Welcome to Friday Photos, a weekly feature here on Celiac in the City — you can read how it all started by clicking HERE.)
It’s 9 pm here in Palm Springs and I am beat.
So I’m going to keep it short and sweet.
Less is more. Right?
Here’s how my week went down…
Real food continues — remember the Spicy Tomato Dill soup? We brightened it up with Italian venison sausage, a dollop of cream cheese, a little parmesan and fresh basil. Best.soup.ever.
Have you seen these? The reminded me of cheeze-it-like crackers and thought my nephew, (you’ve seen him around) who recently started eating gluten-free might like them. I didn’t scoop any up, but sent the info on to my sister for little buddy to try.
This was earlier this week on my walk home from work. And today when I left for the airport it was zero, not one degree of warmth.
And then I got here — Palm Springs, CA.
Lunch was served at Lulu. (outside, where it was 78 and sunny!)
We started things off with minestrone for two — my Mamasita eats GF with me when we get to hang, she’s crazy cool like that.
Up next was this healthier version of spinach dip with rice chips — when it first arrived, I was a little thrown off by the deep green color, but it turned out to be a great dip. Full of spinach flavor, didn’t miss the loads of cheese or mayo.
We rounded out our appetizer lunch with these chicken skewers with grilled mango & pineapple and a fruit salsa — and a little coconut dipping sauce.
And for dinner? B.L.A.T wraps — just wrap your bacon, tomatoes and avocado slices in lettuce and enjoy. (the bacon was still cooking, more bacon was added, no worries)
That’s all for tonight folks. It’s 11:15 to me, way past my bed time.
You see, I’m just planning on keeping this thing going. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be on my game 100% of the time, but the changes that I’ve made have given me more energy, gotten me back to the gym, and kept me creative in the kitchen. (and a little weight loss made this girl’s day when she stepped on the scale yesterday.)
It’s funny, when I tell people about this little adventure of ours for the past ten days, the first question I usually get is, “so…what do you eat?”
Well, things like spicy cajun shrimp.
These tasty little pumpkin oatmeal clusters from Hallie over at Daily Bites.
A little Jovial brown rice pasta dish with curry shrimp.
Heat oil in large pot, like this blue beauty. Add in your onions and cook until they start to soften. About 3 minutes. (add garlic in after 2 minutes)
Then add the broth, carrots, beans, tomatoes, dill, salt & pepper, and red pepper flakes. At this point, the aroma from the kitchen may attract company. (invite them in and pour a glass of wine)
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer, until the carrots are soft.
Grab your immersion/hand blender, and blend it until nice and thick. You can do this step in the blender too, if needed, but it may take a couple of batches. Now pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy.
So it’s not like we’re going without — mmm…mmm…good!
I just finished working on a project for work, a little presentation for Tuesday — last minute I decided I needed it to be a Prezi, instead of a trusty ol’ power point. (totally worth it)
My husband is still out and about with our friends — a party I missed to work on the Prezi… and it’s harder to sleep when he’s not here.
But in all honesty…
I had coffee at 8:20pm — yes, me. Coffee. Not like I just barely missed my cut-off time of 4pm. My “last call” for caffeine for the day, but true biz… not one but two cups of coffee, which took me well into the 10 o’clock hour sipping my java.
So it’s 12:53 am… what better time for a blog post? I don’t think my fingers have raced across the keys like this in a while. I’m liking it.
*Yikes! The lighting after midnight is even worse than the dinner hour.
If you’re still up, you should have a snack too.
Care to join me?
Chocolate-Banana-Peanut-Butter Mock Ice Cream
1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
Toss it all in the blender and puree.
*UPDATE: when I made this again, the banana was completely frozen, and I had a harder time in the blender with it — so I just added a little milk. Perfecto. So you can either use a fully frozen banana and add some liquid, let that frozen banana thaw a bit, or not leave it in the freezer too long before using it. Whatever you decide, you’re going to want to make it again. So experiment with it, choose different add-ins than peanut butter — then come back and tell me how it went!
