From Gluten Free Gigi's dairy free, soy free, nut free recipe box:

A How-To Video for Roasting Chicken...   Gigi’s Trick to Fluffy Rice Captured on Film...   Preparing the Perfect Chilled Salad (with a Simple “Secret”)...   Gigi Makes Her Super-Popular Sunbutter Cookies... This Week's Trivia Question...

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Do you ever need help coming up with quick and easy gluten free menu ideas your entire family will love?

What if you’re living with other food allergies in addition to being gluten free?! Preparing a weeknight dinner can turn into a daunting task!

 This is especially true with August here and “Back to School” right around the corner. New schedules and extracurricular activities typically mean less time, leaving us feeling exhausted by the day’s end. That makes it easy to shortchange ourselves at mealtime, which throws our health off balance.

That never has to happen again. To show you just how simple,  healthy and good gluten free cooking can be, I’ve created a full menu for you.

It's not just gluten free. It's also dairy free, soy free, and nut free. You'd never know it, though. As you'll see, this is a meal almost anyone would eat and enjoy.
 
Each recipe is part of a meal that can be prepared in about an hour. I even have a simple gluten free dessert for you!

It gets even better...

You can see with your own eyes how simple this is! I show you all the important steps for each recipe. I even share my little "trick" techniques.
This group of how-to videos might be my first, but they won't be my last...

I'm thinking of doing this for all of my recipes. I’m also working on a series of how-to-in-a-minute videos showing the basics... like lining a pan with foil for easy clean-up. I would love to hear what you think of the idea. 

Now, on to this week’s meal!

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A meal that showcases the best of Norway.
With two-thirds of Norway's land surrounded by water, the natural choice for this meal seemed to be fish, but I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the flavor's of Norway with me, so I decided against fish (or any meat at all) and went vegan!
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Schweinebraten ~ Pork Roast with German mustard, broth, and gherkins
Why begin with Germany? No particular reason, really. In planning our culinary tour for the month of May, I decided to let the plan evolve as we travel, to have ideas bubble up, capture the good ones, and allow the others to float away. That’s generally how I roll – low stress, high fun, good food. You’re beginning to realize that the ‘simple’ thread is woven into my being, aren’t you?

Sure there are some ancestral ties to this Central European jewel, no greater in size than the state of Montana, but what it really came down to was the flow of things. Little Chef is helping me plan this month of meals, and we were both feeling the Germany vibe. We went with it.
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     It’s back to school time, and for many parents the question of what to send for lunch, especially if you have a child with a food allergy or sensitivity, is looming. We all want our children to eat a healthy, nutrient-packed lunch that will provide tons of energy to fuel their brain and body so that they can make it through a busy day at school, but if you have a child with special dietary needs, keeping lunch interesting can be an even greater challenge than usual. And there is also the consideration of palatability – will they like, and eat, what we send?
     In the interest of striking a balance between satisfying the parent’s desire for a nutritive lunch and the kiddo’s desire for a yummy bite, and keeping it free of any unwanted ingredients, I’ve put together a few ideas for you in hopes that at least a bit of the stress associated with back to school is abated.
     Here are 5 days of nutritious lunch box ideas to get you going. I have created these lunches for those on a gluten-free (GF) diet, and have not made considerations for other allergens or food sensitivities, so make sure you customize these ideas for your particular child and his or her specific dietary needs and allergies. Be sure to always read all food labels to make sure there is no gluten (or any other products that your child is allergic to) included in the ingredients. Of course, I suggest organic, natural foods that are minimally processed; and remember to clean all produce items well before preparing or consuming. 

Lunch 1 – Fruity Yo To Go
Kids can dip the fruit in the yogurt, then in the granola for a sweet, creamy, and crunchy bite!

Fruit, such as strawberries, banana, or mango
GF Yogurt cup (vanilla, fruit flavored, or plain)
GF Granola (make your own or try one of the GF varieties available in supermarkets)
Carrot sticks (I like to blanch a large batch of these and refrigerate until needed; they seem to be more palatable to some kids when blanched)

Lunch 2 – Deli-icious!
No bread needed for these “sandwich style” roll-ups!
For each deli roll:
1 slice of turkey, ham, or roast beef
1 slice Cheese, such as provolone, mozzarella, or mild cheddar
1 pickle spear
Place the cheese slice on top of the meat slice, lay the pickle spear in the center, and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.

GF Crackers
Orange wedges
2 GF sandwich cream cookies

Lunch 3 – Noodlin’ Around
Most kids love noodles, and rice noodles are excellent with a bit of grated Parmesan!
 
GF Rice noodles with a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan, and herbs
Diced baked chicken
Steamed broccoli or cauliflower
Frozen grapes (if you haven’t tried this, you’re missing out!)

Lunch 4 – Souper Kid Lunch
When the temperature begins to drop and a warm lunch is in order, this one hits the spot – finely chop leftover steamed veggies and toss into gluten-free broth of your choice for a simple homemade soup! You can even add some rice pasta to the mix for a heartier dish.

GF veggie soup (in thermos cup)
String cheese
GF cheddar crackers
GF Pudding of gelatin cup 

Lunch 5 – Egg-celent!
Most kids like hard boiled eggs, but if yours doesn’t like the yolk, just send extra boiled egg whites – kids still get the protein punch they need to make it through the day!

1 or 2 Hard boiled egg(s)
GF Baked veggie crisps
GF muffin, such as peanut butter and jelly flavor or blueberry
Celery stalks filled with cream cheese sweetened with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon

 
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