Roasted Chicken and Goat Cheese Pizza

Made this for dinner tonight. Super easy and super yummy. I just used the Namaste Pizza Crust Mix (the whole package) and baked it without the toppings for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet (the actual directions say to cook it longer but I think it's way over done if you do that). Then drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, roasted chicken (I buy the ones at Costco, they are labeled gluten free!), goat cheese, rosemary, and tomatoes. I also sprinkled a little garlic salt and onion salt on just to add a bit more flavor. Baked it for 7 more minutes until everything was slightly toasted and voila! Dinner is served. 

2 Costco Favs

 These may not be super healthy (but they aren't super bad either) and they are perfect for those rushed nights when we need a quick dinner (or lunch!). Both of my kids love them and they are gluten free. I buy them at Costco in the freezer section and I think they are around $10 for a giant box that lasts us a few months. 

And I am THRILLED that they have this hummus. They got rid of the Meza hummus earlier this summer and I was so sad because it was by far our families favorite. I tried a few of the new ones they got to replace it and wasn't really a fan of any of them. Today I spotted this, the same looking design and package but a new name. I brought it home and crossed my fingers as I took my first bite and YAHOO- it tastes just like the Meza hummus! Small things thrill me these days:) 

Love This!

Found this at Costco today and I LOVE it! So tasty! 

Rudi's Gluten Free Bread- at Costco!

I was at Costco in Woodinville today and I found this in the freezer section. A 2 pack for $6.99. I had only tried their Cinnamon Raisin bread before (which I really like) but this multigrain bread is fabulous. The slices are thicker and heartier than Udi's which is nice for toast and sandwiches. I'm so excited to see it at Costco, I hope it stays there! 

Mexican Chili

I made this chili last night for a baby shower and it was a hit. My kids especially loved it and are already asking me to make it again! We served it over baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream on the side for those lucky ducks that can indulge in all the dairy! 

I got this recipe from a friend as "Taco Soup". I modified it a bit to make it thicker and now it's "Mexican Chili"! Magic. 

It's another crock pot recipe, seems to be a theme of mine these days. 

*With all canned foods make sure to read the ingredients to make sure they are gluten free. I always buy the organic Fred Meyer brand. They are well priced and have very little ingredients. 

Ingredients: 

1 pound ground beef (could use ground turkey instead)

1/2 chopped onion

1-2 cloves garlic

1 package taco seasoning (Make sure it is Gluten Free. I use the big McCormick's container from Costco and just put in 3 tbsp)

1 can diced green chilies (I used Ortega)

1 can kidney beans (drained)

1 can pinto beans (drained)

1 can Mexican Style Stewed Tomatoes

1 cup corn

1 14 oz can of tomato sauce

1. Brown the ground beef. Add the onions and garlic and saute with the meat until soft, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the meat, onions, garlic and all other ingredients to the crock pot and let simmer for 6 hours on low. 
3. Serve alone, with chips, cheese, sour cream, or over a baked potato! 
4. Enjoy:) 

Gluten Free Vanilla

A lot of recipes call for "gluten free" vanilla and this often confused me when I first started being gluten free. How could vanilla have gluten in it? My understanding is that all pure vanilla is gluten free. The imitation vanillas contain caramel coloring which may contain gluten so they are a no no, unless you know for sure that the caramel coloring is from a US source (caramel coloring made in the US does not have gluten in it).  We always stick with the pure stuff just to be safe, plus it tastes better and isn't artificial. We buy this one at Costco. It is even labeled gluten free, which always makes me love things just a little bit more:) 

Bean Salad

This morning I was watching the Today show and they were talking about 4 foods we should all be eating more of. They said salmon, beans, spinach, & eggs. Well Lauren & I both had allergy reactions to eggs on our panels so we try not to eat too many of those. But the other 3 are all things we love but probably don't eat as much as we should. So while at Costco today I was on a mission to get more beans & salmon. I came across this and was pretty excited. This salad is labeled gluten free, comes in a glass jar so no worries about the BPA in cans, & it was low in price (about $6 I think). I opened it as soon as we got home to take a bite and I loved it! So did Kevin. I haven't tried it on the kids yet but it is pretty sweet (does have sugar in it) so I have a feeling they will like it too.

