Blake's Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie Review

I recently stopped by our local health store to check out their gluten free items. Browsing through the frozen section I nearly missed seeing this Chicken pot pie. It was a brand I have never heard of or tried before and it was a bit pricey but hey, I haven't had a pot pie in years!

Blake's Chicken Pot Pie is made with organic vegetables and a sweet corn bread crust.  The chicken is all white meat and raised without antibiotics. Reading the directions I decided to go with the express cooking: Cooking in the microwave 3 minutes then transferring to the oven for 30-35 mins.

It's a good thing they recommend placing it on a cookie sheet because it does bubble over some.

Hoping it cools quickly because it is too hot to eat!!

Ok, here's the verdict...

It was loaded with plenty of tender white chicken. The vegetables carrots, peas and potatoes were plentiful and appetizing. I wasn't crazy over the crust but the rest of the ingredients made it more than acceptable. Only 310 calories fits my diet plan quite well.

A bit on the costly side but it was worth every bite!! I will be making room in my freezer for more of these...

Do yourself a favor and give it a try!

Stay Healthy!
Val

Yum...Gluten Free Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe!

TGIF....Yes!

Not going to be much of a weekend, the forecast is calling for 4 - 7" of snow and possible ice. Time to go to the recipe box for some comfort food! Of course for me that usually means something with chocolate in it.

I have an awesome recipe for chocolate pudding cake but will be attempting to make it gluten free for the first time.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup gluten free flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tbsp Baking Cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 
  

For the pudding layer:

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Baking cocoa
• 1/2  cup hot water

Directions

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9" inch round cake pan or pie plate.
• Whisk together the dry ingredients for the cake: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon and salt.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the butter and milk (if you have trouble combining them, you can heat them in the microwave for 5 second intervals, whisking in between until they are at the same temperature).
• Stir vanilla extract into the oil/milk liquid mixture.
• Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth over the top.

For the pudding layer:

• Combine the sugars and cocoa.
• Spread them evenly over the cake batter.
• Then, pour the water over the top, making sure it is evenly distributed.
• Do not stir. The cake will rise to the top and the pudding will set at the bottom with the sugars creating a crispy top layer.
• Place the cake in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. 
• The cake is done when the edges are crispy and the top is dry to the touch.
• Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream.  (I added pecans and hot fudge sauce over the top) 

The top looks done so I took it out after 25 minutes.

After letting it sit , I used an ice cream scoop to put it in a bowl. I love pecans and decided to sprinkle some on top, I also had some hot fudge sauce so I drizzled some of that on too!!

This recipe turned out great! Hot and moist but not overly rich. Pretty easy to make with ingredients already in the house. It certainly satisfied my sweet tooth....if you're snowed in (and even if you're not) I highly recommend whipping this together, wrap up in a warm blanket and watch a good movie!

Have a great weekend

Val

Udi's Gluten Free Chicken Burrito Review

Ok, it's been a few days since I've posted. This polar vortex weather is getting to me. Today it is 11 degrees below zero with the windchill factor!

Wanted something warm for lunch so I popped an Udi's chicken burrito in the microwave.  I like Udi's products but this will be my first burrito.

Pros:

1. It cooks quickly in the microwave 1:45 seconds
2. I thought it was filling, satisfied my appetite
3. Price friendly

Now for the cons:

1. Not sure why they call it a Chicken burrito, I only found one tiny piece of chicken in the whole thing! Should be called Rice and Bean Burrito!
2. Flavor was a little bland, I added shredded cheese and quite a bit of salt to jazz it up. Would have tried some salsa with it but I didn't have any.
3. On the doughy side, a little sticky but the tortilla shell didn't taste bad.

I eat many of Udi's products and will review some of my favorites on another post. But Udi's really disappointed me with this one. Did I hate it? No, Did I love it? No. Will I eat it again? Probably if I'm in a hurry and there is nothing else in the house to cook quickly.

If you like meat this burrito is not for you, but you can spice it up like I did with other seasonings.

Well, that's my review for the day. Now I think I hear a cup of hot cocoa calling me :)

Stay warm everyone!

Val

Amy's Gluten Free Organic Broccoli & Cheddar Bake Review

I've eaten Amy's products before, some I really like and others not so much. But I still cannot personally recommend them as a safe gluten free alternative. There is no gluten in them but they are made in a facility that contains wheat, so cross contamination is possible. I have never had an issue with any of their meals and decided to try the Amy's Broccoli & Cheddar Bake.

It is a generous portion and could be a meal itself but I used it as a side dish for my steak. It only took 4 minutes to cook in the microwave and I only ate half of the serving (will be finishing the rest at lunch tomorrow). I was surprised how good it was, actually tasting homemade. I can't say anything bad about this dish, the pasta, broccoli and topping were beyond my expectations!

Again, try it at your own risk if you're not afraid of any cross contamination. 

Gluten free Cinnabon Cake Recipe

'There are so many things I miss eating since I have been gluten free. One of those would be sinking my teeth into a hot gooey cinnamon roll and washing it down with a cup of coffee. I recently saw a recipe on facebook for Cinnabon Cake and decided it was time to give it a try.

I am so happy I did!! It was pure heaven!

I used Gluten free Pillsbury all purpose flour instead of the regular flour.

I also cut the ingredients in half because a 9 x 13 dish would be too much for my husband and I, so I used an 8 x 8 pan. 

While it was baking I checked on it and was a little worried because the liquid ingredients were bubbling and coming up the side of the cake. Since I have never made this I wasn't sure if this was normal, but continued to cook it. 

When I took it out out of the oven, I let it sit for awhile and the cake had absorbed all of the excess liquid. This must be what makes it so gooey and wonderful!

