Just an update...

I have started another cooking blog, using Aldi Grocery Stores as my inspiration. It is NOT a Gluten-free Blog BUT, when appropriate, I will copy over the posts here.

I just posted Cabbage & Eggs for you all to enjoy! :)

Cabbage & Eggs

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TRY THIS!!!

For the last few years we've been blessed with the opportunity to host Chinese Cultural Immersion Students. It's always such an enriching experience for us as a family, and for me personally. The gist is, they come here for "American Camp" and visit a few typical American cities (she's been to Las Vegas, Los Angeles & Philadelphia, and after she leaves us will spend a few days in NYC), they also live with American families and immerse themselves in the language and the culture. She's been here almost 2 1/2 weeks already. They do typical "American" things, tour our schools, firehouses, farms, etc. And learn about American culture. As well as sharing their own with us. The students spend half the day in class learning about America, then they spend the other half of the day on a field trip. As a host family, we get to attend as many of the field trips as we like. We've done quite a few with this group this year! But, one of my favorite parts of this exchange is that usually they teach me how to make an authentic dish or two while they are here.

This year, our student Ya Xian (yah sheeahn), aka Angela is 14, and a true delight. Ya Xian has an English name, Angela, because we Americans are complete doofuses when we try to pronounce Chinese names. I'm not kidding, you haven't lived until you've had 20 Chinese teenagers laughing at you trying to pronounce their names!. Angela and her classmates are from a town about 45 mins south of Hong Kong. They are definitely more like American teenagers than we've experienced before. She came with a laptop, MP3 player and cell phone. She texts with one hand - now the keyboard on her phone is English alphabet, when she types on the screen, though, it's in Chinese characters! WHAT??

I might be a little biased, but, we've got the best student on the trip! What strikes me about her character is that she, unlike most female Chinese Immersion Students we've encountered, is not afraid of anything! She was the first (and only) of the girls to swim during our welcome party, she's tried fishing, she walked barefoot in the creek and threw rocks with us, she's tried on a fireman's suit, she's played American games even though she didn't know the language well, she's played in the rough waves of OCNJ. Not only that, but she lets me take her picture! I'm surprised she's not blind from all the pictures I've taken. All the other girls hide from me when I bring out my camera and say "no, no, I'm ugly!" Not Angela, she turns towards me and smiles broadly. She's just great! Her bravery, and courage when facing new things is truly inspiring. She seems to have a true sense of who she is, and how valuable she is to her family, and this world. I am slightly concerned, however, that my youngest is going to stow away in her luggage and run away to China with her. They've gotten quite close. Here is our Angela:



Anyway, I digress, not to be one to shy away from a challenge, Angela wanted to cook dinner for us. Her father gave her a recipe and told her - over Skype, of course - how to prepare it (I want you to keep in mind that she NEVER cooked this recipe before, nor is it something she has at home often....I told you, BRAVE!). Tonight was the night. She prepared one batch and we ate it so fast, she had to teach me how to cook the dish and we ate the 2nd batch down equally as fast. Inhaled would be a better word. As odd as the words cabbage and eggs might sound in the same recipe, but PLEASE try it, I know that you won't be disappointed.

Oh, and the bonus? Not only is it delicious, but it is CHEAP!


Chinese Cabbage and Eggs

1/2 head of cabbage, shredded (.85)
3 eggs (.30)
Salt & Pepper to taste (.01)
1-2 Tbs Oil (.10)

In a small bowl, mix eggs with pinch salt & pepper.

Heat oil in large skillet or Wok over medium heat. Add cabbage and saute until tender crisp. Add a pinch of salt.

Add egg mixture and cook until eggs are fluffy and cooked. Sprinkle top with pepper. Serve immediately.

Aside from chopping, cook time takes about 5-10 minutes all told. Seriously EASY supper for 32 cents a serving!

* If you need to make more, I suggest making it in two batches so that the cabbage sautes and doesn't steam.

An Update....

Hello.

I had the endoscopy on 11/7. I should have final biopsy results soon. Initial reports say no Celiac. I'm going on the assumption that this will be what the biopsies say. I continue to search for the reasons of my health issues.

Regardless of the answer, I will leave this blog up. There are many recipes I really enjoyed, and I know others did too. Also, I love cooking, so I will ALWAYS have recipes that will be naturally gluten-free, and I will blog them here to share with all of you.

I appreciate your patience as I go through this process, and in so, reinvent myself again, at 40.

The view from the Wheat field....

Yes, I said it.

My health, continuing to decline despite my gluten-freeness caused us to redo the doctor route.

3 weeks ago I met with my gastroenterologist - a charming fellow who has the standard "Doctors are God" complex belittled my choice of self diagnosis on needing to be gluten free. Denied that he ever told me that my bloodwork was inconclusive, etc. And that all I have is IBS and he'll prove it by doing the endoscopy. Okay, maybe he wasn't that harsh about it - but said it between a wide smile that said "you are stupid". So...for three weeks I have been eating wheat in preparation for my test in early November. I have to say, I feel no different. I'm still tired, I'm still nauseous all the time, and I'm still have the same intestinal issues as before.