Boom. Done.
Well… unless you’re like me and decided on this snack less than an hour before blending it. (which made a mushy, not-so-much-frozen treat) If you have the same issues with self-control, just put your bowl in the freezer for a while.
If you scoop it out with a cookie scoop, and put it into a quaint little dish, it will help you sleep better.
Instead, I’ve actually taken the time for making breakfast.
Nothing fancy this week because (sadly) I am back at work, after a refreshing (but too short) holiday break. The students aren’t back for classes until the end of the month, so my days are a bit less rushed right now — perfect for sitting down and actually enjoying a meal.
And right before we started this pledge, I had one tasty breakfast at Stubby’s – where they have Crispin Cider on tap, my first indicator they were cool. Our server was quick to check with the chef on safe brunch options and I went with the fan favorite, Tenderloin Benedict: two 3-oz. grilled tenderloin medallions served atop grilled portabella mushrooms with poached Yuppie Hill Farm eggs, finished with Sriracha Hollandaise. (sans tater tots — they brought me fresh pineapple) Because everything was made from scratch, this would have fit right in this week. Ok, maybe minus the Crisposa — Crispin and orange juice.
My breakfast of choice the last two days though, was this.
I had to modify the graham cracker recipe to fit into the “real food” category, but it was worth it. I won’t lie, they were a little better with cinnamon and sugar on top, but I’ll take what I can get.
As I said in my last post, Mark is joining me on this 10 day adventure, which has helped tremendously. (that and my daily hourly emails with Kristi, to keep us on the straight and narrow) This has inspired us to get in the kitchen and get creative. Not only are we focusing on eating real foods, but also eating from the pantry and freezer.
acorn squash stuffed with homemade venison andouille sausage, kale, peppers, celery and onions topped with parmesan cheese
You really could stuff any ‘ol vegetable and the “stuffing” ideas are endless. Just pre-cook your meat (or go meatless) then in the same pan, add in your veggies. Pre-roast your squash, fill with your masterpiece of a veggie mix, bake to warm through and melt cheese.
Real food dinner is served.
See? Endless ideas — on the first night we pan seared some shrimp as a topper.
Not everyone is a fan of venison. Truth be told, I turned my nose up at it for years, until I met my husband. He has the magic touch for all things venison. And we’re not just talking throw some venison steaks on the grill — that was the only way I had tried it prior to Mark’s menu of options, and I was not a fan.
I like mine flavored with a marinade, breaded for venison parmesan, spicy for venison tacos, pounded down and rolled around stalks of asparagus and goat cheese, or double ground with pork shoulder to make sausage.
venison bratwurst patties topped with swiss cheese, pickles and spicy brown mustard & a quick potato gratin
I guarantee you’ve never had venison all the ways Mark has made it — you would be a fan, promise. Because we are eating out of the freezer, there will be more venison recipes to come.
And keep the veggies coming. Need more ways to incorporate them? Check out Daily Bites – Hallie has some ideas and a recipe for you, plus some giveaways you won’t want to miss. And stay tuned each Thursday as she and other bloggers ring in 2012 with “New Year, New You.” Eating habits that you can carry through the entire year.
*****
One thing that doesn’t fit into my 10 Day Real Food pledge, but still deserves a photo, is this fun-filled package that arrived for me this week. As a runner up in the Cup4Cup cookie contest with my Snowflake Cookies recipe, I received a bag of their C4C gluten-free flour mix, a bowl scraper, and a hand written note from Lena Kwak! (she is the mastermind behind C4C, working alongside Thomas Keller) It’s not everyday you get mail from The French Laundry… kind of a big deal.
(they love my website. yes, in the scrapbook it goes.)
Not only do they have this handy new gluten-free flour mix, but they work hard to provide GF options in their restaurants too. I’ve said it before, we really are in the “golden age” of gluten-free.
