Catching Up

Oh, hello there.  It's been awhile since I've seen you.  How have you been?  So much has happened since we last communicated in January, 2020.  Is that an understatement, or what?!  

So, I'll catch you up a bit on what has happened in my world in the past few years.  First, Covid happened to EVERYONE.  Wow did that shake things up and wreak havoc on the world!  As everyone was still trying to figure out how to stay safe during the pandemic, we were dealing with work as usual as the company my husband and I worked for (he's now retired, but I am still working for this company) is considered an essential business as we furnish farm and ranch supplies as well as essential items for home, gardens, automotive, hardware, etc.  While it made many of us nervous to have to still go to work every day because most of our jobs could not be done remotely, we were still very grateful that we weren't dealing with the isolation that so many had to endure.  I won't go into the difficulties we had during the pandemic because they were pretty universal.  Everyone endured hardships, loss and much more during this time.

We're coming up on two years since my husband was diagnosed with Stage II tonsil cancer.  After his treatment began, the oncologist called it, more accurately, neck cancer, as his tonsils didn't have any cancer.  Anyone who has gone through having a loved one with cancer or having cancer themselves knows that the next months were very difficult.  It has been over a year and a half since he finished his cancer treatments, but he still has effects from the radiation, though they are becoming less all the time.  His treatment consisted of radiation five days per week for seven weeks and then chemo once a week for the duration.  The radiation was on his neck so it affected his ability to swallow in a big way.  Much of his taste has returned, though some things still don't taste quite right to him and spicy food, which he has always loved, has been problematic.  He is getting to the point finally, where he can eat a little bit of spicy again.

We are very blessed that every check up he has had since finishing his treatment has been great!  He remains cancer free and we expect that to continue.  Going through cancer during the pandemic was extremely challenging and isolating.  Dave was out of work for about half of his treatment and for around 8 weeks after it ended.  The only places he went was the cancer center and home.  I fought to stay healthy so that I wouldn't bring any germs to him that could be devastating due to his compromised immune system.  We actually did really well as neither of us got Covid - until this past July.  I was worried how it would affect him, but as it turned out, it hit me MUCH harder than it hit him!  But, we are both doing well at this time.  I have had some larger flare ups of some of my Celiac symptoms simply from the stress of everything.  But I am working hard to take care of myself and have learned the benefits of rest and relaxation.

So, now that we have caught up a bit, I'm curious to hear from you and how you have been doing through the past couple of years.  If you have had Covid and have autoimmune issues, how did it affect you?

On to some fun stuff now.  Even though I haven't written a blog post for far too long, I have continued to post content on my Siouxland Celiac Facebook and Instagram accounts.  These posts include many gluten free recipes that I've been making.  One of my most recent recipes that I have made is a spin-off from my Great-Aunt Jean's quiche recipe.  This breakfast casserole is delicious and hearty and makes a big batch.  Allergen Alert: contains eggs and dairy

Hearty Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

3 C milk or milk substitute (I used unsweetened cashew milk)

1 C Gluten Free Bisquick

1/2 C + 2 T Canola Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt & pepper to taste

1 pound gluten free bacon - fried or baked (I baked mine - see notes below), then cut into bite-sized pieces

1 C shredded sharp cheddar

1 small package of frozen hash browns, thawed

1 small onion, diced

1 T dried parsley

1 T dried basil

1/3 C Feta cheese crumbles

For your bacon, preheat the oven to 400 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (I didn't have any so I just placed it directly on the pan - parchment makes for easier cleanup and cooks the bacon more evenly).  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on desired crispness.  This will be used in a casserole, so it doesn't need to be very crispy for that.

While the bacon is cooking, combine eggs, milk, GF Bisquick, oil and seasonings in a medium mixing bowl.  Mix together with a wire whisk until blended.  The batter will be a bit lumpy.  In a 9x13 casserole dish, use a tablespoon of oil to grease the bottom and sides of the dish.  Place the thawed hash browns in the bottom of the dish and spread them evenly.  Sprinkle feta crumbles and diced onion on top of the hash browns.  Pour the egg mixture on top of the potatoes, onion and feta crumbles.  After the bacon is finished cooking remove and drain on a plate with paper towels.  Let the bacon cool enough to cut into bite-sized pieces and then place them on top of the mixture so the bacon is even across the entire casserole.  Top with cheddar.

