 4

This unusual take on the classic American favorite contains no garlic, onion or peppers. You can substitute your favorite shredded vegetables in place of the broccoli and carrots. For a hint of sweetness, replace 4 tablespoons lime juice with an equal amount of orange juice.

2 pounds ground beef
2 cups mixed shredded broccoli stems and carrots
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup + 2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons apricot jam

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Put all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Knead with your hands or mix with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are well blended.
3.Form meat mixture into a loaf and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake in preheated over for 35 minutes or until cooked through. Serve hot.

Each serving contains 622 calories, 45g total fat, 17g saturated fat, 3g trans fat, 159mg cholesterol, 14g carbohydrate, 182mg sodium, 1g fiber, 40g protein.

Recipe by Liz Scott.

Saving Money with Coupons!

I admit it.  I'm a couponer.  I love saving money.  I love watching the cashier's eyeballs pop out of their head when they tell me how much I have saved.  It is a rush that is hard to describe.

However, I will be the first to admit that it is difficult to save money on a lot of the "special" foods we eat.  Rice and dried beans ... o.k., those are cheap.  But when you try to buy baking products or convenience foods.... wowzers!  Last night I ran into a store to buy some rice milk and my favorite brand had a coupon attached to the front.  Boy howdy, did I buy the rice and almond milk.  I came home with a boatload and my #3 child danced a jig in the kitchen when I unloaded them!  (He really likes his rice milk.)  I started thinking about coupons for other allergy-friendly food items.....

Today my mission was to locate healthfood type coupons.  Coupons that are not so common.  I actually found some sites that specialize in this sort of thing!

So, dearies... have fun looking, printing and saving....

Healthy Savers offers different coupons for different stores.  You can register for your location.
http://www.healthesavers.com/HealthESavers/Coupons.aspx?ViewAll=1

Mambo sprouts usually has a booklet in some healthfood chains.  You can also sign up for their email and have things mailed to you. (They have a Glutino coupon right now!)  Look around on their site because they mail samples and have contests and give-a-ways.
http://www.mambosprouts.com/sign-up.php

Hain is the parent company that carries several of the brands of GF products we use.  They have a free bi-weekly newletter that you have to sign up for.  You get the inside track recipes, special offers and promotionals.
http://register.myhaincelestial.com/sites/clientfiles/myhaincelestialregister/reg/submgmt_index.htm?sID=hp

Apple and Eve
http://www.appleandeve.com/coupon.php

Applegate Farm Coupon
http://www.applegatefarms.com/couponing/thankyou.aspx

Arrowhead Mills Promo... get free kitchen tools when you save the UPCs from their boxes.
http://www.arrowheadmills.com/whats_new/oxo/redemption_form.php

Sign up at Gluten Free choices and get a coupon...
http://www.glutenfreechoices.com/contact/family.html

$1.50 coupon at Eat Better, Live Better
https://secure.murgent.com/emopt/index.php?id=3586

Oooo... Barbara's Bakery stuff
http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/barbarasbakery/newsletter.d2w/report

Cherrybrook Farms sends out coupons too!
http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/talktous/newsletters/index.php

$1 off Dreamfield Pasta!
http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/dreamfields-newsletter-signup.html

Food Should Taste Good Coupon (ahhh... sweet potato fries!)
http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/#/sweet_potato/

Laura's Lean Beef
http://www.laurasleanbeef.com/

This one is not all organic/healthfood, but you can scroll down through the list to pick and choose specific coupons.
http://www.couponsinc.com/corp/source/cp_clientlist.asp

This list isn't all that's out there.  You may actually have great luck by emailing your favorite company and they will send you coupons for the products you use.

Have fun and remember every dollar adds up!

Cornbread Girl

Thursday, November 5, 2009

How to reduce your stress in 15 minutes a week!

I have a friend who sits down every Sunday afternoon with a piece of paper in hand. She looks at what is in her cupboards and freezer and makes of list of main meals for the week. Simple meals, but a menu none the less. (It’s just a piece of notebook paper, nothing fancy.) She then makes a little grocery list according to what other items she needs to complete the meals plus breakfast and lunch items.

My friend keeps her grocery bill at bay, is prepared for dinner each night and manages to take care of all the many children in her home (including the one with food allergies!).

She is my hero. Wish I were that good.

