Caramel, Toffee, Chocolate Cake/Better than Sex Cake

OMG. Even though I'm not a fan of the name, I made this cake. It was so delicious! I took it to a work training dinner & everyone was flipping out over it! You wouldn't know it was gluten free! I didn't get a picture of it because it was gone so fast (which is good and bad). I would've loved to have posted a picture, but I'll add a picture when I make it again. My boss already told me to make it next week, so I guess that's a good sign! :)

It was so easy to make too! I used a boxed chocolate cake mix and just added stuff to it once it was baked!

Ingredients:

• gluten free chocolate cake mix
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 jar of caramel ice cream topping
• 1 container of cool whip, thawed
• 1 bag of crushed heath toffee bars

Directions:

1. Make cake mix as directed on box.
2. Once the cake is pulled out of the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes. 
3. After 5 minutes, poke holes in it using the end of either a chopstick, a spatula, etc. 
4. Slowly pour the whole can of sweetened condensed milk over the warm cake, making sure that it goes into the holes. 
5. Next, pour half of the caramel over the cake, making sure it gets into the holes. 
6. Let the cake cool completely. 
7. Once the cake has cooled completely, ice the cake with cool whip!
8. Before serving, top the cake with the crushed heath bars and drizzle the remaining caramel onto the cake. (You don't have to use the whole bag! I saved about 1/4 of the bag for future use.)
9. Keep refrigerated. 
10. Enjoy!

I can promise you, you need to make this soon! It was amazing! I will definitely be making it more often when I am taking a dessert to a party/gathering. It was so easy and waaaaayyyy better than I ever expected it to be! 

xoxo,

Jade

A letter & care package to someone transitioning to living GF

I once sent a gluten free care package to someone and it felt good. I love helping people and I want people to feel good about living gluten free. If you know someone that is gluten free or transitioning into living gluten free, this might be something you would want to do! It was fun shopping for the items and picking out some of my favorites to send. This is definitely something I will do in the future when I come across someone who is transitioning into living gluten free! It eases their stress and gives them an idea of some great tasting items. My letter went a little like this:

Dear (insert person's name here),

Here is a gluten free care package for you because I know firsthand that going gluten free sucks when you’ve eaten gluten-filled foods your whole life. It also sucks when everyone around you can eat gluten-filled foods and you can’t.  I'm here to tell you that it doesn't always suck. It gets better. It gets easier. I hope this makes going gluten free much easier for you. This package contains some things that have helped me stick to this gluten free lifestyle. I wish I could send you all my favorite frozen foods as well, but I can’t; instead, I will list some of my favorite things. As each month goes by, it gets a little bit easier. You will become a pro at reading labels and you’ll have the grocery aisles memorized once you get used to it. If you don’t feel better already, you will feel better soon! It took me a good three months to feel 100% normal. It is also common to have a vitamin B-12 deficiency for people who have celiac or gluten intolerance, so if you are always tired, you may want to get tested for the deficiency or start taking a B-12 vitamin daily.  Check everything you buy. Things that shouldn’t have gluten do! We have found gluten in shredded cheese! It is in everything.  When I get glutened, it is usually always from me eating something that should be gluten-free and it isn’t.  Anyways, I hope this package and list make things a bit easier.

Included here is my list for stocking your pantry and freezer. (Print & include this list in the letter or make one of your own.)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (insert your contact info here)! I know that it would’ve been so much easier if I knew someone when I had to go gluten free so I hope this will help you! I want you to know, it gets easier with time! I'm here if you ever need me, and I hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,

(insert your name here) 

Next you'll want to buy some gluten free goodies to include in the box! I threw in some KIND snacks, fruit bars, pasta, mac & cheese, chips, glutino poptarts, bisquick, and soup.

I can promise you that it will make their day to receive a care package like this! It's so helpful and makes their transition so much easier! If you've done something like this, what did you include?

xoxo,
Jade

Stocking your pantry & freezer

When going gluten free, it can definitely be overwhelming at first, but don't worry! It gets easier with time! You will become a professional at reading labels. You'll find your go-to brands, but I think the best advice I have received is to keep my pantry and freezer stocked. I try to keep something sweet in my freeezer/pantry at all times for when I'm having a sweet tooth. We always have bread in the freezer and pasta in the pantry. This is a great list of some items that you might want to keep stocked in your pantry or refrigerator, depending on what you crave! When I first went gluten free, I missed things that I never really craved before! For example, I never grew up eating a lot of corn dogs or chicken nuggets, but every once in a while, I will crave a corn dog or chicken nuggets. I was surprised by some of the things I was craving after living gluten free for a couple weeks. Since I am the only one that is gluten free in my household, we keep a ton of gluten free foods stocked so that I can eat the gluten free version of whatever is being made. We also try to buy stuff when it is on sale! When I cook, I make everything gluten free instead of making two meals.

