MAID in Alaska

I am in my cozy kitchen, watching the snow fly, drinking coffee, listening to music and the sounds of Abbi playing with her dolls in the living room. Kylie’s making her own noise in the kitchen doing the dishes. She begged me to allow her to fill the dishwasher. Who am I to deny her that kind of fun?  

I know, I’m pretty lucky. Kylie (6 years) is my constant helper. Although she doesn’t fully understand my arthritis, she is aware I am in pain quite a bit. She often asks to make dinner so I won’t have to stand on my feet. Course, it isn’t something she’s capable of quite yet… maybe one day!

A few days before Christmas, I received an early present in the mail. Singing Dog Vanilla sent me a jar of their Vanilla Bean Paste to sample (my husband was making fun of me because I was giddy with delight when I opened the package). It is gluten free, and the Singing Dog Vanilla rep assured me it is also corn free.

I don’t know about you, but vanilla beans are relatively expensive, so I don’t buy them, but I’ve had a whole lot of fun experimenting in my kitchen with this product (and it’s super affordable too)! One tablespoon of Vanilla Bean Paste equals one vanilla bean, but you can also use the paste in equal measure to replace vanilla extract in recipes.

I absolutely love this stuff. I’ve used it in cookies, ice cream, oatmeal (such as this recipe), etc. Who doesn’t like the visual appeal of the real vanilla beans – especially in ice cream? This is a definite must have for any kitchen and would make a wonderful gift for the foodie in your life!

This hearty oatmeal is very filling and incredibly easy to make. It is refined sugar free, and packed with fiber, omega-3 essential fatty acids, and nutrient dense antioxidants, such as selenium and lignans (which have anti-cancer properties).

My girls devoured this and kept raving about how yummy it was. Score one for mom!

Overnight Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon & Flax Steel-Cut Oats (no cook):

Yields 3 – 4 servings

2 1/4 cup dairy free milk

1 1/4 cup steel-cut oats (make sure they are GF certified)

1/3 – 1/2 cup raisins, optional

2 tablespoons ground flax meal

1 -2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, palm sugar, etc…

1/2 teaspoon Singing Dog Vanilla Bean Paste (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of sea salt

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a glass bowl and stir until well combined.
2. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Stir well before serving.
4. Top with nuts, seeds, dried or fresh fruits, etc…

Note from Megan: Make sure you use steel-cut oats in this recipe, not rolled oats or quick-cooking oats.

Enjoy!

Megan

xoxo

This recipe is also linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Wellness Weekend and Allergy Friendly Friday.

• January 12, 2012
• Gluten Free
• 6 comments

I know many of you (including me) are trying to maintain a more balanced, healthier way of eating in 2012, so I’d like to introduce you to a new website (that I’m very excited about!) called The Balanced Platter (TBP).

TBP’s primary focus is to show you how simple it is to eat well and live a balanced life. TBP is unique, because several amazing bloggers in the gluten free/allergy free community will contribute to the site offering different perspectives on healthy living (for the whole family).

The Balanced Platter was founded by Amy Green of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free and Maggie Savage of She Let Them Eat Cake (I’m a big fan of both these ladies!).

Through the month of January, TBP is hosting a month long event called Balanced, Healthy, and Gluten Free in 2012. Gluten free bloggers will contribute recipes and tips on eating healthy and living balanced – AND there will be a giveaway on February 1st, so make sure you stay tuned for more details! Sign up to receive all the latest updates from The Balanced Platter on Facebook and Twitter.

My Fish Ceviche recipe is today’s contribution to Balanced, Healthy, and Gluten Free in 2012 – thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this, Amy and Maggie!

Ceviche (“seh-BEE-chay”) is a popular dish in South America. The first time I sampled ceviche (it was soooo long ago!) I was working in the reservations center of a small local commuter airline in Anchorage. I worked with a few Latino women who would make ceviche occasionally for the many potlucks we had. I fell absolutely in love with it. It’s the perfect blend of tartness, saltiness, and spiciness – great for eating with gluten free flour tortillas, brown rice snaps, corn chips (for those of you who tolerate corn), or for using as a lettuce wrap filling (I added more Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce to my lettuce wraps – YUM!).

By all means, feel free to get creative with how you use your ceviche!

