I received the following update from Doodle's occupational therapist yesterday and was so excited I just had to share. 'Doodle continues to make great progress. She is attending much better. She is no longer needing to use the weighted vest to pay attention and I rarely have to give her cues to attend. She is able to pick up a scissors and cut around patterns. She's doing great!' I am so thrilled that Doodle is having a better time paying attention. What the OT didn't know is that I recently added back in 3 vitamins that I had taken her off of over the past year - zinc, vitamin A, and a probiotic. Clearly, the added vitamins are paying off in Doodle's ability to pay attention. I'll stick with this regimen.
On another note, seems spring has arrived early in MN and we are enjoying temperatures in the 70's this week. How fabulous! I pulled out the grill tonight and made our favorite chicken for dinner. It's a simple recipe and easy to grill up no a week night.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
4 drumsticks
4 thighs
1/4 cup soy sauce - gluten free
3 T honey
1 1/2 T Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
2 T Olive Oil
1. Combine chicken with the soy sauce, honey, seasoning, and olive oil in a resealable bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from bag and place on warm grill.
3. Cook for 30 minutes - rotating frequently - or until chicken is cooked through
We love to serve this with corn on the cob and potatoe salad during the summer. Nothing like some great chicken and corn on the cob to get summer off to a great start (or spring for that matter)!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Breakfast Hash
Spring has arrived in a big way this week - and Icouldn't be happier! Long walks with the dog, Doodle playing outside all weekend long, and best of all loads of SUNSHINE! We will be breaking out the ice cream maker in no time and trying some fresh sorbet's this year. I loved picking up a 2 pound package of the ripest strawberries at the grocery store today. Doodle ate a one pound container nearly all by herself this afternoon - oh how delicious!
To go with the strawberries today, Doodle's dad made a dairy free version of his favorite Everything Hash browns. We all dug in and enjoyed the tasty dish as our lunch this afternoon. Hope you enjoy as well!
Everything Hash Browns
4 pieces Nitrate Free Bacon - chopped
4 All Natural Sausages - chopped
1/2 Cup Nitrate Free Ham - diced
1/2 red pepper - diced
1/2 bag Hash Browns - any style
Dairy Free Butter
7 Eggs - beaten
2 Tbsp Dairy Free Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Anything else you want to throw into the mix!
1. Fry the bacon, sausages and ham in a pan until cooked thoroughly.
2. Fry hash browns in a large pan with dairy free butter until crispy. Add butter, if necessary.
3. Whisk eggs and milk together in a large bowl.
4. Add meat and red peppers to the hash browns and cook until red peppers are soft.
5. Stir in eggs and scramble with hash brown mixture.
6. Add salt and pepper and serve.
To go with the strawberries today, Doodle's dad made a dairy free version of his favorite Everything Hash browns. We all dug in and enjoyed the tasty dish as our lunch this afternoon. Hope you enjoy as well!
Everything Hash Browns
4 pieces Nitrate Free Bacon - chopped
4 All Natural Sausages - chopped
1/2 Cup Nitrate Free Ham - diced
1/2 red pepper - diced
1/2 bag Hash Browns - any style
Dairy Free Butter
7 Eggs - beaten
2 Tbsp Dairy Free Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Anything else you want to throw into the mix!
1. Fry the bacon, sausages and ham in a pan until cooked thoroughly.
2. Fry hash browns in a large pan with dairy free butter until crispy. Add butter, if necessary.
3. Whisk eggs and milk together in a large bowl.
4. Add meat and red peppers to the hash browns and cook until red peppers are soft.
5. Stir in eggs and scramble with hash brown mixture.
6. Add salt and pepper and serve.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Nitrates, Nitrates, and Preservatives - Oh My!
Since learning that Doodle had autism, I have been on a quest to educate myself on how food plays a role in her autistic symptoms. To that end, I have also explored how chemicals in our daily environment contribute to her food sensitivities. Here's what I have adapted in our environment to help reduce the toll that toxins take on her fragile systems.
After stabilizing Doodle's diet, I felt like she was not continuing to progress as much as I had hoped. So, I started to look around my house to see if there were additional items I could eliminate to help alleviate toxins that could enter her body. First thing I noticed were the counter wipes that I frequently used to clean my kitchen counter - you know the kind from Lysol or Clorox that claim to kill 99.9% of the germs on your counter. I'm all for a clean house, but felt like maybe the harsh chemicals in these wipes were contributing to the lack of progress. So I eliminated them. I now use cleaners that are made only from natural ingredients - like those from Seventh Generation.
