Sweet & spicy butternut squash

I based my recipe off of this one, but did things a little differently.

http://theshiksa.com/2013/10/08/maple-cinnamon-roasted-butternut-squash/

Basically, after the labor intensive peeling and dicing a butternut squash, I put the squash in a bowl. I lightly tossed with olive oil. I DOUBLED the seasonings called for and mixed them in the bowl, then put them on the cookie sheet.

It's really not too bad to peel your own butternut squash.  I will post photos next time.  I know there is pre-cut & peeled butternut squash for sale at the store.  Go for it if you are intimidated about doing it yourself.  I am very cheap (uh...I mean frugal)  Here is a good quick YouTube video of how to peel one on your own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbecyb7TgDE

 Ingredients

• 8 cups cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded), about 3 lbs of peeled cubes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 pinches cayenne

You will also need

• 2 baking sheets, foil (optional)

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Servings: 6

Olive Grove Restaurant Victoria, BC Canada

Another great find thanks to www.celiacscene.com.  This restaurant has a very knowledgeable staff.  It has the atmosphere of a fancy restaurant, but it really wasn't very expensive.  Go on a Monday or Tuesday for their special "Pasta Night" where you can chose from a large variety of pasta for under $10.  Yes, they have GF rice noodles and can prepare most meals GF.

When we were seated, I informed my waiter I had Celiac.  He brought out bread for my family and I was pleasantly surprised that they brought out a small dish of hummus with GF crackers for me.  What a nice touch!  The waiter was very knowledgeable and a woman also came over to tell me which pizza toppings were GF.  Yes....they had GF pizza!

The first night we went, I ordered the Olive Grove Pasta (see menu below)  It was delicious & it was so nice to have a restaurant that I felt it was safe to eat & that my family could get the gluten foods they love.  My husband and youngest son got pasta also (pasta night!) and my 17 year old got a pizza.  Everyone gave their food a thumbs up.

We went back the next night and I ordered the house specialty.  Georges Lamb Kleftiko Style.  I have actually never tried lamb before, but the waiter made it sound delicious.  I also ordered a Greek salad. It was a very nice meal.  The meat just fell off the bone.

Overall it was an awesome experience.  The only drawback is when I ordered an appletini made with potato vodka.  The waiter assured me they had Russian vodka and surely it was potato.  I warned him most vodkas are made with grain.  He brought me a delicious looking martini, but came back a minute later (luckily before I tried it) and swiftly removed it from the table.   He had checked the label, which I greatly appreciate, and saw that it was made with grain.  He & another waiter checked all of the vodka bottles and all were grain.  He went out of his way to offer me selections of other grain free liquors & they even have a GF beer, but I passed.  Hopefully from this experience, they will now stock potato vodka.

Overall, the staff was very welcoming, the atmosphere was wonderful & the food was delicious.  I would highly recommend this restaurant.  Photos are: The menu, my appetizer, my pasta and my lamb dinner. 

http://olivegrove.ca/

Review Safeway brand Eating Right GF Deluxe Mac & Cheese

So, let me start by saying I am always thrilled to see new GF items. This box of Safeway Eating Right GF Deluxe Mac & Cheese was more expensive than Annie's brand in my Safeway store. I only bought this because it was on sale for $3.99 each. That being said...open the box...this is what you get.

Pretty standard for a deluxe version. The macaroni noodles are a wee bit smaller than standard. That has no bearing on taste. 

Instruction state to boil the noodles 8-10 minutes. I boiled mine for about 9. Drain, return to pot, add cheese sauce and stir. 

It was really good. Computable to Annie's brand GF deluxe. 

You know me, I've got to doctor things up. I added A LOT of garlic and Italian seasoning. Perfecto. 

Bottom line, very good product. Comparable to what else is out there. However, this is what I would consider a generic brand. Therefore way overpriced. If this was say, $2.99, I would buy the shiznit out of this.  If it costs as much or more than a trusted brand like Annie's, I will buy the Annie's. Lower your price Safeway & you've got a winner. 

McMenamins Deliciousness

Before going GF, I did love me a communication breakdown burger from McMenamins.

McMenamins is a cool local Pacific NW chain of restaurants, hotels & venues. One thing I love about McMenamins is that they are a local company that supports other local companies.  They get all of their food sources from Oregon & Washington based companies. 

On a side note, we have stayed at Edgefield and it was wonderful.  We have also had my husband's union banquet there for the past few years.  It is just a cool place.  Even if you don't stay the night, go check it out for the funky artwork!

http://www.mcmenamins.com

I went into the Happy Valley/Clackamas area on at:

9757 S.E. Sunnyside Rd.

• Clackamas, OR 97015
  
  
  I was pleased as punch that the server was knowledgeable about gluten free food. I was seriously hoping I could get their delightfully delicious shoestring fries with my meal....and I could! They have a dedicated for their tater-tots & if you ask really nicely, they will put a batch of fries in there for you. Yay! They even brought me a local GF ketchup. 
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  I decided to try their GF bun. Normally I get burgers lettuce wrapped because I don't care for most GF buns. Our server told me that their buns were different so I decided to give it a try. 
  
