Tuesday To Do List — what to buy, spy, and try! (or sometimes cry about)

Tuesday To Do List is my newest attempt at bringing you tidbits from the gluten-free world each week. This will continue until my mind-that-doesn’t-rest comes up with another way to entertain you guys. You can read my very first to-do list here. Cross your fingers I am back here next Tuesday with another list…

Checked off the list from last week: made the un-pumpkin spice from Alton Brown and the pumpkin puree. (why have I never done this before? THE best.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you spy my lasagna stuffed spaghetti squash over on Prevention Magazine online? Yipeeee!

Too many fall recipes to choose from? I hear ya. Luckily you can see an entire carnival of fall recipes HERE. (I added my pumpkin spice granola!)

I’ve been trying recipes from Yummy Supper. Not only is the book full of gorgeous photos and stories, but the recipes are simple and made with real food. I made Sunshine Soup with ingredients from my own garden — if you don’t garden, this may not seem like that big of a deal, but for me, I get giddy over garden fresh goods. Always have. I think part of it was growing up with a family that gardened. I learned early on that it is hard to beat the flavor of a warm-from-the-sun tomato at peek ripeness, plucked from vine and eaten like an apple. I brought the book with me to our last GF Get Together dinner and my GFFs drooled over it, especially our vegetarian. Maybe you should add it to your list to buy? (or stop by for Sunshine Soup and borrow mine!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try these. No-bake donut holes. (thanks Johnna!)

 

Follow up from last week: the FDA is now investigating reports of illness due to the new “gluten-free” Cheerios. You can see last week’s post HERE, including posts from others in the community. Please read up. Since last week, I have had several people tell me they got sick from Cheerios — pretty please contact the FDA (as well as General Mills) to let them know. You can follow the steps listed here.

Because my mama and dear friend Shirley, from glutenfreeeasily.com, don’t have Instagram, I’m going to try to do a recap of the week’s photos here too. (the first two photos are Shirley’s flourless, gluten-free pizza — make it ASAP.)

So, I spy from Instagram…

(follow along: @celiacinthecity)

dreaming of London: my 1st doughnut from Borough 22 (now available at Selfridges!)

garden fresh = THE best.

#realfood50 dinner: Korean bbq marinaded venison & spicy-sweet garden green beans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

quickly become my fave flave: melon & grapefruit (with frozen melon cubes) just add Tito’s. 😉

caprese eggs — waiting for balsamic drizzle

cinnamon glazed popcorn mix from 100 Days of Real Food (my pumpkin spice version was even better!)

coffee lovers: add pumpkin spices to coffee grounds before brewing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s NATIONAL COFFEE DAY — check out yesterday’s post (yes, I know, a day early) for all kinds of coffee treats! Speaking of treats…I owe Lincoln some treats for this sweet photo. 😉

 

As much as I wish I were getting paid big bucks to add these links to my page, I’m not. They are not affiliate links. I’m just sharing to share. (because I love you guys. and coffee.) 

Friday Photos: the view from here

Where did this week go? (seriously, if someone could explain, please do.)

Wasn’t I just talking about being on a road trip to Minnesota?

It was our “Joy in January” party, which I think is going to become a tradition with my family — my sister (supermama of the year) was the hostess with the mostess the whole weekend. Check out my JOY pancakes, does she know me or what? 

From the morning yogurt bar with “granilla,” as Chef Carter calls it, to homemade pizzas for dinner, there was gluten-free goodness all around. I cannot tell you how relaxing it is to be away for the weekend and not have to bring ANY of my own food. (other than a plate of cookies, including my 3rd place Snowflakes, which my sister tried and said, “mmm…it’s like a brownie AND a cookie.”) 🙂 

Not worrying about food leaves all kinds of time for funny stache photos, and a few of the photos that have become routine. (aren’t the peanuts bubbas so big?) 

Have you seen the new Van’s items? My sister scored some recently and they are fans of the products — those crackers are good! 

Carter’s school now has a gluten-free lunch menu! This is a very big deal in his book. The cool part? Many of the items they serve him are purchased at a local natural food store. He’s thrilled to be able to eat at school whenever he wants. Score one for team gluten-free!

Last night, after a long day at an interpreting workshop, I stayed in Madison to dine at Bunky’s Cafe with my dear friend PK. It’s at the top of my list for places to eat gluten-free in Madison — I highly recommend it if you’re in the area. Almost everything on their menu can be made gluten-free, including: pastas, lasagna, pizza, falafel, and DESSERT! 🙂  

We went all out. (and then vowed to hit up the gym ASAP) So, so worth it.

And then there’s a Friday night at home, with the husband in Orlando (didn’t he pick the perfect week to get out of this cold?) and me not wanting to cook — so it was cereal for dinner. It’s real life. It happens. And it hit the spot.

Did the rest of you get this cold front? Brrrrrrr! The chilly evenings lent themselves to hot tea and cozy slippers — the heat pad came out too! 

Cold winter nights = cooking & crafts. 

I started Project Life this month and am loving it — as you may have read, the 2013 List includes taking and actually printing more photos, so this project is perfect for me. Keeps my mind and hands busy.

Have a JOYful week! 🙂

No meat? No problem. (more on the gluten free meatless week)

When I told friends and family I was doing a meatless week with some fellow food bloggers, their first question was, “WHY?”

Many found it hard to believe that I would willingly give up meat for any amount of time. (especially during cookout season in Wisconsin)

But I was determined to make it through the week.

And I did.

It was easier than I originally anticipated. The perfect opportunity to dig out my favorite quinoa recipe which I posted last week. And a chance to finally make the Asparagus Pizza with Summers Past Pesto from Peef and Lo over at Burp! Where Food Happens. You remember them… they were the champions of the Gluten Free Challenge a couple of weeks ago. Champs in my eyes. Read all about Peef and Lo’s successful gluten free weekend, if you haven’t already.

I have been saying since the day they posted it that I would convert it over to gluten free. The crust was the only thing that needed converting, the rest of the ingredients were good to go.

It was a cool morning with a light lake breeze. Not too hot for the oven to be at such a high temp. Because I didn’t have any frozen crusts on hand, I took a recommendation from a reliable member of my gf-team. I used Gluten Free Mommy’s recipe for homemade pizza crust.

It does seem like a long list of ingredients, but once you have been baking gluten free for a while, you just have these bags of Bob’s Red Mill flour hanging around.

I have to be honest with you. I was not a huge fan of this crust. It was beautiful when it came out of the oven and I was thrilled to see the golden brown color. But it had tapioca flour in it and I can’t seem to tolerate that flavor. (I have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and taste) This has happened with other recipes too. It just gives them that “gluten free” flavor. For those who do eat gluten free, you might know what I mean.

It was fluffy in the middle and crispy on the edges, looked beautiful, it just wasn’t my favorite recipe. (but a gluten-eating taste tester thought it was great) Now I am on a mission to find a substitute flour that works for this recipe, then try it again.

Had a little fresh mozzarella in the fridge.

Although I would have been happy to, I did not eat pizza every day last week. This open-faced Caprese style sandwich is sort of pizza-like though, isn’t it?

When you have Udi’s gluten free bread on hand, it’s hard not to use it.

I ventured out to eat a couple of times during the week too. Gluten free and vegetarian at Stir Crazy in Brookfield. Several of their sauces can be made gluten free and their Market Bar is full of veggie toppings.

Do you have a favorite meatless dish? Leave a comment and tells us about it!

(and if any other gf-friends aren’t fans of tapioca flour, tell me that too, and what you substitute)