This stir-fry was one of the best I have had in a long time!  It was so simple, I  couldn’t believe that it was so good!  When we get Pei Wei take-out, I always get extra order rice. An extra carton of brown rice is $.50 – how does one pass that up?  By having that rice and leftover chicken in the refrigerator, all I had to do for this meal was to quickly stir-fry the snow peas.

Thai Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry

• 3-4 ounces chicken breast, cut up
• 1/2 to 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 to 1 cup snow peas
• 2 TBSP San-J Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce <—-This stuff is where IT is at!

1.  Saute snow peas briefly in a touch of extra virgin olive oil.

2.  Add cooked rice, chicken and 2 TBSP Thai peanut sauce.

3.  Cook until warm through.

4.  Enjoy!

I think the whole process took maybe 15 minutes and was the perfect meal to make after yoga class when I all wanted to do was melt into a chair.

**If you are using a rotisserie chicken, please check to make sure it is gluten-free.  Some stores offer gluten-free rotisserie (Costco), many don’t.

Don’t forget to head over to The FOGGY Awards and vote for Gluten-Free is Life aka. me!  You can vote once per day until April 30, 2012.  Thank you!!

(source)

The FOGGY (free of gluten) awards are given to those that shine light on the Celiac and Gluten-Free Community.

Voting has already started and goes through April 30, 2012.  Winners will be announced on May 1, 2012, which also happens to be the start of Celiac Awareness Month!  You can see the 2012 Nominees here.

Make sure to pay special attention to the “Top 40 Under 40” category, as yours truly was nominated along with some pretty wonderful people.  I am honored to be considered among the nominees and would love your vote!

So, don’t waste any time!  Head over and place your vote now!  You can vote once a day!  🙂

Have you ever been called for jury duty?  I have been called for the first time and will go twice this week twice again in a couple of weeks.  No, this is not an April Fools joke!  There is a possibility that I won’t have to go at all, but I have to be honest, I am kind of looking forward to it.  I am curious to see how the system works and it will be a nice change of pace for a couple of days.  I am not sure I would feel the same way if I had to go every day for a week or two.

Onto the meals.  Here is the plan for the week – let’s see if I can stick with it this week, shall we?

Sunday – Rotisserie chicken, brown rice, snow peas & salad

Monday – Chicken fingers, sweet potato puffs, steamed broccoli & salad

Tuesday – Fajitas, black beans, corn & salad

Wednesday – Grilled chicken fettucine Alfredo, roasted zucchini and salad

Thursday – BBQ pulled pork sammies (never made last week), steak fries, steamed green beans & salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Take-out

Week in Review:

Gluten-free Matzo for Passover

P.F. Chang’s expands their gluten-free menu.

Dogfish Head Tweason’Ale – new gluten-free beer review

Review: Pastariso Gluten-Free Instant Mac & Cheese

Review: 4 Ingredients Gluten-Free Cookbook

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win a copy of Elizabeth Gordon’s new cookbook!

Not too long ago I did a review of Boundless Nutrition Perfect Protein Cookies.  They were awesome!  If you can give me a good reason to eat a cookie, chances are I won’t argue with you.  In addition to the protein cookies, Boundless Nutrition also makes a line of protein bars: Oatmega 3 Wellness Bars.

The Oatmega 3 Wellness bars come in 4 different varieties:

• Dark chocolate peanut – Roasted Peanut butter with organic chocolate and oats – a healthy replacement for your favorite peanut candy
• Dark chocolate mint – Organic Oats and Organic Dark Chocolate combined with peppermint oils make a delicious snack that tastes just like your favorite Girl Scout
• Mocha – Delicious notes of organic chocolate with your favorite barista roasted
• Blueberry pomegranate crunch – A crunchy berry filled treat with the purest blueberry and pomegranate

I was sent one of each bar to sample & review.  I’ll get to my thoughts in a minute, but first wanted to share some of the benefits of the bars:

• Oatmega 3 Wellness Bars contain a proprietary mix of 3 Health Promoting Ingredients — EPA and DHA Omega 3, High Quality Protein, and Green Tea Antioxidants!
• Between 120-190 calories
• Between 10-14 grams of protein

