Blogging Back with a Bang! Whole 30 here we GOOOOO

Hello Freakin Gluten Free!

Wow, to say I’ve taken a sabbatical from blogging would be an understatement!  I’ve definitely gotten out of to groove and kept thinking “I should start blogging again”, so here we go!

I’m on day 3 of my Whole 30 cleanse and feeling great!  A couple of friends are doing it with me this time around, so I’ve shared this weeks dinner menu to help them out.  Below are the simple, healthy meals I’ve been making.

Comment on what sounds good to you and I’ll post a more detailed recipe!

Monday:

Tri Tip

Broccoli (roasted at 425 for 20 minutes-toss with olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper)

Sweet potato fries (roasted at 425 for 20 minutes-toss with olive oil, red pepper, salt, and cinnamon)

Tuesday:

Crock pot chicken

Steamed butternut squash (I buy the already cut from Trader Joes), sautéed with broccoli, onion, peas, and sundried tomatoes.  After cooked mixed in chicken and add any spices you want (I do garlic, oregano, red pepper)

Wednesday:

Mahi Mahi with mango salsa (I use Trader Joes)

Butternut squash/sweet potato mash (Steam both and mix together in food processer and add butter, salt, pepper, garlic)

Salad (dress with balsamic and olive oil)

Thursday:

Chicken (BBQ-marinade with lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper)

Asparagus (cooked just like the broccoli)

Roasted red potatoes (these are now allowed on the whole 30, but only have once a week)

Friday:

Turkey tacos in lettuce wraps

Ground turkey with bell peppers, zucchini, and onions

Use lettuce at “taco” and add salsa and avocado on top.

Blueberry Banana Bread

To kick off this long holiday weekend I make Blueberry Banana Bread.  This bread was inspired by the large quality of bananas on our counter that are the perfect amount of brown for baking.  The bread is easy to make, delicious, and healthy!  It’s paleo style-made with almond flour and honey.  It is GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE!

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

1 1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup honey

3 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Put all the dry ingredients in food processor or mixing bowl.  Add in the wet ingredients and mix.  After everything is smoothly mixed, fold in the blueberries and nuts.  Line a bread pan with parchment paper and evenly pour in batter.  Sprinkle a little more cinnamon and nutmeg on top.   Bake for 40 minutes.  Eat as is, or serve with a little butter and honey on top.  Enjoy!

Happy Fourth of July!

 

Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookies

If the cute, bubbly, smiling girl with a red wagon in tow full of thin mints and short bread cookies,  in her green or brown sash, hasn’t made it to your doorstep yet, you’ll see Girl Scout Cookies hit the shelves on Friday.  This year, they announced that they’ll be selling a gluten free chocolate chip shortbread cookie in 20 test locations around the country.  Girl Scout’s started baking a gluten-free option because so many girls with Celiac disease requested something sweet they, too, could enjoy.  Click here to read more about the decision and to find out if you’re one of the lucky ones who lives in a gluten-free region!

Have you tried a GF Girl Scout cookie??  Please comment below and let us know how it taste!

Chocolate is for Lovers

Happy New Year friends!  Is it to late in the month to say that?!  I hope January is treating you well and you’re somewhere warmer than I am here in Boston.  The highlight of our negative degree temperatures today is that a colleague brought back some See’s Candy from her west coast trip.  I immediately googled “Is See’s candy gluten free” and learned that IT IS!  Accorded to the FAQ page on See’s website, all there candy is gluten free! This is great news, as Valentines Day is just around the corner!  Gentlemen, go by that someone special some chocolate! 🙂

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Menu

I’m anxiously awaiting Thursday afternoon, at 2pm, to be exact, when I will indulge in a delicious gluten free Thanksgiving with friends.  We are hosting this year and I challenged all our guests to make their dish gluten-free!

I plan to start the morning off with a nice treat by making my Flaxseed Pumpkin Muffins.

When guests arrive I’ll have Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup hot on the stove for them to enjoy while we mingle and wait for the turkey.  After we all have a glass of wine in hand and the bird is carved, we’ll have the following gluten-free dishes on the table:

I’ll be making the turkey.  It is only my second time, so I’m a little nervous!  I have celery, carrots, onions, and garlic to stuff the turkey with.  I’ll baste it with butter, garlic salt, and pepper, then throw it in the the turkey bag in the oven! I did this last year and it turned out pretty well.  If you have any other suggestions, let me know! 🙂

For the vegetables, we’ll have my favorite Apple and Goat Cheese salad.  It’s easy to make and doesn’t take much time! We’ll also have  gluten free green bean casserole, which is always a nice treat and something I normally wouldn’t take the time to make. Another delicious vegetable I’d suggest is my Touchdown Brussels Sprouts.  The more vegetables you eat, the more pie you can have, right?!

Our friends are bringing over gluten free cornbread stuffing.  I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought it looked amazing, so I’m hoping this is what they are bringing.  🙂

The mashed potatoes are easy, but if you want to be healthy, I suggest my favorite mashed-cauliflower potatoes.  Your guest won’t even know they are eating veggies.  If you want to be Paleo, sub the russet potatoes for sweet potatoes.

Another friend joining us on Thursday is also allergic to gluten (I love when that happens!). She is bringing gluten-free apple pie and gluten-free pumpkin bars to top off our full tummies and day of thanks with one another!

What are you making for Thanksgiving?  Share your recipes below!

I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving!