A quick and easy bean soup recipe for those cool fall night.

Chicken & Bacon Bean Soup

1 Rotisserie chicken, boned & chopped or two cans of chicken breasts, drained

4 slice of bacon, cut in about 2 inch pieces

1 pound pkg. of dried navy beans, soaked overnight & drained

1/2 onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 tsp. garlic

1/2 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

2 quarts liquid, 1/2 each chicken broth and water or all chicken broth

salt & pepper to taste

1 carrot, chopped or grated (opt.)

1. Heat the 2 quarts of liquid to a boil.

2. Reduce heat to a simmer, add all other ingredients (except chicken). Place lid on cocked, not sealed.

3. Cook 2 hours (or more), stirring occasionally until beans are tender. You can add more liquid if it gets too dry.

4. Add chicken the last 30 minutes of cooking.

To make this recipe much quicker use canned navy beans.

Take the Test - Are you Gluten Intolerant??



Dr. Oz had a show on gluten intolerance on Thursday, September 27, 2012 called,  "Is Gluten Secretly Destroying Your Life". It was the best explanation for the disorder I've ever seen. He even had a test you could take to see if you may not be able to tolerate gluten. This disorder effects 1 in 10 people and most don't even know they have it. Click on the title above, Watch the show, Take the test!! I know I'm 110% better since I gave up gluten and milk.

P.S. Dr. Oz has some good looking recipes on the show also.

Sweet Fire Jalapenos

Sweet Fire Jalapenos

I bought a jar of these jalapenos at a little shop one time for about $5.00 and fell in love with them. They are so delicious, but I thought that was a little expensive, especially since I can eat them like candy. So, I set out to find a recipe. I can't remember where I found it, but they are so super easy, I'm glad I didn't buy them again.

I took the picture about right after I mixed them up so they're a little cloudy. After they sit in the refrigerator for about 24 hours the syrup gets clear. These are terrific on all kinds of things. My favorite is on hamburgers. You can chop them up and serve as a relish or pour over cream cheese and serve with crackers. I like to chop them up and put them in piminto cheese.

Here's two sizes of batches:

Large recipe

1 quart pickled, sliced jalapenos

2 c. regular granulated sugar

Small recipe

12 ounce jar of pickled, sliced jalapenos

3/4 c. sugar

1. You'll need an empty jar with a lid, preferable wide mouthed, to put them in. I usually save pickle jars and reuse them.

2. Drain jalapenos and rinse with cold water thoroughly several times. I try to get most of the seeds out. Rinse well.

3. Place jalapenos in a bowl, stir in sugar, then pour into your jar. Let them sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. You may have to shake or stir them a bit to get all the sugar mixed up.

That's it very EASY!

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

This is my Dad's favorite and I love it too. It's one of those yummy comfort foods. I don't think there's actual a recipe, but my Mom has made it for years. The following is as close to a recipe as I can get. It's one of those that you can kind of just throw in whatever you like.

1 lb. ground meat (I use turkey.)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 c. uncooked macaroni (gluten-free works great)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 of milk or soy milk, may need a little more

grated cheese, about a 1/2 c. in the casserole and 1/2 c. on top (more is ok)

opt. - frozen peas or other vegetables, mushrooms, jalapenos etc.

seasonings to taste - garlic, cayenne, black pepper. You won't need salt because of the soup.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray casserole dish.

2. Brown meat and onion in a skillet, drain excess grease

3. Cook macaroni according to package directions, but for about half the amount of time. Drain well. They will finish cooking in the oven.

4. In large bowl (or I do it in the casserole dish) combine the noodles, soup, milk and cheese. Add extra milk, if needed, until it's creamy and a little soupy.

5. Add all desired seasoning and vegetables and meat mixture.

6. Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes.

7. Remove foil add more cheese on top and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes.

Serves 4 -6

Homemade Crunchy Ganola

You don't have to be gluten intolerant to enjoy this recipe. It can easily be modified to your tastes, and I like it on all kinds of thing, even plain. I've put it on a smoothie in this post and showed some of my favorite products to make it. And did I say it was EASY!

4 Tablespoons canola oil

8 Tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free if necessary for you). I used the quick oats and it was fine.

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup raisins (or dried fruit of your choice. Just be sure to add it last when baking.)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside

2. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the oil, honey, and salt, stirring occasionally, until the honey has melted and the mixture is warmed throughout (3-5 minutes).

3. While the honey and oil are warming, in a separate large bowl, add the oats and almonds, and stir until well combined. When the honey mixture is ready, pour it over the oat mixture and stir with a wet spatula (to prevent the honey from clumping) until the honey mixture has coated the oat mixture completely. Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out in a single, even layer.

4. Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. To ensure even baking, rotate the baking sheet during baking, and stir the granola once along the way as well. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Allow the granola to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then return it to the large bowl, (I left it on the pan and just mixed in the fruit there.) add the cranberries and raisins, and stir until they are evenly distributed throughout the granola. Spread the granola out in a single layer on the same baking sheet.

5. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the granola is a pale golden brown. Cool it completely on the baking sheet. It can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for at least two weeks.

From the cookbook:  Gluten-Free on a Shoestring

I'm getting ready to make a smoothie here. I just throw together whatever I have on hand. This time I had some frozen fruit, that a thawed a little bit in the microwave, some Cabot vanilla bean yogurt (my favorite), honey and just a little soymilk. I put it in the mixer cup and blend slightly.

