Life on the Windy Prairie - Homeschool Blogger

School Starts Next Week!

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:55:00 -0500

It's been forever since I've updated here. Now with school starting again, I do plan to devote some time to this blog.

Have a great school year!

Gluten Free Recipes

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:34:00 -0600

Baked Oatmeal

6 cups oatmeal
1 cup sugar (I use organic sugar from Sam�s Club)
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 cup yogurt mixed with 1 cup water (for GFCF, I would try soy yogurt)
� cup melted butter (for GFCF, I would use coconut oil)
� cup natural applesauce
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 40 minutes. My shopping list will include the ingredients necessary to double this recipe. If you have a large family like mine, you will need to double this recipe for planned leftovers for tomorrow�s breakfast.

Dip for Broccoli and Carrots

1 16-oz container Daisy brand sour cream
� tsp. salt
� tsp. pepper
� tsp. dillweed
� tsp. garlic powder
� tsp. onion powder
1 TB milk

Mix all ingredients together and chill until serving time.

Baked Chicken

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

� bottle Newman�s Own Light Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

Place chicken breasts in 9x13 and pour � bottle of dressing over chicken. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until chicken tests done.

Brown Rice Pilaf

2 cups brown rice (brown basmati rice is my favorite)
3 � cups water
1 tsp. salt
2 TB butter
1 onion, diced
2 tsp. chicken base seasoning (opt.)

Saut� onion in butter until onion is slightly browned. Add water, salt and optional seasoning. Bring water to boil. Stir in brown rice and bring back up to boiling. Turn heat to low and cover rice. Cook for 45 minutes.

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

8 large baked potatoes (quickly done in the microwave)
2 cans Shelton�s Turkey Chili
8 oz cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, diced

Heat chili in saucepan. Slice open potatoes and top with chili, cheese, tomatoes and onions.

Salsa Beans

1 pound black or pinto beans, rinsed and soaked
1 onion
1 TB olive oil
1 jar salsa

Saut� onion in olive oil. Add soaked and drained beans to soup pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover, stirring occasionally. When beans are almost finished cooking and almost all of the way soft, add salsa. Finish cooking beans till they are tender. **A quicker way to cook beans is to cook them in a pressure cooker. To use a pressure cooker, place soaked beans in pressure cooker with enough water to cover by an inch or two. Add onion, oil, and salsa. Cook at 15-lb. pressure for 10 minutes.

WindyPrairie�s GF Brownies

To me, GF cakes, cookies, and treats are GROSS. I�ve tried and tried to come up with a decent cookie or cake, only to have to admit defeat. I experimented with this recipe several times until I got a brownie that is EXCELLENT and without the grit of the GF flours. What can I say? I�m picky about my chocolate! LOL! A warning though�this is NOT diet food! I would love to hear your comments if you try this recipe!

2 cups chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli�s bittersweet chocolate chips from Sam�s Club)
1 cup sugar
2 TB butter (GFCF, I would use coconut oil instead of butter)
2 eggs
4 TB cocoa powder

Melt chocolate chips either over a double boiler or in the microwave. IF you use the microwave, pay close attention so that you don�t end up burning the chocolate. Burnt chocolate smells AWFUL! In mixing bowl, add chocolate, sugar and butter and mix well. Beat in eggs. Mix until smooth. Stir in cocoa powder. Spread in 8x8 greased pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 20-25 minutes or until brownies test done.

Black Bean Enchiladas

1 36-ct package corn tortillas
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound dried black beans: rinsed, soaked and cooked
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 pound cheddar cheese
Enchilada Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 9x13 pans. Spread 1 cup sauce in each pan. Mix beans, rice and onions together. Layer tortillas, bean mixture, cheese and sauce. Repeat. Cover tops with sauce and remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly.

Enchilada Sauce

2 cups tomato sauce
3 cups water
� tsp. garlic powder
� tsp. onion powder
3 TB chili powder
1 tsp. salt
� tsp. chipotle powder (opt)
� tsp. cumin
4 TB cornstarch

Combine all ingredients and cook until mixture boils and thickens.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 TB melted butter (coconut oil for GFCF)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (I make my own vanilla using brandy and vanilla beans to be sure it�s GF)
� tsp. salt
1 cup Daisy sour cream (for GFCF, I would try soy yogurt)
1 egg, beaten
� tsp. baking soda
� tsp. baking powder
1 � cups white rice flour (sorghum flour also works well)
� cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together and spoon into muffin cups. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Makes 10-14 muffins.