Lower the oven temp to 350 once the bacon is finished cooking.  Place casserole on middle rack in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes.  Cut and serve.  My husband loves this topped with some salsa for a little bit of a kick.

This casserole makes some pretty tasty leftovers, too.  I've enjoyed it for lunch a couple of days this week! 

Now it is time for the Catching Up Giveaway!!!  Yay!  I have help from a friend who is sponsoring this giveaway, Kallie at Fantastically Florida!  She has given me several items that she makes for the Awareness part of her online shop.  Here are the items offered in the giveaway.

Celiac Disease Awareness lapel pin, key chain and luggage tag are all provided by Fantastically Florida.  The necklace holds a small ball for essential oil therapy and is from my own label, Margo Makes.  In time for the cooler weather is a tall travel mug with herbal tea bags.  To enter:

1. Like and Share this post

2. Follow Siouxland Celiac on Facebook and/or Instagram (whichever you are on)

2. Tag 3 or more friends.  Every friend you tag is an extra chance to win.

Giveaway offer is open to only those in the continental United States.  Winner will be announced next Wednesday night, November 2nd.

 

Recipe: Gluten Free Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

I don't know where you live, but here in Iowa, winters get  very long and frigid.  Who doesn't love a hot, steaming cup of rich, chocolaty hot cocoa to make you feel warm and cozy on a cold, snowy night?  I have many fond memories of making homemade hot cocoa mix with my mom when I was growing up and it was so delicious!  I haven't made any for decades, so I decided that this was the year I was going to do it.  And it was well worth it!

Ingredients:

1 pound non-fat, dry milk

2 cups cocoa powder (I used unsweetened cocoa powder)

1 1/2 cups powdered coffee creamer

2 cups powdered sugar

Stir all ingredients together until well-blended and then pour into glass storage jars or a gallon Ziploc bag.  To use, place 1/3 cup of the mixture into your cup, add hot water and stir.  Mixture may be kept in a freezer bag in the freezer - as if you'll have it around long enough for that.  This recipe is so simple and tasty.  It is a wonderful flavor you won't be able to resist.  I add a peppermint stick or top with whipped cream and cinnamon.

You can double this recipe to split out and give as gifts to family and friends.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas from Siouxland Celiac!

Recipe: Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Autumn is much too quickly giving way to colder temperatures as winter moves into the Midwest.  The cooler temps bring certain flavors and aromas to mind such as hot cocoa, pumpkin spice (you KNOW you crave it!), cinnamon and many more that seem to go perfectly with this time of year.  One of the things I absolutely love is warm, sweet with a hint of tart, mouth-watering apple crisp.  I've played around with and developed this simple and tasty recipe.

This will be my last blog post until December.  Next week, with the Thanksgiving holiday, I will be taking time off to simply be with family, as I am sure most of you will be doing.  This past Thursday our Western Iowa Celiac & Gluten Free Living group celebrated early with a wonderful "Friendsgiving".  Everyone brought a gluten free dish to share and it was so much fun!

Members of Western Iowa Celiac & Gluten Free Living share in "Friendsgiving"

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
3 medium or 4 small apples, thinly sliced (I used 4 small - 2 Honeycrisp and 2 Granny Smith)
2/3 C packed brown sugar
1/3 C butter, softened
1 C gluten free granola (I used a nut blend granola)
1/2 C gluten free all purpose flour blend (measures cup for cup like regular flour)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a 9 x 11 inch lightly greased baking dish layer apple slices to cover the entire bottom of dish.  

In a medium bowl, combine  remaining ingredients using a pastry blender, spoon or your hands until mixture is crumbly.  

Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of apple slices.  Be sure to cover apples entirely.  

Bake on center rack between 30 and 35 minutes until apples are tender.  Serve warm with your favorite ice cream or whipped topping.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving from Siouxland Celiac!

Recipe: Grandma's Peach Cobbler

When I was a little girl my favorite dessert was my Grandma Orris's peach cobbler.  Truth be told, it remains my favorite dessert!  Flaky pie crust on top of sweet, tender peach slices - this is my ultimate comfort food.  Not only does it taste wonderful, but it transports me back to my childhood and happy memories with my grandma and then my mom, who also made this recipe a lot through the years.

