Banana Muffins

It's a rainy day and we're all sick, so I decided to see if warm banana muffins might make us feel a little better.  They definitely helped!  :)  Even my husband - the Glutinator - couldn't get enough of them, and the cake mix I used was gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and nut free.

Banana muffins

Cake mix (gluten free, dairy free, or whatever mix your family can eat.)

3 bananas, mashed

Eggs or oil according to cake mix directions

Water according to cake mix directions

Preheat oven according to cake mix directions.  Mash bananas.  Stir in cake mix.  Stir in either the eggs or the oil.  If you want to save on calories, substitute the oil with the bananas.  If you have a family member with an egg allergy, substitute the eggs with the bananas.  Add in the amount of water specified on the cake mix.  Add in the water slowly because you may not need all of it.  Pour batter into sprayed muffin tins, filling one-half to two-thirds full.  Or pour into loaf pans.  Cook for the recommended time on the cake mix.

Spaghetti Sauce

You would be surprised at what canned spaghetti sauce has in it!  Not safe for many families that have food allergies.  This is a very tasty and cost effective spaghetti sauce recipe that is easy to make without having those ingredients that you might be allergic to - unless of course you're allergic to tomatoes!  It's a double batch so you will want to freeze half of the recipe for another meal.  If you don't have much room in your freezer, put in a gallon size freezer bag to freeze.

Use this sauce in any recipe that calls for spaghetti sauce.  

If anyone has any creative ways to use spaghetti sauce, I would love to hear it!  

We usually just eat it with corn pasta.

Spaghetti Sauce

2-2.5 lbs ground beef or ground turkey, cooked and drained

3 – 6 oz cans tomato paste

4 cups water

2 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

Pepper to taste

Cook and drain meat.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, and then let simmer until the rest of the meal is ready. 

Mexican Rice

My daughter LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Mexican rice!  She devours it when we eat at Mexican restaurants, so I wanted to recreate it at home - at a fraction of the price, of course.  This recipe passed her taste test with flying colors.

Mexican Rice

1 ½ cups white rice, uncooked

1-2 Tb canola or olive oil

1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 – 14.5 oz can chicken broth

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

 ½ green bell pepper, diced and sautéed, optional

½ medium sized onion, diced and sautéed, optional

Brown uncooked rice in oil.  Do this by placing rice and oil in medium sized pot and cooking over medium heat until the rice begins to brown.  If you wish to have green bell pepper and onions in your rice, there is where you would add them.  Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and salt to pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover pot – lifting occasionally to stir.  Cook on low for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.  

 This is what the rice will look like when it is browned.

Crepes

I love this recipe!  In addition to being delicious, it takes a lot less gluten free flour than pancakes.  And for those not requiring gluten free flour, regular flour works just as well.

I topped my crepes with homemade strawberry jam.  I got a water bath canner for my birthday, and strawberries were 98 cents a pound - so I made six quarts of jam!  I have to make pectin free jam for Faith - since she's allergic to pectin.  It tastes just as good, but it doesn't jell as well.

Crepes

½ cup gluten free all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

3 eggs

¾ cup coconut, rice, soy, almond or cow’s milk

2 Tbs oil

Whisk together flour, salt and eggs.  Whisk in milk and then oil.  Heat small sized non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Lightly spray the skillet, and pour in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan.  Use a large spatula to flip when the bottom is lightly browned.  Serve with jam, jelly, or fruit – they can even be filled with cream cheese sweetened by powdered sugar.  Or make savory with cheese and meat.  Makes about 6 crepes.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Yesterday was my birthday, so I made myself chocolate covered strawberries.  Yum! 

I have very fond memories of going to strawberry festivals when I was kid.  My favorite thing to eat was always the chocolate covered strawberries!  It was something I always looked forward to, so it's special to me to be able recreate such a yummy treat.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

1 cup chocolate chips*

3 Tb soy, rice, almond, coconut or cow’s milk

1 lb strawberries

 Wash and thoroughly dry strawberries.  If the strawberries are not dry, the chocolate will not stay on the strawberries very well.  Put chocolate chips and milk in double boiler over medium heat.  If you don’t have a double boiler, use a glass or metal bowl on top of a pot of water.  Stir constantly until melted through. Turn heat down to as low as it will go.  Hold the strawberry by the top, and dip the strawberry into the chocolate using the spoon to help coat the strawberry.  Place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Place in refrigerator until the chocolate has set.

*Many brands of chocolate chips contain milk fat.  Depending on your sensitivity you’ll need to be careful to find a brand that is dairy free.

I don't have a double boiler, so I use a bowl on top of a pot of water.

Coleslaw

Here is the recipe for the coleslaw that is pictured on yesterday's post.  I definitely use a food processor - that way I don't loose all the skin on my knuckles.  ;)

Coleslaw

½ head cabbage, shredded

1-2 carrots, peeled and shredded

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tb sugar

1 Tb apple cider vinegar

1 tsp celery seed

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Serves 6. 

It’s easiest to shred the cabbage and carrots with a food processor.