The oats used in these bars are gluten-free (I made sure to check & double check before I sampled & reviewed).  I have now tried all 4 varieties and I think the mocha & the dark chocolate peanut were my favorites.  The flavor & texture of the bars was pleasant, and although there is fish oil in the bars, you can’t taste it!  Nothing like getting an extra bonus, right?  I did like the other varieties, especially the blueberry pomegranate, as it only has 120 calories and still has 10 grams of protein.  Protein is an essential component in helping to refuel after a long run or hard workout.  Those muscles that we work so hard to build up can’t repair themselves properly without the right fuel.  I used to be worried about calories & was hesitant to eat immediately after a workout because I knew I would be eating a meal within an hour or two.  Well, guess what?  I was only hurting myself by behaving that way; I would feel horrible after my long runs.  Since I have started to eat something high in protein and with a healthy dose of carbs within 30 minutes of completing my long run (on the drive home), I haven’t had a headache or felt the need to lay in bed all day to “recover”.  Now I eat on the way home and then I have time to stretch & shower before eating a real meal.  The real meal usually takes place 1.5 – 2 hours after my long run is completed.  I used to be a “scheduled eater”.  What I mean by that is that I ate my meals at a certain time & I didn’t like to get off of my schedule.  I have learned to let go and listen to my body, which knows more than my brain thinks it does.

The Oatmega 3 Wellness bars can be purchased online and in many stores across the US, including GNC and Whole Foods.  Have you tried the Oatmega 3 Wellness bars?  Make sure to check out Erin’s (Gluten-Free Fitness) review of the bars if you get a chance.

***The products reviewed in this post were sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The opinions stated here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

The new soft bread & buns hit the market earlier this month.  More information from Kinnikinnick:

While many gluten free breads are dense and less than palatable, Kinnikinnick’s new soft bread is baked fresh and quick frozen, so it is soft and moist once thawed – no toaster required!

The result of nearly a year of research and development, Kinnikinnick’s new soft bread formulations were developed to offer consumers the most appealing combination of taste and texture currently available in the gluten free bread category. In addition to being gluten free, Kinnikinnick’s new soft bread is also dairy free, nut free and certified OU Kosher, making it ideal for those with special dietary needs.

With a nice rise like traditional bread, Kinnikinnick’s new soft bread is made with no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors; is fortified with five essential nutrients; contains at least five grams of fiber per serving; zero cholesterol; and lower calories making it one of the most nutritionally sound gluten free breads on the market today.

The soft bread line will be available at select natural and mainstream grocery stores throughout the U.S. and Canada this March, and is currently available for purchase via www.kinnikinnick.com. The line’s new compelling package contains 25% more product than other gluten free bread alternatives (16 slices in a loaf compared to 12!), features a gluten free certification logo that indicates the product is tested and contains less than 5ppm of gluten, and highlights a smart phone scan code enabling consumers to immediately access information while in the store. The SRP is $4.99 for the sliced bread and $4.59 for the hamburger and hot dog buns, comparably less than other gluten free breads on the market.

I couldn’t wait to dig into the new products!  I love that they don’t need to be toasted!  Jon had a couple of hot dogs on the new buns & really liked them.  I had a Sunshine burger on the hamburger buns and plan on using them for BBQ pulled pork this weekend.  The sandwich bread is pretty phenomenal!  It is bigger than your typical loaf of gluten-free bread, though I wouldn’t say the slices are “normal bread” size.  The flavor & texture is fabulous!

I am loving the gluten-free bread that has been hitting the market recently – I don’t think there has been one that I haven’t liked!!  This is quite a difference from when I first started the diet over 6 years ago and good, pre-packaged bread was virtually impossible to find and if you did find it, it had to be toasted.

To see where you can find the new soft bread and buns close to you, click here.  The bread is also available through the Kinnikinnick website and shipping rates are a flat $10.00. Have you tried the new soft bread & buns from Kinnikinnick?  What did you think?

***These products were sent to us free of charge for review purposes.  The opinions stated here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything. 

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win a copy of Elizabeth Gordon’s new cookbook!

