Gluten Free Treats for my Gluten Free Peeps

Wow, it's been a long time since I blogged some shiz. This time of year is insane, obviously the holidays don't help. Work is non S to the T to the OP.  I often find myself over stressed which quite honestly, I am not the person who should have added stress and if you know me, you know why. 

What usually makes me feel better is some good ole' famiglia time. Family is such a great nutrient, I'm fortunate to have a healthy dose of it. I often lean on my sisters for a lot, and I'll say that they better be used it because that will never change.  So to decompress, I decided to spend the afternoon getting my bake on.  In my family, we have a few with dietary needs.  Me, I'm a type 1 Betty (short for diabetic) and I try to watch my sugar/ carb consumption but this will be an evil I face the rest of my life. Four other people in my family are faced with Celiacs: my mom, both my nieces and my nephew.  The kids have championed at accepting the cans and cannots and I've embraced it as well, since my mother is my roommate :) 

During the holidays I always feel bad for them, they can't have stuffing with their turkey, unless you can find GF stuffing. All those traditional cookies that are out there, are sometimes hard to replicate. My mom and sister have both done an outstanding job coming up with some great treats. I try to do my best as well. So, one of my favorite holiday cookies that is traditional to me are Holiday Wreaths, GF version.

1/3 c. margarine or butter
1 pkg. Marshmallows ( 10oz bag - about 40 count)

6 cups of GF cornflakes

Green food coloring

Red cinnamon candies 

Looks simple enough, eh ... it is!

  
To start, measure out your cornflakes and get the butta melting 

Start adding your mallows, I used 50 so it would be extra messy.  Soon it will start to look syrupy or like mallow soup, Mmmm. 

Now the fun part ... green goo! 

 

Keep going ...

Add your pre-measured GF flakes ...

All mixed up? We're ready to go ..

This part get's a little messy and you have to be willing to get your hands dirty. It also can get super hot ...

I set out wax paper to let them cool and set.  I also use butter/ margarine to shape the "wreaths" with my hands.  This helps keep the mix from sticking to your digits. I basically run the butta all over my hands and grab a glob and shape into a sorta of wreath shape. 

 According to whoever came up with this recipe, there should be a hole in the center. I gave up on that years ago.  For the final touch, I add cinnamon candies (aka holly berries). They don't always stick but they look pretty ...

nom nom nom

Merry Christmas!!

Fall Clean Up

Argh!, it's that time of year again. Purge purge, clean clean clean. I like getting rid of the old to make room for the new but sometimes it's hard to say goodbye to that favorite boyfriend...cardigan.  As I forged ahead this past weekend, I started knocking things off the list, sense of accomplishment met.

I still have a ways to go and if I ever want to see the back of my closet, I'll need to part ways with some loved ones. Aside from that there is the cleaning aspect which might be worse than the funeral that is my closet, at least there is hope for new life there.  Cleaning is endless and in no time will be dusted over like a hot desert.

I'm a HUGE fan of Pinterest, yes I'm a pinner and I tell you there are so many brilliant ideas to be discovered.  While warming up for the big clean, I did some stretches and browsed a bit on Pinterest and found the most simple and fantabulous idea thanks to a fellow pinner.

Do you have a ceiling fan, anywhere in your house?  Yes, ok ... do you have an old pillow case?

Check!

This is the easiest way to clean your ceiling fan without making a bigger mess.

See my fan ... 

  

A few weeks ago I blogged about a small house fire at my house. Well, as a result we had the entire house cleaned by a fire restoration company. They cleaned every nook and cranny, including this fan. That was just 3 weeks ago, if you look close enough you can see that there is fur growing along the blades.

So, for this simple quick cleaning. Take that old pillow case you have and slide the pillow over each blade, as shown below.

Carefully dust each blade pulling from back to front, ensuring each part of the blade is dusted. At each dusting the dust will be collected inside the old pillow case, instead of falling on the floor, a bed, coffee table or sofa.

Goodbye my furry little friends :)

and voila!

Rain rain go away ...

