Turkey/Chicken Pot Pie, Gluten/Dairy Free

What do you do with all that left over turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas?? 

TURKEY POT PIE!!! HECK YESSS!!

So, many of you know I am a huge fan of Namaste Foods Brand mixes. I used their "Biscuits, Piecrust and More" blend to make my crusts (top and bottom cuz I LOVE me some crust!). 

 I started out by sautéeing some onions, bell peppers, and celery, I seasoned with sea salt and Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash.

added about a cup to a cup and a half of cut up/cubed turkey ( I just eyeballed it to see what I thought would fit in the pie plate) warmed that a bit,

added about a cup of water and let that come to a soft boil (this makes it broth-y) If you can have chicken broth you can use that instead,

then added a little bit (probably about 3-6 tablespoons) of the Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend and stirred it up to make the gravy

I kept that on low while I was finishing up the pie crust (which I was making while everything else was cooking during the above steps), 

put the bottom layer of crust in, poured in the turkey mixture, put some green beans that were leftovers from the day before on top, and put the second crust over it and pinched it closed. 

Baked at 400 for about 15 mins til the crust was golden. 

VIOLA! Delicious, crowd pleasing Turkey Pot Pie!!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy

So, when it comes to cooking to accomodate my diet, I pretty much make it up as I go along. Hence the following being approximations. I am a "taste it as I cook it" kind of person.

I've been harboring some chicken fried steak meat in my freezer for a while and finally decided to make another go at gluten free chicken fried steaks, not that the first attempt was a bad one, but there is always room for improvement.

So, first, I mixed an egg and about 1/4 cup of almond milk in a bowl and in another, I mixed about 1/4 cup to 1/2 a cup of Namaste Perfect Flour Blend with fresh ground salt, fresh ground pepper, and about 1/2 a teaspoon of Mrs. Dash Table Blend.  I do use organic butter, but that is the only dairy I am allowed.

I melted about a tablespoon of butter and some coconut oil in the frying pan. Then I coated the meat first in the flour blend on both sides, then the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture again. The heat was on medium-medium high then I turned it down to low a little at a time as the crust browned so that the meat could cook with out burning the crust. While my meat was cooking, I made my gravy.

I started with about a tablespoon of butter in a medium sauce pan, then whisked in about 2 TBS of Namaste PFB and salt and pepper. I slowly added almond milk, a little at a time, whisking it ao that the clumps became smooth. I used about a cup to a cup and a half of almond milk, whisking it over medium heat. I use about 1/4 tsp of baking soda to give it that country gravy taste. Always use a whisk, not a spoon when making gravy. Just salt and pepper to taste and remember that gravy thickens as it cools so its ok if its a LITTLE on the runny side as it will thicken. 

When your meat is done, put it ob the plate and smoother with gravy for complete, Texan YUMMINESS!

Gluten Free/Sugar Free Blueberry Muffins

Ok, so I don't get many treats and just recently found out that I can have certain berries as long as they are super fresh. So what do I do? Get flash frozen blueberries!
Due to my many restrictions, there are gluten free products that I can't have because they have sugar, corn starch, potato starch, or something else I can't have. But I have new faithful friend in Namaste Foods. They have a sugar free muffin mix, which admittedly isn't all that great on its own, but when I follow the directions on the package and add about a cup of blueberries, 30-40 drops of liquid stevia, and 1/4 a cup of unsweetened coconut flakes, I came up with a yummy, tart, treat! Sometimes I'll add dark baking cocoa and 1/4 cup of trivia instead of the fruit and those give me my chocolate fix.
So, there ya have it ladies and gents, my easy, peasy recipe! 

RAVES!!

First off, I would like to congratulate myself on finding a new coupon code site. http://www.oohey.com, I just got 20% off my BOGO sale shoes at Payless! WHAT WHAT!! *raise the roof* LoL

Second off, more raving on myself, I just decided to start back into Mary Kay Cosmetics. I love Mary Kay products and have been using them for years, I just decided that, in order to get some extra cash flow, I need to start selling it again! I am STOKED! Please, call me for a facial! ;o) Just message me and I'll get you my number.

Thirdsies, I have got a new recipe for YUMMY Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup.

What you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 chicken breasts (I buy the package of frozen breasts from H-E-B)

1 can of Rotel mild **
1 can black beans**
1 cup of rice (I use brown rice because white rice is too starchy and feeds my candida)
about 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning (I use Fiesta brand, made in San Antonio, TX)
about a teaspoon of comino (also Fiesta brand)
salt to taste (I use sea salt)
water (or chicken broth if you can have the yeast and sugar in it)
CROCK POT
**I have since discovered that I am not allowed to eat things from cans, but jarred foods are ok, so I precook my own beans and use a mild salsa that does NOT contain distilled or white vinegar as this is not allowed on candida diet either.)

Directions
 pour the olive oil in the pot and coat the bottom, add the chicken, rotel, beans, and rice. fill the pot about 3 quarters full of the water and add the seasonings. You could add bell peppers and onions if you want that extra splash of flavor. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, you'll know it's done when the rice is fully cooked and the chicken shreds easily. NOTE: You may need to periodically add water so it doesn't get stew-y instead of soup-y, but I usually don't need to, I leave it at lunch time and go back to work.

