Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan (September 1-5, 2014)

We've been living in a hotel for the past week since selling our house, waiting for our departure to France. We leave for 6 weeks in France tomorrow, so the truth is, I'm not really sure what we'll be eating for the rest of the week, except that it will be gluten free! Still, it's back to school for most, so quick and easy meals are a must. Here are some simple meal ideas to make back to school dinners run smoothly. Did I mention that these recipes are all extremely budget friendly?

Monday: Chicken with Tomatoes & Olives (RECIPE)

The Move is Complete!

The past few weeks have been what can only be described as hectic and insane. My littlest guy turned two on Wednesday, so we had a joint birthday/going away party last weekend. We invited family only for the birthday party, and then had a few friends join us for a going away party before we moved out of our house and got ready to head overseas. For more about our upcoming move to Europe, check out THIS POST.
Then the real work began. Over the past week we have moved the contents of our entire home into a storage unit, or to a local charity, or to friends and family with small children. Essentially we packed up our entire lives for storage, with the exception of a few suitcases of clothing that we will take with us when we leave for France. Trying to pack up and move things with a 5 and 2 year old in the house was challenging to say the least!

Tutorial: How to Decorate a Sprinkle Cake

A few weeks ago I made a rainbow sprinkle cake as the Kid's Cake at a birthday party that featured a bigger main cake that wasn't gluten free. Since posting photos of the cake, I've received several requests for instructions on how to create one.
 It was actually one of the easiest cake I've ever decorated, since it's almost impossible to mess up. I think a round cake works better than a square or rectangular one, and would be easier to decorate.

Let's get started!

Five Tips for Surviving a Juice Cleanse

I finished my first 5 day juice cleanse on Saturday, and I have to admit, I actually kind of liked it. I'm a person who believes that food is pleasure, unlike those who only see food as nourishment. As a result, I was worried that five days of only consuming juice for their nutritional value and nothing else was going to be awful.

So why do it?

I wrote about my reasons for embarking on a Juice Cleanse in THIS POST. I also explain why I dislike the term "cleanse," but that I use it for lack of a better term.

Embarking on 5 Days of Juicing

One of my goals this year was to be kinder to myself, and that goal extended to my overall health and well-being. It's been up and down in each area of my life, but I've never let go of the intention to be a little more patient with myself, to put myself first sometimes, and to follow my passions. The truth is, this has been a very stressful year in many ways, some good and some bad.
I committed myself to focusing more on my freelance and blogging work, but with a toddler home full time I've been less than thrilled with my progress on the blog front. I know that I just need a little more patience before some extra time will open up for me, but it's been tough. At the same time, I also know that my little one won't be at home with me all the time forever, and that makes me a little bit sad too.

Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan (August 4-8, 2014)

We're a few weeks out from moving day, and we've been packing up the house so that we're not scrambling at the last minute. Meals have been quick and easy, and this week will be no exception.


 




Monday: Gluten Free Hamburger Squash (I like this one because it looks good, and is a complete meal all in one. It's also easy to make.) RECIPE

Milestone Birthdays and Gluten Free Cake

This past weekend we celebrated my sister and my father's birthdays with a joint birthday party. My sister and my dad were born on the same date in July, and both celebrated milestone birthdays this year. My sister turned 30 and my dad turned 65. My mom and I decided to prepare a big party for them both. We chose to do something a little different this year, since we typically just have an outdoor BBQ with hamburgers and steaks. Instead, we hired a catering service called La Cantina Catering to come and prepare the main meal for us, while we provided the appetizers and dessert.

Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan (July 7-11, 2014)

Monday: Baked Chicken Thighs & Drumsticks in a Garlic Hoisin Sauce (I used VH Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce, and baked everything at 375F until cooked through) and Mixed Vegetables

An Unexpected Day Out

Yesterday we had an appointment for someone to come and see our house, so we decided to take the kids out for a treat. Our gluten free son was completely dairy free for a long time, but is now able to digest small amounts of dairy, so we took him to Dairy Queen. I checked out the Dairy Queen Gluten Free menu online, and discovered a few items he could eat.  I have to admit, I got a little sad when I asked him if he wanted a sundae and he didn't know what one was.

Wordless Wednesday!

I haven't posted a Wordless Wednesday post in a while, but the urge struck me today, so here you go! Some shots from the last few months.

Enjoying a mini-cone on a hot day!