Gluten Free and HEALTHY Beef Stew

This is what we had for dinner tonight and one of my favorite recipes. You can still eat like a boss and not be taking in a bunch of yucky chemicals and gluten.

Here is my beef stew recipe, which has a stroganoff taste to it!

In the crockpot:
Your favorite beef chuck (I use lean shoulder beef)
Red Potatoes (much more nutrients than white potatoes)
Freshly chopped red onion, celery and carrots
1 box of beef broth (low sodium version)

Cook this on high for as long as you would like. Mine cooked for 8 hours. Right before you're ready to eat it add a 1/3 package of low fat cream cheese, 2 tbsp low fat sour cream and 2 tbsp chives. Stir until melted and serve!

Sometimes I get a little adventurous and add half a packet of ranch dip mix and that is really good too!

*TIP - YOU CAN NOT add beef stew seasoning that you buy at the store!!! It has gluten in it, not to mention it's not very good for you because it's full of sodium, which makes you bloat and retain water!

Gluten Free Holidays and Parties - How to deal?!

The hardest part about your first year of being gluten free is getting through holidays and parties. Stop feeling sorry for yourself - this is the 1st step. You can still eat! And holidays and parties are not just about eating, they are about socializing and spending time with people - remember that!

However, there are still things that you can do to get through these times and not feel like you're being left out. Go into your local grocery stores and look in the health/organic section and look for the gluten free stuff. You will be AMAZED at everything you will find there.

CAKES:
Hodgson Mills makes the best gluten free cake mixes I have ever tried! They have chocolate and yellow at my local kroger, but I have also seen red velvet, white, and a TON of other flavors on Amazon that you can buy in bulk. I promise you, YOU CAN NOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE in these gluten free cakes and regular cakes. And guess what - they are healthier for you. You can eat any icing on your cakes!

My favorite is chocolate cake with mint icing, and chocolate and coconut shavings on top!

Although don't take that last statement as a reason to eat cake all the time. Sweets and desserts are not for everyday eating - or even weekly eating - these are for special occasions :) K?

COOKIES:
I have also tried gluten free cookie mixes and loved them! The sugar cookie mix is my FAVORITE - it makes the big, fluffy sugar cookies that are to die for and envies any other sugar cookies I have tried. But, if you want a REALLY easy cookie recipe that is gluten free, lower sugar and calories than regular cookies, try this:

GF COOKIES RECIPE - SUPER EASY!!!
1 box Gluten Free cake mix (any flavor - you can be creative!)
1 box instant pudding  (and flavor - you can be creative!)
1 large egg
1 regular tub of whipped cream
bowl of powdered sugar for rolling dough into

Pour your cake mix into a mixing bowl and add the egg, tub of whipped cream and pudding mix. Mix all. It will make a thick, sticky batter. Using two spoons, scoop out 1" balls of batter and put them one-by-one into a bowl of powdered sugar. You are going to coat each ball of cookie batter in the powdered sugar. Put them onto a non-stick cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

My Favorite combination is a yellow cake mix and a box of instant lemon pudding mix. It makes lemon snowdrop cookies that are out of this world!!! Posting a pic :) Did I mention these cookies are only about 35 calories each?!

My next favorite combination is chocolate cake and caramel pudding - YUM.

ICE CREAM:
Eat it! You can eat ANY ice cream babes :) Just watch for ice cream that has added things like brownies, which you can not eat. But what birthday is a good one without some cake and ice cream?

CHOCOLATE:
Eat it! So eat it..... all chocolate is gluten free! Eat some for me.

WHAT TO EAT/TAKE TO PARTIES AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS:
This one can be tricky when you are first starting but live by this simple rule - you can not be sure of anything that is at a party, and you don't want to start asking people a million questions about the ingredients so just take your own dishes! You won't even have to tell people you have celiac if you just eat your own foods.

Taco Dip - this is what I take. Corn tortilla chips and a can of hormel chili mixed with a box of cream cheese is seriously amazing. You can also take fresh salsa or I also make a mean spinach dip!

Pickle Hors d'oeuvres - An all time favorite. Dry off a whole pickle with paper towels, cover the entire outside with cream cheese and wrap with slices of deli ham. Slice and serve. These are also low calorie and low carb!

Fruit and Veggie Tray - can't go wrong with this and it's healthy! I buy the Hidden Valley Ranch dip packet and add it to sour cream for the veggie dip. A good fruit dip is plain Greek yogurt, add some vanilla and almonds or get really sassy with some chocolate chips babe!!

*Try to set your goodies away from gluten-containing foods like a cracker tray, for instance. You don't want crumbs falling into your goodies and contaminating you. Also watch this on spoons and spatulas.

THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS:
This one was hard for me this year because my favorite was always my mommy's homemade noodles. But knowing that just one bite would have me puking made it easier.

Here is what I ate this year:
Ham & Turkey
Green Beans (plain - you can NOT have green bean casserole!)
Corn on the cob
Cranberries
Scalloped Potatoes (that I made)
Mashed Potatoes (and I made my own gravy - see the recipe here!)
and my yummy desserts above that I took

*What to watch for:
-Stuffing baked inside of a turkey means the turkey is contaminated. Ask them to make the stuffing separate if you can, or prepare your own turkey or ham to take.
-You can make your own stuffing with Rudy's Gluten Free bread!
-Cross-contamination of spoons, spatulas, crumbs falling into your foods, etc.

I am SURE there are recipes for GF pumpkin pie, but I did not have the time or care to try to look it up this year. Maybe next year :)

I think I will end it with this! I feel like this is a great start for you, but I still have so much to learn. Please comment with any information or questions, loves!

What I ate for lunch today!

I am all about eating as healthy as possible right now and exploring foods that are not only gluten free for my celiac disease, but also foods that are "clean" not overly processed and that are rich in nutrients and vitamins that our body needs.

If you eat junk, you are junk. If you eat healthy, you are healthy.

From top left going clockwise, here is what I ate today: Fresh deli oven-roasted turkey breast with half of an avocado on top (I wrap the turkey around the avocado and eat it like a taco), a slice of organic apple and some fresh cherries, and freshly cut and baked sweet potato slices!

This lunch was delicious and so wonderful for my body. Only about 280 calories for all of this.

Gluten Free Low Carb Breakfast Burrito

This is not necessarily the "cleanest" eating recipe, but one of my favorites. Completely gluten free and low carb, and full of green spinach which is very healthy!

Ingredients (serves 2 people):
1/2 roll/pound of ground sausage (I use sage sausage)
1/2 cup frozen or fresh spinach
1/3 block low fat cream cheese
2 oz. fresh jack cheese
1 fresh chopped garlic clove
4 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste
cajun seasoning to taste

Brown the sausage in a skillet. While it is cooking, warm in (in the microwave) the spinach, jack cheese and fresh chopped garlic until cheese is all melted. Get it out and stir so the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Once the sausage is finished browning, add this spinach/cheese mixture to the sausage and then put in the cream cheese. Stir on low heat and blend until cream cheese is melted and blended.

In a bowl I whip the 4 eggs and pour them all into a non-stick skillet with some light butter and olive oil. The eggs should spread out to fill the entire bottom of the skillet, like an omelet. You are wanting all of the egg to cook like an omelet, without flipping it, so ** I put a lid on top to cook the top of the omelet!

Once the omelet is finished, cut it in half down the middle and the two halves serve as your two burritos. Put them on plates and put the sausage/spinach/cheese mixture on top and just roll the egg over so it has the contents inside.

Sprinkle a bit of salt, pepper and cajun seasoning on top and ENJOY!

Gluten Free Fast Food - What can you eat?

Let's face it, there are lots of times that you are caught out on the road and have to stop and eat. You can STILL do this and eat gluten free!

Here are a few popular restaurants and WHAT YOU CAN to order:

MCDONALD'S
Meats-
Beef Patty, no bun  •  Canadian Bacon  •  Breakfast Beef Steak  •  Sausage  •  Scrambled Egg

Sides-
Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, NO granola  •  Ice Cream Sundaes  •  McFlurry with M&M  •  Apple Dippers and carmel dip  •  Caesar Salad w/o chicken  •  Side Salad

Salad Dressings-
Creamy Caesar Dressing  •  Cobb Dressing  •  Balsamic Vinaigrette  •  Ranch Dressing  •  Salsa

Beverages-
Apple Juice  •  Coffee  • Hot Chocolate  • Milk  • Orange Juice  • Soft Drinks

Shakes-
All Shakes

Condiments/Sauces-
Butter  • Honey  • Mustard  • Syrup  • Jam  • Ketchup  • Lettuce  • Margarine  • Mayo  • Pickles  • Onion  • Tartar Sauce  • Tomato

Surprising things you can NOT eat at MCDONALD's-
FRIES, HASH BROWNS and GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST!! These contain gluten!

*Overall, McDonald's foods are so overly processed that this is probably the most unhealthy place you could possibly eat. I would avoid this place like the plague. I have not eaten here in over a year.