Once upon a time I would have thought using all natural cleaners was going overboard and a little bit crazy. What's wrong with off the shelf cleaners? Well, when your little body is sensitive - like Doodle's - every toxin matters. Some kids can handle it just fine, but many Autistic children can't handle the overload of toxins on their system, so it's best to eliminate as much as possible. Once I eliminated these toxins, I noticed a visible difference in her verbal ability. She was increasing her speech at the same time.
Next, I looked at some of Doodle's favorite foods - bacon, ham, hot dogs. All were packed full of preservatives. Common preservatives in these foods are Nitrites and Nitrates. Once upon a time bacon and ham would have been preserved with salt, but somewhere around the turn of the 20th century, someone decided that they liked the pink color that nitrates and nitrites provided to these products and began curing with these preservatives instead. I am so thankful that many food companies are now starting to go away from these chemicals and revert to using sea salt instead. Hormel has started an all natural line which is nitrate and nitrite free. Doodle eats this bacon almost every morning. Check out their Natural Choice meat selection - tastes great without all of the harmful chemicals!
What prompted this whole post was the amazing Nitrate Free Ham my family ate this weekend. I picked one up at Trader Joe's and warmed it in the over at 325 degrees in a large roasting pan for 2 hours. I placed some Coca-Cola in the bottom of the roasting pan and tented the ham with aluminum foil to trap in the moisture. The result was a ham dinner that the whole family raved about! Plus, I have plenty left over to make some of my Wild Rice Soup later in the week!
After stabilizing Doodle's diet, I felt like she was not continuing to progress as much as I had hoped. So, I started to look around my house to see if there were additional items I could eliminate to help alleviate toxins that could enter her body. First thing I noticed were the counter wipes that I frequently used to clean my kitchen counter - you know the kind from Lysol or Clorox that claim to kill 99.9% of the germs on your counter. I'm all for a clean house, but felt like maybe the harsh chemicals in these wipes were contributing to the lack of progress. So I eliminated them. I now use cleaners that are made only from natural ingredients - like those from Seventh Generation.
Once upon a time I would have thought using all natural cleaners was going overboard and a little bit crazy. What's wrong with off the shelf cleaners? Well, when your little body is sensitive - like Doodle's - every toxin matters. Some kids can handle it just fine, but many Autistic children can't handle the overload of toxins on their system, so it's best to eliminate as much as possible. Once I eliminated these toxins, I noticed a visible difference in her verbal ability. She was increasing her speech at the same time.
Next, I looked at some of Doodle's favorite foods - bacon, ham, hot dogs. All were packed full of preservatives. Common preservatives in these foods are Nitrites and Nitrates. Once upon a time bacon and ham would have been preserved with salt, but somewhere around the turn of the 20th century, someone decided that they liked the pink color that nitrates and nitrites provided to these products and began curing with these preservatives instead. I am so thankful that many food companies are now starting to go away from these chemicals and revert to using sea salt instead. Hormel has started an all natural line which is nitrate and nitrite free. Doodle eats this bacon almost every morning. Check out their Natural Choice meat selection - tastes great without all of the harmful chemicals!
What prompted this whole post was the amazing Nitrate Free Ham my family ate this weekend. I picked one up at Trader Joe's and warmed it in the over at 325 degrees in a large roasting pan for 2 hours. I placed some Coca-Cola in the bottom of the roasting pan and tented the ham with aluminum foil to trap in the moisture. The result was a ham dinner that the whole family raved about! Plus, I have plenty left over to make some of my Wild Rice Soup later in the week!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
To (Hot) Dish or Not to (Hot) Dish
Ok, being a MN native, I grew up on hot-dish. You know what I mean, a conglomeration of whatever is left over in the fridge plus some cream of mushroom soup to mask the taste. Minnesotan's are famous for it! My husband and kids, however, have never had the pleasure (or not) of tasting a true MN hot-dish. When I mentioned this fact, my oldest daughter looked at me and stated "Mom, what's a hot-dish?" Imagine, a girl living in MN who has never tasted genuine hot-dish. I'm sure the state will stop by to send us packing any minute now! My husband, on the other hand, thinks his palette is far too sophisticated to indulge in eating hot-dish.
