Happy Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Meal Tips on a Budget

I've decided to compile most of my personal gluten-free recipes into an ebook soon. For now, I would like to share some homemade budget friendly gluten-free tips. As always if you aren't sure it is gluten free, even if it is listed gluten free on my blog, double check ingredients and with the product's manufacturer also.

I will be cooking a turkey in the oven slowly, all buttered, salt and peppered inside and out and stuffed with freshly chopped veggies (carrots, celery, and red onion).
Tonight I made my sides for reheating, and I will make more on the day of, green jello salad made with pears, apple pie and chocolate chip cookies (this one for my kids!).
Photos coming soon!

Thanksgiving Gluten-Free Sides Tips: Healthy with less salt and fat.

Pumpkin Pie Custard:
8"x11" Baking Dish (Medium size)
Libby's Pumpkin Pie Large Can 29 oz (1 pound 13 oz)
Salt
Cinnamon
Ginger
Cloves
Sugar
2 Eggs
Evaporated Milk (part of can, usually found in 12 oz size)


Sweet Crust: 
Gluten Free Bisquick
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Butter
Powder Sugar

Melt 3 tablespoons Butter with
1/2 Cup Sweet Cond. Milk into microwave 30 seconds
or heat slightly.
Stir in 1/2 Cup GF Bisquik
Stir in 1/4 Cup Powder Sugar
For this dish, prebake crust slightly at 350 F for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
Prepare Pumpkin pie as directed on large pumpkin can, substitute egg and evaporated milk amounts to 2 eggs and only 1/2 cup of Evap. Milk. Stir all ingredients thoroughly. Pour over slightly heated crust, spreading evenly. Bake as directed on can. 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350 F for 40-50 minutes. Watch near the end to prevent over cooking.


Mashed Potatoes:
Medium Size Pot
10 regular size Baking Potatoes
Sea Salt
Pepper
Butter
Evaporated Milk
Peel, slice and boil potatoes with sea salt in water until soft.
Drain.
Mash with a potato masher.
While hot, stir in 5 tablespoons of butter.
Add 1 tsp Salt and 1 tsp Pepper
Add evaporated milk about 3/4 Cup (left over from 12 oz Pumpkin Pie Custard)
Stir well and Serve.


Quick Sweet Yams:
Medium Size Pot
5-8 yams
Can of Pineapples
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar

Peel, slice and boil until soft.
Drain
Mash with a Masher Utensil
add about 1/4 Cup Pineapple Juice (from Can of Pineapple Chunks or Slices)
Make sure not too much liquid.
add 1 teaspoon Cinnamon.
Add 1/2 cup Brown Sugar.
Stir together and Serve.

Variation:
Place in oven safe bowl or dish  and place large Marshmallows to cover over top. Put dish in preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes, to melt marshmallows or make them golden. 
 



French String Beans:
Fresh String Beans or Can
Mix with a little Chicken stock
Salt and Pepper
Heat thoroughly and Serve.


Fresh Cranberry Sauce:
1 Package of Whole Cranberries
1 Cup Water
1- 1 1/2 Sugar (more for jellied cranberry sauce)
Boil and stir frequently about 10 minutes.
Chill and Serve.

Yummy Hot Chocolate Tips... Ghirardelli Alysa Good Stuff Favorite

 Time to warm up! Alysa Good Stuff Favorite!

photobucket.com: by, 1bigfam_bucket

Best Hot Chocolate: Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate!
Tips: Add a few marshmallows or a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with Ghirardelli dark chocolate grated shavings. For a Mexican flavored drink, add Cinnamon. During Christmas time stir with a candy cane for a minty treat! Get cozy and read my blogs or a nice good book or movie.

For your Review:
Any Gluten in Ghirardelli Chocolate? As far as I know the plain Ghirardelli Chocolate and Cocoa are gluten-free. I am a chocoholic, and Ghirardelli is my top Alysa Good Stuff favorite chocolate, that I have not had adverse reactions to. I first tried Ghirardelli as a child in San Francisco where Ghirardelli first started, I fell in love with dark chocolate there and still it is my favorite! To be sure your chocolate is gluten-free, check your ingredient labels and always when in doubt, check with the manufacturer.


Resource Links:
Ghirardelli Allergy Information
Ghirardelli Chocolate Gluten-Free?

Listeria Contamination Food Warning Cantaloupe US Sep 2011

September 28, 2011 

Listeria found tainted in Cantaloupe from Jensen Farms in Colorado. Listeria can cause an infection even a couple months later after ingesting it. Be sure to throw out suspected contaminated Cantaloupe, don't risk it if you don't know. Contact the store you purchased it from to verify where it was grown. 


Be healthy eat healthy and safely! More information: Click here.

A lot of Great Gluten-Free Products + Gluten Free Recipes are in the Works!

How I wish I were given a store front bakery or eatery! I'd give gluten free-ers a place to hang like at a Starbucks but gluten-free style. We need gluten-free bakeries right?

Coming soon: My favorite Gluten-Free foods you may not know are gluten-free and easily attainable at the grocery stores or Wal-mart. 

Coming soon Gluten-Free Recipes: Lemonade Cake, Pancake Balls, Peachy Coffee Cake, Cakey Brownies, Frenchy Bread Pizza Casserole, Quick Sushi Rolls, Shrimp and Dip, Cornbread, Home Fries, Off the Stick Corndoggies, Potato Chip Nuggets, Homemade Corn Tortillas, Quesdilla-Tostadas, Garlicky Bread Sticks, Thousand Islandish Dressing, Creamy Apple Cider Dressing... LOTS MORE TO COME... 

