GF Muffins

It is fairly easy to replace regular gluten flour with GF flour in recipes. Just find a multi-use flour you like. Since I don't bake as much my flour goes a long way.

My normal muffin recipe is as follows:

1 1/2 C GF flour
1/2 almond meal
3 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
Mix this up and add:
1 beaten egg
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
3/4 C milk
Mix up. If the batter is to loose add a couple more Tablespoons GF flour.

I add various nuts to my muffins. I chop them down to bite size.
When adding any thawed fruit or fresh fruit remember to put fruit in a bowl with a tablespoon of GF flour BEFORE adding to batter. This coats the fruit and makes it easier to add to batter.

FOLD in fruit. Fill muffin tins to the full line. I like my muffins substantial.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook muffins in greased pans for 20 minute until a knife or tooth pick comes out clean.

Wine, Wine, and more TJ's Wine

Each week we buy wine at Trader Joe's. Here are a couple of our favs.

Healthy Lifestyle Living --- Step 1

I know it's hard to absorb all the information on living a healthy lifestyle for you and your family. Hopefully, breaking down this information in easy steps will help.

Sometimes it's easier to make one simple change and work on it until you feel comfortable, then attempt the next step. I will try to make each step as simple as I can, while giving you links to reputable sites so you can educate yourselves.

Because of our fast paced lifestyles and bombardment of processed food commercials many resort to prepacked meals and fast food. I understand life can be busy and time limited. Hopefully, my ideas will take very little time adding short cut tips and various cooking applications.

Step 1 "Cooking from Scratch" (2-3 times a week)

Tip:  Double or tipple your recipes and freeze meals for a later date or for lunch at work. Remember to label and date each frozen meal.

1. Make a list of easy meal recipes made with ingredients you are familiar with and can purchase in all supermarkets. 

EXAMPLES: Spaghetti, Pot Roast, Stew, Veggie/Meat soup, Scallop Potatoes with Ham, Short Ribs, Meatloaf, Salisbury Steak, Chicken Parmesan, Baked Beans.

Tip:   On a budget? Pick recipes with similar ingredients. Buy a max of two different meats/fish.

Remember READ the ingredients on any packaged product. If you cant MAKE or BUY any ingredient DON'T BUY THE PRODUCT. Find a similar one with real ingredients.

SHORTCUTS:

• Buy  multiple canned or frozen ingredients on sale.
• After grocery shopping wash and cut up produce you will use in several recipes. Example: Cut up onions, carrots, potatoes, and garlic for your Pot Roast and put them in a Ziploc bag. Label and date.
• Set out non perishable ingredients the night before if you are going to use the crock pot. You can even measure the dry herbs and put them in a sealed container.
• Organize your pantry. Label the shelves if need be. 
• Buy dried herbs in bulk. HEB is a gold mine of bulk dried herbs for literally pennies. Refill existing containers or get fancy and buy containers and put fancy labels on them.
• If you buy meat in bulk divide and conquer. Divide the meat, put in foil, and then in freezer Ziploc bags. Label and date.

Let me know if you have any great short cut ideas.