I love cookbooks.  I love to browse through them and of course cook & bake from them.  I remember being a little girl and sitting down on many occasions with my mother’s old Betty Crocker cookbook, which she still has in pieces, and paging through to make sure that I knew all of the recipes in the book.  I didn’t ever come close to making them all, but I wanted to be sure that I knew about them.  I remember cooking my first meal with my mom – fried chicken, mashed potatoes & some sort of vegetable.  It was quite the adventurous recipe for a beginning cook, but it was also one of my favorites.  After that experience I stuck to baking for several years, as I could make many of those recipes on my own.

My favorite part of browsing through cookbooks is looking at the amazing pictures.  The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook has no shortage of pictures.  I like to mark the pages of the recipes that I want to make with Post-It notes and my copy of this new cookbook may just have an entire pad yellow notes sticking out of the top of the book.  While Jon and I only need to eat gluten-free, every recipe in this cookbook is free of:

• gluten
• dairy
• soy
• nuts
• eggs

Elizabeth Gordon, diagnosed with multiple food allergies, experimented with different ingredients until she found the perfect substitutions for her favorite foods.  More about Gordon:

Elizabeth Gordon is the author of Allergy-Free Desserts and the owner of the online gluten, dairy, soy, nut and egg-free bakery, Betsy & Claude Baking Co. A full-time mother and formerly an eating disorder therapist, Elizabeth has appeared on The Doctors and her work has been featured in many national media outlets, such as SELF magazine. Visit her at www.myallergyfreelifestyle.com.

The book begins with an allergy-free dictionary of ingredients.  I love how Gordon explains the ingredient & the purpose for each one in certain recipes.  Next up is a section full of substitutions.  This section is great if you are missing an ingredient that one of the recipes in the book may call for.

Sections with recipes:

Breakfast Goodies – Do you miss Jelly Donuts, Biscuits or Funnel Cakes?  Recipes for those plus many more goodies are included.

Starters – Pigs in a Blanket, Pot Stickers & Italian Wedding Soup are included in this section.

Salads – Avocado Salad, Tabbouleh (made with quinoa!) and Charoset (looks & sounds amazing!) all caught my eye!

Condiments, Dressings, and Basics – Love the Dijon Vinaigrette!  I am also looking forward to the Tomatillo Salsa & homemade Ranch Dressing!

Main Courses – Shepard’s Pie, Tamale Pie, Stuffed Peppers, Black Bean Burgers & Individual Chicken Pot Pies are all on my list of foods to make from this section.

Sides – Hush Puppies.  Enough said.  Okay, seriously, there are many great looking dishes in this section – Potato Latkes, Irish Soda Bread, Rosemary Smashed Potatoes.

Desserts – Mint Thin Wafers, Golden Sponge Cakes w/ Cream Filling (aka Twinkies*), Smores Cookies, Whoopie Pies and Pumpkin Pie Bars w/ Oatmeal Raisin Crust.

The end of the book has a section on where to shop for specific ingredients that are used throughout the book, which is very useful.  Nothing like finding a recipe that you want to make and not being able to find a key ingredient.  Kudos to Gordon for including this!

*My personal opinion.

Now, how would you like to win a copy of this new cookbook?  Just follow the simple instructions below to enter to win!

Continue reading →

I was surprised that the skin of the kumquat is eaten right along with the rest of the fruit.  It looks a lot like the skin of an orange, but it is much thinner and it isn’t tough to chew at all.  The skin is actually the sweeter part of the fruit, while the flesh/inside is the more tart part of the fruit.

More about kumquats:

Fortunella margarita, also known as the oval kumquat or the Nagami kumquat, is a close relative to Citrus species. It is a small evergreen tree, that can reach more than 12 ft (4 m) high and 9 ft (3 m) large. It is native to southeastern Asia, and more precisely to China. The oval kumquat has very fragrant citrus-like white flowers, and small edible oval orange fruits. The oval kumquat is an ornamental little tree, with showy foliage, flowers and fruits. It is also fairly frost-hardy, and will withstand negative temperatures such as 14 °F (-10 °C), and even a little lower for very brief periods. It can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 9 and warmer, but can also be tried in sheltered places, in USDA hardiness zone 8. Unlike most citrus species, the oval kumquat has a shorter growth period, and goes into dormancy fairly earlier in autumn. This partly explains its better frost hardiness.

