Absolutely Almond Snowballs - Holiday Cookie Workshop 2016

The fun times of the holidays . . . the aroma of freshly baked cookies . . . the joy of receiving homemade goodies.  What fun it is to make them too!  Oh, they didn't last long and I forgot to take the before & during pictures.  I made this using a prior season Gluten-free product.  If you like any of our gluten-free products, make sure you stock up on those that are limited.

this was from 2014. 

For these you need:

Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix
1 stick butter, softened (1/2 c)
2 oz pkg chopped pecans
1 egg
powdered sugar (for use when baking)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl until dough forms.  Roll into 1-inch balls.  Seal 6 cookies at a time in sealing wrap.  Place cookies in labeled 1 gallon freezer bag.

Baking Instructions:  Thaw frozen balls.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  While cookies are still warm, roll in powdered sugar until well coated.  Cool completely.

Makes approx. 2 dozen.

Lasagna

My husband and son love homemade lasagna.   Most of my postings on this blog have been freezer meal ideas, quick dinners, or crock-pot meals.  This is NOT one of them.  However, since it makes six servings, you can freeze the leftovers (really delicious).

This time, I made it totally gluten-free, low sodium, and low fat.  I'm going to list the original ingredients but note that I did a lot of substitutions.  

Ingredients:

1 lb very lean ground beef (I used turkey)
12 oz no-salt added tomato paste
2 cups water
1 tsp basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder (I actually used 1 Tbsp Onion Onion)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I actually used about 1 tsp Garlic Garlic)
2 Tbsp sugar (I actually used Splenda)
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp unsalted margarine (I used unsalted butter)
1/4 cup flour (I used fava bean)
1 cup skim milk (I used 1%)
1/2 lb low sodium grated cheese (I used mozzarella)
1/2 lb lasagna noodles

Instructions:

Brown the meat (I add the seasonings here, including about 1 Tbsp Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto); drain off any fat.  Add the tomato paste, water, seasonings and vinegar; simmer 25 minutes.  I usually add a can of mushroom stems & pieces (no-salt added, drained and using the liquid as part of the water).

While the sauce is simmering, make the cheese sauce:  melt the margarine over low head and add the flour; stir with a wire whisk for a couple of minutes; add the milk and stir with the wire whisk; cook over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes; remove from heat and stir in the grated cheese.

Cook the lasagna noodles as directed on the box, except do not add salt to the cooking water; drain.

In a shallow baking dish assemble the lasagna:  Spoon a little of the meat sauce, spread a layer of a third of the cooked noodles, add a layer of cheese sauce.  Repeat until all are used up, ending with a cheese layer.  (Usually 3 layers).  Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes; let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting.

You can assemble the lasagna ahead of time, refrigerate, and heat later.  Allow more time to heat through if it has been refrigerated.

Serve with garlic bread (ours was made with Tastefully Simple Gluten-free Beer Bread with Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning) and a green vegetable (I usually use green beans or broccoli).

GF Almond Snowball Cookies

This is a recipe from our 2014 Tastefully Simple Cookie Workshop.  Actually, I modified it to be gluten-free.

Ingredients:

GF Vanilla Bean Pound Cake Mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1 egg
2 oz pkg chopped pecans
powdered sugar

Directions:

Combine first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  roll into 1 inch balls.  Place on press-n-seal paper.  Cover with another press-n-seal.  Seal and freeze.

Place balls 2 inches apart on greased or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly browned.  Cool slightly.  roll in powdered sugar until well-coated.  Cool on rack.

Makes 24-26 cookies.

The original recipe used Absolutely Almond Pound  Cake Mix.

GF Cheesy Biscuits

This is actually on the back of the Gluten-Free Beer Bread Mix and is a variation of the recipe posted in Tastefully Simple's recipes.

If you liked the biscuits at Red Lobster, this is for you . . .

Prep Time:  15 minutes
Bake Time:  15-17 minutes
Servings:  14-15 biscuits

Ingredients:

Gluten Free Beer Bread Mix
1 Tbsp Garlic Garlic
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1 Cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2-3 Tbsp melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine first 5 ingredients; stir until dough forms.  Drop dough by large tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake for 5-17 minutes or until lightly browned.  Brush tops of hot biscuits with melted butter.  Serve warm.


This was a big hit with our family on Thanksgiving day.

Chili & Cornbread

Our dinner tonight was a crock-pot meal.  The chili cooked on low for about 4 hours.  Served it over the cornbread and sprinkled with fat-free shredded cheddar cheese.

Chili:

1 pound ground turkey, browned
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can great northern beans (white kidney or cannellini)
2 Tbsp Wahoo! Chili Seasoning Blend
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 can black beans

stir all of the above in a crock-pot.  Cook on low for several hours.


Gluten-free Cornbread:

Gluten-free Beer Bread Mix
1 egg (I used egg substitute)
1/3 cup corn meal
1/4 cup canola oil (I used Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)
1 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
1/3 cup canned corn
2 tsp Fiesta Party Dip Mix (optional) (I used 1 tsp)
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
Bacon Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine first 4 ingredients; blend well.  Add the milk; stir to blend.  Fold in corn and Fiesta Party Dip Mix (if desired).  Pour batter into a greased 8x8 pan.  Sprinkle Bacon Bacon over the top then drizzle with melted butter.  Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm.  Makes 9 servings.

Nana's Apple Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe came from our Freezer Cookie Workshop.

Ingredients:

Nana's Apple Cake Mix or Gluten Free Cinnamon Apple Cake Mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1 egg
1 3/4 cups quick cook oats
1/2 cup Craisins (optional)

Directions:

In medium bowl, combine first 3 ingredients; blend well.  Gradually add oats (and craisins, if desired); stir until combined.  Scoop by level teaspoon onto press n'seal, flatten slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Partially thaw cookies, slide onto parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.


GF option:  bake 15 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen.

I did the gluten-free option as well as using unsalted butter and egg substitute.  I did not use Craisins but may consider adding chocolate chips next time.

Gluten Free Pizza

1 Gluten Free Pizza Crust & Sauce Mix
1 cup very warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz Tomato Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
Grated Mozzarella Cheese
3 Mushrooms, sliced
1 Sm can sliced olives
salted, roasted cashews
turkey sausage
grated cheddar cheese

Make Pizza Crust according to package directions.  Make Pizza sauce according to package directions.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese then add your favorite toppings (ours is the mushrooms, olives, cashews & ground turkey "sausage").  Sprinkle more mozzarella & cheddar cheese.  Bake in oven and enjoy with your favorite drink.

Turkey Sausage:  make a fennel tea with 1/4 cup boiling water and 1 Tbsp fennel seeds.  Brown 1/4 lb of ground turkey in the tea.