I love Fall, really I do. I'm just never ready for it. It always takes me forever to get use to the instant switch of cool weather. Filing the flip flops away is like getting a bad paper cut. By the time I embrace Fall, a blizzard will be upon us.

This weekends forecast calls for rain, rain and more rain. Blaaaa. Makes you not want to leave the house. Bored out of my ghord I decided to whip something up in the kitchen. Lets see what's in the pantry ...

There's nothing I like more than pasta, shocking for a dago, I know. Of course that's the diabetics favorite, and so Belle's Bliss was born ...

Belle's Bliss

Ingredients:
Whole grain pasta
Bell peppers; chopped
Sweet onion; chopped
Chicken sausage; grilled
Basil; chiffonade
Feta or Romano cheese
S/P

*Note: I eyeball when cooking many times, so use as much or as little as you want.

Cook pasta as directed. I prefer Barilla Plus for it's whole grain and protein combo 

 

Mirepoix peppers and onions, my version of mirepoix minus the peas and carrots. Then saute in a lightly seasoned frying pan with olive oil. I literally take a piece of paper towel and season the skillet. I do not like a frying pan full of oil.

 

 

 

 

While the mirepoix sautes, grill your sausage, I like chicken or turkey varities best.  Throw the basil in towars the end of cooking as it does not take long to cook down.

 

 

 

 

Once grilled, slice into coins. 

 

 

 

 

By now saute should be done as well as your pasta, is it al dente?

 

Sprinkle with cheese. Every pasta dish should have cheese, if it doesn't something is seriously wrong with you :) I didn't have feta so I used Romano but I think feta would give much more flavor. 

 

Mangia Mangia!!

 

 

Weekend Mashup

Part of starting this blog was about doing something, trying different things, this weekend I did just that thanks to a friend who organized a GNO to celebrate her birthday.  WOW, what fun!

GNO found us starting the night out proper, with Jello shots in tow. It's sorta ironic because the birthday girl, her 3 sisters and her mom are people I've known for most of my life: one since Sunday school, another I can remember being born and their mom was my girl scout leader.  Years, and I mean years later we are gathered in another kind of circle.  

I've always appreciated those friendships that you can pick up right where you left off.  When time, and time again can pass but in that moment it's like you have all the time in the world to catch up and feel grounded to your roots.

Anyone in our presence would have thought we were out for a bachelorette party, as we ventured a little west to take a stab at Drag Queen Bingo.

 I had no idea how much fun this outing would be.  As we entered the very 50's inspired establishment, there was a lot of positive energy in the room.  Clearly everyone there came to have a good time and a good laugh.  At least our table did ...

I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to attend Drag Queen Bingo to do so. I mean it is straight up Bingo but it's so much fun.  You won't see a table of blue hairs in the corner with 10 cards in front of them. The bingo card is not like the ones I remember that required a dauber or chips,  "Do we start on white or red"? ...  and that started the good times rolling.

Yes, you're playing bingo and yes, the person hosting the event is a man dressed as a women. Whether he chooses to dress like that in the moment or always, simply doesn't bother me.  I was more intrigued by how incredibly funny this man was. He/ she goes by the name of Miss Jennifer Fox aka Mr. Joan Rivers.  If the ball he pulled, no pun intended was O69, you better have been prepared to yell out "you dirty bitc ...". I haven't laughed like that in so long.  As numbers were called and you heard, "bingo", winners would walk the plank to the stage where Mr. Rivers would razz you a tad and present you with a cup and t-shirt with some dirty saying on it, all in good fun.

Fun is not always free, but for $20 bucks you can sit with friends, have a good laugh and a portion of the proceeds go to a charity.  The only downfall, they do not serve alcohol and don't really condone you BYOA. Either way, if you're looking for something fun to do ... give this a spin.

Mr. Rivers final words were touching.  He said, "Remember, it's not who you love or how you love, just love".

... and lastly a night cap at this new place on the eastside ...

Easy Breezy Caprese

Sunday dinner with the famiglia, doesn't get much better than this.  It's funny, growing up Sunday dinner always consisted of a table full of dagos, now it's a mix of pollocks and mutts. I'll take it though, we have no problem converting these strangers to what a real dinner should taste like.

