Aldis liveGfree Cheese Ravioli Review

So happy summer is finally here! I've been so busy working outside in the yard that I don't find time to get on my laptop much. A friend of mine has been hounding me to check out the gluten free items at our local Aldi's store. While out on errands today I decided to take her advice and shop there. She was right. They do carry plenty of gluten free products labeled liveGfree.

I loaded my shopping cart and headed home to try them out. The first item I tasted was the microwave Cheese Ravioli. Pop in the microwave for 5 mins. let cool for 1 min and your ready to
eat.

Having tried frozen ravioli in the past I was a little scared to take my first bite. Wow! I was pleasantly surprised how good these were! The ravioli noodles were soft and tasty, the marina sauce was plentiful and seasoned just right and the cheese filling was creamy and delicious!

There is no meat in this Ravioli  which is fine with me. After watching Forks over Knives I have been trying to cut back on meat. If I wasn't feeling so lazy today I would have made a salad to go along with this meal. I love that it only has 360 calories and even more important it is ALL NATURAL. No artificial anything!!!

Two thumbs up to Aldi's for offering us some great gluten free products....

Keep checking back as I review the other items I purchased!

Have a Great Day,

Valerie

Shabby chic bedroom

I haven't posted many gluten free reviews lately, that's because I've been busy remodeling our attic bedroom. When we moved into our home 4 years ago my granddaughters pleaded with me to remodel the upstairs room so they could sleep there.

Four years later I have finally decided to take the plunge and work on this project. Having to do the entire thing by myself, I wasn't up to ripping out the old dark paneling. So I purchased paintable, textured wallpaper and started covering the walls and ceiling.

I have to say it looks pretty darn good! I picked a pretty mint green paint for the walls and white for the ceiling and trim. I accented these colors with a nice shade of pink.

My Shabby chic theme would not be complete without a chandelier, but I had very limited ceiling height and knew it would hang too low. I found one small enough to hang over the bed so no one would bump their head on it....

Added a garage sale electric fireplace, painted it white with a touch of pink trim and some Christmas decor makes the room so cozy!

My grandparents antique vanity was perfect for a girls room.  A fresh coat of white paint, new drawer knobs and I re-covered the vanity stool with lovely floral fabric from Joanns. The attached mirror was too tall for the attic so we had to remove it.

The room would not be complete without a metal bed. After months of searching I found this gorgeous bed frame on Amazon. A great price and very sturdy, it is absolutely breathtaking.

I have to admit my granddaughters haven't spent a night upstairs yet.... I guess that's because they can't keep me out of the room long enough!!

Gluten Free Chicken Foil Packets Recipe

Like most men, my husband loves to grill out in the summer. I prefer cooking in the oven and on the stove so I let him do the outdoor cooking. If you haven't done foil packets your missing out on an easy meal. I've cooked chicken and beef in them and and you can add nearly any vegetable you like.

This is what I threw together for our supper today.

Boneless skinless chicken tenders

Red Bell Pepper

Green Bell Pepper

Onion

Potatoes

Melted butter

Season salt

Salt and Pepper

Heavy tin foil or double layer regular foil

Ok, first I tore off sheets of foil about 18" long. I did not have the heavy duty so I used two pieces together. I then sprayed the top with pam (you can also use olive oil)

Next chop your potatoes into thin slices, layer them on the sprayed foil. I topped this with some chopped onion and drizzled it with the melted butter. Now place your chicken tenders over the potatoes and then your slices of peppers. Sprinkle with your favorite seasonings. 

Fold your foil into packets.  (There are lots websites explaining different ways to do this.)

Now you can add them to a hot grill or bake them in the oven on a baking sheet.

Because we are expecting rain, I baked mine in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.

Caution: These will be very hot and the steam can burn you when you open your foil. 

The potatoes nearly melt in your mouth and the chicken is super moist and tender!

Fire up your grill today and try one of these foil packets, you can have white rice as a side dish instead of the potatoes or fish instead of chicken. 

If you come up with a great combination, please share it with us below.

Take time to enjoy the flowers blooming, the birds singing and the sunshine!  Kiss a baby, pet a dog, and do something kind for someone....

Val

Cauliflower Crust Grilled Cheese Recipe *Updated*

Spring is nearly here and soon we will breaking out the tee shirts, shorts and heaven forbid the swimsuits! Time to get active and start eating healthy.

I love a grilled cheese sandwich but found a healthier option while watching Dr. Oz.  If you like cooked cauliflower you will probably enjoy this recipe. Don't expect it to taste like a grilled cheese, there is no bread and the strongest flavor is the cauliflower.

 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (should yield 3 cups of cauliflower
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

I used a large head of cauliflower and it made 3 sandwiches. I don't have a food processor so I tried using my blender, that was a mistake. I could only grate a few pieces at a time and it was taking forever. I ended up using my old school hand grater and it was much faster and shredded the cauliflower into very fine pieces.

UPDATE *Since I posted this recipe I have found green giant riced cauliflower In the freezer section. This will eliminate alot of hard work grating a head of cauliflower. Might want to pick up 2 bags because I'm not sure how much it will make.

Cauliflower crust “bread” slices

Preheat oven to 450°F (220°C) 
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat with canned spray. Set aside.

