tostadas

most of our meals are really pretty simple. this is one of my favorites! tostadas! just buy the corn tostadas. i make it with black refried beans, lettuce, tomato, corn, cheese, onion and a dab of sour cream. so easy and good!

simple breakfast

one of the things i miss most about eating gluten is cereal. a good bowl of honey bunches of oats is/WAS the best. fortunately they are making many more cereals gluten free even Rice Chex is gluten free now. i eat a lot of granola, i can get my whole grains in with oats(this one has about 41 grams per serving) and i love it. this was just a simple Back to Nature brand granola, with no wheat. you have to make sure to read each granola label many of them contain wheat, most as a matter of fact. i loaded the bowl with fresh strawberries and since it was a really simple granola i added a drizzle of honey, i LOVE honey on granola! this was super yummy. another favorite breakfast is vanilla yogurt sprinkled with granola and berries and drizzled with honey!

Energy Bars

I found this recipe in family fun magazine, it is really easy to make and so good and good for you.

1 80z. bag of almonds ( i use a cup of almond meal from trader Joe's)

1/4 c. sesame seeds

1 1/2 c. of oats, quick cooking (i have used regular too)

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1 c. dried blueberries

2/3 c. maple syrup (real ,not pancake syrup)

1 tsp. cinnnamon

heat the oven to 275 degrees. lightly grease a 9 inch pan ( i have used 8x8 and 8x11 shown here a 9x13 is too big)grind the almonds in a food processor until they resemble course meal. combine ground almonds and remaining ing. in a large bowl and mix well, using wet fingers press mixture firmly into the pan and bake for 1 hour, watch toward the end, you want it nice and golden not burt. allow bars to cool completely before cutting- be patient. slice and eat!

i don't like maple syrup so i use agave nectar and a little squirt of honey. i have also used different things like green pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds or any dried fruit you have. it is very hard to eat just one!! this is a little pricey to get all the ingredients but you will be able to use them several times. i forgot that i also added a few tps. of flax meal. this is very healthy and easy to add to things you bake or oatmeal. anything i can get in there to make it healthier!

spinach, onion scramble

this is one of my favorite things to eat, not just for breakfast. scrambles are easy to make and very versatile. my favorite is eggs, spinach and onions but you could add ham or tomatoes or anything you want. i just whisk 2 eggs with a little milk, add in chopped baby leaf spinach and a little chopped onion. scramble in a greased skillet. sprinkle a little cheese on top.serve.

eggs are a good gluten free option, when i can't find anything else to eat i make an egg sandwich or make a scramble. they are a good source of protein but need to be eaten in moderation. omelets are also good but this is much easier.

gluten free bread

I order most of my bread from kinnikinnick.com you pay 10$ shipping for your whole order. i usually order the white sandwich bread,  sesame or plain bagels and some hamburger buns. i have ordered the pizza crust from them before. they changed the recipe a little and made them square so i am excited to try it again. they are very conveinent single serving pizza  that you can add any toppings you want to. this brand is available in many health food stores or  possible your grocery store. i can only get it at whole foods but i still just make a large order once a month or every other. the taste is good i just toast it all which makes it better as with most gluten free breads.

This is Whole Foods brand gluten free Prairie Bread, the package and the bread pictured above. i hadn't had this bread before. it is a little pricey, which most specialty food is but i really liked it. it has a lot of seeds and grains in it and toasts very nicely without getting crumbly. i don't eat a lot of sandwich bread but it is nice to be able to make a tuna sandwich or grilled cheese or a piece of toast when you want it. i just keep it in the freezer to have on hand.

chocolate chip cookies

i am on a constant search for a good chocolate chip cookie. can you tell which one is the gluten free cookie and which one is the slice and bake cookie i made for my son? the GF one is on the left. i bought a whole foods chocolate chip cookie mix , pictured above. i thought it was so great, they came out of the oven perfectly! crisp on the outside, soft on the inside.But, after they cooled they became very hard. i froze them and eat them dipped in milk because you can't waste cookies! i wouldn't buy this again though. i would rather make things from scratch but sometimes i try the package mixes for convenience and to try them. i am still searching...

Chili

i am going to have to learn food photography! Well this is a really easy and simple chili recipe. there are many many chili recipes out there, this has few ingredients and is easy to make especially when you don't have a lot of time. When i first started cooking i used a lot of those packets of seasoning but a lot of them have unknown ingredients and it is much healthier to just use spices then you don't have all the preservatives. of course in Hawaii chili is served over sticky rice so the top picture is the finished product. i showed kiley this on skype today and she was so sad she couldn't eat it!

Chili

1 pound lean ground beef. i really find costco frozen hamburger to be the leanest

1 small chopped onion

1 clove garlic minced

1 28 oz. can of tomatoes (diced, petite diced, or crushed whatever you like. this is petite diced)

1 15 oz. can red beans with liquid ( i don't use all the liquid)

1/2 tsp. of cumin

1-2 tsp. of chili powder (to taste i would use 2)

salt and pepper

i also do a few shakes of garlic salt

and a few spoonfuls of tomato paste for thickness and color

brown ground beef and onions. add garlic. drain fat. add remaining ing. and simmer you can simmer for as long as you want but you can do it for 20-30 min. and it is good. taste even better the next day. we serve over rice and sprinkle shredded cheese on top-yum!