Monday, July 30, 2012

Misc. Monday - Dog Food

Buddy and his dog food
We have a black and tan dachshund named Buddy who is just over a year old and lives for my boys. Buddy is a special dog as he is also gluten and dairy free. He is fed this way for several reasons, one of which is the reason that my kids feed him. Yes, they wash their hands but there still is that chance of them being cross contaminated. Another reason being the fact that Buddy loves to give kisses! We have discovered that kisses from other dogs can cause gluten exposure which is not a fun few days.
Not very pretty in the jar.
This past spring Buddy stopped eating his dry dog food, which was not like him. We tried a few sample for a more expensive dog food which he seemed to like, but soon after we bough the new dog food there was a recall on it. We looked and looked for another grain free dog food but we could not find one that did not have a recall on it. This is when we decided to make our own.
A few notes about homemade dog food.
Buddy is fed daily a dog multivitamin which I find at our local health food store.
Buddy gets snacks of raw veggies.
Dogs fed wet food will overeat because the food is there. This is why portions are important.
Buddy gets one 1/2 pint a day because he is under 20 pounds and active.

Beef Dog Food
What you need:
1 pound ground beef
2 pounds ground heart (my meat locker ground for me)
2 pounds ground liver (or other meat)
1-2 pounds of veggies frozen
water or broth
no more than 2 1/2 pounds cooked rice (We did not add rice to save on jar space. It is added when fed.) 

Directions:
Combine meat, veggies and water/broth together and mix. Pack into hot jars, wipe tops and put rings and bands on. Process at 10 pounds of pressure for 75 minutes. This will make 19 half pints without the rice added. With the rice added it would be around 29 half pints.
The best part about this is you can mix and match meats and veggies to use what is on hand. Just make sure they are veggies that your dog can have!

Licking them clean!













Don't forget that I have a giveaway going on right now! Click here to enter. Remember for each entry you need to leave a separate comment on the blog!

Friday, July 27, 2012

Fast Friday - Cantaloupe Jam

I can. There is no question about it but I have a new book in my collection which is food in jars by Marisa McClellan. What I love about her book is that it is small batches. Which is perfect for those who are starting out canning. The recipes can easily be done in a larger amount, which is what I did when I canned all the peaches. I used her peach jam recipe and it was my new favorite way to eat peaches. I had so many different ideas of where to start when I looked at the book because it is written to be used year round. With canning our own dog food we can year round but now I have easy ideas that I can make whenever I want.
The cantaloupe jam that I am writing about I made the other night and I knew it was one I would be repeating. I agree with Marisa that it does almost taste like a Creamsicle and it is something I will be making again and again this summer. I love this book so much that I am going to give a copy away to one lucky reader! The details are below but first the recipe.

Cantaloupe Jam
What you need:
2 1/2 cups chopped peeled cantaloupe
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tabelspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 3oz pack of liquid pectin

Directions:
Combine cantaloupe, sugar and vanilla bean in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes over high heat. Add the lemon zest, juice and pectin and return to a vigorous boil. Boil for another 3 to 4 minutes until the bubbles look thick. Remove the vanilla bean or you will be filling jars and come across it! Ladle into 3 half pint jars, wipe the top clean and apply lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Before you soak the pot clean, scrape and lick clean. At least that is what we do in my house!

Now for the good stuff! How to enter to win a copy of the book.
One entry:
Look through the preview of the book here and tell me what you would want to try first.
One entry:
Subscribe to my e-mail so you don't miss anything. Leave a comment saying you did so.
One entry:
Like me on Facebook and leave a comment saying that you did.
One entry:
Share the giveaway on Facebook or Twitter and leave a comment saying you did.

The contest will run through August 3rd and I will use a random number generator to pick the winner. Go!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Wonderful Wed - Gluten and Dairy Free Camping

It is time again for another installment of camping gluten and dairy free. Today's idea and recipes are brought to you by Angela of Angela's Kitchen. She shows us all how to make foil packets, which is something that I love to use while camping and at home (throw them on the grill!) She has great pictures and recipe ideas that show how to make your own foil packets and steps you need to take to make sure they come out right. No one likes burnt and raw food together! I can't wait to Ranch Chicken Casserole or the hobo meals! Go check it out here!