This list will continue to grow, but I think it is great for those that are just starting out. It gives you an idea of some of the brands and the items they make, while also giving you my thoughts/reviews! 

1. Udis brand items: I love their double chocolate brownies, blueberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, and their plain bagels. I was not a fan of the bread. (I now like the Millet Chia and the fresh loaves at Walmart/Costco) GF bread just isn’t the same as gluten-filled bread.  You can sign up for $1.00 off coupons on their website. It will save you some money in the long-run. I signed up my whole family so we each get $1.00 off each month and they print the coupons off and it saves me $5.00 if I need to stock up. 
2. Three Bakers: omg. It's the best bread I've ever had. The only time I buy it is when I go to Oklahoma, which isn't too often! I bring back 4-5 loaves in an ice chest. It is my absolute favorite bread! 
3. Corn pasta: I love the GF corn pasta. Corn pasta is my favorite GF pasta. Rice pasta can overcook really fast and doesn’t reheat as well. The corn pasta I buy is pretty cheap (HEB Brand). 
4. Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Dessert Line: I have had the gluten free vanilla cake and the brownies. They both taste delicious. These were things I craved and didn’t think I could have after going GF. They also sell sugar cookie mix and chocolate cake mix.
5. Pillsbury GF line: This you might have to do a little searching for. They now make cookie dough, pizza crust, and pie crust in the refrigerated section. I personally didn't like the pie crust and I haven't tried any of the other items. 
6. Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers: These are sold at our Sam’s. They come in a brown box. They are my go-to crackers.
7. Food Should Taste Good: These can be found at some Krogers and I used to buy them from Sam’s in Sherman. I love their gluten free tortilla chips. (Most tortilla chips should be naturally gluten free, just check them)
8. Gluten free chicken tenders: I craved breaded chicken tenders and I recommend Applegate brand chicken tenders. They are organic and tasty. Ian’s is also supposed to be pretty tasty. Ian’s brand can be found at any grocery store.
9. Rice Krispie cereal: The gluten free rice krispie cereal comes in a yellow box. I used it to make rice krispie treats!
10. Cocoa Pebbles and Fruity Pebbles: these are now GF and they taste delicious.
11. Gluten free oatmeal: We found it on sale at Big Lots. They have a big selection of Bob’s Red Mill gluten free products. (They also have gluten-filled products so look carefully) It’s really good! It can be found pretty much everywhere.
12. GF soups: I have found some good gluten free cream of mushroom soup. Progresso makes some gluten free soups as well.
13. GF all-purpose flour: Hodgson Mills is a good brand but they have stuff that isn’t gluten free so make sure to get the gluten free one. We use it just as we would use normal flour. Bob’s Red Mill is also a good brand.
14. GF Corn flakes: These make some good GF homemade chicken tenders. We use GF cornflakes for anything we need to bread.
15. Amy’s brand frozen meals: Amy’s brand has some good gluten free meals.
16. GF pizza crust: I know Rudi’s and Udi’s makes gluten free crust, but I haven’t tried it. I buy a box of gluten free crust and make 4 personal size pizza crusts. I bake them and then freeze them to use for later. It is cheaper this way.
17. Annie’s box pasta: This brand has some gluten free boxed pastas. I did not like the rice pasta with the cheddar sauce. I was hoping for something that tasted like velveeta shells and cheese and it was nothing compared to velveeta shells and cheese, but they do have some good gluten free boxed pastas.  I would rather make homemade GF mac and cheese with velveeta.
18. Chex Cereal: They make some GF chex. I also like the honeynut rice chex to use as cereal.
19. Kikkoman Soy Sauce: They make a gluten free soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. The gluten free soy sauce comes in a blue bottle.  It tastes like normal soy sauce.
20. Glutino: This brand has pretzels, chocolate covered pretzels, crackers, cereals, and practically everything else. They are really good.
21. Ebenezer Foods: this is the newest company I have tried. They are not out in stores yet but I tried them at the GF expo that I went to. The make the best bread ever! You should be able to order from them online. I loved the bread (we ordered 3 mixes) and I also loved the muffin mix (we ordered 1). The bad thing is that they are really expensive. $10 for bread mix and $6 for muffin mix. L
22. KIND snacks: delicious.
23. Fruit Chia: These are great little fruit snack bars! I love them.
24. Walmart: They have their own line of oreo type cookies, pretzels, mac and cheese, shells and cheese, muffins, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and much more! Everything I have tried as been pretty tasty!

enjoy!

xoxo,

Jade

fist bump

Over the semester, there were many times when I brought sweets to various get togethers. I also brought food to sorority events and to other events in some of my other organizations. Each time, I set my food out with all the other food and watched as people tried everything.

When people would ask if I brought something, I often didn't want to tell them what I brought because I never know how they'll react. Am I the only one with this feeling? It's the feeling that if I tell them, they won't want to try it because they think that living gluten free sucks or that the food is bad or whatever else...