When a world famous chef is taking note of the gluten-free community, I can move past the little comments like, “well, yes it’s the same fryer, but it’s such a minimal amount, that it’s fine” (shame on you bartender at Cafe Hollander) I’ll just keep bringing in my own fries from Stack’d. ;)
Off to the gym for a nice long walk. (or maybe I should be outside with these nice temps!)
Thanks to sister Laura for this video — can you limit your sleeping and sitting to just 23.5 hours a day?
To kick off the year right, we are starting with a little real food detox.
There are plenty of detox plans out there, but I knew I wanted something basic, with no shakes or special products to purchase. Also wasn’t interested in drinking liquids only for two weeks. Basically, I just need to lay off the chips, cookies, and diet coke habits I’ve picked up this holiday season.
My sister had told me about the 100 Days of Real Food website this summer. I’m a big fan of their simple concept — eat whole foods, get rid of the processed stuff. And to be honest, (minus the last month) we try to eat that way in general.
We’re taking baby steps and doing their 10 Days of Real Food pledge, starting tomorrow and continuing through the 12th. My girl Kristi and I decided to rock the challenge together, and Mark says he’s in too — this will make it much easier at our place, to have us both on board.
He says it’s going to be a cake walk. I’m just hoping to wake up in a few days and not crave a Christmas cookie for breakfast. It will be an organized way to get back on track to eating the way we normally do.
And it helps me get working on my 2012 list right out of the gate. Not only are we going to be eating better, to “be well,” but we’re going to open up some cookbooks to inspire us. (I would love to do their 100 day challenge at some point this year too — maybe after our honeymoon.)
To go hand in hand with the better eating habits, it’s about time I get back to the gym. Consistently.
I sort of fell off the running wagon after the wedding. It’s my own fault. Wish I had someone blame, but I can’t think of anyone really.
So, I guess it’s on me.
I seem to do best when I have a game plan, so I’m going to do the Couch to 5k running plan again — and perfect timing, I just got an email with the date for our Team Gluten-Free 5k.
We had a blast last year, and plan on more of the same for this year’s 5k — Saturday, May 19th.
Feel free to join in the fun — or tell me what you have planned for the new year.
The final day of 2011 — a year full of planning, more friends and family time than a girl could ask for, THE best day of my life when I married my best friend, and enough head tilting laughter to carry me into 2012.
Did I tell you my husband is one of ten children? It makes for a big partay any time we decide to hang with the fam — we’re talking 40ish people (with the 21 nieces and nephews) for the holidays. A family that size lends itself to one heck of a New Years Eve shindig. That’s where we’re headed tonight, to fill our bellies with gluten-free goodness: 3 different soups, appetizers galore, leftover Christmas cookies and these garlic cheddar biscuits.
My Google Reader is jam packed with fellow bloggers getting in their last posts of the year . Some with recipes for tonight, others with their resolutions for 2012, and one sharing what she learned this year. Love the idea, so I’m stealing it from Kelle Hampton’s blog.
What I learned in 2011:
1. Old school recipes are in. Sometimes I try to be so creative and struggle to come up with new ideas for the blog, but then I realized I have some of my all time favorites in my recipe box, from my family.
You know my Grandma G’s Monster Cookies are at the top of my list. (and others’ lists too — get the request for them often) But that’s just the tip of the family recipes iceberg, definitely more to come in 2012.
2.There needs to be more time for reading. I didn’t put it on my “List for 2012″ because I do make time to read, but not nearly enough time. And I’m not saying it has to be a book either, not everyone loves to cozy up on the chaise lounge with a cup o’ java and read the day away.
What I did put on my list was to open up all those cookbooks I’ve been gifted, some of which haven’t had their pages turned yet. Some are filled with the most amazing stories, not just recipes. I want to dig into those this year, and I will. (it’s on my list, so it will happen) And I want to share them with you — something new for the blog in 2012.