It really is such a simple concept. She only takes about 15 minutes to "plan". FIFTEEN MINUTES!!! And she is ready for the grocery store and coming week’s meals. Why, oh why, is that so hard for me??

Alas.... I am doomed for the need to feel "inspired" in the kitchen. [Was that a little too dramatic? OK... reality check...]

Seriously, when I STOP and PLAN.... it is amazing what a little planning will do. I think the reason I/we/most people do not plan is because we are just not trained that way. Unlike my friend who obviously had a much disciplined mother and is a disciplined personality type herself... most of us are fly-by-the-pants kind of people. Which can be good at times... but usually doesn't help in the day to day routines.

So, why am I writing about this in a food blog? Well, because... a little planning for a few minutes each week and you CAN feed your loved one healthy, allergy free meals and snacks. And possibly save some money in the process too.

So this week, make a resolution:

1) I WILL take 5 minutes and make an easy dinner menu plan for the week. I will put the menu plan on the fridge. (So as not to loose it… which I’ve done personally)

2) Then I will take 5 minutes and look in my cabinets and freezer to see what I have. (Now is not the time to clean out the cabinets… Resist~ all my fellow highly distractible personality types! Resist! You will get side tracked from your mission.)

3) Then I will make a short grocery list for items I need and put it in my purse/pocket/Day-Timer for when I go to the store. (There again, so you won’t get to the store and slap your forehead as you call your husband and ask him to find where you left your list….)

That's all! 15 minutes of your life.
Repeat for 3 more weeks and see how you did this month!

P.S.  Make sure you put cornbread on that list somewhere (even if it's corn free cornbread)

FREE PRINTABLES:

For the "techies" out there... here is a free menu planner.  Here is a free grocery list planner.
And for those who realy want to supercharge their savings, here is a grocery list envelope (where you can put our coupons in it that you need and your shoppers card).

Fun Rollup Sandwhiches

I must be "in the zone" this morning.  3 blogs in one day! Oh, yea. Enjoy!!!

Fun Rollup Sandwiches


Tortillas (corn or other flour depending on your needs)
Thinly sliced beef, ham or turkey
Rice/Soy Cheese (if you can)
Leaves of lettuce
Carrot shreds
Vegenaise (or your favorite no-egg mayo)
Mustard

This is a fun kid meal! Just lay out the tortilla and add your favorites. Roll it up, warm in the microwave for a few seconds. Let the yum begin!

Throw some fruit with it to make a happy lunch!

Guten Free Granola

Gluten Free Granola


1 c butter or spectrum “butter”
1 c brown sugar (organic is fun)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
8 cups gluten free oatmeal

Melt the butter and the brown sugar together in a large saucepan. Stir and let it simmer for a few minutes (2-3 minutes). Add the salt and cinnamon, then the oatmeal. Remove pot from heat and stir until all the oatmeal is coated. Use a couple of cookie sheets with sides and spread the granola mixture out and bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool granola completely on pan, then break up into pieces and transfer to a container with a lid that seals. You can add raisins, coconut or nuts too if you are not allergic to them.

So much better for you than boxed cereals and does not leave you feeling empty halfway through the morning!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

What a guy...



.... my Honey that is.  He is a warm breakfast kind of guy.  I, however, am not a morning kind of gal.  I cook things the night before or on the weekend and freeze back.  He likes the challenge of getting up and cooking something from scratch even though he knows he's still gotta leave for work that morning.  My only contention is the dishes he leaves... but it's hard to complain when you're biting into a hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven muffin.  (Hot muffins.... hey!  I'll even do the laundry!!)

So today's offering is from my Honey. 



Honey's Multi-purpose Muffins

4 tbsp. milled flaxseed
1 tsp. xanthan gum
enough hot water to dissolve

Mix the above together in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Whip it together pretty well and set aside.  This is your "egg replacer".  (Or just happily use 2 eggs if you can handle them. )

1 1/4 c. sorghum flour (can use millet)
3/4 c. millet or buckwheat (or even half and half)
1 1/2  c. rice flour
1/2 c. corn starch (or potato starch or tapioca starch)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/3 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. oil (safflower, sunflower or your fav)
1 1/3 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Optional: 1 c. chopped fruit (cranberries, blueberries) or chopped nuts or coconut

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and sift together.  Then add in the remaining ingredients (including your flax mush mix) and mix well with electric mixer.  Oil those muffin tins really well and spoon batter into muffin tins.  Bake in a preheated oven (375 degrees) for 25-30 minutes or until browned and knife comes out clean.