BAKING GLUTEN-FREE Tips for Different Diets; Make your own Gluten-Free Flour Mix

This is a toughy, I have tried different gluten-free products, baking mixes, cake mixes and flour mixes over the years (I will list my recommendations in another blog!) and yet I am always on the taste-test look out for the best of the best gluten-free products, especially baking mixes so I can bake my own favorite recipes. Like the ones I miss after going gluten-free.

For awhile Pamela's baking mix was my choice for all purpose baking, but now, I tend to like Betty Crocker's Bisquick. It's always good to add other flours if you like to experiement and add grains for health. I even like to shake in some flax seed meal when baking for added health benefits.

Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Bisquick and Betty Crocker Cake Mixes
Pros: good all purpose use, good taste
Cons: Small box, High price: over $5.00, Not a lot of health benefits

Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix &
Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Brownies Mix
Pros: Tastey, Yummy, Delicious! Makes goey or cakey brownies (2 or 3 eggs), good soft or crisp cookies- small or large cookies.
Cons: Under $5 would be better price, Brownie mix sticks to pan so butter/oil it up good first, I'd like a easy sugar cookie mix that I could vary for other cookie favorites.


Betty Crocker has done a great job with her quick and easy baking boxes available at big grocery chains, if not ask if your store will carry it. They are small boxes of the cake and Bisquick, but the size for cookies and brownies is just right. For a 2 layer cake you need to buy two mixes- to make a cake will cost around $10.00. Betty Crocker Frosting is gluten-free (check the label to verify), but I like to make my own with simple ingredients- butter, vanilla, cocoa, powder sugar, milk. I will post more recipes in other blogs.

BIG TIP!

For Moist Baked Goods:
If you can have diary- add a tablespoon of gf sour cream to all your baked goods, especially cookies and cakes.  
For lower fat- substitute sour cream with a tablespoon of  low fat/non-fat gf yogurt (plain/vanilla).  
For dairy free eaters- add a tablespoon of applesauce (or pearsauce if you can't have apples).

If it calls for butter- and you cannot have dairy (casein free) substitute your dairies with oil (Canola or light olive oil or coconut oil might be best since it has a thicker consistency plus nice taste-experiment with this one)

Sugar-free? My favorite all natural sweetener is Stevia. Stevia is extra sweet, so you won't need as much. Also white grape juice from concentrate, all natural jellies, and natural Rice syrup, Agave or Maple syrups. Of course, use your best judgement as far as mixing your dry and wet ingredients to the desired consistency for baking. You may also need to experiment some with this.

I'm always on the look out for good tips and information on gluten-free foods, and will share anything I find to be worthwhile gluten-free reading. I stumbled on this site and found a good post about gluten-free grains:
http://glutenfreemommy.com/gluten-free-grains-101-the-best-flour-blend/

Let me know any comments or your thoughts about your favorite gluten-free mixes!

SPINACH FOOD RECALL August 2011 Fresh & Easy

photo by grapes_and_grain photobucket.com

Fresh & Easy Spinach recall affecting Arizona, Neveda, and California. Fresh and Easy recalled their bagged spinach for possible contamination of Listeria! Please return your dated "enjoy by" August 01 to the store this is recalled.
Listeriosis is a potentially fatal disease. Symptoms are high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea.
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-fresh-and-easy-spinach-recall,0,5911305.story

Welcome! Post your Questions and Gluten Free Comments and get Support... Yes, Eating Gluten Free Gets Easier

Welcome to my blog, Gluten Free living is gaining popularity... for a reason, a real health reason!

This blog is for support, for a place to have a gluten-free voice, or just know you are not alone out there in what your going through!

Hi, my name is Alysa... blog name Alysa Good Stuff. I like good stuff! Including, good gluten-free food. 

I am happy to be gluten-free, I feel healthier and will never go back to wheat. I was very ill with stomach pain, fibromyalgia, and basically vitamin deficiencies, malabsorption and weight loss. I am undiagnosed, when I went to the doctor 6 years ago, not one doctor I tried, even homeopathic questioned celiac disease or intolerance to gluten, I heard take this pill, or it's in my head- try anti-depressant pills. It was terrifying and I was angry, feeling unheard about my body's health state. I tried the gluten-free diet on my own after relating to symptoms I read in a vitamin store health magazine, and thank God- I don't know where I would have been if I hadn't got that magazine any later, and thanks Mom, you brought it home to me. I will never go back to wheat/gluten.
If you have recently been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity or gluten/wheat allergy and have been told to start a Gluten-Free diet or relate to the symptoms... Give it a try, and don't fret! It gets easier, I want to help little by little to be a support or GF friend! This blog is free for comments and suggestions, just remember with any tips, even mine, be sure to check with your doctor, or as for food check ingredients or with the product's manufacturer. 


To jump-start my blog... feel free to leave comments about questions you may have or foods your interested in eating- gluten free etc. I am up for gluten-free baking or cooking challenges. I will be posting lots of Gluten-Free foods that I enjoy, if someone knows any let me know too, if products change and you know, or any mistakes let me know. Basically, lets talk gluten-free and support those in need! I will also be posting my own gluten free tips and recipes for you to enjoy too (feel free to share yours). 


Just remember, when in doubt if it is gluten-free or not, check with your nutritionist, doctor, or manufacturer  of the products.

LINKS:
Good site for Celiac disease and gluten-free information:
  http://www.celiac.org/

Good tips, recipes, information for other allergies including dairy-free:
http://www.livingwithout.com