Skillet Salmon

8 pieces wild-caught salmon (read labels. A lot of salmon has red-40 in it, of all things!)
2 TB butter
1 onion, diced

In an electric skillet, saut� onion in butter until onion is softened. Add salmon pieces and cover. Cook for approx. 5 minutes on each side. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Fruit Salad

3 apples, diced
3 bananas, sliced
1 cup sliced grapes
1 cup sliced strawberries (when on sale!)
1 15-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small container Brown Cow WM Vanilla yogurt

Mix all ingredients together and serve immediately.

****Shopping List to follow*****

Gluten Free Weekly Menu

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:59:00 -0600

Lately I�ve been looking at online menu mailing services and have been quite frustrated in the search for easily adaptable for GF menus. I figure that there has to be more moms out there like me who are searching for this type of thing, so my plan is to post my meal plans and shopping lists. My whole family is not GF so if yours is, you�ll have to do some adjusting to the menus/lists. I usually only plan for 6 days� worth of menus since we invariably have something come up. If nothing comes up that week, we just have leftovers/eat from the pantry. My dh and I don�t drink milk so whenever milk is listed, we generally have iced tea/water.

Day One:

Breakfast:

Baked Oatmeal (make a double batch for tomorrow)

� cup milk (or milk substitute that is acceptable or orange juice with calcium)

� cup applesauce

**Note: there is some disagreement in what I�ve read regarding oatmeal and the GF diet. I�ve found that I can eat McCann�s Oatmeal as it�s processed in a specialized facility. However, you will need to use your own judgement regarding oats and its effect on your family�s health.

Lunch:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (GF bread or WW bread, depending on needs)

Carrot sticks

Apple slices

Snack:

Broccoli with dip

Dinner:

Baked Chicken Breasts
Brown Rice Pilaf
Peas
Green Salad with dressing
� cup milk

Day Two:

Breakfast

Leftover oatmeal from yesterday
� cup milk
� cup applesauce

Lunch:

Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Green Salad with Dressing
� cup milk

Snack:

Crackers with Cheese

Dinner:

Salsa Beans
Brown Rice
Broccoli
Fruit Salad

Day Three:

Breakfast:

Eggs
Canadian Bacon
Toast with jelly
Grape Juice

Lunch:

Chef Salad
Dinner Roll (GF or WW)
� cup milk
banana

Snack:

Popcorn

Dinner:

Swiss Steak
Baked Potato
Green Beans
Carrot Sticks
� cup milk

Day Four:

Breakfast:

Cornmeal mush
Milk
Apple juice

Lunch:

Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Apple Slices
GF Brownies

Snack:

Carrot Sticks with Hummus

Dinner:

Black Bean Enchiladas (planned leftovers)
Corn
Spinach Salad with dressing
� cup milk

Day Five:

Breakfast:

Cold Cereal with milk
Toast with jelly
Grape Juice

Lunch

Leftover Black Bean Enchiladas
Corn
Green Salad with dressing

Snack:

GF Chocolate chip muffins

Dinner:

Skillet Salmon
Brown Rice Pilaf
Asparagus
Fruit Salad
� cup milk

Day Six:

Breakfast:

Eggs
Toast with Jelly
Orange Juice
Canadian Bacon

Lunch:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Carrot sticks
Banana
� cup milk

Snack:

Popcorn

Dinner:

Chicken Soup
Rolls (GF or WW)
Fruit Salad
� cup milk

**Menus to follow**

Finishing up Christmas Projects

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 10:18:00 -0600

I�ve neglected my blog for far too long! Thankfully, I�ve mostly gotten caught up on my Christmas preparations and can take a much-needed break.

I�m making french toast for the kids while I write (nothing like multi-tasking, eh?). The kids look forward to this time of year since egg nog is on sale. Did you know that egg nog makes the BEST french toast ever? It�s so easy�just soak your bread in it and cook like normal. I try to make it several times over the holiday season as a treat for the kids. It�s easy to make gluten free as well. If you want the look of french toast, use GF bread but if you are going for taste I recommend Food for Life�s Brown Rice Tortillas http://www.foodforlife.com/detail.asp?cat=7&id=62 . We like to serve this with cream cheese that�s been sweetened with a little bit of brown sugar and cinnamon.

My sewing projects are almost completed. I finished up the girls� nightgowns last night. I was totally frustrated by the pattern though. I purchased the required length of fabric for 2 nightgowns and started cutting each piece out�I ran out of fabric!! So, what were supposed to be long sleeved nightgowns ended up being � length and I didn�t have the required lining pieces�which wasn�t a big deal since it was fairly heavy flannel to begin with and certainly didn�t need lined. As I was sewing, I kept thinking to myself that the nightgowns seemed awfully long for a size 10/12. When I got them put together, I held them up and length-wise they would have fit ME (no comments about width! LOL) and I am 5�4". I ended up cutting more than a foot off of each one. I then moved on to the boys� pjs. My boys are fairly tall for their age�my 15 yo is 5�6" and my 13 yo is 5�8"+. I made the pattern in a men�s size small. These are way too long as well�they were long enough for my 6�2" husband. We are all of average height and it makes me laugh that these patterns were SO long. I still need to finish 2 of them tonight after AWANAS.