So, the other night I set out on a mission to create a true MN hot-dish that was dairy free. I believe that I have succeeded. To mask the truth that this dish was in fact a hot-dish, I referred to it by the beloved name my mother used when she didn't know what to call some made up meal - "kill-em-quick". She used to tease us that it would taste so bad, it was sure to kill-em-quick!
I can assure you, this dish is mighty tasty. Just don't tell my family they are enjoying a hot-dish!
Dairy Free/Gluten Free Hot Dish (aka Kill-em-Quick)
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - cut into strips
1 tsp Creole Seasoning (gluten free)
2 T Olive Oil
1 Package AmyLu Sausage (any flavor) sliced and cut into half moons
1 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic - minced
1/2 Package GF Pasta
1 16 oz Package Rich's non-dairy creamer (or substitute 2 cups non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup GF Chicken Broth
2 tsp Corn Starch
1 Cup Frozen Peas (or mixed vegetables)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add GF pasta. Cook according to package directions.
2. Saute Chicken breast strips and Creole seasoning in 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil. Remove from pan.
3. Add sausage, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to pan. Cook until onion is translucent and sausage is heated through.
4. Add non-dairy creamer.
6. In a small dish combine Chicken Broth and Corn Starch. Stir until Corn Starch is completely dissolved. Add to pan.
7. Return chicken to pan.
8. Meanwhile, once pasta is cooked, drain pasta water and add pasta to pan.
9. Add in frozen peas or mixed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Voila - the dairy free hot-dish is ready for dinner. Serve with a fresh salad and dinner is complete.
For an even easier version, I sometimes cheat and use Schwan's oven roasted chicken bites for the chicken. I cook up 10-12 pieces (which only takes 3 minutes in the microwave), chop them into smaller pieces, and add to the sausage mixture. I throw in some Creole seasoning and dinner is done in no time flat. What more could a busy mom want?
So, the other night I set out on a mission to create a true MN hot-dish that was dairy free. I believe that I have succeeded. To mask the truth that this dish was in fact a hot-dish, I referred to it by the beloved name my mother used when she didn't know what to call some made up meal - "kill-em-quick". She used to tease us that it would taste so bad, it was sure to kill-em-quick!
I can assure you, this dish is mighty tasty. Just don't tell my family they are enjoying a hot-dish!
Dairy Free/Gluten Free Hot Dish (aka Kill-em-Quick)
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - cut into strips
1 tsp Creole Seasoning (gluten free)
2 T Olive Oil
1 Package AmyLu Sausage (any flavor) sliced and cut into half moons
1 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic - minced
1/2 Package GF Pasta
1 16 oz Package Rich's non-dairy creamer (or substitute 2 cups non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup GF Chicken Broth
2 tsp Corn Starch
1 Cup Frozen Peas (or mixed vegetables)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add GF pasta. Cook according to package directions.
2. Saute Chicken breast strips and Creole seasoning in 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil. Remove from pan.
3. Add sausage, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to pan. Cook until onion is translucent and sausage is heated through.
4. Add non-dairy creamer.
6. In a small dish combine Chicken Broth and Corn Starch. Stir until Corn Starch is completely dissolved. Add to pan.
7. Return chicken to pan.
8. Meanwhile, once pasta is cooked, drain pasta water and add pasta to pan.
9. Add in frozen peas or mixed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Voila - the dairy free hot-dish is ready for dinner. Serve with a fresh salad and dinner is complete.
For an even easier version, I sometimes cheat and use Schwan's oven roasted chicken bites for the chicken. I cook up 10-12 pieces (which only takes 3 minutes in the microwave), chop them into smaller pieces, and add to the sausage mixture. I throw in some Creole seasoning and dinner is done in no time flat. What more could a busy mom want?
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The journey of a thousand miles....
The saying goes that a journey of a thousands miles begins with a single step. The road to recovering a child from Autism is a long, challenging, and rewarding journey. The best way to begin that journey, I tell people, is with a single step. Start slow and easy - don't try to tackle too much at once. There are several reasons for that:
1. It's too overwhelming to do everything at once and you can become easily discouraged.
2. It's best to try one thing at a time so that you can know for certain if what you are doing is working. If you do everything at once, you don't know what is causing improvement and what isn't.