Monday, July 23, 2012

FrannyCakes and RSD

I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Fran Wiley of frannycakes while at the Gluten Free Expo in Chicago. Little did I know that we have more in common than being gluten free. She came out with her dirty secret that she has RSD. If you read my bio you know that I have RSD as well. After reading what frannycakes had to say I wanted to write about my experiences as well.
My series of evens started in Jr. High when I fell over a net in gym class. I was put on crutches and my left knee healed. I had problems on and off with it swelling but never thought much about it. Freshmen year of high school in the fall my knee swelled and the doctor put me on crutches. That was the beginning of the end of normal life. My knee and lower leg got to the point where it was cold, blue and even a sheet touching it would cause pain. The next four months I bounced from doctor to doctor getting no real answers except to tell me to pray that I don't have RSD. I was finally taken to Shriner's Children Hospital in Chicago when I was diagnosed with RSD, what every doctor told me I didn't want to have. At this point I had not walked in almost 6 months and was in extreme pain all the time. I endured extensive physical therapy and started therapeutic horse back ridding. I went into remission eventually and went on with my life living in mild pain.
Fast forward to 2 years ago and I had "Mommy thumb" from picking up my then infant son. We were getting ready to go on vacation and I took the easy way out. Which I knew I was taking a risk because any injury can spread RSD. While we were on vacation the pain started in and has gotten worse since then. I manage my pain with my tens unit, lidocain patches and prescriptions.
When I was in Chicago at the Gluten Free Expo I too was given the advice that a change in my diet or the GAPS diet would cure me. It is not that easy to "cure" RSD. Trust me we all wish it was. I was told when I was 15 that I would be wheelchair bound early in my life. I have fought hard to prevent that and I keep going as long as I can. With having two small boys I take time to make memories with them because I know there will be a point in time where I can't. I did not come here to be a downer but to offer support to a fellow blogger. It is a rough rode that those of us with RSD have but my goal is to live it day by day with the help of the great support system I have.
From https://www.facebook.com/SurvivingChronicPain

Friday, July 20, 2012

Fast Friday - Bread Sticks

This is an easy one that I love to grab when I need a meal in a hurry. I even use frozen pizza crust if I really want to cheat. My kids love these as much as I do! I forgot to grab a picture before we all started mowing down on them! So there are a few missing bread sticks. As I am posting this Caden is yelling, "Yum! Pizza! I found Pizza!"



Cheesy Bread Sticks

What you need:
2-3 Tablespoons of butter substitute
1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Dairy free cheese (I use Daiya)
Nutritional yeast (I love this stuff!)
Other toppings (pepperoni, onions, olives, etc) 

Directions:
Melt the butter substitute and stir in the garlic salt. Spread the garlic butter mixture onto the pizza crust and sprinkle on the nutritional yeast if using. Cover the pizza dough with the non-dairy cheese and any other toppings desired. Bake according to directions for the pizza crust. When done cut into strips and serve. We eat them as they are but they would also be good dipped into some warm pizza sauce.

What is your go to easy meal?

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Wonderful Wednesday - Orange Brownies

This summer Angela from Angela's Kitchen and myself have been doing a gluten free camping series. I have also teamed up with Bob's Red Mill to work on a camping series with them as well. (I camp all summer so this is what we really eat!) Today's recipe/technique is a bit different but is tons of fun. We are going to bake our brownies in an orange. Yep an orange and it really turns out yummy.

Orange Campfire Brownies
What you need:
1 Bob's Red Mill gluten free brownie mix
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp orange extract
1 egg
3/4 cup melted butter
12 - 14 oranges

Directions:
Cut the top off an orange and run a knife around the inside edge of the orange. You want to get most of the orange out because that is what we bake in. There will be some left in the bottom that you can't easily get out and that is alright. You can also try a grapefruit spoon but it works about as well as the knife does. After you have the orange hollowed out place the lid back on the top and repeat with the rest of the oranges. When all the oranges have been hollowed out make the brownie batter as directed on the package, substituting the orange extract for the vanilla. Fill each orange almost full with the brownie batter and tap gently to help batter settle in. Top with the top slice of orange peel and wrap with foil, making sure to keep the orange upright. Next place the oranges around the coals of the fire and turn every 2 1/2 to 5 minutes depending on the heat of your fire. They bake 12-20 minutes depending on the heat of your fire. They will still look wet on top of the brownie but that is from the orange top. Let cool a few minutes and enjoy!














