Gluten Free Orange and Cream Cheese Scones

Two of my closest girlfriends from college are both big tea drinkers.  One of them even throws beautiful tea parties for her friends.  I was honored enough to be invited to one back in November for our other friend's birthday.  The table was set with heirloom china, crystal, and silver.  She had a savory course and a sweet course, four different blends of tea, and was even kind enough to make sure I had some apple cinnamon gluten free scones perfect for fall so I could enjoy my tea to the fullest.

Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin

Have you ever read a recipe that called for a pork tenderloin and you bought a pork loin instead thinking they were the same thing?  Frustrating isn't it, when your glaze burns and your meat isn't cooked through at the time the recipe said?  Or, worse, done it in reverse and cooked a pork tenderloin to death in a roasting pan.

Gluten Free Flour Blend and Book Review

I was not compensated for this post other than given permission to share America's Test Kitchen's copyrighted recipe.  All opinions are my own.

Several weeks ago a package showed up on my doorstep unannounced.  My dad saw a cookbook online he thought I'd like and had it sent to me.  My dad is cool like that.

The book is America's Test Kitchen's latest The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook.  Let me tell you, I wish this book had come out a year ago.  The first chapter in the book is all about the chemistry of gluten and baking.  America's Test Kitchen talks about what needs to be replaced in a recipe if wheat gluten is removed - elasticity, fat, starch.  Another thing they talked about was weighing flour and other dry ingredients instead of measuring them by the cup.  That technique has made a great difference in my baking.

Monday Meal Plan - October 27 - November 2

Another busy week looms before us here in the NTAC household.  I was hoping that this week would be a little slower, but I don't think that will be the case.  At least we will have our first free weekend in 5.  The 9 year old is encouraged to dress like his favorite Roman or Greek god or goddess on Thursday at school.  We found out about this on Friday.  So after telling him that I did not have time or energy to make his Halloween costume this year (he's going to be a ninja), I now have to make a Halloween costume for school between now and Thursday morning.

Gluten Free Roux and White Sauce

One of my very first posts on this blog was how to make a roux and a white sauce.  It's such a basic thing to know in cooking if you want to really cook rather than just open cans of cream soup and dump it in a casserole dish with a few other basic ingredients.  I make a roux or a white sauce at least once a week.  In my original post I wrote that a basic white sauce is only 3 ingredients - butter or oil. flour, and milk (or cream).  It's super simple and extraordinarily inexpensive.  Once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder why you ever bothered with processed ingredients.

Meal Plan Monday - Semi Boy-free Edition

The 9 year old has his first overnight school field trip this week.  Then two days later he has a sleep-over at a friend's house to celebrate the friend's birthday.  So we have two nights without him this week, and I think he's looking forward to two nights on his own.

Beef Stew with Mushrooms

Last winter I found stew beef on managers special several times, so we ended up eating a lot of beef stew, vegetable beef soup, and beef tips with gravy over mashed potatoes.  Not that anyone really complained.  Even the 9 year old will eat the beef and the potatoes from beef stew.