Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Okay, it's been almost two years since I've had a muffin... I played around with some recipes this weekend and OH MY!   These muffins were HEAVENLY!!!  Enjoy!


1 cup Bisquick Gluten Free Baking Mix
1 cup White Rice Flour
2 Large Eggs or egg replacer
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Raw Honey
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1/2 cup Almond Milk
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cup Frozen Blueberries thawed

Wisk together milk, eggs, butter, sugar, honey and vanilla.  In a separate bowl combine flour, powder, salt, xanthan gum, and Bisquick.  Slowly add in flour mixture, do not over stir.  Fold in blueberries.  Spoon equally into the cups of a well-greased muffin pan.  Should make about 12 muffins.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Turn pan in oven and cook an additional 10 minutes.  Devour!

Stuffed Peppers

This recipe is fast and easy.  My kiddos won't touch the peppers but love the rice.  

2 cups of favorite rice (cooked)
2 cans of Mexican style tomatoes
1 small bag of frozen corn
1 can of black beans, drained and rinshed
1 tsp Srirarcha sauce

First, I prepare the rice.  I use the Royal Blend in the plastic container.  In the skillet I heat up the mexican tomatoes, corn, black beans and a splash of sriracha sauce.  Once hot, I stir in the rice.  While that cookes together for a couple of minutes, I cut the top of my peppers off and scoop out the seeds.  Fill the peppers with the rice mixture, replace top and bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  

Grilled Zucchini and Red Pepper Salad

Okay, I'm  not a big fan of putting hot things in my salad as a general rule but this was amazing!!  Hats off to B for the idea.

We grilled our zucchini with a little Mrs. Dash and spray oil then tossed it on top of a bed of fresh spinach, cucumbers, avocado, red onion, garbanzo beans, mushrooms, and tomatoes.  Drizzle a little of your favorite vinaigrette over it all and consume.

Veggie Enchiladas

For these vegan enchiladas you need:

1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 package of mushrooms
1/2 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 red pepper
1 Tbsp of oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/3 cup cilantro
1 cup fresh spinach

 Chop your veggies as shown, about 1/2" x 1/2".  Combine all ingredients except the spinach and saute until tender.  Drizzle your favorite enchilada sauce in the bottom of your casserole dish.  Fill each tortilla with a little sauce, a scoop of veggies and a few leaves of spinach, roll and place in pan.  Repeat until you are out of veggies, cover enchiladas in remaining sauce, cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  I served with refried beans and sliced avocados. Fresh guacamole would also be fantastic, but I was too lazy last night.

 

So, it turns out that making corn tortillas is super easy and very tasty.   My daughter got me all of the supplies for my birthday,  all her idea, and I make them constantly.

Summer Soup

I always have trouble finding recipes I like. Most of the time I find 3 or 4 and pick and choose what I like about each.  Sometimes this works.. other times it's a total flop.  I tried this yesterday with a root vegetable soup and it was a hit.  Leftovers today were even better.

1 1/2 lb Butternut Squash
2 Largish Sweet Potatos
1 lb Carrots
2 Medium Onions
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 cups of vegetable stock
6 cups of water
Pinch of nutmeg

Peel and chop veggies, toss in olive oil and spread out over 2 cookie sheets.  Bake at 450* for 40 minutes, until slightly browned.  In large pot pour in water and stock, add roasted veggies and seasonings.  Boil until very tender, about 15 minutes.  Puree with immersion blender or in batches in blender.  Serve topped with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Stuffed Giant Portobellos with Asparagus

Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat and indulgence.  It's vegetarian, not so much vegan, but it's ooohhh so delicious.  

First off, spray three or four giant portobello mushrooms with olive oil.  Throw them top-side down on the grill for 5 minutes.  

Prepare the stuffing;

1/2 of a block of fat free cream cheese (4oz)
3 Tbsp of low-fat mayo
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
4 cloves of garlic chopped
10 oz of chopped spinach (I used frozen)
1 small jar of artichoke hearts chopped

Mix the first 4 ingredients well, then fold in spinach and artichokes.  Spoon into the mushrooms.

Prepare the topping;

2 Tbsp of feta cheese
1/4 cup of shredded Italian cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning 
4 Tbsp of GF breadcrumbs
1 tsp of olive oil

Stir the ingredients together and sprinkle onto the top of each mushroom.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.

Asparagus:

Cut asparagus and put into a baking pan.  Drizzle olive oil over the top, about 2 Tbsp.  Sprinkle yeast flakes over the top, about 2 Tbsp.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until desired tenderness.