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BURGER KING:
Meats-
Hamburger Patty  •  Grilled Chicken Breast  • Egg Omelet  • Southwest Potato Mix  • Liquid Eggs

Salad & Fruit-
BK Fresh Apple Fries  • Lettuce  • Onions  •  Carrots  • Tomatoes  •  Salad Mix

Beverages-
Apple Juice  • Orange Juice  •  Coffee  •  Milk  •  All Shakes

Condiments-
Syrup  •  Grape & Strawberry Jam  •  Honey  •  Ketchup  •  Mustard  •  Mayo  •  Pickles

Sauces-
BBQ  •  Buffalo  •  Stacker Sauce  •  Smoky Cheese  •  Caramel  •  Chocolate Fudge  •  Sweet & Sour  •  Fry Sauce  •  Marinara  •  Ranch  •  Tartar  •  Onion Ring Sauce  •  Vanilla Icing

Surprising things you can NOT eat at BURGER KING-
FRIES, HASH BROWNS!! These contain gluten!

*Overall, Burger King is not too bad if you get a burger with no bun or a grilled chicken breast salad with an oil-based dressing such as balsamic vinaigrette.

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WENDY'S:
Meats-
Hamburger Patty  •  Ultimate Chicken Grill Fillet Un-breaded

Baked Potatoes-
Plain  •  Sour Cream & Chives  •  Bacon & Cheese  •  Broccoli & Cheese  • Chili & Cheese

Sides-
Chili - hot chili seasoning packet and cheese are fine to add

Frosty-
You can have any frosty!

Salads-
Caesar Side Salad, NO croutons  •  Garden Side Salad, NO croutons  •  Baja Salad Seasoned Tortilla Strips

Extras-
All Cheeses  •  All Butter   •  All Beverages

Surprising things you can NOT eat at WENDY'S-
FRIES!! These contain gluten!

*Overall, Wendy's is my favorite fast food place to eat. I get chili and a sour cream and chives baked potato and it is very filling. Also, Wendy's uses maltodextrin from a CORN source so it is not as bad.

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KFC:
Sides-
House Side Salad, NO dressing  •  Caesar Side Salad, NO dressing or croutons  •  Green Beans  • Potato Salad  •  Seasoned Rice  •  Corn

Salad Dressings-
Ranch  •  Italian  •  Parmesan Caesar

Surprising things you can NOT eat at KFC-
FRIES, GRILLED CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES!! These contain gluten!

*Overall, probably don't eat at KFC. There is not much here you can have, and even the things you CAN have I worry about the cross-contamination from so much wheat being processed on all of the other foods.

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DAIRY QUEEN:
Treats-
Vanilla & Chocolate Soft Serve  •  Artic Rush Slush, All Flavors  •  MooLatte  •  DG Fudge Bar  •  Dilly Bar in a sealed plastic wrap  •  *DOES NOT INCLUDE HAZLENUT FLAVORED DRINKS which contain Gluten!

Blizzard Flavors-
Peanut Butter Cup  •  Butterfinger  •  Snickers  •  Heath  •  M&M  •  Banana Split  •  Hawaiian  •  Tropical  •  Strawberry  •  Mint M&M

Toppings-
Chocolate  •  Hot Fudge  •  Marshmallow  •  Butterscotch  •  Strawberry  •  Caramel

Shakes-
*Don't drink shakes because they are made on the same machine that malt shakes and drinks are made and will be cross-contaminated UNLESS you ask them to clean the machine first.

Foods-
Burgers are probably ok, but use caution. No chicken. I still would not eat food from here. Too much cross-contamination.

Surprising things you can NOT eat at DAIRY QUEEN-
FRIES, GRILLED CHICKEN!! These contain gluten!

*Overall, eat the ice cream and treats above, DO NOT EAT THE FOOD.

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SONIC:
Meats-
Bacon  •  Breakfast Sausage Patty  •  Egg Patty  •  Hamburger, NO bun  •  Hot Dog, NO bun

* SONIC has released a statement saying that any of the above foods are likely contaminated from being cooked on the same grill as gluten-containing foods and they do not have a separate area to cook your food.

Shakes-
*Don't drink shakes because they are made on the same machine that malt shakes and drinks are made and will be cross-contaminated UNLESS you ask them to clean the machine first.
Treats-
Soft Serve Ice Cream  •  Chocolate Syrup  •  Butterfinger  •  M&M  •  Reese's Pieces  •  Whipped Toppings  •  All Route 44 Drinks  •  All Slushes

Surprising things you can NOT eat at DAIRY QUEEN-
FRIES!! These contain gluten!

*Overall, eat the ice cream and treats above, DO NOT EAT THE FOOD.

