Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Stalk of celery chopped
1 bag of mini carrots chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried Thyme
1 bay leaf
32 oz chicken stock (or more)
salt and pepper
Rotisserie chicken pulled apart
1 12-oz bag of Gluten free noodles (Found these at Walmart for cheap)

Turn crockpot onto low and add all ingredients except the noodles.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  In the last 1/2 hour of cook time, add the noodles and turn the heat up to high. 

Gluten Free Cheesy Chicken Mac-n-cheese

This is not the best picture but trust me when I say that this is sooo yummy! I have never bought a tube of prepared cheese before making this dish.  I don't vouch for it being low fat by any means, but it was huge on flavor and definitely being put into the dinner rotation at our house.

12oz box gluten free pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 10-oz can Ro-tel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
1 8-oz package Velveeta prepared cheese
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 12-oz box Pacific Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.  In a large skillet melt butter and saute onion for 5 minutes until tender.  Then add a can of Ro-tel and the Velveeta cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted.  Stir in chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and spices.  Then add pasta and mix until it is all blended.  Pour mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. 

Udi's bread at Sam's Club

Update 6-1-12........
And it's now gone. That was short lived. Sam's is no longer carrying Udi's bread. So bummed! We have asked repeatedly for them to bring it back, but for now it is gone.

 

This is amazing news!  Sam's Club here in Utah have started carrying large loaves of Udi's bread.  This is such timely news for us as another member of our family is being diagnosed with Celiac.  We are faithful user's of Udi's products as we love the quality and taste far more than any other gluten free bread we have tried. 

I remember being so excited to find Udi's bread in my nearby Smith's grocery store.  It has been so convenient to pick up hamburger buns, loaves of bread and pizza shells any day of the week at a store I already shop at.  But this news of Sam's Club carrying a bigger loaf has me grinning ear to ear!  I usually pay $5.99 for the small loaf of Udi's at Smith's so you can imagine the value of getting this larger loaf for $9.99.  It is more than twice the size, so it is by far a better value.  And who wouldn't want a bigger slice of bread.  These loaves are so much bigger.  You can see in this side by side picture.  Sam's Club seems to only carry the Whole grain flavor at the time.  (Is it crazy that I am hoping Costco will pick up their classic white bread so we can have that at a better deal too?) 

Anyone who pays the arm-and-a-leg for this bread will get a giggle out of this.  When my husband went to pay for the bread the cashier wanted to do a price check.  She couldn't believe a loaf a bread would cost $9.99.  He he.  And yet we are still talking about what a great deal it was:)

And just in case you had never noticed, Sam's Club also labels their Rotisserie Chicken Gluten free as well!

Perfectly Simple by Zone Perfect

I am a huge fan of Zone Perfect Bars, but they are NOT certified gluten free, even though several flavors do not contain gluten ingredients.  You can decide for yourself on those products.  I did read on their website that several of the flavors with non-gluten containing ingredients are run on the same machines as gluten containing products.  They do emphasize that their machines are cleaned and that they are aware of allergen issues.  So you can make the call as to whether or not you will try those products for yourself.  They list the products HERE on their faq page. 

However, the new Perfectly Simple Zone Bars are certified gluten free.  WAHOO!!!  I saw a coupon pop up on Targets website last month and spotted the product in the store for the first time today.  It is clearly labeled gluten free on the box.  It is available in three different flavors;  Toasted Coconut, Peanut Crunch, and Cranberry Almond.  Each bar contains 10 grams of protein.  The boxes were on sale for $4.49.  I had printed the target coupon found HERE (look under healthcare) for $1.00 off 2 boxes, plus you can stack a manufacturers coupon for another $1.00 off 2 boxes.  (There was a coupon on the box of Zone Perfect bars I had in my pantry).  So I paid $3.49 a box.  I love finding a new gluten free product and getting a great deal.  

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I used the recipe on the back of the Betty Crocker Gluten free Cookie Mix with the following changes:

Substitute 1 tsp mint extract for the vanilla and add 8 drops of green food coloring.  I added both of these ingredients to the egg and whisked them together.  Then add cookie mix and butter.  Next, add 1 cup Andes Creme de Mentes.  Mmmm!  Cook according to the directions on the box.  I used the high altitude option and decreased the temp to 325 and baked large cookies for 13 minutes. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Egg Muffins

I've seen several recipes for this kind of egg muffin that varies in the ingredients you add to it.  This is how I made them for the first time and they were quite good.  I froze most of them to save for a quick and easy hot breakfast in the morning without all the work. 

8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp canola oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 lb browned sausage (or ham)
1 cup cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare a muffin pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.  Brown sausage in a skillet.  Drain and put even amounts into each muffin tin.  In a mixing bowl whisk eggs, milk, baking powder, oil and salt and pepper.  Pour egg mixture on top of sausage, filling each cup.  Sprinkle with green onion and cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

I am loving all the new recipes I find on Pinterest.  This one really is AMAZING!  My family loved it and I will definitely be making it again soon.  The ingredients were all things that I had in my pantry already.  You've got to try this one.  It's a winner!  I always thought this chicken was breaded, but it is actually just coated in cornstarch and egg.  You won't believe how good it is.  We ate it with ham fried rice and steamed broccoli.

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar
4 tbs ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

The original recipe was posted on www.life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com