Wednesday, July 31, 2013

August Cookbook of the Month: Family Approved Gluten Free Recipes by Pam Jordan


Family Approved Gluten Free Recipes
by Pam Jordan

This Gluten Free cookbook contains simple recipes your family will love. The book highlights breakfast, appetizer, main dishes, side dishes, slow cooker and dessert recipes. This cookbook contains over 50 timesaving recipes that kids of all ages will love. Pam Jordan is a working mom to three young kids and a Gluten Free blogger. Only meals that were eaten by her picky eaters are in the book! Recipes include apple pie, onion rings, greek yogurt pancakes, slow cooker lasagna, shepherd's pie, cheesecake, meatloaf, cake balls, baked ziti, pumpkin whoopie pies, and strawberry cake. The recipes take help from store bought Gluten Free product and every day items found in your pantry.



PURCHASE

I'm looking forward to trying out this cookbook for the month of August because it is geared for families, with family approved recipes from a fellow gluten free blogger. She has young kids like I do, and if she can get her kids to eat these recipes, then I'm excited to see how my kids respond to them.

I'll keep you posted throughout the month, and post a full review at the end of August. Happy eating!

Wordless Wenesday

Summer is half over. Try to enjoy landscapes like these before it gets too cold!
 
 
 


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

July Cookbook Review: The Everything Gluten Free College Cookbook

The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbookby

  
Food that fits your life! Worried about living gluten-fee while you're away at college? Of course, most dining halls have gluten-free options, but sometimes the best way to be sure a dish is truly gluten-free--and delicious--is to cook it yourself. With "The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook," you can easily create your favorite dishes or try something new, like: Banana chocolate chip scones Cinnamon raisin french toast Cheesiest macaroni and cheese Curried chicken salad Mexican quesadillas Chewy granola bars Microwave shrimp scampi Ginger-orange chicken breast Molten lava dark chocolate cake Soft gingersnap cookies. Even if you're an inexperienced cook, you can master any one of these 300 easy recipes. From hearty, healthy breakfasts and crowd-pleasing snacks to healthy ideas for the midnight munchies, you'll find everything you need to satisfy your cravings and fit your dietary needs!

Publisher: Adams Media Corporation
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
 
Review
 
I was very surprised by the range of recipes in this book.  I had visions of the typical college cookbook with 20 different ways to make pizza and burgers, but was happy to see that the author did not talk down to college students or assume that they wouldn't be interested in healthier recipes, or even recipes that might take a little more effort to make from time to time.
 
I tried out the Savory Sausage and Rice, the Breakfast Salad, Mini Quiches, Spring Roll Salad, Pineapple Coconut Smoothie, Three Bean Cassoulet, Citrus Steamed Carrots.
 
This cookbook has more categories than many cookbooks I've used before, including study snacks, microwave meals, special occasions, breakfast, lunch, mains, desserts, and vegetarian options to name a few. Though there aren't photos (at least not in the ebook edition I have), the instructions are clear and the ingredients are easy to find. Every recipe I tried turned out well, and there are so many I've bookmarked to try in the future I would say that this book is definitely a keeper.
 
I enjoyed the range of recipes available, and I honestly think that this would make a great cookbook for anyone to have around, not just a college student. There are recipes that serve one, perfect for a single person living alone, and recipe for a crowd, but many recipes can be adapted to suit however many people need to be fed. All the recipes easily served my family.
 
Verdict: This cookbook is worth the money. The recipes range from simple to moderate in terms of level of difficulty, but there are enough variations here to please almost any eater, and the instructions are pretty simple to follow.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Back to School with Oliver's Labels & A Giveaway!

 

I've talked about Oliver's Labels on the blog before because I think they're one of the best label companies out there when it comes to allergy and food awareness labels, particularly for kids and teens. I first used their items when my son was starting daycare and we needed to label his clothing for the first time. Shortly after that, my son got sick and we realized that he couldn't eat gluten or dairy, and we needed to upgrade his stickers for all his food containers. Oliver's Labels had the best selection of allergy labels, including specific ones that say No Gluten and No Dairy. It's been over two years, and those labels are still as good as new, even though his clothes have been handed down to his little brother.

My son starts kindergarten in September, and he's going to be bringing his own lunch to school. We've been working hard to make sure that he knows not to accept food from other kids, but it's important that his teacher and other staff members also know that he's gluten free, so that he's not accidentally given food that contains ingredients that will make him sick.  When he goes on field trips or if there's a supply teacher in, any new staff he comes in contact with also needs to know that he's gluten and dairy free. That's where the labels come in handy, as a visual reminder of his food restrictions.


My son will be wearing a uniform, with shirts and sweaters that look identical to everyone else's. He's going to need labels for everything from his shirts, to jackets, to back pack, lunch bag, shoes, pencil cases...you get the idea. Oliver's Labels has specific labels for clothing, shoes, water bottles, etc., that are guaranteed to stay put even after repeated trips through the washing machine or dishwasher. The original labels are microwaveable, fridge, and freezer safe on top of everything else.  And it's all available in a convenient Back to School pack that's customizable and includes everything you need for back to school.  The best part, they look good, they're affordable, and they have clothing labels don't have to be ironed on.

