Author: stlmaryland

Gluten Free Taco Salad

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I love Taco Salad… it is one of my go to meals for my family — because it is quite quick to whip up and very simple as well.

Gluten Free Taco Salad

Gluten Free Taco Salad

Gluten Free Taco Salad

I made my own tortilla strips for this salad because I didn’t have any Tortilla Chips on hand. So I sliced up about 5 corn tortillas and then fried them up to a crisp.

Ingredients

2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 large onion, diced
1 head green leaf lettuce, washed, drained and shredded
1 pound lean ground turkey or beef, browned, crumbled and drained
Can Black Beans, drained
2 TBSP Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning

Optional toppings

Sour Cream
Sriracha sauce
Gluten Free Tortilla Strips

Brown meat, beans and onions together with the Taco Seasoning until thoroughly cooked. Then combine everything together in a large salad bowl. Just before serving, add the taco chips, tossing to combine with other ingredients. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream drizzled with Sriracha sauce to taste and some tortilla strips.

Gluten Free Grilled Fish Tacos….

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Fish tacos are a great choice for dinner that will please your taste buds, whether it is for your family or entertaining a crowd! And this was the 1st time that I was able to use seasoning from Tahoe Spiceworks. It was a mild, yet a very tasty seasoning.
Gluten Free Grilled Fish Tacos

Gluten Free Grilled Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos w/ a side of Organic Spanish Brown Rice 

Makes 10 Tacos

5 frozen flaky white fish fillets
Seafood Seasoning from Tahoe Spiceworks Inc.
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
Shredded Cabbage
2 stalks of Green Onions, chopped
1 TBSP Fresh Cilantro, minced
10 corn tortillas, fried
1 Tomato, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 head of Romaine Lettuce
Coconut Oil
Sour Cream
Sriracha Sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Take the frozen fish fillets and place them on a baking sheet. Season with Seafood Seasoning from Tahoe Spiceworks Inc. mixed with a 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin.

While the fish is in the oven, take a medium size bowl and mix Lettuce, Cabbage, Green Onions and Cilantro together. In a small size bowl mix Tomato and Red Onion together.

Take a frying pan and heat Coconut Oil to fry the Corn Tortillas to desired crispiness.

Remove the fish from the oven. Take a tortilla, put a dollop of sour cream in the middle of the tortilla. Place fish in the center of a tortilla, top with a cabbage/lettuce slaw then with the Tomato/Red Onion. Top with Sriracha Sauce.

Serve with Spanish Rice from Lundberg Family Farms.

If interested in purchasing Seafood Seasoning from Tahoe Spiceworks go to: http://tahoespiceworks.com/products/seafood-seasoning . The seasoning Ingredients: Sea salt, spices, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, black pepper, color*. *Note: Referring to the color of spice such as paprika, cayenne, ect.

 

Frozen Pudding Pops….

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I was craving Pudding Pops and hadn’t had them in eons… especially since they don’t make them any longer. I bought an

Jello Pudding Pop with a generic Popsicle holder

Jello Pudding Pop with a generic Popsicle holder

Jello Pudding Pop with a Jello Pudding Pop holder | Small Town Living in Nevada

Jello Pudding Pop with a Jello Pudding Pop holder

actual Jello Pudding Pop kit and was sorely upset. There wasn’t anything fancy or needed. The kit supplied 2 small boxes of chocolate pudding and 2 small boxes of vanilla pudding and a small 8 compartment popsicle tray….

There was nothing in there that was special — and the recipe was exactly the same as if you were making pudding. The difference is that you fill the tray and then freeze rather than refrigerating.

Of course I have a  bazillion popsicle trays… and could had easily purchased the pudding packets off the shelf. But I thought it was going to be different, boy was I wrong.

Nevertheless, the kids and I had fun making the pudding pops together. And the end result was really tasty. Live and learn people… Live and learn.

Decorative cups..