Back in the day, staples at dinner would include something breaded, bread and of course moigu, who calls it ammoglio and don't even attempt to call it salsa or you'll never be invited again. 

It's not really the food that brings it all together, it's the company.  There's something to be said about having family around. You can be having just one of those days and when family arrives, it all washes away.  I'm grateful for what I absorbed as a kid, and the appreciation for what others call "Forced Family Fun". 

Today I bring to the table, Easy Breezy Caprese.

Ingredients:

• Vine ripened Tomatoes 
• Fresh Mozzarella pronounced - mootz-a-thell 
• Fresh Basil
• Extra Virgin Olive oil 
• s/p to taste

Most people probably know how to assemble this delic dish but I'm sharing anyways cause it's my blog :) 

Wash tomatoes, seed, slice and place on cool serving piece. 

 Wash basil, and lay on paper towel to dry. Once dry, cut into ribbons with kitchen scissors.  

Begin slicing and laying mozzarella on top of each slice of tomato, followed by the ribbons of basil. 

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Mangia! 

Pass the Vino ...

Back in school, more like can we go back in time?

Back to school has always been an exciting time for everyone, whether starting 2nd grade or high school . Who couldn't wait to show off the coolest Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper or champion for who could climb the monkey bars the fastest? As a teenager, you would scope out your prospects, hoping they resurrected without braces.

Fast forward, errr ... several years and I'm 35, still thinking about crushes but thankfully the metal is long gone.  As I logged onto Facebook today, I was reminded that I am as old as I am and how many of those peers I use to race on those monkey bars are now walking their little ones into school for the first day. I've realized that is a reality for me that may never happen but then they say, "never say never". My news feed was filled with pictures of my friends kids.  I skipped on over to my sisters page, knowing she would do the same. I found a picture of my godson/ nephew looking, as my sister said "pretty fresh", he defines the word "Jackness". Then she posted a shot of my niece, Natalie and I was stunned.  When did she become old enough to be a 5th grader? I literally had to look away because I felt wells forming. She looked adorable, not because she was wearing an outfit I gifted to her <shameless coolest aunt plug> but because she's just that, adorable.  She has changed soooo much in just one year and it frightens me that time is going by way too fast. 

This is a same little girl whom I convinced to dust my bedroom for $5 and she made sure she collected. Same little girl opened her own spa in her bedroom.  She would draw the blinds, play classic music like Disney Lullabies. She would collect small bottles of bath and body works lotion from her mothers assortment and line them up for me to make my choice. Then she would give you the best hand massage (god forbid if you asked for a foot massage), I swear she had "baby magic fingers". Now she's into dip dying hair and multiple manicures a day, on herself.  Just last week she wanted to do my hair, her mother has found her holding the eye lash curler hostage. 

Recently she has become an entrepreneur. If you don't already know, duct tape crafting is all the rage. Last year she made me a small purse, you know, "it's to hold your iPod Auntie Shell". This year she is into re-designing Bic pens. So much that I bought one from her and recruited two co-workers to purchase as well.  For $2.50 you can write in style, she's so creative and makes me proud. 

As proud as I am of her, I sometimes wish she would slow her roll.  I just can't wrap my head around her changing.  I remember how geeked she would get to come over Shell and Zia Zias's to make Christmas cookies. Now she wants to know what's on my newest playlist. Oh' my li'l paczki, can we go back in time?  I think it's time for an Auntie Shell and Natalie date.  Hug the little ones in your life, I'm not a parent but I know this much! XOXO

 

Downsizing into Fall

Labor day is a day recognizing the hard work of American laborers, of all different trades. I always thought of it as a day of rest, often a sign that summer is coming to a near end. Today has been anything but rest for this lady.   

After "playing" lazy the last 2 days and starting this blog, it was time to MOVE.  Not move in the sense of leaving the place I call home but actually pry myself off the couch and away from the Lifetime network. 