They were voted as yummy.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Misc. Monday - Where do you can?

Watching kids play while the canner goes
Screen room and a great fan is key!
As some of you know my parents, my two boys and myself camp all summer. It is 12 miles away from home but it is another world where my boys are allowed to be messy, dirty and have fun. This also means that we can while we are camping all summer. The kitchen is nice but it gets crowded fast and the children are underfoot. My solution is to can outside. Yes, even when it was 100 plus outside but it keeps the heat outside, so inside says cooler.
Two at once!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Fast Friday - Zucchini Jam

The original
My mom is the youngest of 7 kids and she has 4 sisters. When my grandma passed away the boxed up all her recipes and they have been traveling the country via the mail to each sister. My mom currently has the recipes and it has been so much fun going through all of them. One recipe that we came across was for zucchini jam. Since we have zucchini growing in our garden right now, along with getting some in our CSA, we decided to make some. This is my new favorite jam and I will be making several more batches this summer. I made a few small changes to the recipe as I don't use real Jello and I don't wax jars. The end result was perfection and Caden now calls it the yummy jam.







Yummy Jam!
 Zucchini Jam (aka Yummy Jam)

What you need:
6 cups grated zucchini, no seeds
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package Sure Jell
6 cups sugar
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
2 3oz or 1 6oz package of Jello any flavor (I used Natural Desserts, which you can find here)

Directions:
Combine the grated zucchini with the lemon juice and cook till clear. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the Sure Jell, Sugar and crushed pineapple to the zucchini and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and then remove from heat. Add the Jello and stir till combined. Ladle into 12 half pints and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. This is also linked to: Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Wonderful Wednesday - Dutch Oven

Welcome to another edition of Camping Gluten Free. It is my turn this week and I have a treat for you. Dutch ovens are considered standard camping gear for many people, myself included, and I wanted to share some easy updated recipes. We will just pretend that the pictures are over a fire or camp stove when they are really taken inside my camper. Here in Central Illinois we have been hot and dry for weeks, so there is a no burn order in effect until further notice. I was going to cook outside and get some lovely pictures for you but the wind kept blowing out the burner on my camp stove. So I cooked inside but it works out all the same.
My Dutch ovens are the old cast iron ones; one has a lid and the other does not. If you do not have a lid for your Dutch oven you can use foil unless you are baking. In these recipes I use the Dutch oven as a cooking vessel over open flame or on your camp stove. You can use a Dutch oven for baking and then you want enough coals for the top and bottom of your Dutch oven to create equal heat. Now the good stuff!

Breakfast scramble
What you need:
Dehydrated potatoes (dehydrated) or parboiled potatoes
Bacon
Onion
Eggs
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Chop the bacon into small pieces and saute with the onion until the bacon is crisp. Add the potatoes into the pan and cook till desired colored is reached. Make a hole in the center of the pan and add the eggs in. Scramble the eggs and mix everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. This is great the way it is or you can use it as a breakfast burrito stuffing.


Another idea is to use your freezer meals that are already made. This way you can pull them from the freezer and pack them straight into the cooler. As they thaw you can use them for the next meal and have more space in the cooler.
A great one from Angela is beef and butternut squash stew, this one is on my cooking rotation.
I also use my ground beef stroganoff recipe because it is an easy hearty meal.


