Pistachio Recall

Yet another nut recall.  We are happy that pistachios are no longer a part of our lives.  If you missed the huge news story today, here is what the FDA has to say about the mess.

Budget Meal 3: Taco Night!

Taco night is a classic and for a reason! It is budget friendly, easy to prepare and can suit the needs of everyone in the family. Growing up my Mom made ground beef with taco seasoning and it still holds a place in my heart. The toppings can be anything you want. Personally, the buffet has to include SHARP cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, chopped green onions, sour cream, lettuce and sprouts! Gabe and I both have fond memories of taco nights from our youths and both agree that sprouts are a very important component. Maybe because we grew up in the 70's? Your taco shell is also a personal decision and can vary from family to family. Mom always had corn tortillas, which she pan fried slightly in oil, to order. Gabe's family always had taco shells. I also think that fresh flour tortillas are perfectly wonderful. Corn tortillas are happily, gluten free and thankfully, Ella loves them. As far as the sides go, it is completely up to you. Re fried beans, black beans, rice, carrots, jicama, and watermelon all go well with this meal. Honestly, it could be a feast if you let it. As far as the meat is concerned, the options are limitless. I have also made grilled portabello mushrooms, which are so good in tacos. Lately, the following recipe has been my favorite for our family. It is a cinch to make and you will be shocked at how good it is!

Slow Cooker Beef for Tacos

3-4 lb. chuck roast

1 envelope dry taco seasoning

1 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons white vinegar

7 0z. can diced, roasted green chilies

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 9 hours. Shred meat with a fork. Serve with pan au jus drizzled on top.

Earth Balance

Just wanted to take a second to plug a product that I am in love with. It is a butter alternative called Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread, original whipped is my favorite. I have always been an all butter girl, detesting anything margarine. But I wanted to make an attempt to be healthier and saw this at Trader Joe's. So I bought some and have been amazed at how incredibly good it is. I mean, it is really, really good. It has a bunch of soy ingredients so if you are allergic to that, it is not for you. But it is gluten free, lactose free and vegan. It makes a fantastic spread for garlic bread, as it is slightly salty. I haven't used it for baking but have used it for almost everything else. Try it!

Sugar Scrub

Ella has always had horrible eczema.  And since we have eliminated wheat and soy from her diet, it has improved, vastly.  But lately, it seems to be flaring up.  Not sure why, but I am quite concerned that this means that she is allergic to something that we do not know about.  Maybe it is simply the soap and/or laundry detergents that we use.   We do not meet with her allergist for another couple of months, so I am slowly trying to figure out what could be irritating her so much.  As I was laying in bed last night, it occurred to me that she might benefit from a little good-old-fashioned exfoliation.  So I went online, as every good, modern mother does to find an acceptable sugar scrub that I could make.  My husband asked me, with much practicality, "Why not just use one of those many scrubs that are already in the bathroom?"  Most of the scrubs that I use have lots of things that I am almost certain would reek all kinds of havoc for Ella's skin, so the only way for me to control things is to make it myself.  And make it I did.  The end result was a bit of a hybrid between many different recipes.  I first tested the oils on her skin to make sure that they did not hurt her.  Once I knew they were okay, I was ready to roll.  Here is what I came up with...

Sugar Cookie Sugar Scrub

1/3 cup white, granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable glycerin 

2 tablespoons jojoba oil

dash of vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in a bowl or jar until well combined.  If the consistency is too thick, you can slowly add more jojoba oil, a teaspoon at a time.  Apply the sugar paste to the skin in the desired areas.  Gently rub in a circular motion massaging the skin.  Leave on for 3-5 minutes.  Rinse with warm water and enjoy baby soft skin!

We had a fun adventure of "Ella's Evening at Burke-Williams" pretending we were at one of LA's famed day spas.  She seemed to LOVE the special pampering.  And her skin really does feel super soft.

