spinach salad with blueberries and artichoke hearts

This salad is so simple, but PACKED with vitamins, and has 2 super foods in its simple list of ingredients... This is a 5 minute meal, or part of a meal! So try it and you will love it! Add shaved Parmesan and it will even up the wow factor.

Ingredients

1 bag or organic spinach about 4 cups
1-2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 sliced thin red onion
1 can or jar of artichoke hearts chopped
Your favorite vinaigrette dressing (We used Garlic Expressions from Central Market in Mill Creek)

Combine in a salad bowl and toss... Voila! Yummy!

I also want to say I am so sorry I have not added any new entries in so long. Even now as I try I am needed 5 times and a wiggly little almost three year old crawls up on my lap and asks "Is that our dinner?", while pointing at the picture... So I am going to have a much lighter schedule in a few months. I still cook, I just don't find the time to use the computer! I'll work on adding more soon! XOXO

Chocolate covered almonds, raisons or whatever gluten and dairy free

It was family night at our house, and candy just doesn't do it for me these days... But chocolate covered nuts, and dried fruit yes please! So I decided that for the movie we were watching I wanted to make something we could all enjoy, and we did! It is SOOO easy, I mean like minutes and you are able to enjoy these, though making them is equally enjoyable for those who like to lick the bowl!

Here's how...

1 1/2 cup of dairy free chocolate chips or whichever you prefer
1 tab earth balance butter
Salted roasted almonds are my fav

Put chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with the tablespoon of butter, microwave 30 seconds, take out stir, and repeat until the mixture has no lumps and chocolate is all the way melted. Add your favorite nut (salted almonds are my favorite), fruit or candy and stir until everything is coated all the way. Then pour out over a tray lined with wax paper and try to separate each piece. Refrigerate for 10 or so minutes and enjoy!!! Such a TREAT!!!

Chicken Nuggets the Chick-fil-a way and gluten and dairy free

Even if I could eat gluten and dairy I could not go to my favorite fast food restaurant and get my beloved Chick-fil-a nuggets since they do not have one here in Washington state, boo! So as I was thinking of all my favorite things to eat and wanting these, not to mention having these two young boys I knew if I could make them even a little bit like those yummy chicken nuggets, they would love them too! So I found a recipe a former employee published on the web and subbed out the ingredients and what I came up with was SO SO SO GOOD, and we ate them all! Needless to say these will be a SPECIAL treat meal, not on the regular rotation, much to my husbands dislike we are not getting a fry daddy... But hey, you gotta try these and you won't be sorry! They weren't ridiculous to make, took about 30-45 minutes tops.

So here's the SECRET recipe...

3 cups peanut oil
1 egg
1 cup almond milk
1 cup gluten free flour I use this recipe found here.. http://www.5loavesofbread.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html
2-1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sea salt
8- 10 chicken tenders cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Chop the chicken tenders to the 1 1/2 inch pieces, then dip them first into the egg and almond milk, and then into the flour, sugar and and seasoning mixture. When the oil reaches desired temp, I used med-high setting and waited about 7 minutes to get the desired temp. Then place the chicken pieces into the oil carefully. And let them brown for a few minutes on each side turning and browning the other side at least once. Once they are golden brown and cooked through place them on a tray with paper towels on top to drain some of the excess oil. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces...  DELISH, I promise!!!