Today my Mother-in-Law, Mary is undergoing surgery on her ankle.  When we were all on vacation last week in North Carolina, she missed the last step coming down the stairs outside her beach house & fell.  She broke both of her ankles.  The left in 2 places and the right in 3.  She is having surgery on the right ankle this morning.  She has to be off her feet for 3 months.  This is going to be a long road to recovery, so she can use all the positive thoughts & prayers she can get. 

Get well soon, Mary.  We hope that you have a speedy recovery! 

I have been waiting for months to write out that title.  Today is finally the day!  Can I get an AMEN??  LOL!  I posted yesterday that I had finally found the GF Chocolate Chex & 3 of the 4 Betty Crocker Mixes at Kroger.  I had to make one of the mixes and the Chocolate Chip Cookies it was.  Jon wanted to help/watch.  See if they looked any different than the ones I make from scratch. 

Jon, ready for action (Please excuse the goofy look on his face.  Why he can’t smile is beyond me.  Oh, wait, I almost forgot, he is 13):

First things first, get all your ingredients out.  This mix is super simple.  You only need to add 1 egg and 1 tsp of vanilla.  It doesn’t get much easier then this.  I went ahead & told Jon not to get his expectations set too high.  He is in love with my homemade, from scratch, chocolate chip cookies and I didn’t want him to be disappointed with the cookies from the mix.  I didn’t think that the cookies would be bad, but just that they might not live up to the expectations of a 13 year old boy. 😉 

Box & powdered mix:

Into the bowl go the wet ingredients:

Dough mixed together:

On the tray, ready to bake:

Coming out of the oven….oh, boy, these smell amazing:

All plated up, ready to chow down:

Jon asked me to make him a “monster cookie”:

This thing was huge!  It was on the same size plate as those 2 “normal” size cookies above.  Jon treated this as his “pre-baseball game snack”, along with a glass of milk.  He made quick work of it:

Yes, he did indeed lick the plate.  That’s my boy!

Not only did Jon & I sample these cookies, but I fed them to 2, super-picky 6 & 7 year old non-gluten-free girls and they loved them!  was super impressed with the taste & texture.  They were freakily (is that a word?) close to my homemade, from scratch, chocolate chip cookies.  I also fed one to my Dad when he came to pick up my sister, he also loved it and couldn’t believe how good they were.  The last, but not least, taste tester was my BFF, Amanda.  She commented that she couldn’t tell they were GF at all and they tasted just like “normal” chocolate chip cookies!  Well done, Betty Crocker, well done.  🙂  I can only find one negative about this cookie mix and that is that the price is a little higher than I expected it to be at $4.49/box.  It is cheaper than a lot of other GF mixes on the market, though, so really, not too bad.  Also, Betty Crocker’s mixes are available on Amazon.com and if you sign up for the “Subscribe & Save” program, they end up being $3.33/box (only come in cases of 6) and your shipping is free.  The program is free to join and you choose the frequency and can change or  cancel at any time. 

Did you get that?  It says “I am crazy for this peanut butter”!  For months I have read about P.B.Loco on many blogs, but never could find any in my local stores.  Sure, I could have ordered it online, but I really try to avoid shipping charges at any cost.  I waited patiently.  Good things come to those who wait.  🙂  While on vacation last week in Sunset Beach, NC, we traveled South (my Mom & I) to Myrtle Beach for a day full of shopping & lunch out.  We hit up a store called   “The Peanut Shop“.  I love all things nuts, so I figured that I couldn’t go wrong in that store!  LOL!  I was purchasing some gifts (I can’t share yet) and overheard this woman saying something about chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter.  My little ears perked right up and I made a beeline right over to where these nice ladies were.  Imagine my surprise when there was a nice display rack of P.B.Loco jars sitting there!  I almost squealed!  Okay, maybe I did a little bit.  I quickly grabbed the Dark Chocolate Duo, as it was the only one they had!  Hands off my dark chocolate, people!  😉  Next I snagged a Sumatra Cinnamon Raisin and a Jungle Banana.  The only other kind they had that day was the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.  I wasn’t sure if that variety was gluten-free, so I left it behind.  Later I saw that all 3 jars that I did pick up had “Gluten-Free” written on the side.  I wish I would have looked closer at the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough!  My Mom could do nothing but giggle at me. 

Fast forward to this morning.  Yes, I still have other nut butters open in my pantry, but had to open the Sumatra Cinnamon.  I couldn’t wait any longer.  I spread this delicacy on my brown rice cake (lots of raisins!).  I topped with Trader Joe’s Pumpkin butter.  If that was not just a little party in my mouth!!  OH.MY.GOSH!  Yes, I know those flavors say “Fall” more than “Summer”, but I don’t care.  My mouth doesn’t care.  This was an amazing combo.  This peanut butter is one of the most unique nut butters that I have tried.  A definite must purchase again product! 

