Cinco de Mayo Bunco Celebration.

I have been busy the last couple weeks getting ready to host my Bunco Group on May 4th.  I made party hats for everyone to wear.   I had fake mustaches for everyone to mark their cups so they knew who's was who's. 

 I painted 2 signs to show everyone where to go for my Bunco party. I'm not much of an artist but I think you can tell what it is supposed to be.

I made a large Balloon Cactus sculpture so everyone would know they were at the right place.  I used an old Card Rack and my DH gave me some metal pipes that were bent so I could make the arms. It took 90 balloons to create this.  Thank you Dawn and Charlie for blowing up the balloons for me. Thank you Hailey and Mary for handing the balloons to me so I didn't have to let go.  I put this together in my Living room and Charlie was laughing because I then had to get it out side somehow.  I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to put it out because the wind was howling all day but calmed down just in time for me to put it out before my guests started to arrive.

 I researched and found a great recipe for Chicken Enchiladas(recipe below) I even made Gluten Free Flour Tortillas.  I found most of these recipes on Pinterest then changed them to my liking.

GF Chicken Enchiladas

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 Large Sweet Onion diced

3 Cloves Garlic minced (I used a Garlic press)

3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded

1 can (14.5-ounces) Diced Tomatoes

½ cup Sour Cream

1 (4-Onuce) can diced Green Chili peppers (they are not hot)

½ teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 teaspoon Dried Sweet Basil

½ teaspoon Chili powder

½ teaspoon ground Cumin

½ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

8 – 10 (8-inch) Gluten Free Flour Tortillas (Recipe Below)

1 (15 Oz) Enchilada Sauce

Instructions:

·         Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

·         Grease a 13” X 9” baking Dish with Cooking Spray and set aside.

·         Heat Olive Oil over Medium Heat in a large skillet.

·         Add onions and cook for 3 minutes.

·         Stir in Garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute.

·         Add in Chicken, diced Tomatoes, Green chilies, and Sour Cream; season with Oregano, Basil, Chili powder, Cumin and Salt and Pepper.

·         Cook for 5 Minutes or till heated through.

·         Mix in ½ of the shredded Cheddar Cheese.

·         Spoon mixture down the center of each of the GF Flour Tortillas and rollup.

·         Place seam side down in prepared baking dish.

·         Bake for 10 minutes.

·         Top with Enchilada Sauce and shredded Cheddar Cheese.

·         Return to oven and bake for 5 – 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

·         Serve warm.

Gluten Free Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:

2 ½ Cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 – 1 ¼ cup of warm water (about 100 degrees)

Instructions:

1.      To make tortillas, place flour, Xanthan Gum, and salt in large mixing bowl and mix well.

2.      Add 4 teaspoons of Olive Oil and stir to combine.

3.      Pour warm water in small increments and stirring to combine.

4.      Press dough together with wet hands and divide into 8 pieces.

5.      Roll each piece separately between 2 pieces of Plastic wrap until about 1/8” thick and 8” wide. (You can use a Tortilla Press if you have one.

6.      Heat a Large Cast Iron (or Non Stick) Skillet until hot.

7.      Place 1 raw Tortilla on the skillet at a time and cook for 45 – 60 seconds or until slightly charred on the bottom. (You’re better off under cooking than over cooking them because they won’t be pliable.)

8.       Flip tortilla with a heat proof Spatula and cook for another 30 – 45 seconds.

Remove from pan and place on plate continue till all tortillas are cook

Baked Cinnamon Chips with Strawberry Salsa

Baked Cinnamon Chips  

3 Gluten Free Flour Tortillas about 6"

3 tablespoons melted Butter

1 tablespoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup Sugar

Strawberry Salsa

6-8 Fresh ripe Strawberries Diced

1/2 cup chopped Pineapple chunks

2 tablespoons Sugar

1/4 cup dark chocolate 

1/4 teaspoon Olive oil

Whipped Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 drgrees.
2. Brush melted Butter on one side of each Tortilla.
3. Mix Sugar and Cinnamon and sprinkle on the Buttered side of each tortilla.
4. Use a pizza cutter or large knife to cut the tortillas into 8 wedges.
5. Place tortilla wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet sugar side up.
6. Bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges curl up.
7. Remove from Oven and let cool.
8. Place Chips on a platter.