This is a great little blender. The container you see beside it is my fresh made granola.

Here's the finished smoothie with the Homemade Crunchy Granola. Yummmmmy!!!

Substitution Solutions

From Living Without the magazine for people with allergies and food sensitivities

To make a flour blend, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until used. You can double or triple these recipes to make as much flour mix as you need.

Note: If you purchase a commercial flour blend, read the ingredient list carefully. Some blends contain salt and xanthan or guar gum. If so, there is no need to add more.

All-Purpose Flour Blend Use this blend for all your gluten-free baking. 1/2 cup rice flour 1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour 1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch Each cup contains 436 calories, 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 99g carbohydrate, 3mg sodium, 2g fiber, 5g protein High-Fiber Flour Blend This high-fiber blend works for breads, pancakes, snack bars and cookies that contain chocolate, warm spices, raisins or other fruits. It is not suited to delicately flavored recipes, such as sugar cookies, crepes, cream puffs, birthday cakes or cupcakes. 1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour 1/2 cup teff flour (preferably light) 1/2 cup millet flour or Montina® flour 2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour 1/3 cup cornstarch or potato starch Each cup contains 428 calories, 2g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 92g carbohydrate, 19mg sodium, 5g fiber, 8g protein.

High-Protein Flour Blend This nutritious blend works best in baked goods that require elasticity, such as wraps and pie crusts. 1 1/4 cups bean flour (your choice), chickpea flour or soy flour 1 cup arrowroot starch, cornstarch or potato starch 1 cup tapioca starch/flour 1 cup white or brown rice flour Each cup contains 588 calories, 3g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 128g carbohydrate, 24mg sodium, 6g fiber, 11g protein. Self-Rising Flour Blend Use this blend for muffins, scones, cakes, cupcakes or any recipe that uses baking powder for leavening. 1 1/4 cups white sorghum flour 1 1/4 cups white rice flour 1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour 2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Each cup contains 514 calories, 3g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 113g carbohydrate, 1163mg sodium, 8g fiber, 10g protein.

Nutritional analyses of recipes are based on data supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and certain food companies. Nutrient amounts are approximate due to variances in product brands, manufacturing and actual preparation.

Gum (xanthan or guar) is the key to successful gluten-free baking. It provides the binding needed to give the baked product proper elasticity, keeping it from crumbling.

• Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum per cup of flour blend to make cakes, cookies, bars, muffins and other quick breads.
• Add 1 teaspoon per cup of flour blend to make yeast bread, pizza dough or other baked items that call for yeast.

Milk
Replace 1 cup cow's milk with one of the following:
1 cup soy milk (plain)
1 cup rice milk
1 cup fruit juice
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup goat's milk, if tolerated
1 cup hemp milk

Buttermilk
Replace 1 cup buttermilk with one of the following:
1 cup soy milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon white vinegar (Let stand until slightly thickened.)
1 cup coconut milk
7/8 cup rice milk
7/8 cup fruit juice
7/8 cup water

Yogurt
Replace 1 cup yogurt with one of the following:
1 cup soy yogurt or coconut yogurt
1 cup soy sour cream
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup fruit puree

Butter

Replace 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter with one of the following:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) Fleischmann's unsalted margarine
8 tablespoons Earth Balance (Non-Dairy) Buttery Spread
8 tablespoons Spectrum Organic Shortening
8 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

For reduced fat:
6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce + 2 tablespoons fat of choice

Eggs

Replace 1 large egg with one of the following:

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (or other fruit puree) + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon flax meal, chia seed or salba seed + 3 tablespoons hot water. (Let stand, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until thick. Use without straining.)
• Egg Replacer, according to package directions
• 4 tablespoons pureed silken tofu + 1 teaspoon baking powder

Replacing more than two eggs will change the integrity of a recipe. For recipes that call for a lot of eggs, like a quiche, use pureed silken tofu. Because egg substitutions add moisture, you may have to increase baking times slightly.

Note: To replace one egg white, dissolve 1 tablespoon plain agar powder into 1 tablespoon water. Beat, chill for 15 minutes and beat again.

Nuts

Replace tree nuts or peanuts with an equal amount of the following:
Toasted coconut
Sunflower seeds
Toasted sesame seeds
(use only 2 to 3 tablespoons)
Crushed cornflakes
Crushed crispy rice cereal
Crushed potato chips
Pumpkin seeds

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New Blog

This is a new blog that I'm excited to share with everyone. I've been recently diagnosed as gluten and milk intolerant and have been exploring the world of gluten-free (GF) foods. I can't believe how much better I feel now. I've had improvements with digestion (IBS), headaches, energy, moods, sleeping and more.

My hopes are that this blog will let me share some recipes with you that are naturally or converted to gluten-free. I get my recipes from friends, websites, cookbooks and many other places. The only ones I'll put on here are the foods that I think come out really tasting yummy, and not just for the GF people. I hope you'll be able to make these recipes for the whole family to share, and they won't even notice they are gluten-free.

If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of becoming gluten-free, check out the American Celiac Disease Alliance. Celiac disease is the the worst form of being allergic to gluten, as far as I understand, but a lot of the same symtoms apply to the gluten intolerent people.