Here is the recipe for the full 9 x 13 serving.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 T butter, melted

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T cinnamon

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 T milk
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
With an electric mixer or stand-up mixer, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in 4 T melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9x13" baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoon and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm (we like it straight out of the oven) or at room temperature.

Some people drizzle the glaze on but I just poured it over the top of the cake.

This is without a doubt one of my favorite recipes! 

Enjoy!!

Val

Reviewing Foster Farms Gluten Free Corn Dogs

One of the things I have really missed since being gluten free is a corn dog. I'm not crazy about hot dogs but I love a good corn dog.

 Every summer our town puts on a 3 day celebration with entertainment, crafts and many food vendors. But as usual for the past five years I have to settle for popcorn and a pepsi while my husband tastes all the fair favorites, steak sandwiches, elephant ears and of course corn dogs. It is pure torture!

Last week my hubby went grocery shopping and came home with a surprise. He found gluten free corn dogs by Foster Farms at our local Kroger store. (Now I realize why I married this man!)

 I was a little afraid to try it after an experience I had with another organic brand corn dog. This other brand was just awful! I threw the entire box in the trash.

Well, I prepared myself  to not get overly excited with the Foster Farms and preheated my oven. When I opened the box I must say they looked pretty darn good and put one in to bake. Eighteen minutes later I was ready to taste this little dog and loaded my plate with some mustard. One bite and I knew it was a winner!! This corn dog actually tastes like the corn dogs I remember!

 Foster Farms you are a genius! 

You can also cook these in the microwave if you're in a hurry, I have tried them in the microwave and the oven. I prefer the oven because I like them to get just a tiny bit crispy on the outside, but the microwave tastes pretty good too.

 So give them a try and let me know what you think!

I give them a thumbs up!

Gluten free sugar cookies Recipe

Valentine's Day is coming soon and I have spent the last 2 weeks trying different gluten free sugar cookie recipes. It wasn't nearly as easy as I had hoped, but I found a good recipe and tweaked it just a tad. I will share it with you below, but first let me tell you the hardest part about sugar cookies is the making the icing. You need one thinner frosting for the base color and a thicker (royal) frosting for outlines and decorations... I just couldn't seem to get either consistency right and decided that this whole thing just wasn't meant for me.

People always praise me with being like "Martha Stewart" and that I can do or make anything. Well, number one they are exaggerating and two I am not a quitter. So...my quest for the perfect gluten free sugar cookie continued. Four dozen cookies later and I think I finally have the right combination. My husband who is not gluten free can't stop eating them!

Check out my finished cookies below.

   I wish I could take credit for the cute owl and ladybug designs, but I found them online.

   They are almost too cute to eat!!

Sugar Cookie Recipe 

     1 cup sugar                                                              

     1/2 cup butter, softened                                      

     1 large egg

     1 T. water or milk

     1 teaspoon vanilla

     1/2 teaspoon almond extract

     1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour has it already)

     2  cups gluten free all purpose flour (I use King Arthur)

     Powdered sugar for rolling and dusting

Instructions

1. In large bowl cream sugar and butter on medium speed
2. Add the egg, water, vanilla and salt
3. Add the xanthan gum if using and the flour
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours
5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
6. Roll out dough on surface dusted with powdered sugar, roll to about 1/4 inch thick
7. Cut out cookies with cutters and place on cookie sheet, making sure cookies don't touch
8. Bake 10-12 minutes 
9. Remove for oven, let cookies cool 5 mins before removing them to a cooling rack
10. Cool completely before decorating. Store in airtight container up to 5 days.

I like the flavor of almond extract in my cookies, others prefer to use only vanilla and some like a little lemon extract for flavoring. Choose your favorite and let me know how they turn out!

    Thanks and Happy Valentine's Day!

    Val

Awesome deal on a KitchenAid Mixer!

I have been wanting a KitchenAid for years but never seemed to have the funds for it. This year I told my husband I wanted one for my Birthday and after searching the internet for the best price I finally ordered it. I need to share this awesome deal I got through Kohl's!!

 KitchenAid classic plus mixer (in white only) was on sale for $249.99 with an additional 20% promo code it was 199.99 add the $20 rebate to make it $179.99 and I earned $40 in Kohl's cash! So it was like getting it for $139.99 (not including sales tax) 

 I couldn't wait to use it so I made cookies the first night. An insert in the box said they replaced the original stainless bowl for a different one, it is still a 4.5 qt. size. I washed and dried it thoroughly and began mixing my cookie dough.

 Let me tell you these mixers are beasts!! So much heavier than my old sunbeam and I can see why they cost so much.

 As I was mixing it I started noticing black marks bleeding in the with the dough. Hmmm....it kind of looked like food color. Not knowing what it was I ran to my faithful internet and did some quick research.

 Well apparently some of these bowls have an issue where they were not buffed properly at the factory and some of the steel and chemical come off in the food!! What!! If this is a known issue why is there no flyer warning of the problem? How many people have actually eaten this stuff? I did not hesitate to call KitchenAid and they confirmed that this "happens sometimes" I was told to scrub it 3 times with baking soda until there was no longer any residue! 

So an entire batch of gluten free cookie dough in the trash and an hour of scrubbing the stainless steel bowl. I was not pleased and pretty grumpy by that time. It did come clean and I still love the new mixer. I have used it nearly everyday since. I just wanted to share this with everyone so that you don't waste a batch like I did.

If you don't have a KitchenAid and the price scares you like it did me, keep your eyes open for good deals like I did. No it's not the top of the line model but compared to my old mixer it is amazing! Maybe someday in the future I can upgrade to a different color and model.

Have a great Valentine's Day!

Val