Yummy Gluten-free Summer Sandwich

I made these sandwiches last week when my mom was in town.  They turned out VERY good and a quick dinner to throw together, this will be a good meal when you are in a rush.  I used Udi's gluten free bagels which are really good, so I highly suggest them.  Occasionally there are 1$ off coupons on my blog here for Udi's brand products, so look for them :)

I actually had summer BLTs on my menu for the week, but after finishing my shopping and driving home I realized I forgot Bacon!  Well, what can I substitute?  I am forever making things from whatever I have on hand, I often start a recipe and realize oh no I don't have that....what else would work?  Most of the time it turns out fine, sometimes I discover a new recipe....although a few times my husband and I decide "better follow the recipe next time" Ha!  So I used lunch meat, instead of bacon and I actually just warmed it up for a few seconds in a skillet, it was just as good and cooked up much quicker.

Ingredients:
Gluten-free bagels (Udi's brand), toasted & buttered
Sliced turkey, heated up, Salami heated up, Cooked bacon (whatever meat you prefer)
Tomato- sliced, Lettuce, Onion-sliced, avocado-sliced- this is a must!!
Spinach artichoke dip (any favorite dip will work, I picked up this one from Costco and I had purchased it for chips originally.  I made potato salad at my in-laws and I left my mayo & mustard at their house, so had to figure out, "what else would work".)

Assemble sandwiches, serve with chips & fresh fruit.  Very easy, quick and the dip, instead of the regular condiments really made it different, felt like a deli had made it.  Enjoy!

Fresh Berry Salad with Salmon

I am always looking for new ways to use salmon.  I came up with this simple salad recently and it was great!  Really easy and such a tasty, light summer meal.

Ingredients:
Two 4 ounce Salmon fillets
Coconut oil
Salt
Soy sauce (wheat-free)
Honey
1 head of leafy romaine lettuce, chopped
Fresh berries (I used raspberries & blueberries)
Walnuts (pecans or almonds would work too)
Feta cheese

Melt coconut oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Add salmon to the soil pour 1 tsp soy sauce, then 1 teaspoon of honey on each fillet, sprinkle with salt.  Flip after 4 minutes, repeat soy sauce & honey on the other side of salmon, sprinkle with more salt.  Cook until salmon is flaky (about 4 more minutes).

Divide lettuce between 3 plates add nuts, & berries.  Top with cooked salmon & sprinkle with feta.  Serve with sweet vinaigrette.  I made mine with equal portions of olive oil & apple cider vinegar, a little honey, raspberry jam, salt & pepper, all to taste.  Enjoy!!

Chicken Kabobs

Hi readers!  I just wanted to start this post off by saying sorry I have not been on here regularly.  I actually have this "pact" with God that I can not get on the internet until I have done my quiet time with Him everyday.  Some days I don't get to that till later in the evening and others it is done in the afternoon while the kids are napping.  I love waiting till after I have spent sometime with the Lord, it really helps me keep my priorities straight.  Sometimes I forget and I will start to get on and the Holy Spirit reminds me "hey, what are you doing?"  I always find it is best to listen to his prompting, definitely don't want to quench the Spirit. Also, summer is sooo busy, grad parties, birthdays and hosting family & friend parties, there has been a lot going over here!! So all that to say, by the end of the night sometimes I only have time to check my emails and then spend some time with my hubby.  I will post as often as I can!

So chicken kabobs...... there are a ton of versions of kabobs, and I think just about every time I make them they are different.  I just wanted to give you and idea for a different summer time meal.  Take advantage of the weather and the grills while you can!!!  Earlier in the day (or before you leave for work) cube some chicken and cut veggies of choice, throw them in a zip lock back with a marinade (Italian dressing works good if you are in a hurry), coat, and then let sit for a few hours, place on skewers and grill.  I know some people who skewer on the food first thing and just turn a few times so whatever is easier for ya. Super easy and really good!!

