Caramel Apples!

I love walking into chocolate stores and seeing their HUGE caramel apples on display.  They just make my mouth water!  About 3 years ago, I learned how to make them and decided to share with my mom and sister.  We were in a hotel and made 2 dozen of them... Yes that is probably not the best place to make them... but it makes for GREAT memories.  This is my daughter the first time we made them.... AS HAPPY as can be eating the leftovers in the bowl.

Here is our first attempt!  

 
I have come a long way since then but I still love making them.  I have probably made hundreds!

Since the allergy thing, it is a little more difficult to make them since all the store-bought caramel has corn in it.   I decided to make my own caramel and it is ALOT cheaper, and in my opinion tastes a lot better!

Caramel

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Eagle Brand Milk (sweetened condensed milk)

Melt butter and add the rest of the ingredients over medium heat.  Allow to boil for 10 min or until when you stick a spoon in and let it drizzle it is the consistency of pancake batter.  Insert sticks into tops of washed apples and dip into warm caramel.  Put on wax paper and place somewhere cool.  In the mean time melt chocolate.

The easiest way is to just melt some in a baggie, cut very small tip off of the bag and pipe squiggles onto the caramel apple.  You can see that I have dipped them in chocolate and covered with candy, nuts, etc.  I think the most popular one I have done is dipped in white chocolate and then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.  Happy Fall!!!!

FALLing for Salad

I LOVE SALAD!  I used to hate it... but then one day I became a grown up and now I love them.  

Most kids don't like salad, but for some reason my kids like it... they actually in reality probably like the dressing more than what is underneath it but hey, who doesn't!

My mother in law introduced me to what they call poppyseed salad.  I LOVE it.  It is probably one of my favorite salads.  So I took the basic idea of the poppyseed salad and added peaches... because after all peaches so much more delicious right off the tree!

Peach, almond, bacon Salad

3 small heads romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

1/2 small red onion sliced into thin strips

2 large ripe peaches sliced and cut into cubes

1 cup cinnamon & sugar almonds (recipe below)

4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 Bottle Brianna's Homestyle Poppyseed dressing or homemade dressing (recipe below)

Add all ingredients and enjoy!  The bacon and almonds get soggy if left over night so if you want to quickly put it together make all ingredients and store in individual containers.  Right before serving put all together!

I love this salad because it can be a side with a meal or you can add chicken breast and it becomes a full dinner salad.  

Cinnamon & Sugar Almonds

1 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Add all ingredients into shallow sauté pan.  Cook on medium heat until sugar melts.  Pour onto greased cookie sheet and spread out so very few are touching each other.  Let cool and then break big clumps into smaller ones.

You can also replace the peaches with strawberries & apples, strawberries & pears, grapes, mandarin oranges.  They all turn out yummy!

If you don't want to go to the store for the dressing here is a homemade version of poppy seed dressing that is FABULOUS!

Salad Dressing

1 Cup sugar

2 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp salt

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cup Canola oil

2 tsp poppy seeds

Mix all ingredients except for oil and poppy seeds.  Mix in blender then slowly add oil while blender is on low.  Mix in poppy seeds at the very end.  This usually makes double what you would need to do for the salad... but its always nice to have on hand and lasts for a long time.

There's not corn in that...

Every time someone finds out my kids are allergic to corn, they immediately are confused.  They think, thats just no corn on the cob during the fall time.  If that was all then my life really would be a lot simpler.  Then I start listing all the other forms corn takes in foods and they begin to realize it isn't just a simple fix.

Today I thought I would post some common ways that corn is labeled because yes, it is a little confusing!

Corn Starch
Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Glucose Syrup (This can be from wheat as well)
Maltodextrin (can be tapioca, potato and some others but most commonly corn)
Dextrose (this also can be from other sources)
Modified Food Starch
Powdered Sugar
Baking powder
Corn oil
Corn flour
Xanthan Gum

Of course these aren't all the ways but these are the ones that my kids react to the most.  You may be like me and be surprised that baking powder and powdered sugar contain corn.  It is because they are made with corn starch.  So yes, even if you make it homemade, and you didn't put any corn in, it can contain corn.

Because growing up with an allergy is hard at times, I have had to become really creative so that my kids don't feel left out.  I'm not saying that having a replacement is perfect but it sure helps out a lot!

How do I make it corn free when it calls for something so important as baking powder?  Luckily on the internet there is so much information about substituting.  The best thing I have found is

Baking Powder

1 tsp baking powder = 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

If you need more than 1 tsp

2 tsp baking powder = 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp cream of tartar + 1/2 tsp starch (tapioca or potato)

This has worked for my family perfectly.  If you have more than 1 tsp baking powder be sure to add the starch or your baked goods will look like volcanos... SUNK in the middle.  I have also found out that if you add an extra egg to baked goods with more than 1 tsp baking powder, it helps with the structure as well.