3. The changes can be a hard adjustment for the child - changing over time gives the child time to adjust before something new is introduced.
When we suspected Doodle had Autism, we took a series of steps to start her on her recovery. First and foremost, I saw my doctor. I told her what I was planning on doing and asked her some questions. This was difficult, as most traditional doctors don't believe that changing a child's diet will do any good. I was prepared for this challenge and told my doctor I was going to do it anyway. Eventually, she came around.
Second, I did my research. I read many blogs, books, and cookbooks to find out everything I could about recovering my child from Autism. These resources I found the most helpful:
We went a month being dairy free before we took our next step - going gluten free. So many people think this would be a difficult transition, but it really wasn't. We quickly learned how to substitute GF flour for regular flour and I started to experiment with different recipes. Doodle and I enjoy cooking treats for the week every Sunday. It's become a weekly ritual - mostly because Doodle loves to lick the bowl and sneak sugar here and there!
We didn't see immediate improvement after removing the gluten, but it takes 6 months to a year for gluten to completely be removed from your system. We had some tough moments the first year when others weren't recognizing the results that we were seeing. I felt very frustrated but we knew we needed to be persistent as the diet was making improvements. She was coming out of her shell, back into the real world.
Next I started to introduce vitamins. See my post on the vitamins we use. I made sure that we only introduced one vitamin at a time, so that we could measure the effect. If there wasn't improvement over time, we stopped using the vitamin. Each child is different and the combination of supplements necessary to recover a child is as unique as the child themselves. For us, the key vitamins are Vitamin D, a Multi-Vitamin, 2 forms of Essential Fatty Acid, Zinc, and a Pro-Biotic. The Vitamin D addition was the key turning point in Doodle's recovery - it completely transformed her!
Finally, I went all natural! I removed all of the harsh cleaning agents in our house and replaced them with more environmentally friendly products. Fortunately, there are many of these products to choose from now. I noticed a significant different in Doodle's tantrum's once we removed the harsh cleaners - the number of tantrum's significantly reduced once I changed to natural cleaners. Our favorite is Green Works All Purpose Cleaner because it is available in most stores (which is important when you live in the middle of nowhere!)
All of this work paid off this past November when Doodle had her conferences at school. Her OT, PT, Speech Therapist, and Special Ed teacher were astounded at the progress she had made over the summer. Doodle had just started OT services at the beginning of the year. The OT commented that she thought she had her work cut out for her before the school year started, but was so surprised that she hasn't had to do much with Doodle at all because she has come so far. The speech therapist stated that Doodle's autism symptoms had "disappeared" and was recommending that she would not need speech therapy the next year. In fact, she more than likely will not need any kind of special ed services next year. What wonderful news!!! My husband and I were thrilled and so happy that we have stuck with the diet, even when others told us it wouldn't make a difference. I'm thankful that I didn't listen and stayed true to my beliefs that Doodle was so much more than a diagnosis and so much bigger than an Autism label.
The journey certainly is not complete. My new mission is to work on the ADHD symptoms that persist. We'll continue to tweak her diet and supplements to find out what works best for Doodle until this diagnosis disappears as well.
1. It's too overwhelming to do everything at once and you can become easily discouraged.
2. It's best to try one thing at a time so that you can know for certain if what you are doing is working. If you do everything at once, you don't know what is causing improvement and what isn't.
3. The changes can be a hard adjustment for the child - changing over time gives the child time to adjust before something new is introduced.
When we suspected Doodle had Autism, we took a series of steps to start her on her recovery. First and foremost, I saw my doctor. I told her what I was planning on doing and asked her some questions. This was difficult, as most traditional doctors don't believe that changing a child's diet will do any good. I was prepared for this challenge and told my doctor I was going to do it anyway. Eventually, she came around.
Second, I did my research. I read many blogs, books, and cookbooks to find out everything I could about recovering my child from Autism. These resources I found the most helpful:
- Karyn Seroussi's Book - Unraveling the mystery of Autism and Pervasive Development Disorder
- Autism Network for Dietary Intervention - also by Karyn Seroussi
- The Kid Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook
- by Pamela Compart and Dana Laake - this cookbook has a great introduction on how to get started on the diet which I read daily when I was getting started.
