Cake Pops and Strawberry Lemonade (gluten free)

Would you like a quick, easy, snack or dessert for your family?  Or a quick go-to treat for a classroom full of kids!  Two words....cake pops.  Two more....Betty Crocker.  

(and she has a g-free mix) 

I promise you the Gluten Free mix is as tasty as the regular...no sarcasm here! 1 box will make about 36 pops.

Now this little baby, a cake pop maker I found at Target for $15.00.  It is magic, it is unicorns and glitter.  GET ONE! Make your cake batter as directed and fill just before the top of the cake pop hole, close and wait for the green light to come on.  They are beautiful!  (Am I overly excited?)

Once the cakes have cooled take candy melts, found at your local craft store (Michael's or Hobby Lobby).  You will find them with the cake baking wares.  You can also get sticks for the cake pops here.  1 package will make about 18 pops.

If you melt the coating in a small enough bowl, you can coat the cake bites relatively easy.  Once they are coated set them on wax paper to dry.  If you want to add sprinkles do it while they are wet. Before you run out of melt, add a little to the top where the stick goes into the cake.  If you don't the weight of the cake pop makes it just slide off the stick. 

Serve with milk or some really great home made strawberry lemonade.  All you do is take lemonade and add it 3/4 full in your blender, then add frozen strawberries.  Such a great and easy snack!  

Want an even easier snack?  Just coat pretzels with the melt and add sprinkles.  Kids go crazy for them AND you can find gluten free pretzels in your health food store. 

Gluten Free Southern Cornbread Dressing

I have always loved my grandmother's Southern Cornbread Dressing.  And like most children I hated onions or celery in everything; but on holidays they somehow became invisible when brought out in her roasting pan and served with her golden turkey.  My mom gave me the recipe, and years later I discovered I had Celiac Disease.  But, thank the good Lord above, you can buy G-Free cornbread mix.  Therefore, I adapted Nana's recipe to suit my medical needs.  Despite the fact it may be a little sweeter tasting, I would say I basically NAILED it and Nana would be proud!  And to you Yankees, this is not a stuffing, because it is not STUFFED into anything.  It is baked alone and served BESIDE your turkey.  I don't hold stuffing against you, it's just that I have never shot a turkey stuffed with bread so I'm not going to put it in there---- at any time! 

Here is what you will need:

2 packages of Pamela's Cornbread and Muffin Mix, 1 stick of butter, 1 large bunch of celery chopped, 2 t poultry seasoning, 2 eggs beaten, 2 t salt and 2 t pepper, 4-5 pieces of gluten free bread pinched up, (I usually have some on hand)1 large chopped white onion, 1 T rubbed sage, 2 quarts of chicken broth gluten free ( I save mine from boiling chicken and keep it in the fridge), 4 boiled eggs

Now, don't JUST buy the ingredients above, you need to see what it requires to bake your cornbread and your gluten free bread if you don't have any on hand...

Follow the directions on the cornbread mix BUT ADD 1/2 THE SUGAR it calls for, bake, set aside to cool and then crumble.  While your cornbread is cooking boil your eggs

You can do all of this in your roasting pan from beginning to end! When your cornbread is crumbled you want to add your gluten free bread pinched up.  It is always good to have a few different breads in your dressing.  But if you don't, it probably won't matter.  I've just never had it any other way.

Beat your eggs and pour right on top of your cornbread, this helps hold the dressing together after it is cooked.

 

Add your seasonings to the top, and mix.

Add 1 quart of your broth to the dressing and mix thoroughly.

Melt your butter then add your onions and celery to a medium heat and cook until your onions are transparent.  While they cook peel your eggs, cut and allow cool. When your onions and celery are done add to your cornbread.  Butter and all!

Top with your chopped eggs, salt and pepper them (again if desired) and mix well!  So, now you have it all together.  Your cornbread, bread, seasoning, onions, celery, beaten eggs, boiled eggs and broth....Look at you go!  Add 1/2 quart of your broth to the dressing then cover and refrigerate.

You should have 1/2 quart of broth left over. When you take it out of the fridge prior to cooking, if it seems it needs more add it.  (I usually do)  And if it seems too moist you will just have to cook it longer. While cooking, if it seems to dry just add more.  You have 1/2 quart to make it to your liking.    You want to cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour or maybe a little longer.  Cover for the first 30 minutes only.  You want it to be somewhat crusty and golden brown. This is also great for the next day, but you may have to add a little broth to reheat.

Tell that turkey to scoot over and enjoy! 

