Author: stlmaryland

How to Harvest and Roast Your Own Sunflower Seeds

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Sunflower Seeds

Our Sunflowers grew beautifully this year. The kids and I planted the sunflower seeds in containers around April and left them in the greenhouse to protect them from the weather and cold for a couple of months. We eventually planted them in the garden in June when the weather was acceptable and I couldn’t believe how these beautiful giants grew to about ten feet tall!

When the heads are wilted and completely dry, cut the tops off and hang out to dry for a week or two longer. Before harvesting the seeds.

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Turkey Salad Sandwich

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I roasted up a turkey breast and two drum sticks the other night. I have a habit of always making Turkey Salad out of the leftovers… or even Turkey Pot Pies. Today was definitely a Turkey Salad Sandwich kinda day.

Turkey Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups turkey (boneless, skinless), diced
1/3 cup green onions, tops only – diced
2/3 cup cranberries
2 celery stalks, diced
2/3 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl, stir together all ingredients until well mixed, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Geocaching in California

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So we hopped the border and took Highway 4 through the mountains on a Geocaching adventure. We located 3 caches and had a really great time. BUT, I thought I had located a container and then when I opened it I was surprised.

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Not certain why that was in the area of the Geocache, but I just left it where I found it. Eeek….

Anyhow, here are some pictures from our other Adventures!

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Our first geocache we found

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Our 2nd Geocache we stumbled upon

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Udi’s Gluten Free Jalapeno Cheddar Ancient Grain Crisps

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Originally written on September 9, 2014

UdisCrips

So tonight I cracked open a bag of Udi’s Gluten Free Jalapeno Cheddar Ancient Grain Crisps to add to my Taco Salad because I didn’t have any tortilla chips. Now I was skeptical, like I always am about new chips and always hope for the best.

Well, tonight I can tell you these were D-LISH! They were crispy nice sized chips with a great cheese flavor and a kick of jalapeño to go with! And not too spicy to where the kids liked them as well!

The crisps are full of nutritious amaranth, quinoa, flax, sesame, millet, & black seeds which makes it healthier than most fried chips on the market. Definitely worth a purchase.

If you need more information on where to get a bag for yourself check out Udi’s site: http://udisglutenfree.com/products/jalapeno-cheddar-ancient-grain-crisps/

*** Disclaimer: I received this product for free from Udi’s. I am not required to write a positive review. And all opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Udi’s Gluten Free Soft N’ Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

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So I received a box of Granola Bars from Udi’s — I normally love Udi’s. However, I just tried their Gluten Free Soft N’ Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars and was hoping for something that was in fact soft and chewy, but these were not. The bar was hard to chew with a crunchy texture. Not what I had hoped for. Now for flavor – the granola bar was quite tasty with a hint of nuts. Nevertheless, I was really hoping for a true chewy granola bar. Now my kids loved them – texture, flavor and all… and wanted more. I am either really picky or I just remember what Gluten Granola Bars texture use to be. If you would like to check them out go to:

http://udisglutenfree.com/products/chocolate-chip-granola-bars/

*** Disclaimer: I received this product for free from Udi’s. I am not required to write a positive review. And all opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Asian Box Restaurant

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AsianBox

As I walked into Asian Box in Mountain View’s quaint downtown, I knew I was in for a delicious lunch just from eyeing the line of people waiting to place their order. I picked this specific restaurant because it is a 100% gluten free establishment and I just couldn’t wait to try it out.

My family and I sat in the back where it was quieter so I could be a people watcher and mainly wait for the rush to die down. Plus, it gave me a few minutes to look over Asian Box’s order form and to start thinking about what kind of box I wanted to get for the kids and I.

The kids ended up getting a Kids Box with Lemongrass marinated Pork and Caramel Sauce. According to the very delightful and very gracious restaurant Manager, Michelle, “Asian Box’s Caramel Sauce is their version of Teriyaki sauce.” And from tasting it I will say, it is way tastier than traditional teriyaki any day in my opinion!

For my meal I ordered a box with Brown Rice, Caramelized Lime Basil Shrimp, fresh bean sprouts, pickled vegetables, crispy shallots, chopped peanuts and fresh herbs topped with Peanut Sauce which is a creamy blend with lime & coconut.

Yep, I was in heaven when my food was ready! I tasted cilantro and mint — and just savored every bite. The food is a cross between Vietnamese and Thai and it is sooooo delicious!