So whether it’s your monthly copy of Real Simple, catching up on your Google Reader, (you should really subscribe to Celiac in the City too, don’t miss a post!) or your own stack of “to read” books — make time for reading.
These two sure do.
3. Every single day is a gift.
I know, it’s semi-cliche. But oh-so-true. For the most part, our year was full of life, love and light — but there was also loss for several family and friends. So as we start our new life together, and a family of our own in the near future, it’s a good reminder to start and end each day with gratitude. A friend once told me, after her little guy last his battle with cancer, that when the little things in life start to bug us to embrace it, it means LIFE. To be thankful for each day we have on this earth… we only have one go at this, so let’s make it worthwhile. A wise soul.
4. Sunday afternoons were made for cooking.
Sometimes simple meals for the game, like these venison-bratwurst patties.
Or this “15 minute stew” we whipped up before Mark’s surgery to stock the fridge.
The list could go on, (I also learned: Norwegian, that I’m not very good at yoga, how to sew an actual project, that running is hard) but I want to keep you here long enough to tell you about my new list for 2012. Last year I admitted that I had never really stuck to resolutions — or even put pen to paper and wrote them down. Then we got all crafty about it, and a new tradition was born.
This year, my theme was BE.
As in:
In 2012 Sarah will…
Be creative – learn how to use the freakin’ cool camera we got
Be in touch – send snail mail at least once a week (continued from last year, our favorite carry over item)
Be a teacher – teach a gluten-free class in Milwaukee
Be a crackerjack organizer – stop with the piles of stuff everywhere, reduce, donate, no more clutter
Be well – to start things off, a detox — the 10 Day Food Challenge starting January 3rd, also use that rockin’ Wii Zumba game, workout at least 3x/week and run another 5k
Be a chef – open those cookbooks, share recipes with y’all
Be ready – (for starting a family) read up, make my body a more baby safe place (hence Be well)
There. I’ve shared them. They are out here for all to see — and that somehow helps me stay accountable — and the crafty little page of plans doesn’t hurt either.
Care to share your plans for the upcoming year? Tell me about them in the comments below!
This weekend will round out my gluttonous (not glutenous) holiday fun, followed by some serious changes around this house. Not the kind where you count every calorie and weigh in each day, but just eating sensibly. Whole foods with a serious cut back on sugar and treats. It wouldn’t hurt to lay off the chips either.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a year in review — complete with a new list for 2012, just like last year. Same Sister Laura, same kind of crafternoon with a page of plans for the new year.
For now, my week in photos.
I ate at Beans and Barley three times this week. What the what? Yes, three. A lovely lunch with my list-making-sister-from-another-mister (tuna salad plate) , a quick take out lunch that my husband grabbed for us (tuna melt on Udi’s bread) and a replenishing breakfast of pesto eggs to even things out. Would you believe I only snapped a picture of one of the meals? Slacker, I know.
Crafting takes a lot out of me, so chips were needed. Digging these Terra chips — thanks for leaving them, Laura!
More important than the plates of cookies was the food served up for Christmas. Mark does most of the cooking for family events, which is the only way he would have it. But because of his recent surgery, he was on limited duty. *cough* So he was taking it easy and only stepped in for the most important parts. (it’s hard to get him to sit still, but he had a few sous chefs, and we got it done)
(at first my body didn’t recognize the green, leafy items… it had been a while)
I dined at Screaming Tuna twice this week. I’ve kind of been on a roll with eating out, do you think that’s why yoga pants have been my only wardrobe choice lately?
It took a server and two chefs to finally settle the debate of the miso soup — it is gluten-free. Although I chose not to eat it because there wasn’t a clear answer at first. The chef came back again later and let us know that they no longer use soy sauce in the broth because so many people have been coming in with gluten-free needs. So they are listening. Score one for us!
And not only did I get to catch up with other GF girlfriends, but we had the sweetest addition to our group… how cute is she? Little miss isn’t gluten-free, (her mama is) but she does suffer from Crohn’s Disease, so she knows how tummy troubles go. But you would never guess she is “suffering” from anything, there’s always a smile on her face. The chef whipped her up some grilled chicken breast “sushi” rolls and she held her own with the chopsticks, a real pro.