I'm desperately trying to get myself back into my workout routine, and like any habit ... it takes a while to get there.  I decided it had been a couple of days since I moved so my first stop was the park for a brisk walk.  Have you ever been to George George Park on the eastside? It's an awesome park with a paved walk. 

I say brisk walk because when one says, "I went for a walk", I think others must think, "that's lame".  I'd totally be up for a nice jog but seeing as I nearly had a heart attack after running 25 yards, it's safe to say I should stick to something more moderate.  So here I am, downsizing into Fall. 

This time of year also means, Back to School. Even at 35 (though I only look 25, right) and gainfully employed, I still get excited and anxious as if I'm approaching the first day. So with all this excitement I also did some shopping, you have to buy new clothes when you go back to school ... it's become abundantly clear to me that I also have a shoe fetish. Not shocking for a women, this I know but it's not just any shoe fetish. I have an obsession with tennishoes. I have more tennishoes than any other kind, with the exception of flip flops. Is this normal?  These are my newest walking/ Zumba buddies ...

I love these little puppies, so much that I have a pair in grey/ green.  See what I mean, obsessed. Hmmm, I wonder what specials are going on over at footlocker.com , ciao ...

More about me ..

I'm often told how funny I am, it's a quality I like about myself and it's something that just comes natural. Sometimes .... actually most of the time it's completely unintentional and unplanned. I like it that way, nothing forced. 

As a result people are often telling me I should write a book because funny $hit always happens to me. Usually in the moment, it's not so funny but when I tell the story it somehow becomes funny. I wouldn't say I'm the next Judy Blume, so writing a book seems a little ambitious but I figured, hey what the hell ... I can write my thoughts in a blog instead.  You can either read it and love what I have to say or you can not read it and look away. 

Heading into Fall

This is my first post on my new blog, here goes it .... 

Enjoying a long weekend with an empty house, I decided to actually make dinner. Something that didn't consist of cheese, bread or pasta.

A week ago tells a story and the story goes ... I decided to make what I call a homemade pizza, my version.   I preheated the (new) oven (as one normally does).  Almost immediately I smelled something that smelled much like marshmallows, s'mores anyone?  I kept busy prepping what should have been a delicious combination of my favorite pizza toppings only to notice that the sweet smell of marshmallow was starting to smell like burnt toast.  I checked the oven and there was nothing alarming inside, no burning remnants of the last casualty.  Even so, I stared perplexed into the oven as to what was causing the odor.  Something told me to check the storage drawer, it was so hot to the touch, as I opened the drawer I discovered the culprit.  Inside my mother (yes, I stilllll live with my mother) stores obvious things: small bakeware, trivets, cooking utensils and potholders, please note the last item. This little SOB was on fire, not like fuego but really on fire.  I had two thoughts: 1.) douse with water or 2.) call 911, I chose the latter. Thank gawd I did, not only because the fire was put out and the damage was minor (could have been a lot worse) but also because the city sent 12 lovely man to extinguish my fire. 

Fast forward 1 week + 1 new stove, I decided to start a new relationship.  Trust me, I was terrified just preheating the new guy but let me tell you, I now have a restored faith.   

Here is a new take on a classic American dinner ... Mini Meatloaves

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. extra lean sirloin
• 1 pkg. (6oz.) Stuffing Mix - Used Sage
• 1 c of water
• 1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup of spaghetti sauce - used Vodka sauce 
• 7.5 oz. (1/2 container) Lowfat Ricotta

1. Preheat oven to 375. Mix meat, stuffing, water and seasoning until blended. Press evenly into 12 med muffin cups, sprayed with cooking spray, make an indentation in center of each cup. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine sauce and ricotta. You may need to eyeball a little more or less of either. 
3. Spoon sauce/ ricotta mixture into the centers of each cup. 
4. Bake for 30 min or until loaves are cooked through. You may also add cheese to top if desired. I cooked mine for 35 min. 

Serves 6 or more depending on what else you are serving. 

 

Voila,  mini loaves are ready for tasting. I also paired mine with mash potatoes and biscuits. I should have probably settled on a vegetable in place of the potato but, oh' well.

Bon Appetite !