Recipe this time:
3 chicken breasts, thawed, cubed
1 green pepper, 1/2 orange pepper cut in chunks
1 small container of mushrooms
1 sweet onion, cut in chunks

Marinade:
1/4 cup grape seed oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar ( I used 18 yr. traditional, from Olive World Olive Press- AMAZING! www.oldworldolivepress.com)
1 teaspoon All American Season (This is my favorite seasoning, buy locally or at www.mickeysrubsandspices.com)

Throw the chicken and veggies in a one gallon zip lock back, mix the marinade together (I like to make my own so I know what is actually in it and approve of everything) and add to the bag.  Turn the bag over and use your hands to coat evenly.  Let marinade in the refrigerator as long as possible, 30 minutes is better than nothing, a couple of hours if possible.  Alternate veggies and meat on skewers, grill for about 5 minutes on each side, till chicken is cooked at about 350 degrees.  Serve over Rice or Quinoa and fresh fruit.  Wonderful light summer meal!  Serves 4

2 of our favorite ingredients.

Italian Tomato Sauce Chicken

I always ate this meal growing up, our whole family liked it, but of course like most kids we had certain foods we didn't care for.  I would pull off one thing, my brothers something else, but my mom would just make it the normal way and we dissected it to our liking.  So yummy & delicious and of course I like everything now!!  Hope you enjoy trying a new chicken dish!

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts, whole, thawed
Seasoned salt ( or regular salt ) to taste
1 onion sliced in rings, separated
1 small can sliced mushrooms, if you have time fresh would be great!
2 (14 ounce) cans of whole canned tomatoes, quarter the tomatoes, juices drained & reserved
Oregano, Basil, Garlic, Parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lay chicken in pan, sprinkle each with seasoned salt.  Place a few onion rings & mushrooms on each breast,  then cover with quartered tomato. Mix 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) each of the remaining seasonings in the reserved tomato juice and pour in the pan with chicken.   Cover with foil (be sure it doesn't touch the food), use tooth picks if needed.  Cook for 1 hr.  Serve over rice.  ENJOY!

Our Vegetable Garden is IN!!!!

Well I have been wanting to post about my garden for a while now.  I held off because I wanted to make sure it was successfully growing before I shared it on my blog.  I ordered and am growing ALL of my plants from seeds this year.  This was a bit intimidating I have to admit.  I am definitely no master gardener and every year I am learning new things.

I started gardening 6 years ago with a few tomato plants.  I purchased them from the farmers market already 4 inches tall.  I got about 10 tomatoes and I quickly learned tomato plants need FULL sun for any real good crop.  For the past 5 growing seasons I have purchased all my plants already a few inches high from our local farmers market.  I have tried cucumbers, hot peppers, bell peppers, strawberries, onions, tons of tomatoes, garlic, basil, corn, cilantro, bush & pole green beans, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, butternut squash, raspberries, blueberreis, and zucchini (lots and lots of zucchini- so much so that I can't even think of growing it this year LOL).  It has been interesting and a great learning experience.  I look forward to August every year when all the fruits (and veggies) of our labor are ripe for the picking and eating :)

It has been so fun now with Drew, he LOVES helping and it is a great excuse to get outside every day and enjoy time together.  Every year I am working on how to set up the plants, last year I had Emma in June and I did not weed at all, it was all  over grown, and not very nice looking.  Although it didn't look very pleasing to the eye it did produce pretty well.  This year I decided that our garden would not only be functional, but also add to our back yard, not make it look bad LOL.  Thankfully my husband agreed (after a little begging) to help me make it "cute".  It has taken a few weekends of working on it, but last night we finally finished it.

Before

Our composted manure piles.

 

My wonderful husband tilling the ground, mixing the compost in.

We decided on raised beds and filled it with composted manure we got for free from a local farm.  Check craigslist for cheap or possibly even free aged/composted manure.  

After

Stone path dividing the beds

We were going to let the grass grow between the beds, but my mother in law gave us the idea of  making a little path and that way we don't have to do any more work than we have to (like weed-whacking).  LOVE how they turned out, makes me want to set up a little table and have tea in the garden.  Not quite big enough for that, but we have been having tea parties by our play set this week, it has been lovely!