- Kirkman Laboratories - for their allergy friendly vitamins
- Jenny McCarthy's Generation Rescue website - This is a good resource, although I feel it is too focused on vaccines as the cause of Autism. It's not my view that Autism is caused by vaccines.
- The help of a good nutritionist - not easy to find, as a few of the nutritionists I found were not on board with trying diet to recover an autistic child. I was fortunate to have a sister-in-law in North Carolina who is a nutritionist - I bounced idea's off of her and asked advice on supplements to try.
- Whattofeedyourkids blog - this mom has similar views as I do on recovering children from autism - having 2 kids with special needs, she's been through it all.
We went a month being dairy free before we took our next step - going gluten free. So many people think this would be a difficult transition, but it really wasn't. We quickly learned how to substitute GF flour for regular flour and I started to experiment with different recipes. Doodle and I enjoy cooking treats for the week every Sunday. It's become a weekly ritual - mostly because Doodle loves to lick the bowl and sneak sugar here and there!
We didn't see immediate improvement after removing the gluten, but it takes 6 months to a year for gluten to completely be removed from your system. We had some tough moments the first year when others weren't recognizing the results that we were seeing. I felt very frustrated but we knew we needed to be persistent as the diet was making improvements. She was coming out of her shell, back into the real world.
Next I started to introduce vitamins. See my post on the vitamins we use. I made sure that we only introduced one vitamin at a time, so that we could measure the effect. If there wasn't improvement over time, we stopped using the vitamin. Each child is different and the combination of supplements necessary to recover a child is as unique as the child themselves. For us, the key vitamins are Vitamin D, a Multi-Vitamin, 2 forms of Essential Fatty Acid, Zinc, and a Pro-Biotic. The Vitamin D addition was the key turning point in Doodle's recovery - it completely transformed her!
Finally, I went all natural! I removed all of the harsh cleaning agents in our house and replaced them with more environmentally friendly products. Fortunately, there are many of these products to choose from now. I noticed a significant different in Doodle's tantrum's once we removed the harsh cleaners - the number of tantrum's significantly reduced once I changed to natural cleaners. Our favorite is Green Works All Purpose Cleaner because it is available in most stores (which is important when you live in the middle of nowhere!)
All of this work paid off this past November when Doodle had her conferences at school. Her OT, PT, Speech Therapist, and Special Ed teacher were astounded at the progress she had made over the summer. Doodle had just started OT services at the beginning of the year. The OT commented that she thought she had her work cut out for her before the school year started, but was so surprised that she hasn't had to do much with Doodle at all because she has come so far. The speech therapist stated that Doodle's autism symptoms had "disappeared" and was recommending that she would not need speech therapy the next year. In fact, she more than likely will not need any kind of special ed services next year. What wonderful news!!! My husband and I were thrilled and so happy that we have stuck with the diet, even when others told us it wouldn't make a difference. I'm thankful that I didn't listen and stayed true to my beliefs that Doodle was so much more than a diagnosis and so much bigger than an Autism label.
The journey certainly is not complete. My new mission is to work on the ADHD symptoms that persist. We'll continue to tweak her diet and supplements to find out what works best for Doodle until this diagnosis disappears as well.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Perfect GF DF Fried Chicken
We used to love making our own fried chicken. It was a labor of love on a Saturday night where we would indulge in sumptuous fried chicken right out of the deep fat fryer and paired it with the perfect mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. I'm drooling just thinking about it. So, ever since Doodle became Gluten and Dairy Free, I've been attempting to recreate the perfect fried chicken. I have failed miserably until a week ago when the stars aligned and I finally found the perfect mixture to make GF DF Fried Chicken. I learned the trick while listening to a cooking program on NPR where a caller was frustrated that her fried chicken in Boston didn't taste anything like the fried chicken in Texas. The secret - adding corn starch to the flour - genius!!! I tried it and it turned out beautifully. I hope you find success in this recipe, should you be so inclined to try it.