  
  My mouth was watering when I got my meal. Beautiful!
  
  
  
  
  
  Because I was on a date with my husband and we had a lot of errands to run that day, I decided not to get my much loved communication breakdown burger.  It is delicious, but not the best for your breath.  I got the Dungeon Burger (mushroom & Swiss cheese) instead. 
  
  
  The bun was very different. It was more like ciabatta bread than a traditional bun & I really liked it! 
  
  
  
  
  
  On a non-GF note, we took my son there for his 22nd birthday. He had never been. He decided to try a beer sampler. McMenamins originally started out as just a brewery and they brew some pretty awesome beer. (They do offer a couple of GF beer and hard ciders) 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  He was so impressed with the seasonal Kris Kringle that he bought one of their famous growlers. It was $4 for the refillable jug and $13 to get it filled. He can take it into any McMenamins for refills. Our server told us that every Monday they offer a discount on the bartender's choice for refills as cheap as $8 for the gallon!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  As always, please ask your server about their fryer and GF options at each location. You know what they say about assuming..
  
  
  

Thanksgiving Traeger Turkey

This is the bomb-diggity. Oh, sorry, so awesome I flashed back to the 80's. My husband smoked this puppy on our Traeger. This is the most beautiful turkey I have ever seen.

Rubbed down raw with olive oil, onion powder, granulated garlic & Penzy's Northwoods Fire seasoning. We always cook breast down so that all of the yummy juices run into the breast, not away from it.

Almost all of Penzey's seasonings are GF! You can order online at:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/penzeysordering.html?id=LYF5VDFX

We are super lucky to have a Penzey's store locally at

11322 SE 82nd Ave
Happy Valley, OR

 

I am visual, so I love going in and looking at all of the spices.  There are SO many! Here is a link to see if you have a store nearby you. 

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/penzeysstores.html 

We put the turkey on the Traeger on smoke for 5 hours, then cranked it up to medium for just over 3 1/2 hours for a 20lb bird. Time really depends on your bird and how cold it is outside.  

Pretty much anything off a Traeger is delicious, but my husband out-did himself tonight! 

http://www.traegergrills.com/dealers 

Udi's frozen GF French baguette review

As my regular readers know, I don't eat a lot of GF bread, mostly because it disappoints me.

I did love a little brushetta back in the day, so when I saw these baguettes, visions of antipasto danced in my head. 

This bag was at Safeway for $5.99 and each bag has 2 baguettes. They are about 12" long and 2" in diameter. Just to let you know, they are dairy, soy and nut free also.

http://udisglutenfree.com/

I cooked 1 baguette as directed. From frozen, 400° for 10-15 minutes. I cooked mine approx 14 minutes. It was crispy, but in a good, crusty sort of way. 

Tonight I picked up some creamy garlic & herb goat cheese and vine ripened hothouse tomatoes. We usually grow our own tomatoes, but it is November...you take what you can get. 

I sliced my baguette in 1/2" slices, smothered them with goat cheese, topped with tomato and I was in heaven. I shared the baguette with my son. Ok....he had 3 pieces and I ate the rest. 

I think this was good enough to serve to my gluten loving friends and family. Next time I am picturing olive oil, mozzarella, fresh basil and tomato. I will post updated photos. I have only seen these once at Safeway, so I am going to buy a few if they still have them.

**update**

I cooked it a little less, approx 11 minutes and I liked the texture better. Then I topped them with a generous helping of pesto and goat cheese. 

Udi's frozen Gluten Free Uncured Pepperoni Pizza review

I have only tried 2 gluten free pizza crusts in the last 8 months, and both left me underwhelmed.

I saw this frozen Udi's pepperoni pizza on sale at Safeway, so I figured I would get one and save it for a rainy day. 

Last night was a rainy day (literally, I live in Oregon), so I thought I would give it a try. 

It is a small pizza and, well, it looked like a frozen pizza. I cooked it exactly as directed. 400°, directly on the rack, 6" from the bottom, for 12 minutes. This is what came out. 

Not too shabby. I picked up a piece to snap this photo to show the thickness and the pizza was limp, however the instructions say to let it sit for 5 minutes and it firmed up. 

Let me remind you, this is a frozen pizza. I did not have the expectation that it would be some amazing, life altering meal, but you know what? It was pretty darn good. 

My husband and I have an inside joke. Once we were starving and all we had to eat was a package of very stale Ritz crackers. When we ate them, it was the best damn Ritz cracker we had ever had. So, the joke it, it can be a crappy meal, but if you are deprived, it will be the best thing in the world. 

So I was unsure, was the pizza really good, or was this the best damn Ritz cracker situation? I had my gluten loving husband take a bite & he agreed, for a frozen pizza, it was pretty good!

I cook almost every night and try to limit my processed food, but I will be buying this pizza again for another rainy day.