Meal picture (sorry for the poor lighting…it was still dark out when I ate).

Now, onto the other new love of my life (my first love, other than my dear husband, is Barney Butter) is Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter.  I picked this up on the spur of the moment when I had won a gift card to Trader Joe’s.  It has been in my fridge, unopened, for about a month.  I thought today would be the perfect time to give it a try.  Another win!!  Wow!!  Perfect pumpkin flavor for the pumpkin freak that I am . 

If you love raisins, peanut butter & pumpkin, give these products a try! 

June 17th, that is what today is.  I was so excited to hear that vegetables get their own day!  I love my veggies!!  The best thing about veggies?  They are gluten-free in their natural state!  YAY!  I don’t think I could pick just one favorite, so I will list my top choices, in no particular order:

• asparagus
• spinach
• zucchini
• tomatoes
• eggplant
• brussel sprouts
• sugar snap peas
• snow peas
• butternut squash
• sweet potato

I started my day out with an egg white scramble with spinach & Roma tomatoes (not pretty, but tastes great!).  I top with Frank’s Red Hot.  🙂

A site with all kinds of great veggie info.

What is your favorite veggie?

I love frozen yogurt and when I bought some Fage today at Trader Joe’s, I decided to take half of it and pop it into the blender along with some raspberries & strawberries and then freeze for an after dinner treat. 

I blended up my concoction at lunch time & went to eat about 8 PM.  Well, it was a little more frozen then I would have liked.  I need to find a happy medium.  LOL!  I ended up popping it in the micro for a few and it did soften up a bit.  Probably a better choice would be to take out of the freezer an hour or 2 before eating if it has been frozen for a while.  I topped mine with coconut & a few chocolate chips.  YUM!!  This was super easy & the Greek yogurt makes it super creamy!  🙂

I think I am going to toss in bananas & peanut butter next time…YUM!

Finally, I have found the last puzzle piece.  Seriously, this has been like a wild goose chase through grocery stores across the country!  LOL!  Since I first heard that General Mills was converting 6 of their Chex Cereals over to gluten-free, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for the cereals.  I was in Atlanta over Spring Break; I looked in several grocery stores there.  I was in North & South Carolina for the past 2 weeks and looked in several grocery stores there.  I have looked in every grocery store here in Columbus.  Before today I had found every new variety of gluten-free Chex cereal, except for Cinnamon, which I did an exchange for with my pal Lisa.   Lisa couldn’t find the Strawberry, so we did an exchange.  🙂 

Today I had to run to Kroger to grab a couple things.  Normally I don’t shop at Kroger, but I hadn’t looked there recently for my Chex and I wanted to check for the Betty Crocker Gluten-Free mixes there, too.  I swear I danced in the aisle when I found those GF Chocolate Chex.  I wish you could have seen it.  You all know how much I love chocolate, this stuff is heaven in a box!!  I think that this is by far my favorite variety, though I don’t have any that I don’t like.  As a matter of fact, I think I have all 6 varieties in my pantry right now!  **BLUSH**  Hi, my name is Kim and I am a cereal-a-holic!  I can’t wait to start making some of the snack mixes that Chex has on their website!  The best part about these Chex (other than them being chocolate)?  They are $2.99!  The other Chex cereals are $3.49 at Kroger.  I don’t know why these are cheaper, but I bought 2 boxes.  🙂  This product gets 5 stars from me!! 

Want to know what else?  I found 3 out of the 4 Betty Crocker Mixes at Kroger!  WOOHOO!!!!  

I was a little disappointed at the price ($4.49/box) and that they didn’t have the Devil’s Food Cake, but hey, it is a start.  I’ll take it.  I am just excited that General Mills is taking this step.  It is huge!!  Gluten-free food has come a long way in the past 3 years since I have been following the diet.  I will review these 1 by 1 as I bake & sample them.  Hopefully starting tomorrow.  🙂

This post will have nothing to do with Celiac Disease or the gluten-free diet.  This post is dedicated solely to asking for prayers & basically a miracle for a sweet 6 year old little boy who has been plagued by a horrible, devastating disease for the past 1.5 years of his life.  Collin was diagnosed with Devic’s Disease by the Center for Pediatric Onset Demyelinating Diseases (CPODD) at the University of Alabama in Birmingham on March 5, 2008.  Now , his family is struggling to deal with this devastating diagnosis and everything that comes with it. 