Best Vegan Sandwich

I have yet to find a GF wrap here in Austin.  So instead, I toasted up some GF bread and threw the grilled zucchini on it.  DELICIOUS!  So now, it's my favorite sandwich.  Simply slice and grill a zucchini, toast your bread and layer on the following;

Roasted red pepper hummus 
Spinach
Mushrooms
Tomato
Red Onion
Zucchini
Avocado

Any suggestions on what else would make a great addition??  Please share below!

Grilled Zucchini Wrap

I have discovered that I love grilled zucchini. Taking that love and running with it we decided to make wraps last weekend.  They were so good, I could eat them every day.  I'm telling you.. Best. Wrap. Ever. I had gobbled it down before remembering to take a picture.

Zucchini sliced lengthwise and grilled for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Garbanzo beans
Red pepper hummus
Spinach
Tomato
Avocado
Mushroom
Red onion
Sriracha sauce

For each wrap:
Spread 1-2 tbsp of red pepper hummus onto wrap.  Layer with spinach, tomato, mushroom, avocado and onion.  Add about 1/4 cup of garbanzo beans and a couple of slices of zucchini.  Top with desired amount of Sriracha sauce.  Roll and enjoy!

"MOOOOMMMMM!!! I'm HUNGRY!!"

The moment the kids set foot off of the bus the only thing they want to know is what they can have for a snack.  I wish I could say it's all hugs and "I've missed you"s but that would be a lie.  B and I have a rule in our household; One sugary snack per day.  You may eat all of the fruits and veggies you desire.  We were fed up with the daily begging for more snacks.  "Not fair.. I saw C eat two bars and there were only one in my package." or "A's snack is bigger than mine" or "I'm still hungry"  We didn't want them spoiling their appetite for dinner with junk food, but B pointed out that if they wanted to fill upon healthy foods, why stop them? 

The best thing I have found is to buy fresh fruit and vegetables  and prepare it as soon as you get home from the store.  Store it in easy to get into containers and keep them stocked.  If I don't wash and prepare the fruits and veggies immediately they will typically go bad before anyone eats them. 

Sloppy Joe.. Slop, Sloppy Joe.. (Vegetarian)

 This is Brandon's specialty and it is very tasty!

 1/2 c. Onion
1/2 c. Celery
1/2 c. Carrots
1/2 c. Bell Pepper
1-2 Garlic cloves
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can Kidney Beans (drained)
1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 1/2 Tbsp White Vinegar

Saute finely chopped (I use food processor) vegetables in olive oil until tender.  Add tomatoes, chili powder, tomato paste and vinegar and cook 10 minutes.  Add Kidney beans and cook until hot throughout. 

Healthy Kids.. REALLY???

This mom is a little upset by the new healthy lifestyle kicked off in our community.  The idea behind it is great.. but once I realized what the requirements were to get a reward I was utterly disappointed.

I've heard the buzz from all of the schools about an assembly scheduled at each elementary to kick off a program to promote healthy lifestyle choices. I was excited to hear more, especially when my daughter came home raving about it.  Their school was the first to have it launched at and it made headline news.  I saw a video from one station and heard it made the front page of the Tulsa newspaper.  My first thought was; This is big!  Yay for our community promoting healthy choices in the youth.  But then...

Abby hands over her "passport" for healthy choices and I flip through it.  Wondering if maybe I was missing something I went to the website listed to further investigate.  NOPE.. it was all there in that "passport"  Kids can earn stickers for making healthy choices.  After getting 36, I believe, stickers in their "passport" they turn it in to the local medical center and get two free tickets to a sports game.

36 healthy choices sounds great.. until you find out that those "healthy" choices are to be made at one of four participating restaurants;  Mickey D's, Chicken joint, Burger Palace, and Such and Such Bar and Grill.  Seriously???

We have been hitting the healthy train hard in our family and fast food is a big no, no.  I'm sorry, but I don't see that ordering a hamburger happy meal and choosing apples instead of fries is a great stride toward healthy living.  So, here's my daughter all excited to fill her passport and.. well.. it's just not going to happen.  What really bothers me is how built up this program is and how much attention it's getting.  Huge pats on the back for promoting health and there isn't a sticker for visiting a gym, being active, preparing a healthy meal at home.  What a disappointment...

So here ya go.. go out to eat 36 times.. order apples with your other fried food.. get tickets to SIT and watch people be active.  GO TEAM!