Archive for Information

The best and most frugal Tomato Sauce

10/16/2011 at 10:09 pm · Filed under Dinner, Information, Pasta

I seem to make this tomato sauce every other week.  I started doing this just because I thought the jarred version was ridiculously expensive~that is a good variety the didn’t have things that are simply not supposed to be in a tomato sauce.  Has anyone else noticed how grocery prices have gone up again!?  So one batch of this homemade goodness creates about 3 quarts~ enough for 3 different dinners for our family.  However, this sauce can be as unique as the person creating it, I am merely providing a guideline here.

2 6oz cans tomato paste

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 finely chopped onion

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

basil (fresh, frozen or dried)

2 tbs sugar

So here is my wonderful ‘secret’ to it tasting so divine, I put all the ingredients in my croc pot.  Yep, that’s it!  Something about simmering for hours does the trick.  AND for an average of $2.17 it hard to beat!  Low for 6 hours, high for 3 hours.

It is possible to kick up the flavor dimensions by adding more of an ingredient or a different one altogether.  Some of my favorites to add: a little lot more garlic, or more basil, making a ‘veggie’ sauce by adding shredded zucchini, carrots and spinach.  And my current kick is to add a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar after it is finished simmering- oh so good.

I would always love to hear of more suggestions!

After it is done I package the sauce up in quart freezer bags and freeze.  Or if i am using it later in the week I place the sauce in a sealed container in my refrigerator.  This type of sauce works so well as a base for sooooo many dishes not just over pasta.

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Hot Cross Buns

08/14/2010 at 2:37 pm · Filed under Breakfast, Information, Muffins ·Tagged , , ,

It’s official…I got tested…and I am lactose intolerant.  My first reaction was: good now I have an answer to all of my ‘issues’.  It only later hits you of all the things that you will be missing.  Well, I am not going to whine about it!  Nothing is better than feeling well…not even ice cream.

This also gives me a chance to be even more creative when it comes to cooking.  I surely don’t want to feel like I am ‘missing out’.  So over the next few months you might find recipes like non-dairy cheese sauce, ice cream, chocolate mousse… and my mind is already racing with the possibilities.  I am also not really a fan of soy, so if you feel like I do about this chemically altered man made substance, rest assured that it will be few and far between here.

For today I leave you with a wonderful fluffy and delicious gf/cf bun.  Sadly they all disappeared too quickly around here.  I was unable to snap a photo of them.  But let me tell you, they are soooo good!!

1 packet of yeast

1 ½ cups warm water

1 tsp sugar

3 eggs

2 cups Better Batter flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice

½ cup each raisins and cranberries

Combine yeast, water and 1 tsp sugar, set aside for 5 minutes.  Combine the rest of the ingredients, except for the dried fruit, and pour in the yeast water.  Mix on high speed for 7-10 minutes with an electric beater.  The consistency will be that of butter cream icing, it will look very fluffy.  Stir in the dried fruit.

It’s important for the oven to be hot when the buns go in.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a dozen and a half standard muffin tins with cooking spray.  Using a ½ cup measuring cup, scoop out dough into muffin tins.  You will want to have the dough even with the top of the pan because they will rise as they bake.

Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before unmolding.  Cool completely before frosting.  Make a simple drizzle icing by combining confectioner’s sugar and water to desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Enjoying some lunch!

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Oh my…

07/17/2010 at 10:50 am · Filed under Desserts, Information ·Tagged ,

My wonderful husband got out early today to get a few things done, which left Baby Lu and I without a car.  Not a problem since I didn’t have too much on the agenda for today, until I discovered that we were out of milk and out of half and half.  Quite a little problem for me since I love my coffee in the morning with some kind of dairy in it.  I decided to take a walk with Baby Lu to the grocery store since it is only about a 15 minute walk.

We got out early, and boy it still was hot, over 90 degrees!  I sure was glad to get into that air conditioned store.

On my way through the last aisle I picked up a small container of plain yogurt for Lu.  She was getting impatient so I handed her the container and off we went to the checkout line.

Now mind you she was in our jogging stroller, and I could not see her.  I nearly forgot to pay for the yogurt and looked under the canopy expecting to find it on the side, forgotten and uninterested.  Instead…I found her eating it!  She had somehow managed to open the container and was dipping her hand in and scooping up mouthfuls.  I stared at her in shock, she grinned while she said, “mmmm, mmmm…mmmm.”

To say it was a mess would be an understatement.  It was ALL over her and the stroller.  Her hands, face, legs, and (previously clean) shirt were covered with the white goo.

Of course, I didn’t bring the diaper bag because it was supposed to be a “quick trip.”   I was mortified as I still had to pay for the groceries while lots of people where walking by laughing or shaking their heads.

Oh my…

Trying to get more at home

On to some food…

I don’t know about you but this heat does not make me want to be in an even hotter kitchen.  For meals we have been using our wonderful grill.  Grilled chicken thighs, thin steaks and fresh vegetables have been our plates this week.

I did however get started on Lu’s Birthday cake.  With less than a week away and a busy week ahead of us I wanted to get started on the flowers that will adorn her cake.  I picked up these darling plates and Birthday themed decorations and I thought it would be cute to have the cake be matching the already whimsical theme.

Sugar flowers, if done correctly, will last a very long time.  I didn’t want to bother with buttercream on the day of the party if it is going to be hot.

I made a simple royal frosting using meringue powder.

3 tbs meringue powder

1 lb confectioners’ sugar

5-6 tbs lukewarm water

Combine all ingredients.  Mix 7-10 minutes at medium speed until icing loses its sheen.

