Baked Potato Night

Baked potatoes are one of the easiest gluten free dinners.  Throw them in the oven, add your favorite toppings, and dinner is served.  They are also an easy way to make everyone happy because each family member can make their own potato creation.  My kids' favorite is a baked potato with salsa, black beans, and cheese.

At a loss for how to top your potato or just want to try something new.  Check out this page with 101 Best Baked Potato Toppings.

Gluten Free Tuna Mac

Last night I needed to make a quick dinner, and I didn't have much available.  I was also exhausted, so the thought of dragging three kids to the store or even trying to go out to eat with both a toddler and a preschooler was unbearable.  Therefore, I had to get creative and use what I had.  As far as protein, a can of tuna was the only thing not frozen.  Not the most exciting item for sure, but I managed to make it work.  I cooked a box of DeBoles Gluten Free Corn Elbow Style Pasta , drained it, and then added in a large can of tuna drained, some frozen peas (about 1 cup), some shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 cup), and a can of Progressive Cream of Mushroom Soup.  I just cooked the mixture a couple of minutes to melt the cheese and warm up the soup.  Voila, Gluten Free Tuna Mac!  Everyone liked it, and two of the kids even had seconds.

If you haven't already, check out the Progressive Soup at your local grocery store.  Several of their soups including the mushroom soup are labeled gluten free.  Make sure to check the back of the can.  While some of them are clearly labeled gluten free on the front, others only have the gluten free label on the back of the can near the ingredient list.  We also like the Traditional Chicken and Rice with Vegetables which is a nice chicken and noodle soup substitute to have on hand for days when little ones are feeling sick.

 

Gluten Free Oatmeal Rasin Cookies

I experimented with converting my old favorite oatmeal cookie recipe to gluten free today.  I used to just make the "Family Favorite Oatmeal Cookies" recipe from the back of the Meijer brand quick oats.  With just a few changes, I was able to recreate these as a gluten free cookie.  They turned out crispy on the outside, but still soft on the inside.  I have also found that my cookies typically turn out much better when I bake them on an AirBake Insulated Cookie Sheet . Here's my gluten-free version:

1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp GF vanilla
1 cup GF oat flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 corn starch
1 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups GF oats
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease cookie sheet.  Beat shortening and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.  In a separate bowl, whisk together oat flour, potato starch, corn starch, xantham gum, baking soda, and soda to mix well.  Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir in oats and raisins. Chill dough for 10-15 minutes. Using rounded tablespoons, roll into balls.  Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.  Flatten with fork.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let stand for a couple of minutes before removing to racks to cool.

Breakfast in a Jiffy Please

I must admit that I am not a morning person, so cooking breakfast on early weekday mornings for the kids is just not going to happen.  My kids are also not the best breakfast eaters, so I just do my best in my zombie-like state to get something in them.  Their breakfasts are not too unusual for small kids, but I thought that I'd share our gluten free twist on breakfast.  Breakfast usually includes milk or yogurt, fruit, and some type of grain.

Milk/Yogurt

My daughter drinks soy milk every morning which is nice because I know that she's at least getting some protein.  Her little brother doesn't drink milk very well, so I typically feed him a GoGurt Simple yogurt.  I discovered this morning that I could sneak his antibiotics in with the yogurt with no complaints too.

Fruit

We buy berries in bulk at Costco, so the kids typically have a handful of blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries with their breakfast.  Some mornings they have a "chocolate banana" which is just a banana with some Nutella.  I also keep squeezable applesauce on hand which my kid's love.

Squeezable Applesauce

Grains

Crunchmaster Crackers

Sun Butter

My daughter's favorite is to have some leftover homemade bread with nutella for breakfast.  See my post about our favorite bread (Gluten Free Bread).  Otherwise, she might have some Crunchmaster crackers with SunButter.  My oldest has a severe peanut allergy, so my little ones can't eat peanut butter due to the risk of accidentally exposing their brother to it.  He has no desire to eat anything resembling peanut butter, but the little kids love Sun Butter.

I also keep a few different types of dry cereal on hand.  Here's some of our favorites.

As a special treat, my kid's also like Van's gluten free waffles.

Gluten Free Salmon Potato Patties

We don't typically eat much fish, but I'm trying to broaden our diet a bit so I tried something new tonight.  I looked through a few recipes for inspiration and came up with this combination based mostly on what I had available.  I will count this as a hit since all three kids ate some.  It took a little bribing with my daughter, but eventually she tried the salmon patties and decided they were pretty good.  The bribing involved getting her watermelon for dessert, so I count it as a big win.  This recipe makes eight patties which was the perfect amount for my family of five. The little kids each ate one patty, and my teenager, husband, and I each had two.