Ceviche is made with raw fish; however, the acid from the limes and lemons change the protein structure of the fish, basically “cooking” it without using heat. The translucent fish will quickly become an opaque white as it sits (or “cooks”) in the acidic marinade.

I recommend using only fresh WILD CAUGHT fish in this recipe.

Tomatoes are commonly found in ceviche, so if you tolerate them, feel free to add chopped/seeded tomatoes in to the mix!

Fish Ceviche Recipe:

1.5 – 2 pounds cod (or halibut, red snapper, or another firm white fish), completely boned, skinned, and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 – 2 Serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped (CAUTION: Remember to always use rubber gloves when chopping and seeding hot peppers or other chilies)

1/2 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 – 3 teaspoons Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (depending on how spicy you like it)

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

avocado

1. Blot off the excess moisture from the fish using paper towels, then place the fish, onion, and Serrano peppers in a (non-reactive) glass  9″ x 13″  baking dish.
2. In a medium sized (non-reactive) mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, lemon juice, sea salt, and Sriracha; pour the mixture over the raw fish. Mix until combined.
3. Cover, and place in the refrigerator.  Allow the fish to marinade for 2 hours, then mix, place back in the refrigerator, and allow to sit for another 8 to 10 hours for the flavors to blend together (I make my ceviche in the evening and allow it to sit overnight).
4. Stir in the cilantro before serving and garnish with avocado.

Wishing you a very healthy and balanced 2012!

Enjoy!

xoxo

Megan

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Simple Lives Thursday.

• January 10, 2012
• Gluten Free
• 7 comments

I’ve often wondered how the various gluten free flours compare to each other in nutritional value, but was never able to find a comparison chart online. I decided to create one for myself (I’m a visual person). What an “eye opener” this little project was! I found that I’ve made quite a few incorrect assumptions regarding the GF flours I bake/cook with. For example, I knew brown rice flour was high in carbs, but I figured it was equal to millet and sorghum flour in calories and fiber. Boy, was I wrong! I use brown rice flour in a good portion of my baking, but that will be changing this year!

I know this chart probably shouldn’t have been such a shock to me, but it was. I wish I would have done this months ago.

This comparison chart is based on a 1 cup measurement of each flour/starch/meal, and is sorted by the “CARBS” amount (from the highest amount of carbohydrates to the lowest). Feel free to print this out and stick it to your refrigerator or the inside of your pantry/cupboard (that exactly where it’s going in my kitchen)!

Note for bloggers & other forms of media: Please do not reprint this comparison table without my permission. Linking to it, however, is very much appreciated.   

**Disclaimer: These nutritional figures are approximations, and may or may not be correct depending on the specific product brand/type of flour/starch/meal used. It is recommended you check the nutritional statements on all of your GF flours/starches/meals. I am not a doctor, nor a nutritionist. The ideas expressed here are solely my opinions. Always consult your doctor or physician before making any dietary changes. 

I’ve often thought about following a grain free diet, but I know that’s impossible (for me personally & my family… just a matter of preference and what works for us). Moving forward, I won’t be completely eliminating rice flour from my diet, but I’m definitely going to scale back – big time. I use millet and sorghum flour often, but they will now become my 2012 GF flour “heavy hitters” with teff, amaranth, coconut, GF oats, flax seed, and almond meal following right behind them.

I knew starches didn’t have a whole lot of nutritional value, but WOW! I don’t know if I had my head in the sand, or what??! Starches will now ONLY be used when necessary and on a very limited basis.

Some of my other goals for a healthier new year are (and not necessarily in this order):

1. Buy RAW honey only. I have small containers of raw honey in my cupboard, but I don’t always use it in my cooking – I use a generic honey from our local grocery store, because it’s what’s cheap and available. Have you read some of the articles floating around (like this one) explaining that most of the honey sold in the stores in the U.S. isn’t really honey?
2. Quit buying canned beans. Soak, sprout and cook my own. This will not only (hopefully) scale back on the grocery bill, but also eliminate BPA contamination from the cans.
3. Meal planning… I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now, but have never gotten around to it. Hopefully it will not only help reduce the grocery bill, but also ensure our meals are healthy and well balanced.
4. Get more familiar with anti-inflammatory foods and spices (which I’m sure will include eating more RAW vegetables).
5. Cook more in bulk and freeze (this is also where the soak/sprout/cooking of beans would come in to play).
6. Continue to scale back on sweeteners and use stevia when possible.
7. Move more. This one is so incredibly hard for me. Most days, because of my arthritis, just getting off the couch is a workout (not exaggerating here). I can’t run because of the swelling/pain in the feet, ankles, and knees, but I’m going to commit to walking – even if it’s just around the block. Something is better than nothing, right?
8. Drink more water. I drink a lot of it already, but I know I can drink more.
9. Focus more on my spiritual health by praying, reading my Bible, and just spending time “being still and knowing that HE is God.”