And to finish out the week, I spent this morning in the kitchen. My plan was to test out some cheddar garlic biscuit recipes for our NYE festivities. I started with this recipe from Elizabeth Barbone over on Serious Eats – she does a “GF Tuesday” feature there and I look forward to see what she’s working on each week.
Let’s just say I won’t be needing to try any of the other recipes.
Want minis? No problem. Just use a cookie scoop to make these — they will be perfect for the kiddos, or for the adults to justify eating five.
Either way, you’re going to want to make these soon. (to make them cheddar & garlic, just add 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder to the mix) And if you’re doing a detox like me, I would make them before you start that little adventure… you’ll want seconds.
What are you up to today? Are you off this week, or watching the clock tick until the weekend begins?
Welcome to Friday Photos, a weekly feature here on Celiac in the City — you can read how it all started by clicking HERE.)
Because of last week’s visit to the hospital (and for 34 other reasons) Christmas kind of snuck up on me. Is it seriously Christmas Eve tomorrow? Where did that come from? Didn’t we just have a wedding? And now we’re wrapping gifts and eating cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Or is that just me?
Snowmounds
Even though my oven is being moody this week, I was able to get a few batches of cookies made.
Spritz
And at the last minute, I thought it would be fun to join in on the Cup4Cup cookie contest. By last minute I mean I posted my recipe and photo just a few hours before the contest ended.
(don’t you love that I got a new DSLR camera, yet still take almost all of my photos with my phone? money well spent.)
My husband calls these Snowflakes, but they are also called Crinkles or Pixies.
Friends and family rallied and got me enough “likes” on the contest page to be a finalist. (THANK YOU for the votes!) Then the C4C folks tested the three finalist’s recipes and decided on a winner.
Although I wasn’t THE winner, I was a runner-up… and I scored a bag of the C4C flour, which you can also find at Williams Sonoma. And after I whip my oven into shape, there will be some more experimenting with it.
But for now, you should enjoy the cookies I’ve been munching on this week too. The recipes are all yours.
Gluten-Free Snowflakes
(nut-free too) *because I used the C4C mix, they aren’t dairy-free – the mix has milk in it, but you can easily substitute your favorite GF flour mix as well to make them dairy-free.
What you’ll need:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup oil of choice – canola, veg, etc.
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup C4C gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
What to do:
1. Mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add flour mix into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough and chill for 3-4 hours. (overnight works best)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Either line cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a Silpat. Scoop dough, using cookie scoop or spoon and drop into powdered sugar. This is better than trying to roll them into balls first. After you’ve got them nice and coated, roll into balls and place on prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 10-12 minutes, depending on size. (mine took a little longer because I wanted them a bit bigger, you’ll know they are done when you press on the middle and it doesn’t leave much of a dent) Let set on the cookie sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to baking racks to cool.
additional bowl of powdered sugar for coating the cookies
Blend the butter and powdered sugar in stand mixer. Add vanilla, flour, salt and mix well. Place on cookie sheet using a Silpat baking liner or grease the cookie sheet.
Form dough into small balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. After the cookies have cooled, roll them in powdered sugar. (go ahead and do this twice if you’d like)
Gluten-Free Spritz Cookies (another ode to Gma G)
*easy to double recipe, these measurements will make about 2 doz cookies
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour (I used C4C, can use 10 oz of any GF flour blend)
Mix butter and sugar in stand mixer, then add beaten egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Slowly add flour into mixture and mix well. Chill dough for easy use in cookie press. Fill cookie press, then press onto cookie sheet, lined with a Silpat baking liner. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. (you can add sprinkles before baking too, or drizzle with icing after)
They will make perfect additions to your cookie platter — scroll down and leave a comment telling us what kind of cookies YOU are making this year!