Salmon Potato Patties
1 small onion
handful of baby carrots
olive oil
2 cups prepared mashed potatoes (I used some ready-made, but leftovers would also work well)
1 egg
2 - 6 oz. cans of pink salmon
2 tbs corn starch

Finely chop the onion and carrots.  I used a food chopper to get the onions very small so that my kids couldn't see the onions; otherwise, they would protest and refuse to eat it.

Next saute the onions and carrots with a little bit of olive oil until the onions start to caramelize and the carrots soften. 

Then drain the salmon and empty it into a medium sized bowl. Mix in the onion/carrots, mashed potatoes, egg and corn starch.

Form the mixture into 8 patties and cook in a skillet with some olive oil for approximately 5 minutes on each side. I just used the same skillet that I used to saute the onions and carrots.

I served the patties with some peas.

Favorite Gluten Free Pastas

Whenever I ask my kids what they want for dinner, they respond in unison "Pasta!"  For a while, I always made separate gluten free pasta for my daughter and regular pasta for the rest of the family because nobody else liked the gluten free pasta.  However, over time we found a few gluten free pastas that everyone likes which has greatly simplified things for me.

Dave's Butternut Squash Sauce

My family's absolute favorite pasta is from a local business that specializes in handcrafted gourmet pasta, Your Family's Pasta - Gourmet Pastas.  If you happen to live in the Indianapolis area, they sell their pasta at the Noblesville, Fishers, and Westfield farmer's market.  You can also order from them online and have it shipped directly to you.  We love both the gluten free Veggie Curls and Pagoda.  I serve this with Prego traditional sauce,  Dave's Butternut Squash Sauce, or even just some Parmesan cheese and butter.  Believe it or not, my kids actually prefer the "squash sauce" and request it specifically.

Corn Elbow Style Pasta

My family also likes DeBoles Corn Elbow Style pasta.  I like to use this pasta for chilli mac.  I just make my chilli with kidney beans, tomato sauce, ground beef, and onions and serve it over the corn pasta sprinkled with cheddar cheese.  Sometimes I also make a mexican style goulash with it.  I brown a pound of ground beef with a small, chopped onion, and add taco seasoning, a can of black beans, and crushed tomatoes and serve this over the pasta with some cheese and sour cream.

 Nature's Earthly Choice Quinoa Pasta blend from Costco is a great penne pasta.  It is a corn, rice, and quinoa blend that cooks with a pleasing texture.

Even with these pastas, you have to follow the cooking instructions carefully; otherwise, they will be mushy.  I have found that it is very important to bring the water to a rapid boil before cooking gluten-free pasta.   A couple of times I have tried to add more water to the pan after I had already added the pasta, and I ended up with a gooey mess and had to throw away the pasta.  You also need to follow the cooking time on the package to make sure that you don't over cook the pasta.  Once the cooking water starts to thicken, the pasta is done.

Fast Food for Gluten Free Kids

Grabbing a snack or quick meal from a fast food restaurant just doesn't work for us.  I am gluten free and can eat a salad at many places, but like most preschoolers my daughter doesn't eat lettuce of any kind.  I suppose that we could get her a hamburger or grilled chicken sandwich without a bun, but she is not fond of that idea either.  Most of the time, we plan ahead and bring food with us for her, but sometimes life is hectic, and frankly, we are caught completely unprepared with a whiny kid from time to time.  In a pinch, we sometimes pick up an Apple Snackers from the Walmart produce section.  It comes with apple slices, grapes, and cheese cubes.  It's actually a big hit with both of my little ones ages one and three.  I have no idea why, but the kids won't eat apple peels at home, but they typically eat the apple slices peel and all from the snack packs.  Go figure!  Unfortunately, there's no drive through, but at least the produce section is usually near the entrance so it's pretty quick.  Sometimes, we also go to Wendy's where I will get a salad with grilled chicken and share some of my chicken with my daughter.  We also order her some apple slices and juice or milk, and she'll share some fries with dad.   You just need to check with the manager first to see if a separate fryer is used for the fries to make sure that are safe.

Here's a link to additional information about eating gluten free fast food:

Gluten Free Fast Food Options

Family Movie Night

Popcorn is a must for movie night, so we just turn it into a fun, easy dinner.  Yes, popcorn!  We put a blanket on the floor in the family room and serve the kids popcorn, cheese, and apple slices.  As an added bonus, we sometimes add chocolate chip cookies for desert.  Popcorn is one of my kids favorite snacks too.  We pop it in an air-popper and let the kids pick out a seasoning to add to it.  Sometimes I fill up Ziploc bags for on-the-go.

Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving Menu

• Turkey (Of course!)
• Spiral Sliced Ham (Kirkland brand from Costco labeled gluten-free)
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Mashed Potatoes
• Green Beans (Must give up the french fried onions, but that's OK because my kids would never eat green bean casserole anyway.)
• Gluten Free Corn Casserole (I'm planning to leave out the swiss cheese, but otherwise sounds similar to my family's traditional corn casserole.)
• Gluten Free Dinner Rolls
• Pumpkin Pudding
• Chocolate pie with  Easy "Graham Cracker Crust"

Crockpot Chicken

Crockpot Chicken
One of my family favorites is my crockpot chicken, and it's the easiest thing ever.  In the morning, I put a whole frozen chicken in the crockpot and cook it on the low setting for 8-10 hours.  That's it!  I don't add anything to it or do anything special other than remove the giblets if necessary after about an hour once the chicken has thawed  Typically, I'll start a loaf of bread during nap time to serve with it.  Then just add a vegetable side such as green beans and dinner's done.

After dinner, I remove the leftover chicken from the bone, cut it up in small pieces, put it in a glass storage container, and drain all of the juices from the crockpot over it to save for another dinner.  With these leftovers, I typically make either a Chicken Risotto or Chicken and Rice Noodles.

Chicken Risotto

Leftover chicken and juices (You can substitute prepared chicken broth/stock if you don't have chicken juices on hand.  Just fill the rice cooker with broth and omit water.)
2 cups brown rice
1 Small Chopped Onion
Approximately 1/2 cup carrot shreds (Or chopped baby carrots)
Approximately 1/2 cup frozen peas

Microwave the leftovers for a minute or two to melt the chicken juices/fat.  Add the desired amount of rice, chicken juices/fat, enough water to fill the rice cooker up to the 3 cups of rice cook line, a small chopped onion, and carrots.  Then add the chopped up chicken.  Turn on the rice cooker and let it do it's magic.  Once the rice cooker switches to warm, I stir in some frozen peas.  Leave it in the rice cooker on warm for a few minutes, and then it's ready to serve just salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken and Rice Noodles
Leftover chicken and juices (You can cook noodles in prepared chicken broth/stock if you don't havethe juices on hand.)
Approximately 2 cups of water
1 box Pad Thai rice noodles (I use Annie Chun's)
Frozen Peas

Dump the leftover chicken and juices in a large pan and add a couple of cups of water.  Bring water, chicken mixture to boil.  I typically break the rice noodles in half first to make them a little bit easier for little ones to eat and then add them to the boiling broth.  Add more water to cover the noodles if necessary.  Cook 4-5 minutes until noddles are tender, stirring occasionally.  I add some frozen peas in with the chicken and noodles before serving to my children.  You can also add some salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Yummy Pizza!

We tried a new pizza place last night that serves gluten-free pizza, and I just had to share because it was the best gluten-free pizza that I've had.  My daughter's preschool sent out an e-mail that that they were having a fundraising event at a new pizza restaurant in town.  The flyer mentioned that they had gluten free pizza, so we thought that we'd give it a try.  The whole family, even the gluten eating ones, agreed that the crispy, thin crust from Boombozz Pizza was the best.  From what I can tell, it's a new chain just in Carmel, IN and Louisville, KY, but you should definitely check it out if you get a chance.

 Another favorite of ours is Cool River Pizza which offers both cheesy bread and pizza as a gluten -free option.  Locations are limited to Noblesville, IN, Rocklin, CA, and Elk Grove, CA.

We also like Puccinis which offers both gluten free pasta and pizza with several locations in Indiana and Kentucky. 

Gluten Free Bread

My daughter turns her nose up to just about all of the pre-made gluten free breads.  For the most part, I make all of her bread.  Before we started the gluten-free lifestyle, I have to admit that I had never made bread mostly because I thought that it was difficult and time consuming.  After muddling through a few months of eating gluten free with basically no bread of any kind, I decided to give bread-making a try.  My mom got me a bread-maker for Christams last year, so I started off using a few of the bread mixes.  They were definitely better than the pre-made bread options, but they were still pretty expensive.  Eventually, I decided that maybe I could make it from scratch myself.  We have tried numerous different recipes, but this recipe is by far everyone's favorite.  The whole family enjoys this bread especially served just out of the bread-maker.

Delicious Gluten Free Bread

For this recipe, I use potato starch and oat flour.  I also use lemon juice and honey.