I do agree - however - staring down a lifelong denial of gluten, I'd really rather have conclusive evidence that I need to be there. And if I find out I am, in fact, a Celiac and I do, in fact, need to return to eating gluten-free, I will, with joy and newfound peace regarding it. I've come to know so many great folks, great recipes, and great foods since going gluten-free.

IF...I find out that I do not need to return and rejoin the world of Gluten Gluttons, I WILL leave this website here with the recipes that I've found, created, adapted, for others. They truly were satisfying substitutes, ones I'd be happy to eat the rest of my life.

I will keep you all posted. And if I come up with naturally gluten-free recipes on my other blog (www.in-the-kitchen-with-krista.blogspot.com), I will post them here as well.

So long (for now), and thanks for all the rice (not to mention tapioca, sorghum and millet!!).

so.....

I bet you're all wondering where the heck I've been....I bet you're waiting with bated breath for my next delicious concoction! I don't blame you!

I'd like to say that I've been on vacation, and that I'm sunning myself on a beach somewhere that there is no internet access! Well...that would be lying and my mother always taught me that lying was wrong. So...

My brand new oven has been out of commission for a month. Nope, not kidding. The first time I turned it on, the lights blew out and I heard a loud pop. Thought it was just the lights. Turns out it's a circuit board, but the warranty company is, shall we say, unintelligent and having trouble finding the right board and fixing it.

Before the guy came the first time (and he's been here 3 time in 5 weeks) the oven worked fine...just no lights. Now...it works, but the internal fan doesn't so that causes condensation since it's an in cabinet oven...so as to not ruin my brand new cabinets, I thought it better to forgo oven cooking until then.

Factor this in with hosting a cultural immersion student for almost 3 weeks, kids having Vacation Bible School and a travelling husband and you've just run into a point where dinner is hot dogs, salads and whatever you can grab on the go!

So...working on some stuff to get out there for ya, I promise. I'm thinking of making some Peanut Butter Truffles for the Farewell Party for our cultural immersion student.

Thanks for your patience.

:)

Summer Salad Monday - Layered Salad

So here's this week's installment. Yes, you think layered salad, and your mind harkens back to a simpler time, one of tuna-noodle casserole, Chex party mix, and green Jello salads. A time when we griped because the price of gas was 80 cents a gallon! THE HORROR! True. I was a kid in the 70's. True, I've eaten ALL of these things (well, except for the gas). True, occasionally, I even CRAVE them (again, except for the gas!!...Although...crave that 80 cents/gallon pricetag!)

This version of it is taken from a newsletter that my Mother-in-law, Carolyn, sent to us many years ago (well, not as far back as the 70's). I made a minor adjustment, by adding scallions.


Layered Salad

3 Cups Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
1/2 Cup Celery, cut diagonally
1/2 Cup Green Pepper, diced
1 Cup Carrots, shredded
10 oz Frozen Peas, thawed and drained
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 Cup Mayonnaise
2/3 Cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Dried Basil
1 scallion, thinly sliced
5 Strips bacon, cooked and crumbled


In a large, deep, glass bowl, layer lettuce, celery, green pepper, carrots, peas and cheddar cheese. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder and basil together well, fold in scallion. Pour over the layered salad. Sprinkle bacon over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy! (hey....this goes well with Tuna Casserole....EEEK...I'm just sayin'.....)

:)

You could also try a tex/mex variation of this:

3 Cups Shredded Romaine
10 oz Frozen corn, defrosted and thawed
2 medium tomates, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles??? Drained??)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup green/red pepper diced & mixed
1 small red onion diced
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded
1 Cup Mayo
2/3 Cup sour Cream
1 tsp each chili powder, cumin, garlic powder
pinch red pepper (cayenne)

Layer from lettuce to cheese. Mix mayo, sour cream and spices. Pour over top. When serving top with crushed corn tortilla chips!

Summer Salad Monday - Build-a-Better-Burger Salad

Okay, you've missed me right? Finally feeling a little better. Still covered in hives when I stop the meds, so we'll see what happens.

Thought we'd start fresh with Summer Salad Monday's again! Well, it is officially Summer now, too!

Here is one I made a few weeks ago. This is inspired by Cheeburger Cheeburger restaurants just up the road from us. They have the most fabulous burgers, which when going gluten free filled me with fear that I'd never eat again! Well...they do a Serious Salad there where you get to build your own! MMMMMM....I always do the same thing...A serious burger, smotherd in fried onions and mushrooms, bacon, and cheese. Served on my salad of greens with red onion, tomatoes and a horseradish thousand island dressing. MMMMM. I've come to trust them, but cannot go there every time I crave one! Oh well!

SO...I made my own!!!

I started out with a grilled burger and covered in slowly sauteed and simmered onions and mushrooms. I melted cheese overtop and served over a salad of romaine lettuce, sliced FRESH vine ripened tomatoes, and sliced red onions.

Okay, so where's the recipe you ask? Did you forget the horseradish thousand island dressing????

Horseradish Thousand Island Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman's)
1/3 cup ketchup (watch these! some are not gluten-free)
1 Tbs milk
2 Tbs sweet pickle relish
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbs Prepared Horseradish

Mix all ingredients together and serve over your Salad! :D