Summertime and the chili's simmering..

I am fully aware that there is still technically well over a month of summer left. The central air is on, the hydrangeas are (finally) starting to bloom, and we have a freezer full of italian ice. However, I made chili twice in the past week and there is not a leftover in sight.

Chili is a big hit in our house and I'm proud to say that the reason is not because I don't know how to cook anything else, although it used to be. We have both been itching for the first signs of fall and this was it. If you could see the look on Jeff's face when I tell him that I'm making chili, you would know that all is right in the world.

I usually make it on the stovetop but since I've fallen in love with my Crockpot (and stopped being afraid to leave it on while I wasn't home) I've discovered a whole new world. This the easiest recipe to begin with but when you throw the Crock in the mix, it's not even fair. I know that I'm a bit late to the party but I'm not sure how I lived so long without owning one of these badboys. My dear Crock was inherited from my future mother in law and I'm hoping we'll get another when we get married because there's no telling what I could do with two Crockpots going on the counter. I digress..

Before Jeff was diagnosed with Celiac, I used the chili seasoning packet from Ortega or McCormick. Since this was pre-diagnosis, I wasn't checking labels but after buying a life time supply at BJ's, I realized that one of the first ingredients was wheat. On a quest to bring normalcy back to our kitchen, I decided to make my own seasoning. WHAT. A. DIFFERENCE. Jeff said that my chili is not only my best meal but his all-time favorite meal. This is a great compliment, even from a man who will eat anything you put in front of him without coming up for air.

Chili Seasoning

Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:

4 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. crushed red pepper or 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. white sugar
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Mix all seasonings well. Add 2 tbsp. for every pound of ground meat.

This will make enough for two batches, but double, triple, as necessary. I make a huge batch and put it in a jar so that I can just scoop out what I need. I also tweak the salt and sugar when I'm making larger batches. I just dip my finger in the seasoning to see if it is too sweet or salty and modify as necessary.

Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
16 oz. can tomato sauce (plain)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 medium sized tomato, chopped
16 oz. can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup salsa
Frank's Red Hot sauce (optional)

1. Brown turkey on stovetop until fully cooked and drain the fat.

2. Move the turkey to a large pot on stovetop or the crock pot. Add canned tomatoes, kidney beans, salsa, onion, tomato, and seasoning. Stir well.

3. Simmer on low for at least 30 minutes on stovetop or 4-5 hours in Crock pot. Add Frank's Red Hot to taste after it has simmered a bit. Too much too soon and it will be really spicy!

To make this kid-friendly, adjust the spices.

GF (or not) Strawberry Shortcake

GF date night was a major success. Good thing, too, because I saw Jeff for a total of 4 minutes yesterday, and I'm pretty sure 2 of those, he was already sleeping. Our meal was scrumptious and the strawberry shortcake was a welcome dessert on the 90+ degree evening we decided to eat outside.

On to dessert! I am not sure how I ever lived this long without trying this recipe. I have seen it on the back of the Bisquick box FOREVER and I always just went on my way, enjoying pancakes. Well, when my friend Jodi from Littlest Learners & The Clutter-free Classroom posted her one & only recipe, I was in. Jodi posts about all things teaching related so if she was posting a recipe, it had to be good. And it was. She pointed out that she made a mistake with the amount of sugar that she used and turned out with a delicious shortcake, so I decided to repeat and make the same mistake.
So. stinkin. good.

You can get the recipe on the back of the Bisquick box and depending on which kind you get will give you either the original or gluten-free recipe. I kind of blended the two recipes because that's how I roll in my GF kitchen. I'm also going to post mine with the mixed up amounts of sugar because it was way good. If you're not into that, flip the sugars back or follow what's on the box.

Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake (6 servings)

Adapted from the back of the Gluten-Free Bisquick box

Ingredients:

4 cups strawberries (1 qt), sliced
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. sugar
2 1/3 cups Bisquick Gluten Free mix (whole box - these are small!)
3 tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
whipped cream

1. Mix strawberries and 3 tbsp. sugar, set aside.
Sidenote: I used less strawberries because it was just the two of us, so the 3 tbsp. was perfect and made the strawberries SO juicy and delicious.

2. Heat oven to 425* and grease a cookie sheet.

3. Combine Bisquick mix, 1/2 cup of sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla in a stand mixer or by hand, until dough is sticky but not too firm.

4. Drop by 6 spoonfuls on the cookie sheet.

5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on cooling rack.

6. Split the shortcakes with a knife and fill with whipped cream and strawberries. Top with whipped cream and strawberries for extra deliciousness.

Life of a Baseball Wife & a GF Date Night

In college, we had a little group called the Baseball Wifeys Club. It was made up of all of the girls who dated the baseball players and it was serious. Four years later, there are only three standing members and we pretty much rock.