Here is a picture of Collin with his favorite Nascar Driver, Jimmy Johnson.

Collin’s family has sacrificed so much for his treatment and they have done whatever they have had to do to try to keep him well, including a move to another state for better treatment options.  This meant his parents had to change jobs & try to find new ones in this horrible economy.  Their house (the one they were unable to sell where they used to live) is in the process of foreclosure. 

I want so badly for things to turn around for Collin, for his family.  I am praying that they can get Collin well and work something out with their house.  Lisa & Carey, Collin’s parents, are amazing people with unbelievable strength & courage, but how much can one family handle? 

For more information on Collin & what he & his family are going through, including updates, please go here:  Collin’s Quest. 

Last Monday, while on vacation, my Mom and I took some “Girly” time to visit a local winery.  We went to Silver Coast Winery.  We got to tour the area where they make wine, though they weren’t making any on this day in particular.  They also don’t grow the grapes there on the property, but in the mountains of North Carolina, where it is cooler. 

After our tour, we were led to the bar to sample some of the wines.  We chose to sample both red & white.  There were 6 red wines & 5 white wines. 

Reds

• Calabash Red ~ The dark ruby color provides a hint of the black cherry, plum and floral notes that entertain the nose of this vibrant red. The palate is offered red cherry violets, a hint of currant and plum. The finish is enhanced with a hint of spice. Pastas and red meats are complimented by this wine.
• 2002 Merlot ~ Dark and rich in color, with a leather, smoke, and black pepper nose. This wine has tastes of black current and leather, and a touch of licorice on the finish. Aged 14 months in oak. A fantastic wine when paired with a delicious grilled steak!
• 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ~ Dark garnet color entices the eyes with licorice, black cherries, vanilla, and violets on the nose. This medium body wine offers lush mouthfuls of black raspberry, cranberries, and rich dark fruit. Balanced acidity contributes to a long, lingering finish with hints of smoke and rich berries.
• 2006 Touriga ~ Deep berry and plum ,with subtle dark cherry and lavendar notes, accent this rustic style Portuguese varietal. The palate is treated to dark cherry and deep plum with smokey overtones and soft tannins..The deep color of this wine enhances it’s presentation.
• Holiday Red ~ Aromas of nice fleshy cherry fruit with hints of apice lead to roasted sugar plum flavors accented with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon. Soft and sensual, this is a nice wine to enjoy next to the fireplace!
• 2007 Cabernet Franc ~  Intriguing aromas of blueberries, dried leaves and cedar leads to complex flavors of ripe black plum and cherries. Rich and full bodied with a long lingering finish marked by leather, dried cherries and vanilla.

My Mom

Me (disregard my Rudolph the Reindeer sunburned nose)

Whites

• Stainless Chardonnay ~ Straw in color, hints of green apple skins, pineapple & minerals are surrendered to the nose of this wine.   The palate is entertained with Granny Smith apples, pineapple & tropical citrus.  Hints of minerals and of well balance acidity beg this chardonnay to be paired with food in cream sauces, salads, cheese & poached salmon.
• Calabash White ~ The eyes are greeted with green highlighted straw color. The nose is treated to apple and pear. This soft, round, well balanced wine seduces the palate with spiced pear and lemon grass. A hint of sweetness and acidity make this wine a perfect pairing for seafood or poultry.
• 2008 Seyval Blanc ~ Delicate, smooth and crisp with hints of pineapple and apricot. Great with creamy cheeses and light meals.
• Rosé ~ A crisp, fruity style that exhibits multiple layers of berry and tropical fruit flavors. A complex blend of grapes with a slightly sweet, medium body. Ideal for sipping or when paired with appetizers, sharp cheeses and smoked meats.
• 2005 White Merlot ~Ripe strawberry and rose petal aromatics, immediately on the nose of this vibrant, lighter bodied sipper. This wine also shows some subtle white pepper spice on the back palate. Delightful as a dessert wine.

The Bartender

Bartender teaching us how to “swish” the wine

After sampling all of the wines, my Mom and I decided to split a glass of one of the top wines on our list: 2008 Seyval Blanc.  I can’t put into words how amazing this wine tasted!! 

My favorite red was probably the Calabash Red (odd because I always end up liking the most expensive wines and this was the least expensive!  HA!).  I also really liked the Cab Franc & Merlot.  I didn’t care for the Cabernet Sauvignon, which is again, odd, because it is one of the only reds I drink at home.  If you were to come over to my house, you would always find a bottle of Cab Sauvignon and most likely Pinot Noir.  The Touriga (which has won a double gold), was good, but not as good as I expected.  It is a different grape, though, so we were told up front that it is almost an acquired taste.  Also, they recommend opening the bottle & letting it breathe for 45 minutes before drinking and also placing in the fridge for 15 min to get the temperature to about 64 degrees.  The Touriga we sampled was not prepared like that. 