My kids and I enjoyed our meal tremendously because Asian Box has high quality, fresh, authentic food and best of all it is gluten free. If you want to have a great authentic experience you need to try Asian Box. And for an added convenience you can even order your meal online at: https://asianbox.wufoo.com/forms/asian-box-order-ahead/

Visit Downtown Mountain View’s Asian Box and give Michelle and her staff your order — you will be so glad you did.

http://www.asianbox.com/

142 Castro St.
Mountain View, Ca 94041
Phone (650) 584-3947
Fax (650) 963-9328

Chipotle Mexican Grill

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Chipotle

Today we had lunch at Chipotle Mexican Grill at N. Capital Road in San Jose, CA. It was a wonderful lunch. The server changed her gloves when we said we were gluten intolerant which was really awesome customer service! The staff were really accommodating and attentive to our needs… A+ in my book!

I had their soft corn tacos filled with their braised carnitas… The order came with 3 tacos, but I gave 1 to my daughter. Oh my goodness two were so filling! And probably because it was filled not only with pork but also with salsa, rice, pinto beans, cheese, sour cream, avocado and shredded romaine lettuce…. My mother had the same but as a salad.

All the veggies are fresh and they use meat from animals (whenever possible) raised without antibiotics or added hormones – “food with integrity.”

The food was tasty, fresh and delicious! I will definitely be coming here again!

Find a location near you: http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/find/find.aspx

Giorgio’s Italian Restaurant Review

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My mom, the kids and I decided we would go to the mall for back to school shopping. After running from this store to that store everyone was hungry. AND everyone knows that shopping makes you ravenous, LOL. Ok, not really, but since it was past noon we were definitely ready for lunch. We left the mall and headed to Giorgio’s Italian Food & Pizzeria in Milpitas.

It is a casual Italian joint wherethey serve pizza, pasta & other Italian comfort foods. And best yet, gluten free items as well!! Since their gluten free pizzas are only 10″ pies, we ordered two. One was a Pesto with Ricotta Cheese and the other topped with Italian Sausage, Pepperoni and Mushrooms.

And of course we had to get a side of gluten free Rotelli Pasta with Alfredo sauce. The 5 of us devoured almost both pizzas except for a couple of slices and pretty much half the pasta was gone. We had the leftovers boxed up to take home for later enjoyment. The pizza crust was so good we had to ask the waiter for the brand name. He informed us it was from the Venice Bakery. Mental note — will need to order some pizza crusts from there!

I love Alfredo Sauce — it is one of my food pleasures. The Alfredo sauce at Giorgio’s was one of the best I have tasted in a long time. It was flavorful, creamy and garlicky! A nice surprise.

If you are ever in the Bay Area and find yourself in Milpitas, head over to Giorgio’s Italian Food & Pizzeria located on E Calaveras Blvd.

http://www.fjlmountainview.com/gif-mi.html

Giorgio’s Milpitas
643 E. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035
Phone: 408.942.1292

Fried Pork

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Originally written on June 25, 2014

We bought pork in bulk at Costco and put large sections of the pork in freezer Ziploc Bags for easy access and then froze in our deep freezer. I pulled a frozen bag out this evening and sliced the chunk of meat into 6 thick slices. Breaded the slices and fried them up in coconut oil.

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Fried Pork and Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients:
Pork
Hodgson Mill, Inc. Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix(breading)
eggs
Oil – I used Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil

Melt coconut oil in a deep skillet until it comes about 1-inch up the side of the pan.

Take out two shallow dishes like pie dishes – In one dish beat eggs. The other fill with GF Seasoned Coating Mix.

Coat pork in egg mixture, transfer to other plate and dredge through coating mix until coated. Fry pork until golden, about 6-7 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. (Keep pork chops in a warm oven if cooking all at once is not possible.)

Turkey Meat Loaf

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Originally written on June 29, 2014

So tonight I decided to make an american classic — Meat Loaf… something I don’t make very often at all… but when I do, I always have to have 2 helpings! I am paring it with a side of rice and fresh zucchini.

Meatloaf

Meat Loaf

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef, ground turkey or a mixture of both (here I have used ground turkey)
1-1/4 teaspoons himalayan salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cracked pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion – fresh or dried
1 egg
8 ounces canned Italian Stewed tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup gluten free oats
2 large carrots, shredded

Topping:
Gluten Free BBQ sauce – I used Kinders BBQ Mild BBQ Sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

Bake for 1 hour.

Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/chefs/paula-deen.html