What about you? Do you have any health or nutritional goals to accomplish this year? Was the nutritional chart above a shock to you?

Wishing everyone a very blessed New Year!

Love,

Megan

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Simple Lives Thursday, and the Gluten Free Homemaker.

• January 2, 2012
• Gluten Free
• 9 comments

December 21st – it’s winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.  Or at least this is the day we see the least amount of sunlight in Alaska.  Sunrise in the Anchorage area today will be at 10:16am, and sunset is at 3:35pm.  That’s 5 hours and 19 minutes of sunlight.

Unlike Barrow, Alaska, which will see no sunlight today at all (and probably won’t see any until around January 24, 2012).

Today also marks my and AJ’s 8 year wedding anniversary.

You know the song “Grow Old with You” by Adam Sandler?  Since being diagnosed with arthritis, I giggle every time I hear it:

“I wanna make you smile whenever you’re sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
Oh all I wanna do is grow old with you”

“I’ll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you”

“I’ll miss you
Kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold”

“Need you
Feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control”

“So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed when you’ve had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you”

I’m so blessed to grow old with this man.  Happy Anniversary, baby!

xo

Megan

• December 21, 2011
• Gluten Free
• 11 comments

The girls and I drove down to the inlet today to try to get some pictures of the sunset.  The sunsets have been really beautiful lately with all different hues of pinks and other colors.  I ended up getting a few good shots with some pink hues, but wasn’t able to get a picture of the full sunset (turns out we were facing the wrong direction and there were trees blocking our view).  Oh well – we still had pretty scenery to look at!

AND just in case you’re wondering… yes, I was cold taking these pictures!  It was about 16 degrees (F).  Not as cold as it could have been though!

We came home to a moose eating what was left of my front flowerbed!

Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

Megan

xo

This post is linked to Simple Lives Thursday.

• December 14, 2011
• Gluten Free
• 9 comments

We put our Christmas tree up this weekend.  We had a wonderful time as a family decorating the tree, but unpacking the ornaments is always an extra special treat for me.  When I was little, my Aunt owned a Hallmark store in Michigan, so every year she would send me and my brother ornaments.  As you can imagine, I now have a nice little collection of ornaments from my childhood.  They always bring back a flood of past Christmas memories when I unwrap them.  They are priceless!

1980 – Baby’s First Christmas (yes, this is mine!)

When this Eskimo ornament line came out my Aunt thought it was so funny because we lived in Alaska with all of the “Eskimos.”  She ended up sending us several ornaments from this line (and I love them all!).

Christmas ornaments are great (cheap) present ideas for the children in your life!

But as for Goat Cheese Spread…………..

This goat cheese spread is a favorite snack in our house, and it is super easy to make.  Here in the picture, I have it spread on Marys Gone Crackers, but you can use any cracker you like.  We also like to eat this spread with veggies.

A beautiful tray full of veggies, GF crackers, nuts, and goat cheese spread would be a perfect appetizer before your holiday meal.

For those of you who can have potatoes, I’d imagine this would be wonderful as a baked potato topping too!

Goat Cheese Spread for Crackers or Veggies

10.5 ounces of goat cheese (I use the Kirkland brand that can be found at Costco or Three Bears)

1 tablespoon dried chives

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (use onion powder if garlic cannot be tolerated)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

pinch of sea salt

Stir together the above ingredients until well combined.  Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.  This tastes even better if you allow it to refrigerate overnight.

Kitchen tip for those with arthritis – use your heavy duty mixer and let it do the hard work so your hands don’t have to.  

Enjoy!

xoxo

Megan

This recipe is also linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays and Simple Lives Thursdays.