My favorite white was probably the Chardonnay with the Seyval Blanc coming in a very close second or tie.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that I really like the Rosé and White Merlots, as blushes are usually not my thing.  The bartender asked if the blushes that I had had in the past were white zins and I said “yes” and he said that was what he thought. 😉  LOL!  He recommended having the Seyval Blanc with Chocolate Covered Apricots.  Too bad I didn’t have any in my purse. 😉

After our tasting my Mom & I wandered around in the gift shop.  This place has the right idea…..offer you alcoholic beverages & then set you free in the gift shop!  Aside from my buying 2 bottles of wine, my Mom bought several & we had to have these sparkly t-shirts, too!  Mine says “Save  water, drink wine” and hers says “Group Therapy”. 

In the garden finishing up our wine

We had a wonderful time!!  🙂  We hope to make this one of our new vacation “traditions”, just like the ice cream trips I posted about last week. 

I will leave you with one last picture….this is my attempt at a self portrait of my Mom & I.  Fortunately, our designated driver arrived & took a picture for us.  🙂  Thanks, honey!

Home again, home again, diggity dog.  Oh, being home from the beach has been bittersweet.  We had a great time (though we feel badly that Aaron’s Mom had an accident while we were there and broke both of her ankles ~ GET WELL SOON, MARY!).  Aside from the accident, the first week it was just our family and we enjoyed the time together.  The second week it was nice to see additional family members and I have already shared some of the fun stuff we did, with a couple more posts coming in the next week or so.  2 weeks is a long time to be away.  It seems a week isn’t enough, but 2 weeks almost borders on too long.  I feel so behind.  I feel like I will never catch up.  Sigh.  I know I will, but I want it all done now!!  LOL!  I sat down to make our menu plan for the week, going through the freezer first.  Oh, I forgot, used all the meat before leaving town.  Time to start all over!  So, my grocery list was longer than normal this week….I had to re-stock meat and other necessities.  Here is the plan I came up with:

Sunday ~ Burgers (beef for the fam; portobello mushroom for me that I marinated in a Thai Peanut sauce..YUM!), baked sweet potato & sauteed asparagus.

Monday ~ Sweet Thai Chile Salmon, red quinoa, sugar snap peas & salad

Tuesday ~Grilled Balsamic Chicken, Rosemary Garlic Potatoes, Broccoli & Salad

Wednesday ~ Enchilada Bake, corn & salad

Thursday ~ Bourbon Chicken, brown rice, green beans & salad

Friday ~ Bob’s Red Mill Pizza (cheese for fam, veggie for me) and salad

Saturday ~ leftovers

Baked Goods

Pamela’s Bread

Brownies (GFP mix I have on hand)

That’s all folks!

Have a great week! Make sure to check out the Gluten-Free Menu Swap at Gluten-Free Goodness. Thanks for hosting, Cheryl!

A month or so ago, I tried the PURE Chocolate Brownie Bar.  I wrote a review here.  This time I tried the the Cherry Cashew version.  I was super impressed!!  I got a picture of the wrapper this AM, but had eaten it yesterday on our trip back while it was still dark out, so no picture of the bar itself.  The flavor & chunks in this bar are amazing!  I like these much better than the Cherry Pie Lara Bars.  Now, I am not dissing my Lara Bars, because they do hold a special place in my heart (especially that chocolate coffee flavor & the peanut butter cookie, too). 

The Cherry Cashew bar is organic,raw, vegan, has 1.5 servings of fruit, omega-3s, 4 grams of fiber & 6 grams of protein per bar.  What a bang for your buck (or $2, depending on where you get them)!!  I like to keep these on hand for emergency situations……no safe food or healthy choices (while Frito’s & Snicker’s are both gluten-free, they don’t qualify as healthy choices for emergency snacks or meal replacements).  Obviously this bar would not hold me over for more than 2-3 hours, but it will do the trick in a pinch.  What I did yesterday was I ate a banana at 5:30 AM or so, then I opened the bar around 7:30 or so and then did lunch around 11:30 AM.  I could have probably eaten lunch sooner, but being on the road for 12 hours and having to find a place to stop & use the restroom didn’t allow for it. 

I highly recommend this bar and can’t wait to try more PURE Bar flavors.  Maybe the PURE Bar people want to send me some samples to review (hint, hint). 😉  LOL!