Settling In

Oh how I long to be back. Packing, moving to another state and unpacking has all together consumed my life. I do long to be back in the kitchen creating and blogging about it. Please be patient...do not give up on me...I will be back.

XOXO

Red Beans and Rice

With summer right on my heals a couple weeks back, I began looking for some easy gluten free and dairy free slow cooker meals. They are super easy for summer days when you don't want to cook but just be outside all day or the rushed Sunday after church meal. Never underestimate what you can get done in a slow cooker. Trevor loves Red Beans and Rice, and lets face it...its cheap to make. That's a definite win in this family, where the grocery bill is often the most expensive thing outside of rent. YIKES!! However, it is a sacrifice we make in our family and it is worth every penny.

Red Beans and Rice

serves 4-6 prep time 20 minutes cook time 4-6hrs

2 1/2 cups Organic Gluten free chicken broth

2 14oz cans Organic fire roasted tomatoes

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced

2 15oz cans Organic red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 15oz cans Organic pinto beans or black beans

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne powder

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp Gluten free Worcestershire sauce

1 lb smoked sausage or turkey

1 tsp brown sugar

4-6 servings of brown rice

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low or high according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve over rice.

Virtual Cookbook

{Isaac photographed by A. Shore Photography}

This is a dream come true. I love the Gluten Free Goddess' blog already for her beautiful food photography and the yummy food she makes, but she takes looking for recipes to a whole new level. If your looking for a quick easy way to find your weekly meals...check this out.

You can thank me later!! Happy hunting and cooking.

Fritters.Potato Salad.Baby Herb Salad

On Wednesday May 4th, a group of people in the Gluten-Free community gathered together in DC to bring publicity to the neglect of the FDA to put stricter regulations on Gluten Free food labeling. It was a grass root effort led strongly by Jules Shepard and so many others. Please take a look at what they did at the Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit 2011. Its a very important cause for those who struggle with Celiac or Gluten Intolerance/Sensitivities.

Corn Shrimp Fritters by Silvana Nardone

Makes 15 Prep Time 15 min Cook Time 12 min

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1 cup chopped shrimp

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp ground cumin

2 eggs

1/2 cup Silvana's All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp salt

Baby Herb Salad With Roasted Edamame

Organic Baby Herb Salad

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

grape tomatoes

1/2 small zucchini, sliced and quartered

Sundried Tomato & Garlic Organic Vinaigrette

Roasted Edamame, for topping

Toss and top with Edamame.

Potato Salad With Pickles and Mustard Vinaigrette by Silvana Nardone

Serves 4 Prep Time 15 minutes (plus chilling) Cook Time 15 minutes

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped sweet pickles

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup EVOO

Salt & Pepper

Creamy Zucchini Bake

I made this yummy meal the other night. I found it on Gluten Free Goddess' website a while back and have been looking forward to making it. Check it out here.

Chicken Tacos With Black Beans

What a great Saturday we had this weekend. It was beautiful outside and full of activity. We started the day with baseball, then the boys went to Frankie's and played putt putt, then a good light dinner and after the kiddos went to bed Trevor and I watched a movie...Fair Game, with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. If you haven't seen it don't watch it...it was incredibly boring.

We had Chicken Taco's with Black Beans for dinner. It was delicious and light. Which I love. Oh and it was very easy to make.

The picture above I ripped off the Internet...Why you ask? Because when it was picture time at my house, my camera was dead!! UGH! I do hate when that happens. This was the closest I could find to my tacos.

Chicken Tacos

Serves 4 Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 3 hours

2 chicken breast

1 bell pepper slices

1 onion sliced

1 Organic taco seasoning

10 Corn tortillas

Garnishing:

1 can Organic refried beans

Guacamole

Salsa

Place the chicken, bell peppers and onions into a slow cooker, in that order. Pour the taco seasoning on top. Cover and cook for three hours. Once the chicken is done, shred it and toss back in with the seasoned bell pepper and onions. Mix well.

Black Beans

Serves 4 Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 1 hour

1 can Organic black beans

1/2 onion chopped finely

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

dash of Tabasco sauce

In a saucepan add all the ingredients above. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour.

The Charleston

Our trip to TN to find a home was very successful. After a couple of days and many house we found a neighborhood, Blackman Farms, that we really liked and the homes were just what we were looking for.

We went with a brand new existing home rather than taking 6 months to build. We had it narrowed down to two homes. The Bayfield and The Charleston {names given by the builder, not us...haha}. I was hoping for the Bayfield and Trevor was wanting the Charleston. After several walk throughs {sp?}, I was swayed. We love this home.

The interior is very open and has space to hopefully one day house a college student {my dream of a boarding house is getting closer}. With this home our back yard will connect to a "Common Green Space" (a sodded & landscaped football field size recreation space). This will be perfect for our kids to play on, meet neighbors, have City Church gatherings and so so much more. It is perfect for missional living, the very thing we prayed for as we looked for a home.

We are waiting for the contract on the home to come in the mail today and praying God will work out all the details.