In the research that I did, a few sites suggested using baby oil which is actually quite horrible for the skin.  It clogs pores and is a very bad idea for those with eczema.  Other oils were possibilities, like avocado oil or adding aloe vera.   The recipe I decide upon was the simplest and had the purest ingredients.  If you wanted to individualize it, you could add any essential oil that you desire.  But not more than a drop or two.  Store any left overs in a tightly sealed jar and keep it in the bathroom for easy access.  Just use the contents within a week or two.

Budget Meal 2: Breakfast for Dinner

This may seem like a bit of a cop out, but really it is not! Kids and adults all seem to like this unusually timed meal. Often, when I am feeling less than inspired, this is my go-to meal. It is the perfect time to serve up a variety of allergen free options, customized to suit everyone in the family's needs. The best part is that is all very budget friendly.

Strawberries are starting to hit the market in droves and the prices are very affordable. Surprisingly, Costco often offers locally grown produce at crazy cheap prices. Earlier this week I scored a 4 pound crate of enormous and delicious strawberries. So when I decided on this particular meal I wanted to incorporate them somehow.

The meal that I served was wheat-free waffles with strawberries, vanilla yogurt, bacon and bananas. It is up to you to decide what type of waffle to use. I happened to make mine from scratch and cooked them with my waffle iron. But you could also get yours frozen or you can make pancakes, in which case, they sky is the limit. Bacon is a must with any breakfast meal at our house, so that was a no brainer. I also had a huge tub of vanilla yogurt that paired well with the textures of the strawberries and waffles. (Each person had a different way of eating this meal. Milo dipped his waffle in the yogurt, while Ella had hers on the side, and I ate mine with the yogurt and strawberries drizzled over the top of the waffles.) And since Milo is busy learning how to say "Na Na!" I also sliced up some of those for him.

Since many of you who read this blog are not necessarily on a wheat/gluten-free diet, and because I always feel weird about posting a published author's recipe, I will leave it up to you to come up with your own means of obtaining waffles. Or pancakes. Or crepes. Or whatever. I will give you my method for macerating strawberries, a technique that I learned while working at an ice cream parlor in college.

Macerated Strawberries

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2-4 tablespoons sugar (to desired level of sweetness)

Place the berries in a bowl. Sprinkle sugar on top. Let sit, at room temperature 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes, a sugary syrup will start to appear. The more it sits, the more syrup you will see. Serve over waffles, crepes, scones, pancakes, shortcake or ice cream. My personal opinion is that this concoction is best eaten within 24 hours, otherwise it starts to taste a bit alcoholic (not a good thing). But it is easy enough to do, that if you are like me, you will make this frequently throughout the late spring and summer. Enjoy!

Budget Meal 2

Waffles with macerated strawberries

Vanilla Yogurt

Bacon

Eggs?

Potatoes?

Really, the sky is the limit and completely up to you!

Wheat-Free Black & White Cheesecake Squares

I saw this recipe in this month's MS Living and decided to adapt it so that it could be wheat and gluten free. Since I had a bag of GF brownie mix from Trader Joe's in my pantry, I thought I would try and use it. The results were even better than anticipated. Ella went crazy. I also garnished the plate with strawberries which accented the dessert perfectly. Follow the above link if you would like to make the original recipe. Here is what I did...

Black & White Cheesecake Squares

1 batch of gluten/wheat free brownies

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix according to package instructions (or make your favorite recipe from scratch). Fold in chocolate chips. Spray a 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray. Reserve a cup of the prepared mix and place in the refrigerator. Spread the rest of the batter in the bottom of the dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until the base is set and the edges start to puff. Remove from oven and cool dish on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut into squares. Squares will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Martha Stewart Living

As an eternal fan of Martha, you can imagine how happily surprised I was to open this month's Living magazine to find an article on Gluten-free eating. There are several recipes, many use or contain nuts, but one of them looks really good and I am going to try it in the next few days. If you are interested but do not get the magazine, here is the article that appears in the magazine, containing links to the recipes.