Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Scalloped Potatoes

With this recipe, I think I discovered two things at once! Not only did I make scalloped potatoes that were dairy-free and still tasted good, I think I might have discovered an alternative to using a can of "cream of ____ " soup in future recipes. Oh, I hope I'm right! Not only was this recipe easy, it also was a money saver because I didn't have to buy an expensive specialty can of soup. And, a lot of those GF soups are not only expensive, but they use heavy cream (not dairy free, and NOT good for anyone's health in any way). So, here it is! (Not the greatest picture, but they tasted great!)

***Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Scalloped Potatoes

4-5 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup almond milk (or any milk alternative should work fine)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch or tapioca starch
1/4 - 1/2 cup diced onion
1 stalk celery, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
olive oil, for cooking celery and onions

Preheat oven to 375. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a medium-size sauce pan. Over medium heat, saute celery and onion until tender. Slowly add in water and almond milk. Heat to almost boiling. Very gradually, whisk in cornstarch or tapioca starch, until mixed well. If any stray clumps of cornstarch or tapioca starch remain, scoop them out with a spoon. Cook until mixture thickens slightly. In a 1 1/2 - 2 quart casserole dish, layer sliced potatoes. Pour thickened, "cream of celery" soup mixture over potatoes. Bake uncovered for about an hour, or until potatoes are tender and can be pierced with a fork.

September Writers Group Topic - "Dirty Work"

Time for a little writing. :)

For this month's writers group, we were challenged to write something to go along with the theme "dirty work." We didn't have much direction, and I didn't think I would have much to write about. When I sat down to write, something welled up within me, and it just poured out. It brought back memories I had totally forgotten about!

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Dirty Work - A short-lived summer job when I was 19 years old

I always try to clean up after myself when I stay overnight in a hotel room. I try not to leave the garbage can overflowing or the linens in piles across the floor. I have had people tell me, "Leave the clean up for housekeeping; that's what they get paid for." But I can't do it. So, if my kids make a mess of animal crackers, we clean it up.

You see, I spent two weeks cleaning hotel rooms one summer and it was the worst job I've ever had. My bosses demanded that I come to work 15 minutes earlier than I was scheduled, but I was never allowed to clock in for myself. I was paid minimum wage, which at that time was $5.25 an hour. At 8 AM sharp, we (all of us in housekeeping) were sent out to begin cleaning. We were told we would all be clocked in at 8, but no one ever saw it happen. Our mission was not cleaning, but to make things appear clean, and we were instructed to use as little cleaning fluid as possible. Water would have to suffice.

I will never forget the first hotel room I cleaned. I walked through the door and was horrified. Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets were strewn around the room, and mashed potatoes were ground into the carpet. I tried to make the bed, but instead saw images in magazines I wish I could forget. On the nightstand there was a picture of a woman and two children, and I assumed they were the guest's family. I had barely begun cleaning when I was whisked to the next room and told I would have to pick up the pace if I was going to keep my job. I spent hours trying to clean the filthiest rooms I had ever seen and only to be pushed along with with hardly scratching the surface.

Clocking out was the same as clocking in. We worked longer than scheduled without compensation. After two weeks, I quit. I gave no notice and went home. They altered my pay rate and found a loophole that allowed them to give me less than minimum wage.

And so, I go out of my way to help out housekeeping when I stay in hotels. The people holding down these jobs work hard at dirty and thankless jobs. I hope I make their days even just a little easier.

Chocolate Cherry Oat Bars

There isn't much I can say about these bars except YUM! I bought a carton of cherries at the grocery store, but by the time I went to use them, most of them were soggy and not very good anymore. So, I wanted to find a use for the few cherries I had left. These bars were perfect! The cherries are only on the bottom layer, and they are like a little treat in each bite.

***Chocolate Cherry Oat Bars

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup pitted, diced cherries

1/4 (or less) sugar for sprinkling over cherries

1/2 cup sugar, for chocolate-oat batter

1/2 cup GF oats

1/3 cup oil, plus 1 1/2 Tbsp.

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 egg

1 1/2 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8x8 baking dish. Cover bottom of baking dish with diced cherries. Sprinkle cherries with desire amount of sugar. In bowl, mix brown rice flour, 1/2 cup sugar, oats, cocoa powder, and baking powder, until combined. Slowly mix in oil, water and egg. Batter will be thick. Spoon chocolate-oat batter over cherries, using spoon to spread mixture evenly over cherries. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Bars are best after they have cooled down most or all of they way. They are a little crumbly, but I like it that way and didn't really want to add xanthan gum. If you'd like to make it stick together more, I'm sure you could add 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum.

Roasted Red Potatoes and Veggies

Fall is just around the corner. I can feel it in the air. Even though the last few days have been unseasonably warm, there is a crispness in the breeze, and there are crunchy leaves on the ground. This weather makes me think of two things...well, three, really. 1) soups and stews, 2) hot chocolate, and 3) oven roasted vegetables.

OK, I know red potatoes aren't vegetables. But, I had almost an entire bag of small red potatoes to use up. This recipe works for anything you have on hand, or in your garden. Tonight I did red potatoes, onions, carrots, and banana peppers (though bell peppers would have been great, too). I've done it in the past with zucchini. Squash and sweet potato are great additions too. I've even thrown in some green beans or wax beans. Sometimes they get a little crisp on the ends, but they are great! You really can't go wrong with oven roasted veggies.

***Roasted Red Potatoes and Veggies

10 or more small red potatoes (or about 4 regular white potatoes), enough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, cut into eighths (my bag was a strange mixture of size B potatoes with a few larger ones thrown in)

3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into "coins"

2-3 small banana peppers, seeds removed and peppers chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Place desired chopped veggies and potatoes in 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle oil over top of veggies and potatoes, stirring to coat. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the potato and veggie mixture. Stir well. Bake 25 minutes, stir. Bake another 20 minutes, or until potatoes (or whatever your largest veggie is) are soft and can be pierced with a fork.

Baked Cucumber Rounds

A dear friend brought over some fresh-picked cucumbers last week, and I was eager to use them! First I baked some cucumber bread, which is nothing like zucchini bread, surprisingly! Perhaps I will share that recipe later. After the sweet bread, I wanted to try something savory. So, I made these...

And no, they aren't fried! These Baked Cucumber Rounds are a great side dish, or served as an appetizer. I couldn't stop eating them they were so good!

***Baked Cucumber Rounds 

1 large cucumber, cut into 1/4" - 1/2" thick slices (about 24 slices)

3/4 cup mayo

3/4 cup cornmeal (Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills both make certified GF cornmeal)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Very lightly grease a cookie sheet. In one bowl, mix cornmeal, salt and pepper. Put mayo in another bowl. Dip both sides of cucumber slices into mayo and then into cornmeal mixture. If cucumbers have too much moisture, pat them dry with a paper towel before coating in mayo and cornmeal. Place coated cucumber slices on baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes, turn over. Bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until breading has browned on both sides. Handle carefully as the breading comes off easily.