Powdered Sugar

1 cup white sugar + 1 tablespoon Tapioca or Potato starch = 1 cup powdered sugar

Add all ingredients into a magic bullet, blender etc and keep on high for 1 min.  Easy as pie!

You can also buy powdered sugar without corn but it is pretty expensive.

I love being able to make things at home for my kids because I know what is in them.  Yes it is more work than opening a package from the store, but it also helps them be aware of what they can and cannot eat so when they get older, it will be a lot easier.

If anyone would like any help with coming up with recipes/ substitutes for common foods, my next post will be common foods corn is found in and what brands don't contain corn.  Enjoy and Happy baking!

Green Chili Cheese Chicken Roll ups

For those of you who know me, know that I LOVE fall because it is chili roasting time.  Every year my family would get a bushel of Anaheim chili peppers, have them roasted, and then freeze them for the rest of the year.  We would all sit around the table peeling chili's... it just brings back good ol' memories.

In my garden this year, I grew ALOT of peppers.  Well they were finally ready to pick and I was
so excited to roast them.  We usually just use them chopped in Mexican food dishes but this time I wanted to make something that we could eat them whole...

You can buy Anaheim chili's at the grocery store and roast them for this dish... Here's how.

Wash chilis and lay on cookie sheet.  Place in broiler (500 degrees).  After about 3-5 minuted the skins on the chili's start to bubble and almost pop.  Turn chili's over and repeat in broiler.  

After the skins have bubbled on the other side, remove from oven and place in ziploc bag for 5 minutes.  This steams them so the peels come off easy.  Remove from bag and peel off stem, seeds, and peel.  You can dice them and use in other dishes or use them whole like this.

Green Chili Cheese Chicken Roll ups

2 large chicken breasts
4 anaheim chili peppers
4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
Garlic, Salt & Pepper

Cut chicken breast in half.  Pound all 4 pieces until they are 1/4 inch thick.

Season chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper.   Lay roasted, peeled, whole chili on top of Chicken Breast and lay cheese on top of chili.

Roll up and Season outside of chicken with salt and pepper.  Lay in hot skillet until browned.  Turn over and then stick into 400 degree oven for 15-20 min to cook the inside of the chicken.  Makes 4 servings.  Enjoy!

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Yes, it has been a wild month.  Yes, I'm still alive.  No, I haven't updated my blog, BUT I have been stock piling so I could have things to add.

I don't know about anyone else, but I can never seem to get all the bananas eaten before they are brown and mushy.  I have already shared with you a grain free peanut butter and banana muffin, but for those of you not interested in peanut butter, this banana bread is super moist and yummy.

I have actually made this one at least once a week (12 muffins lasts him quite a while) for the past month.  My son wakes up every morning asking for muffins... Yes he is in love!

GF Banana Bread

2 ripe bananas
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp guar gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup GF flour

Mix together bananas, sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs.  Blend until smooth.  It will be a very wet batter.  Mix cinnamon, guar gum, baking soda, cream of tartar, and flour and add all at once to wet ingredients.  Let sit for 10-15 min.  (America's Test Kitchen recommends letting recipes that have a lighter texture sit to rehydrate the flour better.  Although this is not a America's test kitchen recipe, when I let the mixture sit, it makes a less grainy texture.  This isn't a required step, but it can help improve texture :)

   I make mine in a square muffin tin at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. It will make 12 large muffins, or 15 regular muffins.   The last time I made this we put mini chocolate chips in the batter and it was super yummy!  As you can see from the picture... he was in heaven.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night we had a pool party with our neighborhood.  We all brought dinner and then a dessert to share with everyone else.  There are a few people that are gluten free so I wanted to make something they could all eat along with my son.  I always take something my kids will be able to eat... especially at parties so they don't feel left out.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup Gluten free flour (I use the America's Test Kitchen blend Click here for the recipe)
1/4 tsp guar gum
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Beat sugars and butter on high until fluffy.  Add egg and egg white and beat until smooth.  Add vanilla and baking soda.  Mix Gluten Free flour and guar gum together and then add to butter mixture.  Add chocolate chips and scoop by spoonful onto cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 9 minutes.

They turned out really soft and moist but didn't spread... always a plus!  If you bake the whole batch and then freeze the baked cookies they turn out really good and last a long time... especially if you only have 1 a day!  Enjoy!  (makes about 2 dozen)

You can also replace the vanilla with peppermint flavoring to make mint chocolate chip cookies... a favorite at our house.

Menu for the Week

I know it has been awhile since my last post.  Here is our menu for the week.  Enjoy!

Monday
Stuffed Peppers, cooked carrots

Tuesday
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas, edamame

Wednesday
Spaghetti Green Beans, 

Thursday
Breakfast for dinner, (GF and regular french toast, sausage)

Friday
Black bean and Salsa Chicken- Crockpot, fruit