I am finishing up the candy and cookies today and will make the Honey Cashews that were posted on TaminAz's blog--they sound so good. I will be *really* happy to get all of the goodies out of the house!! I also need to make the fruitcake that dh requested but I think that's the last of the treats that are on my list to make.

Now that everyone has finished breakfast, I should get everyone ready for town to finish up last minute shopping. Have a great day!

Getting Ready for Christmas

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 17:43:00 -0600

This is a picture of the bags I'm working on for Christmas. With gas prices as high as they are, it's really taking a toll on our budget and I've had to rethink what we give to our extended family...all of them at least 500 miles away. These bags are fun to make and don't weigh a lot (since we ship all of our gifts to family). I'm just using fabric that I have on hand but I'd LOVE to be able to choose other color combinations!! LOL! My girls were drooling over them, so I know I'll be making up a couple for them as well.

Our other plans for Christmas gifts include homemade soap for the guys. Right now we're thinking that we will make up soaps in 'dirt' scent for the hunters in our family. Those guys are so hard to buy for!!

Gluten Free Thanksgiving

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 10:56:00 -0600

My parents are coming for Thanksgiving so I figured I'd better get my menu put together. Had a bit of fun with my dad when his response to my question on what he'd like for dinner was, "Oh, I'm not picky. Anything you want to make is fine with me." I told him that I'd be serving tofu then. He he he....(nothing wrong with tofu really....my dad is just a 'meat and potatoes' kind of guy)...so mom and I are going to cut a turkey out of tofu to serve just for Dad.

So, other than the tofu, our menu plan is:

a REAL turkey

mashed potatoes...fresh Idaho potatoes from dh's family. YUM! I use butter and milk in my mashed potatoes along with salt and pepper. If you are GFCF, try using chicken broth to moisten potatoes.

I'm going to attempt gravy...wish me luck! LOL! My last attempts at gravy have been less than wonderful. This time I plan to use potato flour to thicken my gravy.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Boil fresh sweet potatoes until they are *just* starting to get tender, peel and slice. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over top, sprinkle with dried rosemary, pepper, salt. Bake at 375 until golden.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Microwave whole sweet potatoes until soft and scoop out insides. Mix together with coconut milk.

Kale with Feta Cheese Sauce. Wash and trim kale and place in saucepan with a little chicken broth. Bring to boil, turn heat to simmer and simmer 5-10 minutes covered. Feta cheese sauce: Mix 2 TB potato flour with 1/4 c milk, stirring until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/4 c butter, 1/2 tsp dill weed, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until thickened Add 3/4 c crumbled feta cheese. Stir until melted.

Cranberry sauce: posted in the Cranberry Bread entry.

Brown Rice Dressing:

Brown and Wild Rice Dressing

1 package Lundberg Country Rice Blend
1 cup finely chopped celery, optional
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sage
1 cup Craisins
chicken broth

Cook rice according to package directions. Saute onion, garlic and celery in butter until onion is soft. Stir in seasonings. Add Craisins and saute for a couple of minutes. Stir rice into onion mixture. Add enough chicken broth to moisten rice. Bake, covered, in a sprayed casserole dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Green beans: cook green beans as usual (I use frozen and boil without salt and drain), in a separate pan, saute slivered almonds in a bit of real butter until browned. Mix with the green beans.

Pumpkin pie: just use a normal pumpkin pie recipe and pour the filling into a greased pie plate, bake until set. You can do the same thing with pecan pie as well.

Veggie tray: various cut veggies with pickles and olives. Homemade dip: 1 cup sour cream, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp dillweed, salt and pepper to taste.

I also plan to make these non-GF foods for my family: rolls (I'm cheating...using Rhodes), pumpkin pie, peach pie, and apple strudel.

I'm hoping that there will be enough left over that I won't have to cook for the rest of the weekend....or at least Friday. But I also realize that I have 3 teenage boys and 2 grown men to feed....I can still hope, can't I? LOL!

Friday

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 08:34:00 -0600

November is such a perfect month to focus on our blessings and thankfulness. I am all too often quick to complain. My girls' Bible lesson from a couple of days ago (BTW, for Bible we use BJU) really struck home.

