Olive Garden Gluten Free Recipe Hack!

Have you ever found a great recipe and you think "Oh, never mind it's full of gluten." and then move on? Well, it's time for a change, look at recipes and see how you can adapt them. I use a lot of my old recipes and just change them up. Yes, I have had a few flops over the years, but mostly successes. Don't let being gluten free take away the enjoyment of cooking, there are plenty of wonderful tasting recipes out there that you can make gluten free!

Here is an Olive Garden gluten free (and dairy free if you need it that way) recipe hack, you will see in the original recipe in the link and I will share what I did to change it up so I could enjoy it!
Olive Garden-Style Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

Photo from 12Tomatoes

2 cups kale or Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped (I am not a fan of either of those so I just chopped up some fresh Spinach leaves and use that.)

1 cup heavy cream (I used about 3/4 of a cup of Soy Milk, you could use whatever you want, soy, almond, rice ect but use less than the 1 cup as it won't be as think as the heavy cream. If the soup is not thick enough for your family add a bit of cornstarch or rice flour or BetterBatter flour and stir until thickened to your liking.)

Sprinkle with your favorite dairy free cheese.

I had to leave out the garlic as it tends to give me issues.

I think turkey sausage would also work in this. I also think that a gluten free Kielbasa would be nice too, I think my guys would even like a grilled bratwurst chopped up in it.

Enjoy!!!

Thanksgiving Gluten Free Menu

Here is my gluten free Thanksgiving dinner menu, but don't tell, because it will be so good that nobody will know that it is gluten free! Works every time.

GLUTEN FREE DINNER ROLLS

They are a bit odd shaped but I like crunchy dinner rolls so I let them rise longer so they are full of air pockets. If you like soft dinner rolls just follow the directions on the package. These freeze very well too.

GLUTEN FREE PECAN PIE

I also made a pecan pie today and snatched a slice, it was wonderful! For the filling I use Aldi pecans, and for the filling I use Gluten Free Pecan Pie Mix from Calhoun Bend Mill.

I can't remember the pie crust name, but I bought it at Kroger in the frozen section. 2 pre-made (my kinda pie crusts!) gluten free pie crusts for around $6.00.

I plan to try the French Fried Onions from Aldi that I bought for my green bean casserole. I have not tried those yet. I will make those along with the mashed potatoes and gravy the day of the of our meal. 

May you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you don't celebrate our holiday please take time to enjoy your family members, whether they are near or far.

Moe

Announcing the MOST POPULAR BLOG POST of 2014!!!

Gluten Free McDonalds Iced Cheese Danish Recipe. Yep there you have it folks...the MOST POPULAR BLOG POST of 2014!!!

Anyone ever remember eating a McDonalds Iced Cheese Danish back before going gluten free? Those were my favorite with a nice hot steaming cup of coffee! Which would then turn into running to the bathroom for the next 2 hours, terrible stomach cramps and bloating. Well fast forward to today and see how this recipe was born. I had posted this recipe gluten-free homemade culvers butter burgers buns and as I was thawing out the buns and eating them one by one through out the month, I thought, hhhhmmmm something tastes familiar here. Well I came across a recipe for cheese danish that was made with gluten ingredients. I toyed with the idea of making a gluten free danish, and thoughts of the McDonalds Iced Cheese Danish began to dance in my head! lol.

So here is what I came up with...

Make this recipe with me...bake a batch of the above recipe from my link, using milk (whatever kind you want, not the water, I like the water ones with hamburgers and milk ones with the danish recipe).
After the buns cool, slice them in half to separate the top and bottom bun. Then whip up this recipe...

Filling:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese (dairy, light, non-dairy)
1 cup sugar (try fake sweetener if you like that instead)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar (I used corn free)
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 350* degrees and grease a 9x9 or 9x13 inch baking pan (depends on how many you make). Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg together until smooth. Place buns cut side up in the baking pan and spoon on the filling. Bake for 20-35 minutes until the top is golden brown. Top with glaze after cooling for 20 minutes. These are great frozen too. I placed them in sandwich baggies and have eaten them frozen for breakfast. Using soy milk 2 danish (equal to a full bun-2 halves) is 6 WW points. YUM!

Not burned, but caramelized, oh, these were mighty fine!

These were so good! They may not be as pretty as the ones from McDonalds, but my family loved them...lol. I made them some special ones just for them. I took whole wheat bread, buttered it, sprinkled it with sugar and then added on some of the filling, baked it just like above and added glaze after they cooled. BIG HIT!!
Enjoy!
Moe

Time For A Celebration!

Time For A Celebration! We have celebrated my 1 Year anniversary after having had my 2 handed lap assisted Sigmoidectomy with full mobilization of the splenic flexure (AKA Sigmoid Colon removed). Which turned out not to laparoscopic...lol and then I had an Anastomotic leak and infection. Yes, I am pretty much the patient that gives a doctor nightmares...lol.

 

These are made with Better Batter's Yellow Cake mix and just some icing I made with corn free powdered sugar & soy milk. YUM!

For those that know my story you can stop here at the cupcakes, grab one and enjoy! They are gluten free, corn free and dairy free too!! (with the exception of the chocolate heart on top). If you don't know my story read on below to learn more.
Hugs,
Moe

For those that don't know me, Jan 23, 2014 was a year since I had my surgery, a foot of sigmoid colon removed, I had done well got out in 3 1/2 days, then spiked a fever on day number 6 and ended up back in the hospital for 9 days due to a leak at my anastimosis. My recovery lasted from January until about the end of March before I could do much of anything at all (surgeon told me first of summer I would be up and running). I think I did well and had a GREAT surgeon and infectious disease doctor so that helped a ton! Having the Lord on my side was a major factor too :) So things have been going well in the year since surgery, I will tell folks that I still have weird sensations down by my large incision, sometimes it feels hot, cold, wet etc (even though it is not), I figure it's nerves healing, I have been told it can take more than a year for that to straighten out. I still feel slightly bruised when leaning into things, such as being short and having to reach into the bottom of the washing machine to get clothes out, once in a while I have a sort of stitch pain (like when you run too fast for too long you get that stitch in your side) on the left side behind my ribs, I think that is from the splenic flexure that I had done. Surgeon told me that they really moved stuff around in there...lol...YEAH! I could sure tell that. I guess after they cut out your bad colon, they have to carefully move it down and re-route it sometimes so that there is enough length to reattach you. YES!! I would have the surgery done again EVEN with everything I went though!! I will say the surgery was almost more emotionally hard than physically hard (even with the leak and infection). After the years of suffering, life is good! I've not had any of those weirdo slight fever/chills illnesses I would get every 6 weeks or so, in a full year. I would pick the same doctors too! Search out a GREAT colorectal surgeon, not a general surgeon and not a gastric surgeon, but a colorectal one if you need this type of surgery. It is so key to have a surgeon that has done many of these and is competent. 
Hugs,
Moe

Gluten Free Homemade Culver's ButterBurger?

 

Yep, here it is folks!!! A classic favorite around here. The Culver's ButterBurger! Only a Gluten Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free version. YUM!

 

I used the recipe World's Easiest Sandwich and Hamburger Buns that I found on Better Batter's website. This recipe was so EASY! After they cooled I sliced them in half, took one, spread on some margarine toasted it in a pan, spread on some mayo and mustard added, then added my hamburger patty and lettuce. Oh, my was this good! The homeschooled young man (gluten eater) ate one too and was pleased.

Check out Better Batter and see what YUMMY treat you can make. I needed something new since with the holiday festivities going on I was feeling deprived. So I found my new thing! I've got a dozen of these babies in the freezer.