   

Fire Roasted Tomato & Jalepeno Chicken and Rice

If you follow this blog, you will know this recipe is relatively close to my pollo picante.  The difference is you use picante sauce for the pollo picante and you are making your sauce from scratch with this one.  Trust me, this is not a difficult recipe and the result is worth the time you will put into it. In addition, if you are a gardener, and had a few green tomatoes left (I had 9 gallons) this is a great recipe for utilizing them verses CANNING more.  Goodness knows how much I love to can by the end of the summer...NOT

TIP:  If you are facing a cold front with green tomatoes on the vine, just pick them all and place in a cool dark place with news paper under AND OVER them to catch the gasses they emit.  Check periodically because they will turn quicker than you realize!  Now on to the recipe...

This is what you will need: 

3-4 chicken breasts,  2 cups of fire roasted & peeled (grilled tomatoes), 2 large jalapenos also roasted and seeded, 3 green onions cut into chunks,  1/2 lime, 1 large clove of garlic, sea salt to taste, 2 cups of cheddar or colby-jack cheese and fresh cilantro to taste.  You may complement your dish with sour cream, fresh tomatoes or avocado slices.  Serving suggestion:  1 can of black or pinto beans and 2 cups dry white rice cooked as directed. We also enjoy a nice salad with this particular dish.

Prepare your chicken and place in a greased dish with high sides.

Roast your tomatoes and peppers slowly and on the top shelf of your grill on a low fire.  When you have one side scorched as below then turn and continue until soft and the skins are splitting.  I leave the skins on the jalapenos but remove the skin and stem area from the tomatoes.  While preparing the ingredients, let your tomatoes set and drain them because you want your sauce thick and full and not watery.

Depending on how hot you desire your sauce to be, will determine how many of the seeds you allow in the salsa.  My kids are not fond with anything too hot, so I basically remove all the pepper's seeds.

Add your tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onion, lime juice and seasonings to a blender.

Set on LOW, and pulse.  You want your sauce to be full and chunky. Pour 3/4 of your sauce over the chicken  breasts and cover.  Bake on 350 degrees for 25 minutes,  remove cover, top with cheese and bake until melted.  You may want to pour some of your liquid off of the chicken but because you serve with beans and rice it should be fine and add flavor.

Add the remainder of your sauce to your beans of choice and set on a medium low heat while you are preparing your rice. 

Once rice is completed add to your beans.  When chicken is ready serve with chips or fresh tortillas & salad. 

When my son made his plate, he did not add a great deal of the salsa and apparently did not want salad or anything pretty on his plate!  (Meat and taters man he is) He says he should  not have to eat what his food eats...

I JUST ADORE TEENAGERS...

Pumpkin Spice No-bake Cookies

       So,  this was my first try at the fall favorite, Pumpkin Spice No-Bake Cookies.  I am going to be honest with you because it's the only way I know how to be....they are good but not greatest thing I've ever put in my mouth.  If you LOVE the taste of pumpkin more than chocolate then these are for you! Many teenagers at my house devoured and LOVED them.  But if the no-bake chocolate cookies are your favorite...stick with them by all means.  The next time I attempt these, and they are good enough to make again, I will add chocolate chips accordingly. What can it hurt? 

Here is what you will need:   1 can of pumpkin, 1 t. nutmeg, 3 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. cloves, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup dulce de leche (which can be found in the Hispanic foods in your local grocery store), 6 T butter, 3 t. of vanilla 1 cup of milk, 6 cups of oats 

  Melt 6 T of butter in a saucepan with pumpkin and spices over medium heat.  

Add sugars, dulce de leche, butter and milk and cook until mixture comes to a boil, bring back to a low heat. Stir until smooth, making sure sugars are fully dissolved. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Place oats in a large bowl and add heated pumpkin mixture.

Combine well and place tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt if you desire that added taste. Let come to room temperature for about an hour before serving or place in refrigerator or freezer until cool.

                                                                          

If you are a brave soul and would like to make your OWN Dulce de Leche here are the instructions: 

This is a traditional Argentinian dessert made by caramelizing sugar in milk. And to save time, the easiest measure (other than buying it) is to start with Eagle Brand sweetened-condensed milk.

Place it in a small glass dish, cover tightly with foil.  Take a larger oven safe container and place your condensed milk dish inside it.  SLOWLY add water.  If you get water in your milk, it will ruin the entire process!  Heat at 425 degrees for about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours.  You may need to add water to your bottom container every now and then.  Whisk every 30 minutes and when it is the beautiful golden brown, thick consistency remove and cool!  YUM

 

I should have added more water just to keep my pans cleaner, but the result was the same. 

  

In Argentina, dulce de leche, is spread on toast and other pastries,or used as a dip for fruits such as apples and pears, and a real favorite is to roast apricots or apples and top with ducle de leche and toasted nuts.  But it makes a wonderful addition to the pumpkin cookies in this recipe.  Don't worry if you have to cook it longer, it is my opinion that your climate may a factor.