Smoked Pork

Yes, this meat was as tasty and juicy as it looks!
We have an Orion smoker and really enjoy using it. It is a bit of work. You have to clean it, put in wood chips (I used mesquite, but apple is amazing) and apple juice, put in the seasoned meat (lawrys season salt, pepper and garlic powder), put charcoal all around the outside and light it. Cook 3 hours. It doesn't sound like much but it takes some time. But it was so worth it! Even in 104 degree heat! (Is it seriously only May?)
I have heard some grills can be used as smokers. We got the Orion from Home Depot for fairly cheap. Most anytime we are having a big group over we just smoke some pork or turkey. Makes life easy.
We shredded this pork and put it on some Udi's gluten free hotdog buns with BBQ sauce and pickles. Threw some corn on the cob in boiling water for about 5 minutes, and stirred up some coleslaw. T and I were in BBQ heaven! So much so, that I forgot to snap a picture of the whole meal, sorry. But it was as good-looking as you are picturing it in your head!
So nice to be able to eat something that tastes like

Gluten Free Pantry Brownie Review

Yum. We are currently making this and I licked the bowl clean! The cocoa in it tastes like a higher quality. The batter really is like regular brownies. My mom, who is a self-proclaimed "chocolate-snob"(Ghiradelli are the only chocolate chips she ever uses, nothing else is as good (at the regular grocery store, anyway)). She thought these were amazing, too!
The brownies are soft and gooey. The box recommends you freeze them for an hour, I think because they fall apart otherwise. We could not wait that long, but we did eat these with ice cream and the part that got really cold was more chewy. I loved the texture of these. I didn't notice any graininess or odd flavor that is so common in gluten free baking.
There was one small piece that was left in the pan overnight that my mom and I ate. It was still amazing. A little bit of the side was crispy, but most of it was still soft. The taste was just as good as last night.
It was just delicious! We will definitely buy this brand again.
Bytheway, the "Gluten Free Pantry" is produced by "Glutino", who also makes the best gf pretzels and these cookies. I'm officially a big fan!

My Mom's Spinach Salad

Bacon, swiss cheese, red onion...This is by far my most favorite salad! TJ really loves it too. It is light, tangy, and very addictive!

3 bunches spinach
1 head ice berg lettuce
3/4 lb. mushrooms
1&1/2lbs. Swiss cheese
1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled

Dressing:
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 red onion, sliced thin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1 tsp. salt
Poppy seeds (just under 1Tbs or so)

Make the dressing at least 3 hours prior to serving so it can marinate. Put all the ingredients in an airtight container and give it a good shake. Shake again before pouring it onto the salad, as the oil tends to separate.

This makes a massive salad, so I usually half it. If I know there will be leftovers, like if I'm making it for just our family, then I keep all the ingredients separated (mostly the dressing), otherwise it gets mushy after about 12 hours.

Prepare the spinach and lettuce by washing and making sure the bites will be manageable.
Shred the Swiss. Slice the mushrooms.

Toss as much of it together as you like! Put all the leftovers in separate airtight containers in the fridge. The dressing will taste even better the next day! It should last up to 1 week.

Gluten Free Banana Muffins

I love having muffins around the house. Something we can grab on the go or just snack on during the day.

This is my favorite recipe because it tastes like normal food and it even stays good for a few days. Most gluten free food does not taste nearly as good the next day. I just ate one of these from the batch I made Friday, so 4 days ago. It was a little dry compared to fresh, but it still tastes great!

2 cups gluten free flour (see below)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cups ripe bananas (4-5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
Optional- 1/2cup nuts chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the dry ingredients (first 3) in a small bowl and briefly stir or sift.
I use my standup kitchen aid mixer, but a hand mixer would work great too. In a mixer or large bowl, mix the bananas until they are super smashed. Try not to leave too many chunks, it tastes better that way. Add in the eggs and mix well, make sure all the yolks are broken. Add the other wet ingredients- sugar, applesauce, oil, vanilla. Briefly stir. Add dry and mix until everything is combined.

Spray two 8x4 inch loaf pans, or muffin tins, or line tin with papers so you don't have to wash in between baking. This will make 36 muffins. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. 35-45 minutes for the bread, about 18-20 minutes for the muffins. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaves from the pans (if you can stand it, I usually can't!)

Notes-
Flour
(you can use an all-purpose if you'd like, or just play around with different combos. I like 1/2c almond flour, 1 cup rice, 1/2c mix of whatever I have on hand (tapioca, soy, sorghum, cornstarch). The almond is a must for me because I love the slight nuttiness and texture it gives. Just make sure the total amount you use is 2 cups).
I used pear sauce instead of applesauce this last time and really liked it. I generally use unsweetened applesauce. Sometimes I'll replace a little of the oil with extra applesauce.
If I am feeling like being a little healthier I also use stevia in place of the sugar, but I prefer the taste the real sugar gives. I'm sure sugar in the raw would be great for this recipe.
Hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!

Glutino Cookie Review

We really like these gluten free cookies from Glutino. Both the vanilla and the chocolate are delicious. They taste a lot like regular cookies.
They are very similar in texture to Oreos, maybe a little harder. There is the slightest hint of the grainy texture that is so common in gluten free foods (usually it is from the rice flour).
Grandpa bought some for Kate a few weeks ago and she was in heaven! She probably would have eaten the entire box in one sitting, had we let her!