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ARBY'S:
Meats-
Roasted Ham  •  Roast Beef  •  Sausage Patty  •  Roast Turkey  •  Breakfast Bacon  •  Grilled Diced Chicken

Sides-
Dried Cranberries  •  Seasoned Tortilla Strips  •  Potato Cakes

Sauces-
Ranch Spread  •  BBQ  •  Dijon Honey Mustard  •  Marinara  •  Red Ranch  •  Tangy Southwest  •  Brown Berry  •  Cheddar Cheese

Dressings & Condiments-
Buttermilk Ranch  •  Raspberry Vinaigrette  •  Santa Fe Ranch  •  Ketchup  •  Mayo
Surprising things you can NOT eat at ARBY'S-
FRIES, HORSEY SAUCE!! These contain gluten!

*Overall, I love the roast beef, but there is not much else here you can eat. A lot of restaurants have their salads

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CHIPOTLE:
Main Starters-
Crispy Taco Shells  •  Fajitas  •  Barbacoa  •  Chicken  •  Steak

Fillings-
Rice  •  Sour Cream  •  Cheese  •  Black Beans   •  Pinto Beans  •  All Salsas   •  Guacamole

Chips-
Eat up! The chips are made with corn and not flour

Surprising things you can NOT eat at CHIPOTLE-
BURRITOS!! These contain gluten and are made with flour!

*Overall, I eat Chipotle at least once a week and would eat it 3 times a day! A GREAT place for Celiacs and the food is very fresh, all organic and very healthy!!

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SUBWAY:
All Meats, Cheeses and Salads are gluten free. Do NOT eat croutons or BREAD or WRAPS.

*Be CAREFUL on the salad dressings. I suspect they all contain gluten. I got very sick last time I ate here with Italian Dressing

Surprising things you can NOT eat at CHIPOTLE-
*SALAD DRESSING

*Overall, Subway is not the place to eat.

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TACO BELL:
Foods-
Mexican Rice  •  Pintos & Cheese  •  Tostada

Beverages-
Cherry Lime Sparkler  •  Classic Lime Sparkler  •  Orange & Cream Swirl Fruitista Freeze

Condiments-
Border Sauce  •  Jalapeno Sauce  •  Fiesta Sauce  •  Guacamole  •  Pepper Jack Sauce  •  Pizza Sauce  •  Red Sauce  •  Sour Cream  •  Salsa  •  Avocado Ranch

Surprising things you can NOT eat at TACO BELL-
PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING!!

*Overall, you can't eat at Taco Bell!! A lot of celiacs get confused because you can eat Chipotle and Mexican food but Taco Bell's food is so incredibly over-processed and full of preservatives that contain gluten. Tortilla chips, tortilla shells and burritos are all made with flour. I would avoid Taco Bell as much as McDonald's!!!

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Questions? Leave me a comment and I will reply :)

The BEST Gluten Free CLEAN Chips

I stumbled across these at the grocery store last night and had to try them. I am not a sweet potato liker, and I am saddened deeply by this because sweet potatoes are so much healthier and more full of nutrients than regular potatoes. So I thought - what the heck - try them.

LOVE THEM OMG. These are organic, healthy, gluten-free and clean, baked, and AWESOME. Seriously these are better than regular tortilla chips any day.

I got them at Kroger in the organic section. Looks like I will be a regular buyer of these babies!!!

How to Replace Flour with Corn Starch

If you are gluten-free or trying to be, not being able to have flour can mess with your head. It is going to be ok, love! You can replace flour with corn starch :) It doesn't work perfectly for all recipes, but I use this stuff for EVERYTHING!!!

Here are some things you can do with corn starch:

GRAVY:
Mix corn starch with your favorite broth and make gravy! I make mine by putting some corn starch and milk in a jar. To mix, just shake the jar. This makes your gravy NOT LUMPY!!! I add pepper too. Then slowly pour the milk/corn starch mixture into the lightly boiling broth of your choice and stir with a whisk until it reaches your desired thickness.

SOUPS:
I love me some creamy soups! Celiacs can not have creamy soups because the thickness is from flour. You can not eat mushroom soup, potato soup, cream of chicken soup, cream of anything soups. It's ok! I now make my OWN soups using broth, fresh ingredients and corn starch as a thickener.

BREADING:
My favorite breading recipe is corn starch, eggs, basil, fresh chopped garlic and salt and cayan pepper. Mix these ingredients together with water until it is just creamy and thick. Dip your meats in this and bake in the oven or fry in a pan in olive oil. DELISH and the starch makes a light and fluffy breading.

Try it, you'll like it!