My bread-maker does not have a specific gluten-free setting, but the bread always turn out wonderful with the rapid rise cycle.  I use the "Food Network Programmable Breadmaker" from Kohl's which has worked just fine for me.

While the ingredient list may be somewhat daunting at first, it really isn't that difficult.  You can even mix up multiple batches of the dry ingredients at one time and save them until you're ready to make your next loaf.  The only downside so far is the mess on the counter from all of the bread crumbs when I slice up the bread.  I put the loaf on a cutting board, but the flaky crust tends to still make a mess.  Since I make bread on a regular basis, I have a added a bread slicer and breadkeeper to my wish list.



  

Must Have Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies have always been my expertise.  In fact, I'm not allowed to show up to a family event without them.  I have to admit that giving up gluten filled cookies was probably one of the most difficult aspects of changing my family's diet. Not only do I love cookies, but cookie making had been an important tradition that I shared with my children.  I tried many gluten free recipes to satisfy my chocolate chip cookie cravings, but many of them either tasted odd or didn't have the right consistency.

Check out my update to this post:
Update to Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe 

Here's the best recipe that I have found so far:

Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

With just a couple of tweaks, I have been able to enjoy chocolate chip cookies once again with my kids.  I substitute potato starch for tapioca starch because I don't like the taste of the tapioca starch (same quantity). I've found that it is what gives many of the gluten free baked goods a funny taste. I also use 1% milk because I don't keep whole milk on hand, and it works fine. It's important to chill the dough well as the recipe says (I put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes) or they won't bake right.

Eating Out at Chipotle

We went out to dinner at Chipotle tonight with the family.  My daughter loved the kid's make your own taco kit.  The best thing is that everything other than the flour tortillas are gluten-free.

http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/special_diet_information/special_diet_information.aspx

Gluten Free Dinner Rolls

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I decided to experiment with making some dinner rolls.  This recipe turned out well.  The house smelled wonderful as they baked, and the kids were excited to wake up to fresh rolls after nap time.  Warm rolls with a little bit of Nutella were a perfect snack.  I used white rice flour instead of the Asian White and Sweat flours, but they still turned out great.

http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/11/gluten-free-dairy-free-soft-dinner-rolls-recipe.html

Here's the products that I used for this recipe:

Mushroom Rice Lentil Pilaf

Let's face it once you are on a gluten-free diet, you no longer have the luxury of feeding your family the occasional ready-made meal or takeout.  Ugh!  Just about everything must be homemade from scratch.  Fret no more, here's the easiest gluten-free dinner ever that you're family will love.

Mushroom Rice Lentil Pilaf
Add 2 coups brown rice, and 1 cup lentils in a rice cooker and fill with water to the 4 cup line.  (This takes about a half hour to cook, but you get it started and go do something else until you're ready for dinner.  Sometimes I start this and go to the gym or just head outside to play with the kids.  The rice cooker will switch to warm when it's finished, so there's no need to watch the clock.)

When you are ready to eat, brown 1lb. of hamburger and then add 1 can of Progresso Cream of Mushroom soup.  Serve this over the rice, lentil mixture.

It's so simple, and my picky kids love it.

Let the Candy Sorting Begin

Halloween trick-or-tricking can be a bit tricky when kids have food allergies.  Not only do we have gluten issues in our house, but one of my children also has a peanut allergy.  As soon as we get home, the candy sorting must begin.  I found this great link that outlines which candies are gluten-free which was very helpful this year. 

Gluten Free Candy List

Now if I could only figure out how to stop the non-stop whining about wanting to eat candy.

Easy Gluten Free Tacos

Last night was a typical frantic dinner night with a toddler, preschooler, and teenager.  Easy gluten free tacos to the rescue!  Here's a quick, go-to-meal for hectic weeknights.

Brown 1lb. hamburger, add a can of black beans (drained) and a can of diced tomatoes (drained), and season with "Mrs. Dash - Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend".  We served this on "Ortega Yellow Corn Taco Shells" along with prepared "Wholly Guacamole" both gluten free. 

After dealing with some chronic digestive issues with my little one, we discovered that she has gluten issues.  So began our gluten-free journey...  Thinking about raising a toddler without cheerios and goldfish crackers was a daunting experience at first, but over time we are figuring out how to make it work.  It didn't take long before she began asking "Is this good for my tummy?" and letting others know when something wasn't. While there are many gluten-free specialty, packaged goods now available, we have found that many of them taste horrible and are just too expensive.  Through trial and error, we are working to find alternatives that work for us.  This blog is dedicated to helping others going gluten free with little ones find and prepare food that is good for sensitive, little tummies.