Nonetheless, I usually come out and tell them immediately. It feels good knowing that through these experiences more people are able to learn about gluten, what it is, and why people don't eat it. What I love is when I see people's perspectives change. It's encouraging when someone who has previously said "living gluten free must really suck" comes back and says "wow, you can't tell this is gluten free. It's nothing like what I expected".

It felt good finding out that my professor, who brought gluten-filled pizza for the class, actually doesn't eat gluten, but was able to enjoy the treats that I brought because they were gluten free. :) It's uplifting when people ask for your brownie recipe because "these brownies are way better than normal brownies". (cough cough, I don't have a recipe. I used Krusteaz gluten free brownie mix...)

Sometimes, it takes stepping out of your comfort zone to make a difference and change a perspective.

Give yourself a fist bump or high-five when that happens. Bringing food to share is such a great way to educate people.

How do you educate others?

xoxo,
Jade

Tandoori Chicken

My mom and I love Indian food, so I enjoy trying out different recipes when we are craving indian food. This week, I made tandoori chicken & it tasted delicious! It was full of flavor and not too spicy. We placed the chicken on a layer of basmati rice and topped it with a squirt of fresh lemon juice. We will definitely make it again.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, halved

• 1 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 small plain, unsweetened greek yogurt
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced ginger
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper 
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• juice from one lemon
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1. Wash chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken in a large marinading bowl. 
2. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, paprika, lemon juice, and salt together. 
3. Using a silicon kitchen brush, brush the rub onto the meat. Be sure to use all of the rub mixture, coating all sides of the chicken. 
4. Using a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients to create a marinade. ** If you want your tandoori chicken to be red, like it traditionally is, add a few drops of food coloring to your marinade. We were out of food coloring.
5. Pour half of the marinade onto the chicken. Flip the chicken breast over and coat the other side with the remaining marinade. 
6. Let the meat marinade for 2-3 hours before cooking.
7. The meat can be cooked on the grill, stove, or in the oven. (We cooked the meat on the stove with a little oil and butter.)
8. Enjoy the meat with a side of rice!

xoxo,

Jade

Barbacoa Tacos

I know I just posted a taco seasoning recipe, but barbacoa tacos are a favorite in this house! After making some changes to the recipe, it turned out so perfect! Full of flavor, just enough spice, this meat was very juicy! I prepped it the night before and threw it in my slow cooker the next morning. My family raved over how good it was, and I know we'll be eating this a lot more in the future!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
• 4 oz. chopped green chiles
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into small chunks (trim off the fat, I cut mine into 1-2 inch cubes)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, except meat in a large bowl. Stir the sauce mixture before adding the beef. 
2. Stir the mixture. Cook immediately or refrigerate to cook the next day.
3. When ready to cook, place the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours until the meat is tender enough to shred. 
4. Before shredding the meat, remove the bay leaves.
5. Shred the beef using two forks. After shredding the beef, place it back into the slow cooker. 
6. Using tongs, serve the barbacoa on warm corn tortillas or use it to top off your salad. 
7. Top with chopped onion, fresh cilantro, and a squirt of lime juice or top it with some sour cream and cheese! 
8. Enjoy!

Next time I make this, I am going to double the recipe. When it is cooked, I'll put half of the cooked meat in the freezer for a future quick meal. 

xoxo,

Jade

I don't wanna TACO bout it

 I don't know about you, but I love tacos. The problem is many taco seasonings contain gluten. Our grocery store sells a packet of gluten free taco seasoning, but I love this homemade version much more! It's so easy and so quick!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pizza pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano

Directions:

1. Mix it all together.
2. Spoon the seasoning into your meat a little at a time! I didn't use all of the seasoning. I stored some for later.
3. Enjoy!

enjoy!
xoxo,
Jade

change.

School's out for summer! As much as I love summer, I really miss school and seeing my friends every day. I completed the semester with a 4.0 GPA and will start the two-year professional phase of special education this August. I am so excited to spend part of my week in the public school system!

School has been out for about a month now, and I don't know what to do with all my free time! I am still staying busy; however, it's weird not having to study for my courses and not being constantly stressed! I'm not complaining though. I LOVE SUMMER TIME.

I am in the process of changing jobs and am so excited to start my new job on campus! I'll be working with adults that have disabilities and cannot wait for all that this job has to offer me. I know I will gain so much knowledge and will probably learn more from the students than they'll learn from me!

The biggest change: Today, I have officially completed my allergy desensitization injections! That being said, I have had more than 600 shots in the past four and a half years... Each and every shot has been worth all the pain and suffering I've gone through. They were well worth it. They've helped with all of my environmental allergies and have helped me be much more healthy.

I'm working on some recipes and will start posting more often. I hope you all are enjoying your summer break. Are you doing anything exciting? Traveling anywhere special? Whether you stay home or travel far, I hope you have an amazing summer filled with friends, fun, and adventure.

xoxo,
Jade