The biggest perk of being a baseball wifey was that I always had other wifeys to keep me company. Actually, the biggest perk was when Jeff played professionally for the Toronto Blue Jays organization and I was able to fly to Florida to watch him play and dream of our townhouse overlooking Fenway Park.

We never did get the townhouse but it was a wonderful experience.

I still enjoy being a baseball wifey, I mean, have you ever seen a cuter baseball bum?

I didn't think so.

Jeff now coaches the local legion team and he LOVES it. I love that he gets to do what he's passionate about but the time commitment really stinks. The season is pretty short, but I never get to see him! I should probably go to more of the games but it's hard because the players are in high school, so I don't know anyone, and no one lives around here to go to the games with. So instead, I complain about how much time I lose with him. Although, it is MUCH better now that we live together. Still, I can count on one hand the number of times we've had dinner together since baseball started. This week, he is gone every single night except for tonight. Last night, he didn't get home until 11 and I'm thinking the rest of the week will follow the same trend since he has away games all week. Being home alone would probably have its perks if I wasn't alone all day long now that my break has started. I miss my bff.

To celebrate his one night home and because I'm awesome, I have a great dinner planned for him. Considering last night, he had a leftover piece of cold chicken at 11pm, it's the least I can do.

Here's what's on the menu:

Turkey burgers with cheese, peppers, and onions; his will be on a gluten-free bun. Heaven. They taste like sausage and if that isn't heaven, I don't know what is.

Alexia sweet potato fries with brown sugar. Good golly, Miss Molly!

Grilled summer squash and zucchini. Yum!

Mike's Hard Cranberry Lite Lemonade, because I just found out that it's gluten-free! And Jillian Michaels may bust through the TV screen and body slam me if she knew I was having a high-cal bevy during the 30-Day Shred.

For dessert? Gluten-free Strawberry Shortcake with fresh, organic strawberries. Those make it healthy, right? I CANNOT WAIT.

The dessert recipe and an update on it's delicious-ness to follow, with pictures!

Seriously, is there anything better than being a stay-at-home fiance?? I cannot wait until the day I can be a Real Housewife, for real, and whip up these gourmet dinners every night. Hah!

Show us your life: Appetizers

It's been a busy week with a wedding, a prom, a graduation, and wedding planning! Needless to say, grocery shopping didn't happen until Thursday and cooking has fallen to the wayside. So I'm SO excited to link up with Kelly for Show us your life: Appetizers.

I love everything about appetizers. I love just nibbling a bit here and there, especially if there's cheese involved. Every time I go to a party, I almost always bring an app. It saddens me if there is any left over and wasted at a party, so when there are going to be lots of apps, I save a fourth or a half for home. I always say that I will freeze half of that for later, but they never last that long.

My all time favorite, and fan favorite, is Buffalo Chicken Dip. It is so easy and to die for. I can't even remember where I got the original recipe, but I have changed it so many times that what I'm making now is entirely mine, and entirely delicious. The best part is that this is naturally gluten free! Always check your labels, though.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
Frank's Red Hot sauce
1 stick of butter
8 oz. cream cheese (1/3 reduced fat or regular)
2 cups monterey jack or mozzerella cheese
9 inch baking dish or pie dish

1. Boil the chicken breasts about 20 minutes, until fully cooked.

2. Melt butter in the microwave and set aside. Take cream cheese out of the fridge to soften. Preheat oven to 350* when chicken is done.

3. Shred the chicken in a food processor or with a fork, which was how we used to do it before the discovery of the Magic Bullet!

4. Pour melted butter over the shredded chicken and mix with as much Frank's Red Hot Sauce as your heart desires.

5. Spread all of the cream cheese on the bottom of the dish.

6. Pour chicken mixture over the cream cheese.

7. Top with 2 cups of cheese.

8. Bake uncovered at 350* for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

9. Devour it. Serve with tortilla chips and share with others.

If you want to make half and save half, like we usually do, use half of the cream cheese and half of the mixture, we keep the amount of cheese the same. You can make this lighter by using reduced fat cream cheese, I just would not recommend using the fat-free. I've found that you lose a lot of the flavor because the cream cheese isn't mixed with anything so you will taste it. Also, reduced fat cheese for the top can be used. I'm sure you can eliminate the butter or cut it in half but we love the buttah!

