Happy Monday to you! The week ahead will be a busy one for our family so to have a menu plan for this week is a must!

• Monday-Creamy Mexican Skillet Chicken,(see recipe below) corn tortilla chips, corn tortillas, black beans & toppings
• Tuesday-Crockpot Chili
• Wednesday-Breakfast for Dinner..Eggs, Bacon & Fruit.
• Thursday-Steak Stir Fry, rice
• Friday-Pizza Night. G-Free Falafel Pizza – I cheat and use Trader Joe’s Three Layer Hummus.
• Saturday-Over at friends. Bringing a fruit tray along with this dip
• Sunday-Roasted Chicken, potatoes, salad or whatever vegetable I have on hand.

Mexican Skillet Chicken:

1 1/2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken thighs

4 oz cream cheese–softened

Half of Jar of your favorite salsa

1/4 cup or so of water

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt/pepper/garlic powder

Cut chicken...

Our family has begun a countdown to our summer vacation. We are excited to see family and friends back where my husband and I grew up. Along with all the plans of people and places we want to see comes the concern of how/where I will eat while we are away. Instead of waiting until we get there I have decided to be proactive and take some control of our restaurant food choices. Deciding on where to eat out can sometimes be difficult as I live the gluten-free lifestyle. So many foods come breaded or even just prepared in or in shared space as non gluten-free foods. If you have severe reactions to gluten it can turn a fun night out into anything but fun. So in planning for our vacation I have decided to see what I could research and find in healthy choices for gluten-free menus/foods.

More an...

It started about three years ago, an odd feeling in my throat. It started out feeling like there was a hair or something in my throat. I gargled, I examined, had my husband look to see if he saw anything and nothing. I then began to have this feeling as if there was something larger in my throat and would cause me to gag. That was enough for me to have me head off to the doctors. After many tests (many uncomfortable) they determined that I had reflux and that was the beginning of many different attempts at medications. None provided me with complete relief. It was an extremely frustrating feeling. I decided that I did not want to just accept that this would be the new way of feeling. I began to do research. In doing so I came across the book ” Wheat Belly”. The author, William David M.D...

It has been said that “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, for many people breakfast would likely mean grabbing a bagel or having a bowl of cereal. Now there are gluten free bagels as well as gluten free cereals, but I choose to have a smoothie for my breakfast each morning. They are delicious, you can have a different type each day of the week, they can be very healthy and are filling! Here are some of my smoothie making tips:

• When possible use some type frozen fruit or vegetable in your smoothies.This keeps the smoothies nice and cold.  Something we do once a week is buy a bunch of bananas peel and chop each one up into thirds...

What exactly is gluten and what do you need to be concerned about in living a gluten-free lifestyle?

A gluten-free diet or lifestyle is one that eliminates specific gluten proteins from your diet as well steering clear of products that contain gluten that you come into contact with in everyday living. Gluten is actually found in all grains however for those with Celiac Disease or have a gluten intolerance the gluten in the grains wheat, barley, rye and – for some – oats is the gluten that causes the issues.

So what type of foods,flours and beverages should you avoid in your diet as you live a lifestyle of gluten-free? Wheat, Barley,Rye, Bulgur, Kamut, Spelt, Durum flour, Farina, and Graham flour. ALWAYS read the ingredient list on any foods...