Meza Hummus

This our favorite hummus. We eat it daily. My two year old prefers to eat it out of bowl with a spoon! When I first bought it I called the company to make sure it was gluten free and they were very helpful and assured me that it is. It is fabulous with carrots, cucumbers, rice crackers, or alone:) And at less than $5.00 for this big thing it is a bargain! You can find it at Costco.

Cravings Place Banana Muffins

We are heading to Portland for the night and I like to make sure I have plenty of gluten free foods with us so we don't have to stress out at every stop along the way. Last night the kids & I made these gluten free muffins using The Cravings Place muffin mix & bananas. Their mix doesn't have sugar added so you have to add your own sweetener. We add agave nectar instead of refined sugar and they are really really good. My husband even agrees.

They look & taste like the muffins we all grew up on and are SO delicious. I had to stop the kids from eating them all last night or else we wouldn't have any to take on our trip today.

I buy The Cravings Place mixes at Fred Meyer. I buy the agave nectar in a two back at Costco, but they sell it at a lot of stores (Trader Joe's has it too).

Pasta done easy!

Sure I'd love to say I make homemade marinara sauce but the truth is I don't. I usually doctor it up a bit and add some fresh veggies & meat, but I pretty much always start with this. I buy it at Costco, it tastes great, and is labeled gluten free. Can't beat that.

See the gluten free label- it's right there above the "All Natural". Like I said before, I love companies that label, makes my life so much easier!

This is our families favorite pasta for Italian dishes. I'd use this pasta even if I didn't have Celiac Disease, it's that good. The quinoa pasta has a lot of protein and a great texture. Rice pasta is okay, but gets a little gummier than we like. We buy this at Fred Meyer in the natural food section & I've seen it at Safeway too. Try it, you'll love it!

Grape & Quinoa Salad

I found this recipe in the Costco cookbook that they give out every holiday season. It is always a favorite whenever I serve it to friends and family.

• 3 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
• 1 1/2 cups red & green seedless grapes, cut into quarters (I half them because quartering them just takes too much patience.)
• 1/2 cup dry roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (I use pine nuts instead because they are easier to find and so good!)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup canola oil (I always use the kind of Omega 3 so I feel a little better about this much oil.)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp sugar (I think agave nectar would work well too, I keep meaning to try it but haven't yet.)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix quinoa, grapes, nuts, & green onions in medium bowl and set aside.

In small bowl, whisk canola oil, lemon juice, sugar, and salt.

Pour dressing over quinoa mixture & stir.

Refrigerate 30 minutes prior to serving.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

* I added chicken to this once to make it more of a meal and my family loved it!

More Food Suggestions

We buy these tasty chips at Costco. The whole family loves them by themselves or dipped in salsa and they are certified gluten free, which is always an extra bonus for my piece of mind.

Trader Joe's has a lot of good gluten free stuff. Some is labeled with a "g" and some is not, but they have a long list on their website of all their non-gluten containing products. This pancake mix is a good one. Their brownie mix is even better- I just don't have a package to take a picture of because it never lasts for long around here! *The brownies are even better if you add chocolate chips or nuts or caramel- or all 3 as I like to do:)

So, let me first say I am not a huge fan of non-dairy yogurt, however this one is pretty good if you mix it with a gluten free granola. My 4 year old likes it right out of the container but I prefer it to be mixed with something. We like the cherry & blueberry flavors the best. This yogurt is sold at most grocery stores in the natural or health food section.

My whole life I've loved flour tortillas and never been a big fan of corn tortillas. Since I can no longer have the flour kind of turned to the Mission White Corn Tortillas and I enjoy them quite a lot. I checked out their website and they do not contain any gluten ingredients and they are made on clean lines. I eat them all the time and have never gotten sick. You can find them at any grocery store, which is a huge bonus!