Drizzle with honey or serve with jelly/jam.  Yum!!!!

This recipe is very versatile.  You can interchange flours according to your needs.  You can use rice milk or water for the moisture.  You can also add more sugar (for more of a dessert roll) or leave out some sugar and replace with some honey (just decrease the liquid a bit). 


My suggestion for those with "non-cooking honeys":  The night before put all the dry stuff in one bowl, the wet stuff in another bowl (except your flax mixture - you'll have to do that one as you need it).... dump and mix in the morning!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Let's talk saving time and money...

Just some random savings thoughts I had today while talking with a friend on the phone....

How do you save time in the kitchen??
How do you save money while saving that time in the kitchen??
How do you make it healthy in the process???

So, tonight while I had this mad dash in the kitchen I thought I'd share some things I do to make life easier...

1) Cook more than what you need.
        Tonight, I browned 2 pounds of ground beef even though I was only using one.  I just removed the extra browned beef to a separate bowl to cool and freeze back for another meal.  Really didn't take any extra effort since I was cooking the meat anyway.

        Of course, you can apply this to complete meals, like soup!  It's just as easy to make a whoppin' big pot as it is to make a small one.  Then you have another meal or bowls to take for lunch.

2) Beans are cheap.  Dried beans are really cheap!  Go ahead and put them in the crockpot at night before you go to bed.  Really!  Just put them in there with some water on low and tomorrow you will be glad you did!   I use them for whatever recipe that day and freeze back in family serving size bowls for other meals.

3) Buy things on sale.  A lot if you can.  I typically buy things when they are as close to 1/2 price as possible.  And I buy a LOT!  The freezer and a storage shelf in my pantry keep them handy.  One tip though.... don't buy a LOT of what you don't typically eat a LOT of.... trust me, I learned that the hard way.

What I did today:

Crock pot the pintos this morning (2 pounds of pintos!  That's a lot of BEANS!)
Lunchtime... rice and pintos... because they smelled soooooo divine at that point of the day. (I noticed my neighbors tend to come by more often when my crockpot has been on most of the day... hmmm...)
Dinnertime.... those same beans purreed (or just smooshed) in with beef and seasonings for soft tacos. 

I put back 1 pound of browned ground beef in the freezer for another meal.  I put back 2 more family size bowls for 2 more meals on the pintos!  Woohoo!  Half of 3 more meals already done!


Do you have any savings (time or money) tips????  I'd love to hear about them!

Que rico!!!

Well, I would have had a picture to post tonight... except... well, it is best to take pictures of the food BEFORE your kids and hubby come in all hungry as bears ready to eat! 

Note to self: start dinner sooner and take pictures fast!

I had planned this yummy Soft Taco dish tonight. The beans were a simmering this morning in the crock, the beef was happy in the frig.  Then life happened.  So about 30 minutes before we needed to eat (and in the middle of a completely non-food related project) I realized dinner must be served!

So I ran to the kitchen, threw that package of ground beef in the micro, pulled out paper plates and bagged salad, and looked for an alternative to nicely pan browned corn tortillas. Fritos it was!  (not the healthiest thing in the world to eat, but all corn... no soy, no wheat, no potatoes, no... well, you get the picture)

So as the hungry bears walked into the house looking for their porridge (oops, different story) dinner, the ground beef and been browned, the pintos smashed in to the beef with the seasonings and a bowl of fritos and salad were ready to rock the sides. 

Here's a yummy recipe that you can feel free to alter to the tastes ( and time constraints) of your hungry bears at your house.

Burrito/Soft Taco Filling:

1 lb. ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken)
onion
garlic

Brown these together in a frying pan, then add in the following:

2 cans pinto beans smooshed (or some cooked in your crock pot that morning)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cilantro
1 tsp. oregano (or italian seasonings)
1 tsp. salt
[you can just add in a taco seasoning mix and can of tomatoes if you aren't dealing with night shade food issues; read those labels for "msg" though! ]


Add this yummy filling into a hard taco shell, or your favorite soft shell (burritos or corn tacos) or just serve them over corn chips if you in a hurry! :o)

Throw a big green salad on the side to make life healthier and your hungry bears will shout.... "DELICIOSO!!!"