Ahhh, the coziness!  In these parts, a snow day is a special day, which is probably why seeing pristine white all over everything warms my soul into making a day full of memories.

Before the boys even woke up, I was in the kitchen beginning the celebration with a favorite breakfast…PANCAKES!

I have finally found a pancake mix, along with a little trick, that turns out as fluffy and as yummy as we all expect!

Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix makes delicious pancakes!  I follow the recipe (quadrupling it, of course, so I can have some left to put in the freezer for later), but add one little trick.  Using buttermilk (or use milk, but add a tablespoon of vinegar that you let sit in the milk for 5 minutes) creates an even lighter and fluffier feel to pancakes.  Having the mix makes it so easy to flip these out quickly, which is priceless for me as I see the sleepy-eyed sweetie pies trudging into the kitchen and then bursting into smiles!

Now, off to the snow!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Easily-Gluten-Free/159887247390385

Until now, I have always used a can of soup from “Health Valley” in recipes, but at over $2 a can, it was not an economical option, just a necessary one.  Eating gluten-free means that we get used to paying quadruple for some substitutions.  With this homemade version though, we now have an option that is cheaper and healthier than normal “cream of…” soups, which are filled with chemicals and preservatives.  This recipe calls for just 6 ingredients, almost all of which will always be on hand.

Cream of Chicken Soup:

1 C. milk

2T. cornstarch

1 1/2 T. butter

1t. chicken bouillon (can use “Better than Bouillon” or 1 cube of the dry stuff)

1/2 t. salt

dash of pepper

Whisk milk and cornstarch until blended.  Stir in butter, bouillon, salt and pepper.  Heat until boiling slightly, stirring continuously.  Reduce heat and then stir until thickened.

I use this recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini, King Ranch Chicken, Tator Tot Casserole,  Tuna Noodle Casserole, and as a white sauce for pasta.  Enjoy!

Using a Blendtec blender or a food processor, you can mix up homeade Larabars in no time, and they only have 4 whole food ingredients.  I mixed it all up, spread it into a baking dish, cut them into bars, and wrapped them up individually to store in my fridge.

Here’s the recipe, which makes about 8 bars, depending on how you cut them:

1/2 C pitted dates

1/2 C dried cherries

2/3 C. peanuts (or almonds for peanut-free)

1/4 t. cinnamon

Mix together until it forms a paste, press into a baking dish, then cut into bars.

I used this recipe from wholfoodsmarket.com, substituting more celery instead of carrots, and using a full 4 cups of broth to make the stuffing more moist.  I made it the night before, so that the broth would fully soak into the bread, but you can make it right before baking too.  I increased the baking time to about 45 minutes to give the broth time to cook into the bread.  If you cannot get the pre-made cubes, just make a loaf of gluten-free bread, then cube and toast it.   

Here are the links to the recipes:

Dreamy Apple Pie

Cream Sauce

I am so excited to have found our solution.  Whole-grain Gluten Free Flatbread!!!

I make it using soaked whole grains that I buy in bulk and grind up in my high-powered blender.  I add all the other ingredients right to the blender, pour it in a jelly roll pan, and have flatbread in 15 minutes.  All the nutrition is there at minimal cost, and the result is fabulous!  We use this flatbread for sandwiches, toast, and even mini-pizzas.

I bought my Blendtec blender just to make this flatbread, and it has been well worth the investment!  I use it everyday  (434 times in 8 months!) for so many things: flatbread, smoothies, soups, salsa, snow cones, ice cream, frozen margaritas, frappuchinos, salad dressings, and much more!

I’m not sure if a regular blender could handle grinding the grains for the flatbread, so I have to give a plug for the Blendtec.  You might gasp at the initial price, but it has become my favorite kitchen appliance.  If I had to choose only one, this would be it.

And, now…here is the recipe:

4 C. soaked grains (choose from lentils, millet, quinoa, garbanzo beans, almonds, amaranth, or buckwheat) (i use about 1 C lentils: 1 C. millet : 1/2 C. almonds: 1/2 C. garbanzo beans) (quinoa is very nutritious, but has a distinct flavor which my kids will not eat)

(soak the grains overnight at room temperature.  rinse them well.  drain completely.)

(read this article on soaked grains for more info)

2 eggs

1/4 C. oil

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. salt

2 t. guar gun or xanthan gun

1/2 C. warm water

1 T. yeast *

2 T. sugar

Add yeast and sugar to water and let it activate until bubbly.  Put grains, eggs, oil, vinegar, and salt in blender.  Blend until grains are fully ground up.  Add guar gum and water mixture.  Blend until smooth.  Pout into well oiled jelly roll pan.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  Cool and cut into squares.  You can store at room temp or in fridge, and it will last several days.

