Review Aldi LiveGFree Gluten Free Sweet Chili Crisps

Sometimes I get tired of eating the same gluten free snacks. I am always waiting for something new to add to my daily cravings. Today I decided to head out to Aldi to see if they had anything I haven't yet tasted. I picked up several bags of chips to try and these Chili Crisps caught my eye right away....

After doing some much needed yard work, I was ready for something to snack on and opened up the bag. They looked really good. The first bite was spicy and crispy. Wow!! I liked these so much I had to let my hubby and my granddaughter give them a try. They both gave them a thumbs up!! I could easily eat to many of these and those calories can add up quickly.

I will make these chips a regular item in my pantry. If you pick up a bag let me know what you think and leave a reply in the comments!

Gluten Free Chicken Enchilada with Red Sauce Recipe

I can't tell everyone enough how much I miss Mexican food! Enchiladas were my favorite and now I that I have found a tasty gluten free flour tortilla shell I can make my own.

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (purchased a broasted chicken from the store)
Mission gluten free tortillas
Small can diced green chiles
19 oz can of Old Elpaso Red Enchilada Sauce
1/2 package of cream cheese
1-2 cups of shredded cheese (your favorite)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large deep skillet, mix shredded chicken with 1/2 cup of red sauce. Stir in half of a package cream cheese and the can of green chiles. Remove from heat once the cream cheese has melted and everything is blended and heated through.

Heat tortilla shells (this recipe made 5) in microwave until warm. Spread a small amount of red sauce on each shell then add meat mixture in a straight line in the center of each one. Sprinkle each with shredded cheese before rolling up.

Place rolled tortillas in a greased casserole dish and pour remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle more cheese to your taste. Place in oven for 25-30 mins.

I really enjoyed these! My granddaughter topped hers with taco sauce. I chose sour cream. My husband even ate one so I guess they passed the taste test...

Review Krusteaz Blueberry Muffin Mix

I recently reviewed Krusteaz Brownie mix, this is their Blueberry muffin mix that I also picked up at Big Lots....

I get tired of eating the same thing for breakfast everyday and I enjoy a good muffin occasionally. These muffins come with a can of real wild blueberries so I couldn't wait to give them a try!

Add some oil, water and 3 eggs and they are ready to cook. Since some the products I have recently reviewed came out a little dry, I decided to cook these at 375 instead of the 400 degree on the directions. I cooked until done in the center.

Now for the taste test. Cut one of the beauties open and added a little real butter on top.  Was happy to see the muffins were not overly dry. Not to be greedy I shared with my granddaughter and gave a tiny chunk to the dog. I was happy with the taste. Moist but not overly sugary. Not the best blueberry muffins I have eaten but they were good! We both ate more than one and I put the rest in the freezer to indulge in on another day!!

Gluten Free Taco Casserole Recipe

Our granddaughter wanted to make us dinner tonight and she chose her favorite recipe out of my cookbook. Thank you Ashley you did a great job and it was delish!! Since there were only 3 of us, she cut this recipe in half. A 8x8 pan will be plenty...

Taco Casserole

2 lbs lean ground beef
bag of tostitos
pkg taco seasoning
16 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded cheese (I like Colby jack)

Toppings
1 can rotel tomatoes
sour cream
shredded lettuce

Brown ground beef in skillet and drain.

 Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce then stir together. Crush up half a bag of tostitos and add to beef mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and cover with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins.

Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

 

Review Simple Truth Organic Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix

Happy birthday to me!! Yes, I was born on Valentine's day and so my mother named me Valerie. When I was young I had A german chocolate cake at a birthday party and every year since, it was the only cake I wanted for my birthday. Most little girls want pretty decorated cakes, lol not me. I wanted my favorite and my parents always made sure I had one.

Fast forward to adulthood. When you're a grown-up no one cares if you have a birthday cake! I would buy the German chocolate cake mix and coconut pecan frosting and make my own...until 6 years ago when I became gluten free. Back then I had to make my gluten free cake from scratch, and it would just be a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Alot of work to do on your own birthday... :(

Then a miracle Happened! Companies started making gluten free cake mixes!!

You cant be to picky because you are limited to chocolate or yellow, but this was much easier than scratch. 

In 6 years of being gluten free, not one person has offered to bake me a gluten free cake (sad face) Even if they did, people who are not gluten free don't seem to understand the cross contamination factor. This year I decided to bake a chocolate cake with the coconut pecan frosting for my birthday. My husband ran to Kroger and was disappointed to learn they were out of the Betty Crocker cake mix...so he found this instead. 