In a food processor rice the cauliflower florets ( I used a hand held grater)

Place cauliflower rice into a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 7 minutes, until cooked.

Put the cauliflower rice in a tea towel and twist it to squeeze as much moisture as you can. This is very important. The cauliflower rice needs to be dry, otherwise you’ll end up with mushy dough, impossible to use as slices of bread.

Transfer the cauliflower rice to a mixing bowl, add egg, mozzarella, salt and pepper and mix well.

Spread cauliflower mixture onto the lined baking sheet and shape into squares.

Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes on one side, carefully flip over and cook another 5 mins.

Remove and let cool 10 minutes before removing.

Assemble cauliflower crust grilled cheese

Heat a pan over medium heat.
Butter one side of each slice of cauliflower crust bread (preferably the top part).
Place one slice of bread in the pan, buttered side down, add a slice of cheese  (I use colby jack) then top with the remaining slice of cauliflower crust bread, buttered side up.

Turn the heat down a notch and cook until golden brown, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Gently flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 to 4 minutes.

I was pretty pleased with my first attempt at making these! I didn't even break any of the slices when I flipped them. I sprinkled a little more salt and pepper before testing the appetizing square of toasted cauliflower and cheese.

It was delicious!!

Unfortunately I did not know that my husband hates cooked cauliflower! He loves it raw but can't stand the taste when it's cooked. Like a good hubby he ate one sandwich but I could tell he didn't like it. As for me and the dog (she loved it too) we will be making this again.

Udi's Chicken Florentine Review

I've never been crazy about eating frozen diet meals but before I went gluten free I managed to lose weight eating them.  Going wheat free may be better for your health but it didn't do much for my weight management.

Finally more companies are coming out with frozen gf meals and I am more than willing to try them. Our local Walmart is now offering Udi's products and I couldn't resist purchasing this one.

The individual size Chicken Florentine includes gf fusilli pasta tossed with seasoned grilled chicken, spinach and roasted tomatoes in a parmesan and white wine sauce. The chicken is raised without antibiotics, which is a plus for me.

Microwaving for a quick 3:45 mins. it comes out steaming hot, so as per the box I recommend letting it sit for a least 1 min.  I also prefer to pour mine into a nice dish instead of eating from a cardboard container. 

The pasta looks pretty much like the photo on the box. Not  overloaded with chicken but enough to satisfy me. I actually think it tastes better than some of my old diet meals. 

Over all I was very pleased with this product. And at only 330 calories it fits into my diet plan too!

Thank you Udi's for giving me new options! Can't wait to try the alfredo but it's not yet available here.

Keep thinking Spring...it's nearly here!

Val

Snow snow go away!!

Mother nature never cooperates when you want her to. I had wished for a white Christmas but she just couldn't make it happen this year. After the decorations and trees are all taken down I really don't care if we ever get any snow.

 The younger kids of course love the snow, praying that they get enough of the fluffy white stuff so that the district calls off school. Of course the kiddos don't have to shovel, scrape windshields or drive in it, so what seems fun to them is a burden to us.

 In a one week period we ended up with  15.5 inches of it....and with this season being well below average temps it's not going anywhere for a while.

 

Thanks to my husband, I now own a heated birdbath for my little feathered friends! The snow nearly covered the entire thing.

Since the majority of the snow hit on a weekend, I decided to have some fun with it myself. I asked my granddaughters if they wanted to come play, but stupid me I forgot their generation doesn't play outside! It's quite sad really, what electronics and technology has done to our children.

No worries, I proceeded to throw on my old snowsuit, boots and gloves and ventured out into the vast, desolate white landscape. It was really quite pleasant outside, I shoveled a path for our mail lady and then attempted my first snowman in 30 years!

The snow packed really well. I had wanted to make a large life size Olaf but found it to much of a challenge for this old gal. I ended up with a little 3 foot snow sculpture that took me about 1.5 hours! Surprising I never got cold or wet.

A little food color, sticks and a carrot finished my project. My neighbors must have thought I was nuts, but I had an awesome time!

So if life hands you lemons, make lemonade. If it covers you with snow, make a snowman! Make the best of your day.

You don't need kids to have fun!
Val

Gluten Free Pork Chop Recipe

Ask my husband any day what his favorite Pork chop recipe is and he will always answer "Pork chops with stuffing and mushroom gravy".  I must admit I'm not a big fan of chops but I really love them cooked this way. Add some mashed potatoes and a veggie and you have a delicious meal.

• Ingredients
• 4 pork chops
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups  bread (soft, cubes) I used Udi's gluten free
• 2 tbsps onions (chopped)
• 2 tbsps butter (or 2 tablespoons margarine, melted) 
• 2 tbsps water
• 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning 
• 1 can progresso creamy mushroom soup
• 1/4  to 1/2 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

In skillet sprinkle chops with salt and pepper then brown on both sides

In medium bowl mix breading ingredients adding water last. Add just enough water to make the breading stick together

Put chops in casserole dish and dallop a serving of stuffing on top of each one.

Pour the mushroom soup around the pork chops

Bake for 1 hour


In the mean time you can peel and boil some potatoes on the stove. The mushroom gravy is good served over the top of your mashed potatoes!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.

Think Spring and stay healthy!
Val

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