Author: stlmaryland

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This is a super-moist quick bread packed with flavor especially with mini chocolate chips added.

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2-2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups (or one 15-ounce can) pumpkin
  • 3-1/3 cups Gluten Free Flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips, optional

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two loaf pans

2) In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and water.

3) Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, nutmeg, chocolate chips and vanilla, stirring to combine.

4) Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinklethe tops of the loaves with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.

5) Bake the bread for 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean; and that same tester inserted about 1/2″ into the top of the loaf doesn’t encounter any totally unbaked batter.

6) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack.

Yield: 2 loaves.

adapted from http://www.kingarthurflour.com

Gluten Free Fig Newton Cookies

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FigNewtons

Originally Written on August 19, 2014

I have never really liked Fig Newtons, but my husband and children love them. And they are quite expensive to buy at the grocery store so I rarely buy them.

We were in Los Angeles at my husband’s grandmother’s house and she had a gorgeous fig tree that had figs that were over ripe and needed to be used. So I pick a bunch with the idea of making fig newtons but gluten free.

Now the funny thing is I tried these and thought they were really good. In fact I ate 3 of these cookies and had to refrain from eating more, LOL.

When my husband came home he said they were really tasty and way better than the fig newtons his mother use to make when he was a kid. So all in all I think I did really well.

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Gluten Free Honey Pecan Shrimp

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I love Shrimp and my husband loves Chinese Walnut Shrimp… and since I am allergic to walnuts well I decided to come up with my own version and I think it is WAY BETTER than what you would get at the Chinese Restaurants any day… and is more affordable and you get more on your platter.

HoneyPecanShrimp

Originally written on July 22, 2014

Honey Pecan Shrimp

Crispy battered shrimp tossed in a creamy, sweet mayonnaise mixture, topped with caramelized pecans!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup pecans
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1-1/2 teaspoons honey
1-1/2 teaspoons condensed milk
1 pound medium to jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 – 3/4 cups cornstarch

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Heat 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add sugar and stir, constantly, until golden and thickened. Add pecans and gently toss to combine. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined plate.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey and condensed milk; set aside.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste.
Working one at a time, dip the shrimp into the egg, then dredge in the cornstarch, pressing to coat.
4. Working in batches, add the shrimp to the skillet, and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy.
5. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
6. In a large bowl, combine shrimp and honey mixture.

Serve immediately, topped with candied pecans.

Adapted from http://damndelicious.net/

No Bake Gluten Free Chocolate Granola Bars

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IMG_8099It is ridiculous how many gluten free granola bars my kids go through every year or even every week at that! And to top it off the prices are ridiculous for a box of “five” bars. I decided once and for all it was finally time to try making granola bars especially since I was given a box of Hodgson Mill’s Gluten Free Thick Rolled Oats. Why not? The oats were great to work with and nice and thick to hold up for making granola bars. The bars are incredibly easy to make, and you’ll be sure to always keep a stash on hand for the kids lunch pails, for hikes or just an anytime snack. And they came out very delicious and very chewy. Continue reading →

How to make your own deli style Roast Beef

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Roasted Beef

My husband loves Roast Beef sandwiches, yet hates not being able to find rare roast beef from the delis around our small town. SO we went to Raley’s and bought a 16 pound top round roast with the cap on –  We paid $3.99/lb, that is half the price than what any deli would sell sliced roast beef for per pound.

He took the Roast and rolled it in twine, then brined it for several days with a salt rub. Then when it was ready — he washed the brine off and put a marinade rub on — a smoky chipotle rub which he left on to marinade for a couple of days….

After his meat was seasoned, he smoked it on the Traeger Wood Pellet Grill and then grilled it to a perfect rare.

RoastBeef4

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So can you tell me who my son is dressed up as?

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My kids are so looking forward to Halloween since it is October now. And rightly so, LOL. Who doesn’t like trick or treating.

Anyhow, for the last four halloweens I have dressed my kids up in the same themes and this year will be no different. Last year they were Izzy, Jake and Cubby from Jake and the Never Land Pirates, the year before we had Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and Peter Pan. When my youngest wasn’t quite a year old — he was a horse and my daughter was an Indian Princess and my other son was a cowboy. And when there were just two kids I had Dorothy and the Lion. So I LOVE THEMES. This year we’ll have Elsa, Olaf and ….. does this even look like the character I am going for????

My mother-in-law Sherlyn and I spent about 4 hours working on this tunic. I recommend never working with faux fur… it is horrendously messy like a shedding animal. ACK! Anyhow, she did the sewing machine work and I did most of the hand sewn work on this outfit. Hope it looks like the character it is suppose to look like.

Aden1 Aden2

Italian Sausage, Garlic and Basil Pasta Gravy

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I don’t normally buy sauce in a jar just because I can make it better and it is more affordable if it is homemade as well.

Add a caesar salad to go with your pasta and you have an awesome dinner!

Italian Sausage, Garlic and Basil Pasta Gravy

Italian Sausage, Garlic and Basil Pasta Gravy

30 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz mushrooms
1 lb Italian sausage, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dried basil
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt

Heat a deep skillet or medium heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon, 1 turn of the pan, extra-virgin olive oil to pan or pot. Brown sausages 2 minutes on each side, transfer to cutting board. Slice. Add back to pot with garlic, mushrooms, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil and salt. Bring sauce to a bubble, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer sauce until ready to serve over your favorite pasta.

Pumpkin Muffins (just like eating a cupcake)

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With fall in the air — and pumpkins ripening on the vine in my backyard — it makes me think of making pumpkin muffins. Add a little cream cheese frosting and you are in heaven!

PumpkinMuffins

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Plum Jelly

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I was going through the fridge and tossing questionable containers when I came across several baggies of Chinese Plums. TheyIMG_7957 had been sitting in the refrigerator since we picked them weeks ago. It was either toss them, too, or make something immediately with them.

I love Plum Jam and was — yeah I can do that. So I had a little over a pound of plumbs. The kids and I had already pitted them, so all I needed to do was chop them up.

Unfortunately – I made a HUGE mess of the kitchen with this little batch of Jam. I placed them in the food processor, yet it didn’t chop as fine as I wanted. Next I pulled out the Blender and pureed them instead. Perfect!

When I tossed the pureed fruit, water and sugar in the pot and started to boil — I noticed there was what looked like nuts in the mixture floating to the top. AGH! There must had been a pit in one of the plums that we missed — so now I had to get out the sieve to retrieve the pit particles. Unfortunately that meant my jam will now be less chunky as well. Oh well, it will still be really tasty nevertheless!

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