From the teacher's manual: When Christians complain, against whom are they complaining? (God)........when Christians doubt God and complain; they are disobeying God; they are not trusting God to know and do what is best for them. God says the foolish do not receive His Word; they do not listen. Christians should not be foolish be should be followers of God.

Ouch! I needed to hear that and change so for the rest of November, I'm going to choose one thing to be thankful for each day (and I know I'm going run out days before I run out of things to be thankful for!).

Today I am thankful for the addition that is nearly complete. Living in such a small house with this many people has been a source of discontent for me. Just this last week, we've been able to move in while we finish the moudling. Our addition is now a schoolroom/office and my oldest son's bedroom (hmmm...2 separate rooms...that sentence didn't really come out right...LOL). I am *so* thankful that we now have a schoolroom where we can leave our books on the table and not be sidetracked by cleaning up the dining room for each meal. I am also thankful for my oldest son to have his own space. Those of you with dc who have Asperger's/Autism surely know what I am talking about. Before we moved our ds into his own room, each night at bedtime was such a stressful event in our house. And we are not talking disobedience here. Since we moved him into his own room, our bedtimes are now peaceful and his brothers can now turn over in bed without the fear that ds1 will come unglued by the 'noise'. This has done so much for ME as well! This addition has taken a load of stress from me and I feel better able to cope with the needs of my family. Isn't it funny that just under 300 sq ft can do so much??

Facial Scrub

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:40:00 -0600

Last year I tried selling makeup...you know, that horribly expensive home-party stuff? I actually ended up losing money on it...I'm just NOT a salesman. I could not push these woman (many of them my friends) to buy 'the latest'. So I started trying to find facial products that work well but don't cost an arm and a leg. Exfoliating was my biggest concern--in the colder months, my face often looks scaly (ick!). This scrub works really well and you don't end up with those annoying blue beads all over your face. The great thing about using salt to exfoliate is that warm water quickly dissolves it. I was a little worried about using the oil since I have combination skin (and in places it's very oily). I haven't had a problem...and my skin looks better than it has in a very long time. Now to find the perfect moisturizer and facial soap.

Citrus Facial Scrub

1/4 cup oil, I use apricot kernel oil since it's gentle but olive oil would work as well
1/4 cup sea salt
6 drops grapefruit essential oil

That's it. Isn't that great? Mix the essential oil with the oil and stir till well blended. Add sea salt and mix together. After this is mixed up, I divide it into smaller containers and just use a container a week. If you have really sensitive skin, don't use every day. I am currently using it every other day with good results. To use, wet face and apply a small amount of mixture to face, being careful not to get in eyes. Apply to face, using a circular motion. Gently massage entire face. With a wet washcloth, remove salt mixture. Wash face with a gentle face soap. Moisturize as you normally would.

Let me know what you think!

GFCF Pumpkin Muffins

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 08:21:00 -0600

To make these GFCF, choose a non-dairy chocolate chip such as Tropical Source, or omit. Regular flour (white or whole wheat) can be used in place of the rice and tapioca flours if you don't need to follow a gluten-free diet.

Oven: 350 degrees

Makes: 24 muffins

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 15-oz can pumpkin

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup water

2 cups rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 to 2 cups chocolate chips, optional

Beat eggs, fructose, pumpkin, oil and water until smooth. Add dry ingredients, stirring only until mixed. Fold in chocolate chips. Line muffin tins with papers, and fill each approximately 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Tuesday Evening

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 18:27:00 -0600

Well, it certainly is a windy prairie tonight! Both dh and I were kept awake most of the night by the *very* gusty winds that seemed to shake the house to its foundation. Many times in the middle of the night it seemed that either the windows in our old house were going to come crashing in or that the roof was no longer going to hold. Thankfully, the roof and windows are still intact! LOL! These windy days certainly are a reminder of the power of God!

The barometric pressure must be going haywire at the moment. I'm fighting another migraine and waiting for my *very dear* dh to bring me a home a Coke. Coke and motrin are thankfully all I need to combat these migraines most of the time so long as I stay away from the caffeine on a daily basis.

I am so thankful for the flexibility the home schooling provides! My dh took yesterday off to add an extra day to the long weekend and my boys loved the opportunity to spend the day hanging out with dad. And today, I was able to take the afternoon off without guilt when the migraine hit.

My goal for this week is to have the next day's menu planned. This upcoming Friday is my grocery shopping day, so until then, the menus may be a bit 'interesting'.

Tomorrow's menu:

Breakfast: Gluten free pumpkin muffins, tea, milk

Lunch: Blackeyed Peas and Cornbread, tea, milk

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Crockpot chicken, rice, broccoli, tea, milk

Blessings!