• December 14, 2011
• Gluten Free
• 11 comments

We received two organic beet roots in our latest Full Circle Farms fresh organic produce box.  Beets are not something I would normally purchase, so working with them was a new experience (but a good one!).  After a quick search online, I found that beets are highly nutritious (especially when eaten raw) and contain antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties.  They’ve even been thought to have anti-cancer benefits.

All the more reason to eat your beets, kids!!

Raw Beet, Carrot & Apple Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing

3 – 4 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed (or lemon)

1 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar if you are vegan)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, finely grated

1 tablespoon yellow onion, grated or finely minced

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 3/4 cup beet roots, grated (about 2 beet roots)

1 3/4 cup carrots, peeled and grated (about 3  – 4 carrots)

1 3/4 cup Braeburn apple, peeled and grated (about 2 apples)

Red pepper chili flakes to taste, optional

To make the Ginger Lime Dressing, combine the lime juice, honey, ginger, onion, and salt in a small mixing bowl.  Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the grated beets, carrots, and apple.  Pour in the dressing and toss.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Megan

This recipe is also linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Simple Lives Thursday, and the Gluten Free Homemaker.

• December 5, 2011
• Gluten Free
• 11 comments

I was recently contacted by Full Circle Farms and asked to try out their fresh organic produce for a month.  I happily agreed since I’ve wanted to try their services for quite a while now.

Tonight we receive our second box of fresh organic produce, and I honestly have to tell you that I’m in love with Full Circle Farms… for so many different reasons.

One of the things that’s really been bothering me lately is NOT knowing what’s on my non-organic produce I’ve been purchasing at our neighborhood grocery store.  They don’t carry a whole lot of organics, and if they do carry them, they are generally expensive (and most times don’t look very appealing).  Thanks to Full Circle Farms, I can feed my family fresh organic produce knowing it is produced without the use of chemical pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers.

They offer a wide variety of organic produce.  In the two boxes of organic produce from Full Circle Farms we’ve received: apples, yams, pears, brussel sprouts, kale, persimmons, pomegranates, avocado, cremini mushrooms, braising mixes (which are cut greens like kale, chard, etc.), green leaf lettuce, celery, beets, satsumas, purple potatoes, baby bok choy, radishes, and a buttercup squash (and that’s only a portion of what they offer).  That’s certainly a wider range of variety than we would ever experience (in two weeks of time) with me doing 100% of our grocery shopping at our local grocery store.

The Full Circle Farms website is easy to use, and you are able to customize the produce items in your box with just a few simple clicks.  You conveniently choose what location you would like to pick-up your fresh organic produce box at.

Even though Full Circle Farms contacted me and request I try their product, I would not support or promote a company I didn’t believe in.  We most definitely will continue to purchase fresh organic produce using Full Circle Farms.  Their slogan, “live the good food life” is very appropriate; I’ve had a taste of the good food life, and I don’t plan on giving it up anytime soon!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Megan

• December 2, 2011
• Gluten Free
• 5 comments

Do you still have leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving?  Use some of it to make a vinaigrette.  Here’s how:

Whisk together 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce with 2-4 tablespoons each of red wine vinegar and olive oil.  You can add a bit more sweetener if desired (although you shouldn’t need to add much more sweetener, if any at all).  This vinaigrette would pair nicely with a spinach salad, or any mixed greens salad for that matter.

I personally would love this vinaigrette on greens with pear slices, walnuts, and sheep feta (YUM!).

Enjoy!

Megan

• November 28, 2011
• Gluten Free
• 9 comments

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I have dinner simmering in the crock pot with the last of the turkey leftovers (I’ll post the recipe if it turns out).  In the meantime, here is another favorite way to use up leftover turkey (or chicken).  My mom used to make this for me as a kid!

Turkey Waldorf Salad Recipe:

(As you may notice, this recipe doesn’t call for exact amounts.  You can make as much or as little as you need… I love these types of recipes!)

turkey, chopped (or chicken)

organic mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise)

celery, chopped

apple, chopped (you can use whatever apples are your favorite – I used Fuji apples in the picture above and left the skin on)

salt & pepper

walnut pieces, lightly toasted (toasting is optional, but I prefer mine that way)

In a