I then tinted the frosting bright colors to make my whimsical flowers.

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Restaurant Review

07/15/2010 at 8:01 pm · Filed under Dinner, Information ·Tagged ,

It has been a busy week around here.  Monday was mine and my hubby’s anniversary.  We got a dear friend to watch our munchkin while we headed off to La Jolla for an adventure.  After snorkeling in the cool water, we had dinner at a ‘gluten free friendly’ restaurant.  The restaurant, Pizza Fusion, has organic, wholesome food with many gluten free options.  They serve magnificant salads, out of this world pizza toppings, and a crust that will satisfy any gluten free craving.  They also serve gluten free beer, six different kinds to be exact!  I had to count them just to make sure.

Pizza Fusion even has a flourless brownie to satisfy that sweet craving, although I personally have not tried it.

The gluten free pizza is an additional $5.  But if you go on a Monday it is the same price as their regular pizza.

This is the third time that we have been there.  They are relatively inexpensive, and I love the atmosphere.

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Berry Pie

07/11/2010 at 10:32 pm · Filed under Desserts, Information ·Tagged , ,

We only have a short season where fresh berries are available to us.  And with this small window I love using them in a variety of ways.

How many of us, since becoming gluten free, have not had a decent homemade pie?  Well this time you no longer need to pine…this pie is every bit as flaky and tender as any glutenous pie out there.

The ingredients are simple…berries, sugar, and flour.  I used a mixture between blueberries and strawberries because that is what I had on hand.  About 4 cups total.

1/4 cup Better Batter flour

1/2 cup sugar or agave (more or less depending on how sweet the berries are)

Really the secret is the crust…which I am not going to post here.  I do however, offer a cooking class on mastering gluten free pie crust.

Trust me you will not be disappointed!

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Which cake?

07/07/2010 at 12:14 pm · Filed under Desserts, Information ·Tagged

Alright everyone, cast in your vote…

My little girl is soon turning one and I am having a dilemma with the cake.

I have narrowed it down to a Strawberry Cake or a Chocolate Banana Cake.

The winning recipe will be posted here so you can share in the goodness.

The recipe will be made with real fruit, no artificial sugar, and be GF/CF

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Oreos

07/06/2010 at 3:44 pm · Filed under Cookies, Desserts, Information ·Tagged , , ,

Before you get too excited…I am not posting a recipe for homemade gluten free oreos.  To be honest I have never attempted to make them, probably because I would end up eating most of them in one sitting…

I just acquired my first package of Kinnitoos, made by Kinnikinnick.  They are a faux “chocolate sandwich creme”  to mimic the popular glutenous Oreo cookie.

I have to say, about 4 years ago Oreos were a delight to my soul.  I LOVED eating them, especially with milk.  And in the last 4 years I have not had any, even a gf version that was close.

I opened the package with glee and looked at the beautiful rows with eager anticipation.  I took a bite and…don’t get me wrong they ARE good.  But not as good as my memory recalls.

I started thinking about this little predicament…could it be that in my mind I have held these chocolate sandwich delights as something more grand than they actually are?  If I could eat Oreos would they still be my favorite, now 4 years later?  Or have I held on to the memory so closely, and secretly pined for this cookie, simply because it was in the forbidden category?

I have learned, in the last 4 years, that nothing is good enough to cheat for- because the results are always worse than the momentary delight.  That I can make anything that I want to eat and find it just as satisfying.


So, Kinnikinik’s “Oreos” are good!  My gluten eating husband says they taste, “just like Oreos.”  So, you won’t be disappointed with this GF/CF, egg free version.

I personally like them cold/frozen better.

Let me know if you have had these before or found a similar product that is just as good.

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Pizza Crust

07/03/2010 at 8:43 pm · Filed under Dinner, Information ·Tagged , ,

As noted before my parents are in town visiting us from PA, and my brother, who also lives in California is here today.  My family decided to order pizza.  Yay for me to have a day off cooking but…no one else follows the gluten free diet but me (Baby Lu is on it too, but she still eats baby food).  So the question became of course, “what am I going to eat?”

A frozen pizza crust was the simplest way to go.  Sure I have my favorite from scratch gluten free crust, but who wants to spend tons of time in the kitchen when everyone else gets take out?  Not to worry!  We made a stop at Jimbo’s in Escondido to see if they carried anything.  And sure enough they did!  We found that Glutino has a frozen pizza crust.

Now I have never purchased a frozen pizza crust before.  So I had to rely on the brand name itself.  Glutino has never let me down.  They are the ones that make those wonderful gluten free pretzels that make you feel like you are cheating!  And I must say the crust was delish!!

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My Favorite GF Book

07/01/2010 at 10:14 am · Filed under Information ·Tagged

I am not one for gluten free cookbooks.  I find them strange, impractical and too complicated.  Cooking should be simple, enjoyable and produce great food.  I don’t like using a recipe where I have to have 5 different flours to get a similar tasting product to that with what I remember food to taste.

However, I do have one that I like.  Gluten-free, Sugar -free Cooking by Susan O’Brien

You can find it HERE

I especially like the entree recipes.  Simple, normal ingredients with bold flavors!

If you have any GF cookbooks that you like, let us know in the comments section.

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A New Chapter…

06/21/2010 at 4:11 am · Filed under Information

I am pleased to announce a new extension to The Pantry Door.  Now you can keep up to date with the latest gluten free product information, kitchen tips, and family friendly gluten free recipes.  I will also post on my wonderful family!

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