*I have made this same recipe with no yeast, and it works fine.  Since it doesn’t seem needed, and since I like my flatbread flatter anyway, I now skip the yeast, which make the preparation even quicker.

(Click photo to enlarge)

My monthly meal plan has been a lifesaver for this busy season of life!!

I chose my 30 easiest, most inexpensive, kid-friendly meals and put them into daily categories.  Saturday night is breakfast night.  Sunday is leftover night.  Monday – chicken, Tuesday – vegetarian, Wednesday – beef, Thursday – pork, Friday – kid food.  Once I have gone through all the meals, I start right back over for the next month.

My kids love knowing what’s for dinner, but not as much as I do!  You will not hear any scrambling from my kitchen at 5:00 any longer.  I also do not need to pull any meal creativity out of my brain.  I still have flexibility to try something new and change up a night, but only if I want to!  And, do you know how much I love that blank space on Sundays, giving me permission to tell my family to be creative on their own?

I have tried many different meal planning strategies.  Right now, this one works beautifully for me.  I hope you find it helpful too!

Most of these meals are already presented on this site.  I will list them and make note of where you can find them or give a few directions when needed.

Monday – Chicken Tettrazini (meal plan 3)

Tuesday – Potato Skins (meal plan 1)

Wednesday – Meatballs (meal plan 1)

Thursday – Pork Tacos (meal plan 1)

Friday – Pizza (my favorite crust is Bob’s Red Mill)

Saturday – Pancakes and Bacon (Pamela’s mix is my favorite)

Monday – Chicken Tacos Verdes (dinners)

Tuesday – Huevos Rancheros (meal plan 3)

Wednesday – Beef Stroganoff (meal plan 4)

Thursday – Sausage Skillet (meal plan 1)

Friday – Chicken Taquitos (in freezer section by DeliMex)

Saturday – French Toast and breakfast links

Monday – King Ranch Chicken (mix 2 C. cooked chicken, a can of Rotel, and a can of Health Valley Cream of Chicken soup.  Layer corn tortillas and chicken mixture.  Top with crushed tortilla chips or Spicy Nacho Doritos and then cheddar cheese.  Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes until bubbly)

Tuesday – Breakfast Burritos (meal plan 2)

Wednesday – Enchiladas Rojas (Layer corn tortillas, taco meat, pinto beans, and red enchilada sauce.  Top with chopped onions and cheddar cheese.  Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.)

Thursday – Spaghetti (dinners)

Friday – Tuna Casserole (dinners)

Saturday – Waffles and Sausage (use pancake mix above in waffle maker)

Monday –  Chicken Parmesan (meal plan 1)

Tuesday – Frito Salad (summer) (dinners 3) or Taco Soup (winter) (meal plan 3)

Wednesday – Tater Tot Casserole (mix 1 pound cooked ground beef with a can of Health Valley Cream of Mushroom soup, plus salt pepper and garlic powder to taste.  Put in casserole dish.  Press Ore Ida Tater Tots into to entire surface of the top.  Bake according to tater tot directions.)

Thursday – Pesto Pasta (meal plan 3)

Friday – Corn dog Muffins (meal plan 4) or Hot Dogs

Saturday – Breakfast Casserole (breakfasts)

Monday – Broccoli Rice Chicken (dinners)

Tuesday – Mexican Lasagna (same as enchiladas, but omit meat and add corn)

Wednesday – Tuna Casserole (dinners)

Thursday – Pork Chops (meal plan 2)

Friday – Tacos (meal plan 4)

Saturday – Omelets with Ham

The recipe is from allrecipes.

The mix is expensive and sparse though.  There is only enough to make 10 biscuits, plus about 3/4 C. left over.  I will use that to make the Chicken Finger recipe on the box.  Given the price of the mix, I’m not sure this will be a common purchase for us, but it is really good to have it as an option.

The same morning, I also tried a homemade drop biscuit mix from Betty Hagman’s book, The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy, just to compare the two.

Here’s how those turned out:

I’m sure there was some user error on my part, but it did emphasize the convenience of having a boxed mix on hand for baking success.  I’m not afraid to keep it real in the kitchen, but these were quite the failure.  I ended up toasting them and then using them for mini pizzas for lunch.

Click HERE to find more information on the Betty Crocker Mix, including where to purchase near you.  Hope you enjoy it!