I serve it with Black Bean chips (Beanitos brand, here's a link for a coupon: http://www.couponfactory.com/share/b286c342b0e7a8478d12cddd1dd35fe1ab904223/) fresh cilantro, avocado, and a dash of Tony Chacheres Cajun seasoning for a wee bit of heat. Sometimes I strain a little bit and put the solid stuff on top of a fresh salad with salsa and the cilantro and avocado. I like to use Green Mountain Gringo Salsa since it's organic, there's no sugar, and they use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar.
**I have also found Mark's Good Stuff Salsa which is made with apple cider vinegar instead of white and no added sugars. It IS Good Stuff! :)

Rant: Kindergarten "Graduations"

I'm sorry, but I think this whole graduation ceremony for kindergartners is ridiculous. We didn't have kindergarten graduation when I was a kid. We just knew we were moving on up to 1st grade which meant a whole day at school and no nap time. LAME!

I think its just another way for schools to make you waste your hard earned cash on caps and gowns (those can cost like $25!!) and photos, not to mention a waste of time that you could be spending with your family, not with a hundred other families. Sure, their little signing is cute, but shoots, have a choir concert, not a wasteful graduation. They are 5, they are not going to care about a graduation and are probably getting bored waiting for you to call their name so they can get their little certificate that isn't going to be looked at by any college, university, or future job. "Oh, you don't have your kindergarten graduation certificate??!? I'm sorry, we only accept kindergarten graduates at this establishment."  PSSHH!


Ok, that is all. KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION!!! *Shaking my head. NOW that is all.

Gluten-free/Sugar-free BROWNIES!!!

My mom gave me a recipe and I tweaked it. HAHA

While her recipe is absolutely divine for people who have had zero sugar in MONTHS, it's a bit dry for my taste. I like gooey brownies. So, I added 1/4 cup of almond milk to it. Here is the original, with my notes added in ():

Mom's Gluten/Sugar-free Brownies

2 sticks of organic butter (hormone free, I get Central Market brand)
3/4C Stevia powder (Truvia is the best I've tried so far, no after taste, but it is expensive so I do 2/4 Truvia, 1/4 Stevia in the Raw, as it is cheaper.)
4 eggs
3/4C cocoa powder (we use Hershey's special dark because we like the dark chocolate!! YUM!)
2 1/4 Namaste Perfect Flour Blend (HEB doesn't carry this, I found it at my local natural foods store, but it can be purchased online at Vitacost.com, it's pricey, too, but hey, when you want your sweet tooth satisfied, and you're on a strict diet, it's worth the cost!!)
dash of salt
1Tbs Vanilla (I use organics made with bourbon)
1C chopped nuts (pecans and/or walnuts for this girl!)
Unsweetened Coconut flakes (I usually use about 1/4-1/2C)

Soften butter then combine all but the last two ingredients (including the almond milk if you want a more moist brownie) in mixing bowl and blend, then add nuts and coconut flakes. Put batter in 8x8 glass baking dish, bake at 350 for exactly 20 minutes. DO NOT GREASE YOUR DISH! There is enough butter in the batter that you do not need any additional grease. In fact, when you pull them out of the oven you will see butter on the brownies, this will soak back into the brownies lending moisture so do not drain it off.

Yes, I know, this is probably very fattening, in fact these suckers are probably the reason for my weight-loss plateau. I HAVE A HUGE SWEET TOOTH!

Since it's just me eating these, to keep them from going bad before I can eat them all, I store them in the refrigerator. If you have a few kiddos running around, this may not be an issue for you, my mom keeps them out on the counter throughout the week, but it's both of us eating them while I'm there so they tend to go a little faster.

I also think that the Stevia in the raw may be the culprit that makes them go bad faster. Mom only uses Truvia, but as it is more expensive, I feel it is more economical to use the both of them.

Another delicious use of my Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, Quinoa flakes for breakfast.

I make the suggested serving size of 1/3C Quinoa Flakes with a wee bit less than a cup of water, microwaved for two mins. Then I add about 3-4 TBS of cocoa, 1-2 TBS of Stevia/Truvia, a tiny bit of vanilla, and enough almond milk to make it soupy and stir it all up. If I'm feeling something special, I add unsweetened coconut flakes and a heaping spoonful of almond butter. (I think it's a great alternative to an almond joy.)

Happy Gluten/Sugar-free, candida friendly eating!

A new lease on life?

I was complimented tonight, at least I think it was a compliment. I was told that I look more relaxed, more chill. I said, "I'm a different person aren't I?" She said she didn't want to quite put it that way, but that yes, I am. It is such an amazing feeling being done with school, having accomplished something, that for me and mine, is a big deal. I am a college graduate, with a BACHELORS degree! I may not have a grand career to show it yet and I may never have a "grand career" at all, but I have accomplished something that neither of my parents or any of my siblings or cousins have and it feels so wonderful to be done with it! I admit, I was a stressed out, frustrated, and scared woman, especially there at the end and REALLY during the holiday (as you may be able to tell from my Valentine's post). Working and doing school is not easy, especially in a flower shop during the Valentine holiday. I don't know how single mothers do it, so kudos to those ladies! You're my heroes! So, what is next? Admittedly, I am enjoying this relaxation state, but I am also updating my resume and searching for job opportunities that will further my skill set and improve my financial independence. I call it a "big girl job". I am ready to get out on my own, yeah, I know I am technically out on my own, but I want to try for my own apartment, no roommate. I am a woman now, not a 20 something college student. I want a little space of my own that I can't complain about someone else messing up or not doing their part to keep it clean. At least for a little while, you know, before I get married. Again. This time for good, I hope. And I may have a prospect or two. (Thank you LDS internet dating site, haha.) So, look out world, Selina is ready to take you on and conquer your next challenge. At least I think I am. No, I am. Really! (It is time for some real world confidence, that's what gets the job done!)