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My daughter’s birthday is coming up and I have invited a lot of people. Unfortunately my house is small, but luckily my property is very large – 1/2 acre to be exact. The weather around this time is rather iffy to say the least. And surprisingly the last 2 years the weather has been beautiful. However, I checked the weather forecast this morning and it states it will be sunny the day before and the day after the party, but should be raining all day long the day of!!! AGH!!! I really don’t want to squeeze that many people into my tiny house.

Nevertheless, my daughter wants a Frozen Party like every other girl this year. But have you seen how expensive everything decoration is out there? It is ridiculous. I went to Walmart and bought 100 clear plastic cups for under $5 and several sheets of Frozen Stickers for about $4 and made my own decorative cups for the occasion.

Frozen Cups made by placing stickers on to Plastic Cups.

Frozen Cups made by placing stickers on to Plastic Cups.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

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My family – myself included loves Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce. It is tasty, yet expensive to buy, so I only buy it when it is on sale. Well today I decided I was going to try and make my own version. And it came out really great!

IMG_8806 Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce | Small Town Living in Nevada

IMG_8808IMG_8810

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce | Small Town Living in Nevada

INGREDIENTS
For the sauce:
  • 1 whole Butternut Squash – Roasted (4-lbs)
  • 1 roasted red pepper
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 stalks celery, sliced
  • 2 TBSP garlic, minced
  • 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 6 oz water
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Melt butter and olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and celery and sauté until onion is translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Sauté another minute. Remove from heat and add all ingredients with water. Process until smooth texture.
  2. Serve over pasta.

Gluten Free Rice Crispies Squares with Cranberries and Dark Chocolate Chips

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I can never do something the simple way – I always have to add some flare to my food, like chocolate.

RiceCrispies

Gluten Free Rice Crispies Squares with Cranberries and Dark Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
10 oz. Marshmallows
6 cups Gluten Free Brown Rice Crisps Cereal
3/4 cup cranberries
1 bag dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth.

Add cereal, cranberries and chocolate chips to marshmallow mixture. Stir until well coated.

Using a buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Saved the day…

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So my kid’s school had been practicing the official state song for the state of Nevada to be sung this past Thursday in their gymnasium. All the schools in Nevada were to sing this song around NV at exactly the same time of 10am to try and get into the the guinness book of world records. And all they had to do was send in a digital video copy of the students singing with the time stamp of 10am. Unfortunately, there was a camera failure on CCMES’s part and the students singing was never recorded… however, I was recording my own video just because that is what I do — you know cause I have that dang Art degree from SJSU and all, LOL. So guess who saved the day according to Mrs Jackson?? Yeah this mama…

Here is the song….
Home Means Nevada
Written & Music by Bertha Raffetto
Way out in the land of the setting sun,
Where the wind blows wild and free,
There’s a lovely spot, just the only one
That means home sweet home to me.
If you follow the old Kit Carson trail,
Until desert meets the hills,
Oh you certainly will agree with me,
It’s the place of a thousand thrills.

Home means Nevada
Home means the hills,
Home means the sage and the pine.
Out by the Truckee, silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
Here is the land which I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Deep in the heart of the golden west
Home means Nevada to me.

Whenever the sun at the close of day,
Colors all the western sky,
Oh my heart returns to the desert grey
And the mountains tow’ring high.
Where the moon beams play in shadowed glen,
With the spotted fawn and doe,
All the live long night until morning light,
Is the loveliest place I know.

Home means Nevada
Home means the hills,
Home means the sage and the pines.
Out by the Truckee’s silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
There is the land that I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Right in the heart of the golden west

Hallow’s Eve….

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On Hallow’s Eve we carve pumpkins… however, my daughter opened her pumpkin up and a massive amount of the seeds inside had sprouted!! A halloween surprise! Unfortunately, we can’t roast up the seeds now.

Carving Pumpkins | Small Town Living in Nevada Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds | Small Town Living in Nevada

And the finished masterpieces…. I think we are ready for halloween!

Masterpiece | Small Town Living in Nevada

Decided to go with a dollop of Chocolate Spread on the brownies…

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Gluten Free Brownies

I made gluten free brownies topped with a dollop of Hershey’s Chocolate Spread and a candy corn for Arik’s Halloween Party tomorrow…. now I think I am done!