Ground Beef Stroganoff
What you need:
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
This is what it looks like thawed.
3 T gluten free flour blend
1 1/2 c beef stock
2 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

When you serve:
1 cup sour cream (or dairy free alternative)
Noodles, Rice, or Potatoes

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and onion in a large pot. When the ground beef is cooked through, remove the cooked ground beef and onion. Add the gluten free flour blend of choice and wisk to combine with the rendered fat left in the pan. Once the flour is mixed in smooth and is starting to bubble, slowly add the beef stock constantly stirring. It is important to stir well so you do not get lumps. With the beef stock added, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, the cooked ground beef and onion mixture to the pot. Here is where I cool the stroganoff base and freeze it.
To Serve:
Thaw the stroganoff and warm over medium low heat. While the stroganoff is warming cook desired noodles, rice or potatoes according to package directions. When warm stir in the sour cream (or dairy free alternative) and top with parsley when fully heated.

See how yummy it looks.














White Chicken Chili is another freezer recipe that works great in the Dutch oven.
 To make it extra special you can add the cornmeal dumplings that follow.
Chicken Chili with dumplings and cheese.


White Chicken Chili
What you need:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 4oz can of diced green chilies 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups chicken broth
2 (15.5 ounce) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

Directions:

In a large pot combine the oil, garlic, green chilies and onion and saute until the onion is soft. Next add the broth, beans, cilantro, lime juice, cumin and cooked chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. If freezing let cool and freeze in zip top bags or jars.

To Serve:
Thaw the white chicken chili and warm over medium low heat in a large pot. You can stir in sour cream, radishes, salsa or raw onion if desired. It is also wonderful with the cornmeal dumplings.


Cornmeal dumplings
What you need:

1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water

Very stiff dough!

Add them in.
Directions:
Mix together the cornbread mix and the salt in a large glass bowl. Carefully add in the boiling water and stir until a firm dough starts to come together. You will need to kneed the dough with your hands to work in the last of the cornbread mix. It will all absorb in to make a very stiff dough. Next take the dough and roll into quarter size balls. When you have all the dough rolled into balls carefully add them one at a time into the simmering chicken chili. Cover with a tight fighting lid and let cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid while they are cooking except to check how they are cooking after 15 minutes have passed. They make the chili nice and thick and round out the meal nicely.

All done simmering.















My Dutch oven will be making another appearance in August when I show you how to make campers doughnuts! What is your favorite topping?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Freezer Friendly - White Chicken Chili

This is another classic that is out of our cooking rotation that is an easy meal for during the week. To make it extra special you can add the cornmeal dumplings that follow.
Chicken Chili with dumplings and cheese.

White Chicken Chili
What you need:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 4oz can of diced green chilies 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups chicken broth
2 (15.5 ounce) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

Directions:

In a large pot combine the oil, garlic, green chilies and onion and saute until the onion is soft. Next add the broth, beans, cilantro, lime juice, cumin and cooked chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. If freezing let cool and freeze in zip top bags or jars.

To Serve:
Thaw the white chicken chili and warm over medium low heat in a large pot. You can stir in sour cream, radishes, salsa or raw onion if desired. It is also wonderful with the cornmeal dumplings.

Cornmeal dumplings
What you need:

1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water

Very stiff dough!

Add them in.
Directions:
Mix together the cornbread mix and the salt in a large glass bowl. Carefully add in the boiling water and stir until a firm dough starts to come together. You will need to kneed the dough with your hands to work in the last of the cornbread mix. It will all absorb in to make a very stiff dough. Next take the dough and roll into quarter size balls. When you have all the dough rolled into balls carefully add them one at a time into the simmering chicken chili. Cover with a tight fighting lid and let cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid while they are cooking except to check how they are cooking after 15 minutes have passed. They make the chili nice and thick and round out the meal nicely.

All done simmering.



Freezer Friendly - Ground beef stroganoff







I am going to share some of my recipes that my freezer meal group uses. We use this one because it is allergy friendly and you can add to it based on your needs. The base recipe is for one meal and can easily be multiplied to what you need.

What you need:
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
This is what it looks like thawed.
3 T gluten free flour blend
1 1/2 c beef stock
2 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

When you serve:
1 cup sour cream (or dairy free alternative)
Noodles, Rice, or Potatoes

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and onion in a large pot. When the ground beef is cooked through, remove the cooked ground beef and onion. Add the gluten free flour blend of choice and wisk to combine with the rendered fat left in the pan. Once the flour is mixed in smooth and is starting to bubble, slowly add the beef stock constantly stirring. It is important to stir well so you do not get lumps. With the beef stock added, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, the cooked ground beef and onion mixture to the pot. Here is where I cool the stroganoff base and freeze it.
To Serve:
Thaw the stroganoff and warm over medium low heat. While the stroganoff is warming cook desired noodles, rice or potatoes according to package directions. When warm stir in the sour cream (or dairy free alternative) and top with parsley when fully heated.