💚🎉 Read all the way down for a special Giveaway contest!🎉💚

Since my Celiac diagnosis and going gluten free I've learned to adjust many of my favorite recipes from gluteny to gluten free by substituting, often just one ingredient.  There are many great cup for cup gluten free flour blends out there that you can use.  I'm fortunate to have some of my friend, Tina's flour blend from her former brand, Better For You Bakery still in my freezer.  While this brand is no longer available, there are many other baking and all-purpose gluten free flour blends out there that work well.  Any of them could be used for this recipe.  It is a simple recipe with tasty results.

Gluten Free Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 cans or  jars of sliced peaches in natural juice (Grandma's recipe used the cans with syrup)

Cobbler:

2 C gluten free all purpose or baking flour blend (use a cup for cup brand)

1 tsp salt

2/3 C + 2 T shortening (solid coconut oil would work well for this, also)

1/4 C water

Sugar or Splenda

Mix gf flour blend and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Cut in shortening.  Add water, 1 T at a time, mixing with fork until flour is moistened.  Add sugar or Splenda to taste to sweeten slightly.  Take dough and pat into approx. 2 inch round patties and approx. 3/4 inch thick.  Place peaches along with the juice in a 9 x 13 baking dish, evenly distributed.  Top peaches with the cobbler patties.  Cobbler recipe can be doubled if more of the cobbler is desired.  Bake at 350° until cobbler is golden brown on top, approximately 35 - 40 minutes.  Check if cobbler is baked through by poking with a toothpick.  Toothpick should come out clean.  Cooking time depends on how thick the cobbler patties are.  Serve warm topped with your favorite ice cream, whipped topping or just as is.

Gluten Free Flour Blends:

Gluten Free Mama

Bob's Red Mill

King Arthur Gluten Free Flour Blend

Pamela's Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend

Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes and I'm so happy to be able to share it with you.  It is a great recipe for fall.  To kick it up a notch, you could add a pinch of cardamom in the cobbler dough or maybe a bit of nutmeg to the peaches to really give it an Autumn taste.

I'm teaming up with my friend, Kallie at S2Soaps for a special Fall giveaway!

🎉🎉To enter this giveaway:🎉🎉

1. Follow @siouxlandceliac AND @s2soaps on Instagram
2. Like the post about this blog and giveaway on Instagram
3. Tag a friend

**Only those in the continental USA are eligible to enter.  Unlimited entries.  Each tagged friend counts as a separate entry.  All entries must be submitted no later than midnight November 1st. Winner will be announced with my November 2nd blog post.** 

Crockpot Jambalaya

Recently a friend from work brought something for lunch that smelled divine!  When she told me that it was crockpot jambalaya and gave me the recipe, I got really excited because it was all gluten free!  The next day my excitement grew because Diane brought a bowl of her jambalaya for me!!!  My work friends get me!  Diane gave me permission to share her flavorful recipe with my followers, so here it is.

Diane's easy crockpot jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 whole sweet yellow onion, sliced

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

28 oz (2 cans) stewed tomatoes with juice

14 oz Andouille Sausage (or another ring sausage), cut

1/2 tsp Thyme

Tabasco (to taste - or your favorite hot sauce)

12 oz package frozen cooked shrimp

Brown rice (I used a Quinoa & brown rice package)

*Don't forget to make sure that all of your prepackaged, processed ingredients are gluten free.  I look at the ingredients on the package even if the label says it's gluten free because I like to know exactly what is in the food I'm making.*

Place all ingredients other than the shrimp and rice in a 5 quart crockpot on low and stir together.  I added 3 shakes of the Tabasco.  How much you add depends on how spicy you like it.  

Cover and leave cooking for at least 4 hours.  Stir periodically to keep from sticking.  Prepare rice (or quinoa & rice mix) according to the package.  10 minutes before serving, stir in the shrimp to the mixture in the crockpot.  I added mine while still frozen and it cooked beautifully.  When the rice is finished, plate (or bowl) up and top with the crockpot mixture.  More Tabasco can be added if desired.

I love the simplicity as well as the variety of flavors that can all be tasted in this easy meal.  My husband is always a bit wary of new recipes that I make, but he LOVED this!  One bowl wasn't enough.  So, happy cooking and enjoy!  This is a meal that I will make again and again and again!  Thank you again to my friend and co-worker, Diane Worley for this delectable recipe!

And don't forget to check out my fundraiser for charity: water  You can learn more about this organization here.  And you can donate here.