And because I couldn't just pick one, my other favorite is Spinach Artichoke Dip. This is my second most-requested dip and is usually the one that the girls stick to once the boys have inhaled the buf chic dip. Maybe it's healthier ;) This recipe has also been changed and tried so many times that the recipe is now my original. This recipe can be gluten free, if you use regular spinach instead of the creamed. Unless you can find creamed spinach somewhere that is gluten free, in which case BRING ME SOME! No seriously, CONTACT ME! If it's creamy, cheesy, or buttery, I'm all over it. That doesn't sound good, but it's the truth. I always use low-fat in dips unless you can taste the difference.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

2 packages of frozen, creamed spinach (regular spinach for gluten free)
1 package frozen artichoke hearts, or canned
1/2 cup mayo (light)
1/2 cup sour cream (fat free)
1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus some to sprinkle on top
2-3 cloves of minced garlic
9 inch baking dish or pie dish

Preheat oven to 350*

1. Defrost the spinach and artichokes in the microwave.

2. Chop the artichoke hearts into bite-sized pieces.

3. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Pour desired amount or all of dip into dish and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.

5. Bake uncovered at 350* for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

6. Serve with tortilla chips or bread. If you want to be super fancy, you can even serve it in a sourdough bread bowl.

Besides being an absolute treat to the taste buds, both of these dips can be made in any type of oven safe baking dish, depending on how much of the dip you use. They can be made in advance and covered in the fridge for a couple of days. And they freeze well, if you have better self-control than I do.

(I'm not sure where the pics are that I have taken of these recipes in the past, so I used Google images and came up with one from www.cabotcheese.coop and www.slashfood.com)

Perfect Party Cookies, hold the gluten.

Something that you should know about me is that I am a carb-lover. I love all things pasta, pizza, cookies, bread, pancakes, you name it. If it's made with flour, I'm all over it. Something else that you should know is that my fiance was recently diagnosed with a gluten-allergy. These two things don't mix. When I finished crying on the floor clearing out my kitchen of all gluten, I was sure that life as I knew it, was over. I have always loved to cook and consider myself to be pretty good at it and I was having a great time trying out all kinds of new recipes when we moved into our new house. What I didn't know how to do, was cook without gluten.

To have a gluten intolerance means that you cannot have any wheat products. I only had to read one article to know that we were not just looking for "wheat" on the label. Barley, rye, oats, spelt, and modified food starch are only a few examples of ingredients to avoid. It was a bit daunting. The first week that we went gluten-free, we had grilled chicken, baked potatoes, and vegetables every single night for dinner. I was left feeling defeated and craving pasta. So I did my research, restocked my kitchen, and began cooking again.

Trial and error proved to be expensive but worth it. We figured out some brands that were so good that you couldn't tell the difference from the original and some that were so bad that you couldn't tell the difference from cardboard. I made lasagna, chicken parm, buttermilk pancakes, chocolate chip cookies, corn bread, and life was good again.

I became obsessed with turning "regular" recipes into gluten-free recipes. I was out to prove to the world that we could eat whatever we wanted and it was going to be better than the original recipe. I spend a lot of time reading food blogs and one of my favorites is Stephanie Cooks. It was Stephanie's Original Perfect Party cookies that I tried four times before I perfected them as gluten-free. I have never even tried them in their original form but I am confident that the cookies are just as good without gluten. How can you go wrong with cake batter, chocolate chips, and sprinkles?

The first time I made them, they looked like this:

Or at least that's what they looked like when Jeff scraped off a couple of "cookies". I think they were a flop for a couple of reasons.. I did not add any xanthan gum, which is a key ingredient in gluten-free baking. Gluten gives most baked goods their elasticity, and xanthan gum mocks that. I also did not let the dough chill for very long. I believe those two things are what caused them to spread out all over the tray and then burn because they came out so thin. We can't let a cookie go to waste in this house, so Jeff scraped everything off, packed it in a tupperware, and ate the whole batch within two days. That's what motivated me to keep trying. I figured if they were good with some major baking mistakes and without gluten, we have ourselves a winner.

After some tweaks in the process and products, I ended up with this:

Everything about this cookie is good. Whether you try this one or Stephanie's Original, you have to bake these. I have not tried one of her recipes that I haven't liked and I guarantee you these will be gone before they cool, which is obviously the best time to eat any type of chocolate chip cookie.

Perfect (Gluten-free) Party Cookies

Adapted from: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of brown rice flour
1/2 cup of sorghum flour
1 cup yellow gluten-free cake mix (I use Betty Crocker)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 cup butter, melted, and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla (McCormick's is gluten-free)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
4 tbsp. colored sprinkles

1. Sift together the flours, cake mix, baking soda, and xanthan gum, in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Mix together the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, in a stand-mixer or by hand.

3. Add the dry combo to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

4. Add the chocolate chips and sprinkles.

5. Put the dough in the fridge to chill for up to a day, or at least 30 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350.

7. Once the dough has chilled, scoop dough onto a well-greased cookie sheet. (I've had to really grease the sheet for the gluten-free version.) Keep the dough cool until it goes into the oven.

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown.

9. Let cookies cool on sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. (Or eat immediately off of the cookie sheet as we do.)