See how yummy it looks.


















Monday, July 9, 2012

Misc Monday - Recycled tops

Here is a quick and easy post on how to make tops using recycled items.

What you need:
Old CD or DVD
Marble
Plastic bottle cap
Paper
Hot glue gun
Marker





 Directions:
 Cut your paper to fit over the CD or DVD. Let the kids color the paper however they want. While the kids are coloring, hot glue the marble to one side of the DVD/CD. You will want to use more than you think you will need or it will come off. You also want to hot glue the plastic bottle cap to the other side of the CD/DVD in the middle of the disk. When the kids are done coloring, glue the paper onto the CD/DVD on the same side that the bottle cap is on. This can be done with regular glue so the kids can help. Once dry, give them a spin. They will spin for a long time and since there is not a point on the bottom almost anyone can get them spinning. My kids love playing with them and it was an easy to make recycled project.






Friday, July 6, 2012

Fast Friday - Peach syrup and jelly

I have a wonderful way for you to make peach syrup and jelly out of the bits you normally throwaway. Yes, what most of us never give a second glance to, the skin and the pits, can and do make a wonderful peach syrup and jelly. This means that you are almost getting it for free because most people throw them out in favor of the inside of the peach.
I had posted earlier that I had a bushel and a half of peaches but we were up to two bushels and a half. That is a ton of peaches and even more so in the camper. The truck that brought the peaches up from Southern Illinois had a flat tire on the way up so the half bushel we bought was mushed. They offered to replace the whole bushel and a half but we only took an another bushel. I know only right. I really wanted something to do with the peals and pits and I came across the idea of cooking them down to make juice. I took that idea a step further and made syrup and jelly from the juice I made.
As we cut and peeled the peaches (because they were bruised) the peels and pits when into the slow cooker. Later we blanched the peaches and those peels and pits when into the slow cooker as well. I then added in about 3 cups or so of water to cover most of the peach peels. I left room for the peach peels and the really bruised peaches to cook down. I let it cook overnight on low in the slow cooker and in the morning I turned it off to cool a bit. I used a slow cooker instead of slow cooking them on the stove because it has been 100 degrees or higher here in Central Illinois and I don't turn the stove on at all if I can help it.

Peach Jelly
12 cups of peach juice from your slow cooker
4 boxes of classic pectin
9 cups of sugar

Directions
Combine the peach juice and the classic pectin and bring to a boil that you can't stir down. Add in the sugar and mix well to combine. Bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring all the time for one minute. Remove from heat and skim any foam off the top. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for pints.

The one on the left is jelly and the right one is syrup!
Peach Syrup
3 cups sugar (sweeten to taste)
8 or 9 cups of juice

Directions
Strain the peaches reserving the liquid. If you want a syrup that is not dark and cloudy, strain again using cheese cloth. I did not do this which is why my syrup is dark and has small bits of peach in it. Add the strained peach juice into a stockpot along with the sugar. Heat over medium high heat until it comes to a boil, stir often to dissolve the sugar. The longer you let the syrup boil the thicker it will become. I left ours on the thin side to use for snow cones. To can process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes for pints.

Are you going to look at your peach scarps differently now?

This post is also linked to Frugally Sustainable on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #36.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy 4th of July!

Yes there is a small hand taking one.
I wish you all a happy and safe 4th of July. I'm spending the day working through two more bushels of peaches. This means that I will have lots of peach recipes coming your way soon! For a quick and easy snack today try making these. I set out bowls with blueberries, strawberries and mini marshmallows and let them go to town making them. Happy 4th everyone!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Misc. Monday - peaches

No post today. Between a bushel of green beans and a bushel and a half of peaches, I have been very busy. More great recipes coming soon!