I have always made chili for Halloween, plus my family is in the mood during the weeks before. This week I put this chili on my menu, then realized I’ve never added it to my website! Since this is my family’s favorite chili I wanted to share. My grandkids love this version, since there’s no actual “chili” in it.

If I plan ahead, plus have the patience to remove the bones and skin, a whole chicken has the best flavor. It also makes a good broth. But I also make it using chicken breasts, which I usually have on hand. For both, I cook the chicken in the crock pot overnight.

Get the recipe:

White Bean Chicken Chili

Enjoy!

To begin I skinned and chunked 5 large peaches, placing them in a medium bowl. I squeezed the juice of one lemon over them then tossed. I added 2 tablespoons honey, ¼ cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla then stirred the ingredients in. I divided the peaches into 6 ramekins.

I set the oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl I added ¾ cup almond meal/flour, ¼ cup millet flour, ¼ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup GF oats, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 ¼ sticks butter cut into slices (shortening may be used) and ½ cup raw cashews. I used a pastry cutter ( you may use a food processor and pulse) to get a crumbly mixture. I used a small measuirng cup to carefully add the topping mixture to the fruit, carefully packing it into the peaches. I added more until each ramekin had a heaping amount, then placed them on a foil-lined baking sheet.

I baked mine for 30 minutes until tops were golden and bubbly.

I served warm, topped with vanilla ice cream. (I used Breyer’s Lactose Free Ice Cream. You may use regular ice cream or Soy Dream.)

My family will definitely be having this again soon!

Get the recipe: Favorite Peach Crisp

Lately I’ve had an abundance of mangos. This salad is a delicious way to use them – my version of Rumbi’s Mango Chicken Salad. The dressing is the perfect ingredient to bring the flavors together! You can also use mandarin oranges.

These pictures show an easy way to cut mangos into cubes. It also works for avocados. My husband LOVES this salad!

Get the recipe for Mango Chicken Salad in Gluten-Free Recipes under Salads.

These are a healthier version of the normal oatmeal cookies. It’s a good way to sneak in some extra fruit!

GF/CF Pineapple Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
2/3 cup applesauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup GF flour
1 tsp guar gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3-1/2 cup GF oats (Bob’s Red Mill)
1 (8-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
(May add 1 cup raisins and ¾ cup chopped nuts if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In a mixing bowl, cream the applesauce and the sugars together. Then add the vanilla and the egg. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, guar gum, baking soda and cinnamon; add to the creamed mixture and stir. Stir in the crushed pineapple. Finally, mix in the oats. Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls about 2 inches apart. Cook for 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for a couple minutes before transferring to plate or cooling rack.

My niece Stef introduced us to this recipe, and it is a family favorite. It makes a large bowl, the perfect size for family functions or picnics. For the casein-free version, just leave out the cheese. It will still taste delicious!

Broccoli Salad – by Stefanie Bohin

4 bunches broccoli cut into small pieces
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (omit for the casein-free version)
1 pkg or 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar (I use organic brown sugar)

Combine broccoli, onions, bacon, cheese and seeds in large bowl. Mix vinegar, mayonnaise and sugar. Pour over broccoli mix. Chill.

I have missed graham cracker crust for years! Today for April Fools Day I really wanted to make a version of my “worm pie.”

For a sweet dessert pie crust use 10 Pamela’s Lemon Shortbread Cookies. (I found them at Walmart. I have also seen them at health food stores.) In a bowl, crush them well with a large spoon. Add 2 Tbsp. sugar, pour in ¼ cup melted butter, whisk then push with a spoon into a pie crust.

For an easy pie recipe, stir ¼ cup boiling water into a small pkg. lime Jell-O. Add a lime yogurt plus a small tub of Cool Whip. Whisk together, then add to piecrust and chill in fridge. You can do this with any flavor of Jell-O/yogurt combination.

I have traditionally put gummy worms in my pie, but could only find octopus gummies this year.

Happy April Fools Day!

Gluten Free Nutty-Apple Breakfast Quinoa

1 cup water
½ cup quinoa
½ cup mixed nuts, chopped
2 6-oz vanilla yogurt (you can substitute with vanilla rice or soy milk)
2 apples, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon

Bring water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover with a lid, turn heat to a medium-low and cook 15 minutes. Plump with a fork and cool in fridge or freezer. In bowl stir together nuts, yogurt, apple, cinnamon and cooled quinoa.

For hot version, add apples to quinoa while cooking. When quinoa is done, stir in the other ingredients. Enjoy!

Here is a healthy alternative for gluten-free brownies! They taste so great your family will never know you’ve snuck in something nutritious!

I used a box of Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix along with a 15.25 ounce can of black beans. That’s all!

To make these delicious brownies, drain and rinse black beans. In a blender puree the black beans and 2/3 cup water. Mix black beans and brownie mix. Grease an 8×8 or 7×11 pan and smooth brownies. Bake in a 375 oven for 25 – 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick or fork for middle to be done, then sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

This works for regular brownie mixes too!

Some interesting nutrition facts about black beans:
Black beans taste great but that they can also be an important part of a health promoting diet. Each cup has about 15 grams of both protein and fiber. There are at least 8 different flavonoids in the black bean’s color coat. Flavonoids are color-producing phytonutrients pigments that have great anti-oxidant potential. They work together with vitamins to help the body avoid oxygen-related damage. Black beans also contain small amounts of omega 3-fatty acids. This amount is about three times that available from many other beans. They include many important vitamins and minerals.

I’d love to hear your ideas for using black beans!

But, this year, because I am eating gluten-free AND casein-free, it means no more pumpkin or cream pies at our house. We’ll still be having delicious desserts, though. We’re having COOKIES!

We’ve decided on two of our favorites: GF/CF Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and GF/CF Christmas Sugar Cookies. Recipes for both can be found in Gluten-Free Holiday Recipes. Of course, you can make the sugar cookies into any shape. Turkey-shaped cookies are always a favorite with my grandkids.

I’m also going to try a new recipe this year from Christine:

GF/CF Golden Yam Brownies

Brownies:
1 can yams
1 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon guar gum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons water or casein-free milk substitute
1 tablespoon lemon juice (can use other flavoring, lemon juice cuts the sweetness)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with shortening or cooking spray. Mash yams with a potato masher. In large bowl, cream together yams, oil, brown and white sugar, eggs, guar gum, and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into yam mixture just until blended. Spread the batter in baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk. Spread over the brownies while they are still warm. Some of the glaze will soak into the brownies.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We grew our own pumpkins this year. When they were about the size of an orange I carved the names of our grandchildren in them.

This is the first year that my oldest granddaughter, Joscelyn has carved her own jack o’ lantern. The pumpkins from our garden were surprisingly easy to clean, since they had less slime. Joscelyn did a great job, and cut hers by herself! I guess 6-years-old is a great age to start!

We prepared the seeds to roast together, as a fun project. Gavin was on hand to help too! To do this we did the following:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wash pumpkin seeds under spray nozzle in strainer. Remove any strings or chunks of pumpkin. Dry seeds on dishtowel or papertowel. Pat dry. On baking pan pour 4 Tbsp olive oil. Place pumpkin seeds one layer deep. Using brush, mix seeds to coat with oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt and seasoning salt. Bake for 25 minutes. When done, Remove from pan onto a plate covered with a paper towel.