Gluten Free Dairy Free Fried Chicken
1 can Coconut Milk
4 Chicken drumsticks - rinse and pat dry
4 Chicken thighs - rinse and pat dry
Paprika, Creole Seasoning, Salt, Pepper, and Jamaican Jerk to taste
1. Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Add coconut milk and seasonings.
2. Marinate in milk mixture for 2-4 hours (or overnight).
1 Cup GF Flour (I used Sweet Rice Flour)
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
Desired seasonings (I used the same as listed above)
3. Place flour, seasoning, and corn starch in a paper bag and shake vigorously.
4. Remove chicken from plastic bag one piece at a time. Place in paper bag and shake vigorously.
5. Line a cookie sheet with a cooling rack. Remove chicken from paper bag and place on cooling rack. Repeat until all chicken is completely coated in flour.
6. Allow chicken to warm up for 45 minutes. This step is very important since it prevents moisture from getting under the skin while frying which causes the coating to separate from the chicken.
7. In a large skillet or deep fat fryer heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. If using a skillet, make sure the oil is high enough that it covers 1/2 the chicken when frying.
8. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Turn the skillet down to medium heat or 300-325 degrees. Add the chicken and cook on each side until browned - 5-7 minutes.
9. Place chicken in an oven proof dish, tent with aluminum foil. This will allow the inside of the chicken to cook, yet keep the outside crispy. Cook for 10 - 20 minutes until the inside of the chicken has clear juice.
I love to serve fried chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and roasted asparagus. Hope you enjoy this recipe as well! Happy eating!
Gluten Free Dairy Free Fried Chicken
1 can Coconut Milk
4 Chicken drumsticks - rinse and pat dry
4 Chicken thighs - rinse and pat dry
Paprika, Creole Seasoning, Salt, Pepper, and Jamaican Jerk to taste
1. Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Add coconut milk and seasonings.
2. Marinate in milk mixture for 2-4 hours (or overnight).
1 Cup GF Flour (I used Sweet Rice Flour)
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
Desired seasonings (I used the same as listed above)
3. Place flour, seasoning, and corn starch in a paper bag and shake vigorously.
4. Remove chicken from plastic bag one piece at a time. Place in paper bag and shake vigorously.
5. Line a cookie sheet with a cooling rack. Remove chicken from paper bag and place on cooling rack. Repeat until all chicken is completely coated in flour.
6. Allow chicken to warm up for 45 minutes. This step is very important since it prevents moisture from getting under the skin while frying which causes the coating to separate from the chicken.
7. In a large skillet or deep fat fryer heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. If using a skillet, make sure the oil is high enough that it covers 1/2 the chicken when frying.
8. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Turn the skillet down to medium heat or 300-325 degrees. Add the chicken and cook on each side until browned - 5-7 minutes.
9. Place chicken in an oven proof dish, tent with aluminum foil. This will allow the inside of the chicken to cook, yet keep the outside crispy. Cook for 10 - 20 minutes until the inside of the chicken has clear juice.
I love to serve fried chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and roasted asparagus. Hope you enjoy this recipe as well! Happy eating!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Gluten Free Taco Salad
Tonight we made delicious Taco Salads for dinner. We love combining new ingredients each time we make the salad to incorporate new tastes and textures. Taco seasoning from the grocery store, however, often contains hidden gluten. So, beware when buying packaged taco seasoning! Tonight we used this simple home made version of taco seasoning:
Homemade Taco Seasoning
5 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1. Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Add 2 Tbsp (or desired amount) to ground beef while cooking.
3. Add 1/2 cup water to ground beef and cook until water is reduced.
We served our taco salad tonight with Gluten Free corn tortilla chips, yellow rice, stir fried corn, and loads of lettuce. Since Doodle is dairy free, she eats hers without any dressing. The remainder of us enjoyed some nice spicy ranch dressing bought at the local grocery store. Best thing about it, there's plenty left over for lunch tomorrow!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
5 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1. Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Add 2 Tbsp (or desired amount) to ground beef while cooking.
3. Add 1/2 cup water to ground beef and cook until water is reduced.
We served our taco salad tonight with Gluten Free corn tortilla chips, yellow rice, stir fried corn, and loads of lettuce. Since Doodle is dairy free, she eats hers without any dressing. The remainder of us enjoyed some nice spicy ranch dressing bought at the local grocery store. Best thing about it, there's plenty left over for lunch tomorrow!
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