I don't iron.

The school package offers 95 labels, distributed among clothing labels, shoe labels, mini labels, original labels, original labels and bag tags. They're also customizable, so the package can be mixed and matched to suit anyone's individual needs.  The labels include a free Found-It code, that helps lost items get returned to their rightful owners.
 
Since there are 40 designs to choose from, I chose Superheroes for the shoe tags, transportation for the mini tags, sports for the clothing labels, and No Gluten for the rest.  I chose designs that are age appropriate for my little guy, but they have over 40 designs to choose from, ranging from preschool to teenage appropriate styles, and even sophisticated adult designs.



My son was so excited to get "stickers" with his name on them, we've already labelled everything for school.


Want to win your very own school package for your child?  Giveaway is open to readers in Canada and the United States. Participants are only eligible to win once, which means that if you win on my blog, you are not eligible to win on another blog participating in this campaign. Enter below!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


I was provided a complimentary school package by the company in return for an honest product review. I have not been otherwise compensated for this post.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

The menu plan is up a day early today, because I have a few things scheduled for tomorrow and I want to make sure this gets posted in a timely manner. This weekend is a "clean out the cupboards" menu plan, where I used mainly items I already had on hand.






Monday: Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce, using the Heinz spaghetti my friend brought from England. Review will go up this week.

















Tuesday: Crustless quiche with bacon, peppers and goat's cheese cheddar

















Wednesday: Beef & Black Bean Chili with Tortilla Chips  








Thursday: Tuna & Rice Casserole with GF Corn Flakes















Friday: Baked Tacos 

Friday, July 26, 2013

Gluten Free Buzz (8)

Welcome to the last July edition of Gluten Free Buzz for the year! The summer is passing by so quickly, but as always, there are several new headlines related to Celiac and Gluten Free Living. Here's what's new:

Oscar Mayer is listening to consumer feedback and making their entire line of Selects gluten free. Read more at PRWeb

Healio reports that antibiotic use has been linked to Celiac Disease.

Health Benefits of a Gluten Free Diet, via St. Albert Leader.

Celiac.com reports that Gluten Sensitivity in Autism is different than in Celiac Disease.

New Jersey Ballparks are leading the way in introducing a wider variety of food options, including gluten free ones, to patrons. Via USA Today

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Product Review: Sherni's Authentic Curry Sauces

A few months ago I went to a gluten free event and met the owners of the business. They were cooking up butter chicken and vegetable curry right there in the vendor hall, and my husband and I couldn't resist. We tried the butter chicken but purchased a vegetable curry for lunch and it was incredible.  The sauce was rich and flavourful without being overpowering. 

Sherni's sauces are made in Canada, gluten free, dairy free, all natural with no preservatives, and suitable for vegans.  Currently the company offers Vegetable Curry, Meat Curry, Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala, and Chicken Curry sauces. The sauces were created by a chef with years of training in kitchens around the world, and the goal was to provide delicious sauces for home cooks, especially those who are new to Indian cooking.  The sauces are so good that in 2012, they won the International Food of the Year Award at the Toronto International Centre Food Show.

I bought the vegetable curry sauce and tried it out at home, and the flavour was as good as I remembered it from the show.  These are high quality sauces with great flavour. I highly recommend them. 

My Easy Vegetable Curry

Ingredients
1 head broccoli, washed and cut in florets
1 head cauliflower, washed and cut in florets
1 onion, sliced in strips
1/2 pack paneer cheese, cut in cubes (optional)
1/2- 3/4 jar Sherni's vegetable curry sauce
2-3 tablespoons water

Instructions

1- In a large frying pan, dry cook the broccoli, cauliflower and onion over medium heat until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.

2- Add the cooking sauce, paneer, and water and stir to combine. 

3- Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook until vegetables are cooked through but not soggy.  Serve immediately. 

I have no idea how authentic this recipe is (My guess? Not very) but it is delicious. Paneer is an Indian cheese that can be found in most large grocery stores or in a store like Walmart. It doesn't really melt, so it keeps its shape even under high heat. It has a really mild flavour and takes on the flavours around it. I also used it in kebabs.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Monday, July 22, 2013

We Have a Winner of the Everything Gluten Free College Cookbook!

I'm very excited to announce that Paige H. is the lucky winner of the Everything Gluten Free College Cookbook! 

Thank you so much to everyone who entered.  If you didn't win, consider picking it up anyway. This is a great cookbook.  My review will be posted at the end of the month, but I was impressed at the range of recipes provided.

Keep reading, because I have more great giveaways in store, coming soon!


Sunday, July 21, 2013

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan









Monday: Sausage & Rice Casserole 












Tuesday: Gluten & Dairy Free "Cream" of Zucchini Soup (RECIPE) & Salad


















Wednesday: Gluten Free Pesto Pasta (PESTO RECIPE)
















Thursday: Mexican Inspired Lasagna 














Friday: Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Spring Roll Salad