Kumquats are often eaten raw. As the rind is sweet and the juicy centre is sour, the raw fruit is usually consumed either whole—to savour the contrast—or only the rind is eaten. The fruit is considered ripe when it reaches a yellowish-orange stage and has just shed the last tint of green.

Culinary uses include candying and kumquat preserves, marmalade, and jelly. Kumquats can also be sliced and added to salads. In recent years kumquats have gained popularity as a garnish for cocktail beverages, including the martini as a replacement for the more familiar olive. A kumquat liqueur mixes the fruit with vodka or other clear spirit. Kumquats are also being used by chefs to create a niche for their desserts and are common in European countries.

Potted kumquat trees at a kumquat liqueur distillery in Corfu.

The Cantonese often preserve kumquats in salt or sugar. A batch of the fruit is buried in dry salt inside a glass jar. Over time, all the juice from the fruit is diffused into the salt. The fruit in the jar becomes shrunken, wrinkled, and dark brown in colour, and the salt combines with the juice to become a dark brown brine.

In the Philippines and Taiwan, kumquats are a popular addition to green tea and black tea, either hot or iced.

In Vietnam, kumquat bonsai trees (round kumquat plant) are used as a decoration for the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday. Kumquat fruits are also boiled or dried to make a candied snack called mứt quất.

Variants of the kumquat are grown specially in India.

(source)

I don’t see myself going as far as to make jelly with the kumquats, but I did enjoy eating a handful of them chilled out of the refrigerator.  Have you ever tried a kumquat?  What did you think?  Do you have a recipe that you use them in?

When I was thinking about dinner on Friday, I couldn’t decided between pizza, my Friday staple, or rotisserie chicken that I had just picked up from the store.  They both sounded good, so what does a food blogger do?  She combines the 2 together.  I have never been shy about combining foods.  I recall mixing up food into one large bowl as a child & family members would just shake their heads. 

Doesn’t that look good?

Roasted Chicken & Asparagus Pizza

Ingredients:

Udi’s pizza crust

1/4 cup pizza sauce (I used Kroger)

3-4 ounces roasted chicken

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped asparagus (I previously roasted the asparagus)

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Frank’s Red Hot (optional – sprinkle on top before eating)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven as directed on the Udi’s pizza crust package. 

2.  Top crust with sauce, asparagus, chicken, mushrooms & cheese.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Check progress & bake until cheese is melted or the crust begins to brown.

3.  Slice & enjoy. 

I see this pizza making another appearance very soon in our house!  This served one (me), but ingredients can be adjusted to accommodate more people. 

Spring break is over.  Kids are headed back to school tomorrow.  Time to get back to the routine.  Oh, wait, my routine will no longer be the same.  In addition to writing, I was watching a friend’s little boy every day.  They ended up moving, so now I am going to focus on finished up my NASM personal training certification and writing.  What I need to do first, though, is to develop a schedule of some sort so that I can stay on track.  My goal is to take the NASM CPT exam by the end of May (I have until the end of June).  I am about a third of the way through the curriculum right now. 

Flower in our backyard – so early!

This first week will be an experiment in what works best for me in terms of study time, writing time, workouts, family & household duties.  I hope to shift my workouts from 5 AM until after I get Hannah to school so that I can hopefully get on a better sleep schedule.  I realize this will take some playing around, hence the “experiment week”.  Oh, can’t forget, I got called for Jury Duty in April.  Good times.

Sunday – Thai peanut salmon, mashed sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli & salad

Monday – Italian chicken breasts, gluten-free pasta, green beans & salad

Tuesday – Taco Tuesday, refried beans, corn & salad

Wednesday – BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, steak fries, sauteed zucchini and salad

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday –Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Take out

Weekly Recap

If you miss rye bread, please check out this review of Canyon Bakehouse Colorado Caraway.

I glutened a meal that my sister was trying to make gluten-free. 

Udi’s debuting new products this summer.

Review: Schar pizza crust – Jon’s new favorite!

Participate in this poll on the gluten-free diet: weight loss or gain.

Have a great week!!