It is chocolate and organic, that's a plus. To late to look for something else, may as well review it. 

The batter looked a little on the runny side. Baked it until it was done in the center and let it cool. 

Turned the cake over to remove it from the pan and it literally fell apart! Oh my gosh, my birthday cakes is just a pile of lumpy chocolate and crumbs!! Picked up a big lump and tasted it. The flavor was good, the cake was really dry, probably the reason it didn't stay together.

I wasn't going to let this ruin my birthday and opened up a can of the frosting. I picked the larger pieces and proceeded to frost them. It tasted much better this way but still dry and needed something to wash it down with.  My husband and granddaughter came to share in the fun. We had a good laugh and some birthday cake crumbs!

Ok, this cake mix may be organic but made according to directions it is very dry. I did not over bake, maybe my oven temp is off a few degrees?   If you are wanting a cake that you can remove from the pan to decorate, this is not a good choice.  I will stay with my favorite Betty Crocker mix until then....

Hope everyone had a fun Valentine's Day! 

Review Lance Gluten Free Sandwich Crackers

I can't say again how pleased I am knowing that more stores are selling Gluten free products. I came across these sandwich crackers at Target and couldn't wait to get home and try them. Sometimes when I am hungry in between meals it seems like there isn't anything gluten free to snack on. These crackers are just what I had hoped for.

Lances Gluten free Real Cheddar Cheese bite size sandwich crackers

They have the appearance of those little Ritz snack crackers but how will they taste?

Omg...these are so good! Every bit as good as the Ritz I remember from way back when. Now I have some snacks to keep in the pantry. Target carries these in cheddar and they also have peanut butter filled! I haven't located them any place else nearby but I have seen them online. My suggestion is to get several boxes because you won't be able to stop eating them....

Review Krusteaz Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

It's been awhile since my last review. We had a loss in our family and it took a toll on all of us. Hopefully this year will be better and I have many more items to review so let's get started today with one of my favorite snacks ~ Brownies!

I happened to find this product at our local Big Lot store.

I was excited to find these and grabbed a box and a box of their gluten free blueberry muffin mix as well.  These brownies were easy to make but found they took a little longer to bake than the other brands I have tried, by at least 15 mins. If you are a chocolate lover like me, you want these to bake as quickly as possible.

Here is the finished result...a nice looking brownie with melted chips!

As far as taste, they had a really good flavor. A bit on the dry side, but I may have cooked them a little long. They did not go to waste, my family finished every last piece. Although they are good, they are still not my #1 choice for brownies.. you will have to wait for that review! I will try these again and maybe under-cook them a little ( I prefer mine on the moist side).

So pick up a box and give them a try, let me know what you think.

Chef Ooh lala Cookie Mania Mix Review

Chef Ooh lala

Gluten Free Cookie Mania Mix

I am so excited that more companies are providing gluten free options, but walking into my favorite hardware store last week and finding gluten free mixes on the shelf totally blew my mind! That's correct folks...Menard's is carrying gluten free mixes!

 I had never heard of the brand Chef Ooh lala before but certainly wanted to give it a try. I quickly snatched up a cookie and a muffin mix. Bringing home my gluten free treasures I had to share the joy with my husband who wasn't nearly as delighted as I was at the gems I removed from the bag. He of course is not gluten free and gets to indulge in sweet pleasures whenever he wants. He will never know how much I miss biting into a chocolate cream filled Krispy Kreme donut, a junior whopper or a taco salad. I feel like I have been in prison for six years. So yes, I do get overly thrilled when I find a new product and can't wait to give it a try.

Here is my review on the cookie mix. The box got my attention right away because of the mouth-watering image of chocolate cookies on the front. But to my surprise when I removed the bag to prepare these appetizing treats I was disappointed to learn that the mix contained no chocolate...Ugh! Yes the photo clearly showed delicious looking chocolate chip cookies but the mix is just a plain mix. A little deceptive in my thinking. Not to worry, my dear husband ran to the store for a few items and picked me up a bag of chocolate morsels.

 The mix required butter, water, egg and vanilla.  It was easy to stir by hand and I added plenty of the chocolate chips. While it baked at 350 degrees I could not resist tasting the dough. I know all of the warnings about raw cookie dough, but who can deny them self of this simple indulgence? It took about 12 mins until they were brown on the edges. I could hardly wait for them to cool.

I am pleased to announce that these cookies did not disappoint! They were soft and chewy, a light fluffy round delicacy. I definitely ate more than I should have and will have to redeem myself on the treadmill later....

So if you see Chef Ooh lala in your area, be sure to pick up a box and give them a try.

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