Strawberry Salsa  

1. Mix Strawberries, Pineapple and sugar. (I made this a head and had it in the fridge until I was ready to serve my guests, then I put it together.)
2. Sprinkle Strawberry mix over the chips.
3. Melt the Dark chocolate and the 1/4 teaspoon Olive oil in the microwave 1 minute at a time stirring regularly until desired consistency.
4. Drizzle the chocolate over the Strawberries and chips.  ( I drizzled the chips before and after adding the strawberries.)
5. Add a few dollops of Shipped Cream and serve.
6. 
   

Cranberry-Strawberry Margarita Punch

Ingredients:

6 Cups Cranberry Strawberry Juice Cocktail ( you can use Cran-Raspberry or any other one too)

2 cups water

3/4 cup frozen Limeade Concentrate ( From 6 oz Can)

1/4 cup Frozen Orange juice concentrate (From 6 oz Can)

Lime slices

Rim salt

1 cup Tequila to spike the whole batch (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a 1 gallon insulated beverage container.
2. Salt rim of glass.
3. Serve over ice if desired.  ( you can blend this also.)
4. Garnish with Lime slices.

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

  They smell so good. I might have to make a gluten free version soon. (recipe below)

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

Cupcakes Ingredients:

1 Box Betty Crocker Super Moist White cake mix

1 cup bottled Strawberry Margarita or Daiquiri mix

1/4 cup Tequila (Optional)

3 egg whites or whole eggs.

Frosting ingredients

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup Butter

5 1/2 cups Powered sugar

5 tablespoons bottled Strawberry Margarita or Daiquiri mix.

1 Tablespoon Tequila (Optional)

Garnish:

12 Slices Lime, each cut in half.

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees (325 for dark or non stick pans)
2. Place paper or foil baking cups in each of 24 regular sized muffin cups.
3. In large bowl, beat all cupcake ingredients an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.( I beat them on High speed for 2 minutes because it makes a fluffier cake)
4. Divide batter among muffin cups.
5. Bake 18 - 23 minutes or until a tooth pic inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool 10 minutes remove cupcakes from pans to cooling rack.  Cool completely.
7. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and butter with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth.
8. Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until combined.
9. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of the bottled Strawberry Margarita or Daiquiri mix, beat until well blended. 
10. Add tequila now if you want to add it, but substitute it for 1 tablespoon of the Margarita Mix.
11. Beat frosting until it is light and fluffy..
12. Spoon Frosting into a decorating bag fitted with a #1M Star tip, pipe frosting onto cupcakes in a circular pattern.
13. Garnish with Lime slices.

I made fresh Avocado Salsa and Pico de Gallo too.  It was so good.  I realized tonight that I forgot to serve black olives with dinner. Bummer!!!!  I knew there was something missing, but I couldn't figure it out.

I hope you will let me know if you try any of these recipes. I would love to hear what you think about them and if you have a better recipe, I would love to have it.  I have my Avocado Salsa and Pico de Gallo recipe on the blog somewhere, if you want them just leave me a comment or send me an email letting me know you want them.

  It has been about 12 years since I have entertained friends in my home. I've always had too many people living here to be able to entertain.  I guess we could have had guest over in the yard. 

Happy Scrappin',

Janice

Making your own baking powder at home

Many of you might not know that it is so simple to make your own baking powder using common household kitchen ingredients. To keep it from clumping just add 1 teaspoon of corn starch or Potato starch if you can not have corn, to your mixture.

• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon potato starch or corn starch

I found this information while searching food storage solutions and thought I would pass it on to those of you who can not use regular baking powder.

Why Do We Use Baking Powder?

Posted on December 21, 2012 by admin

What is Baking powder?

Many of us use baking powder all the time but never really consider what it is. All we know is that is needed in this recipe.

The dirty quick definition is that baking powder is a combination of an acid and an alkali
with starch added to keep the other two ingredients stable and dry. Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods.

How does baking powder work?

Baking powder works by releasing carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough through an acid-base reaction, causing bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and thus leavening the mixture. The powder reacts with liquid by foaming and the resulting bubbles of carbon dioxide can aerate and raise dough. Almost all baking powder now on the market is double acting, meaning it has one acid that bubbles at room temperature and another acid which only reacts at oven temperatures.

Single Acting

It is called single action because it only contains one acid. Single acting baking powder reacts when the acid reacts to a liquid at room temperature. This means the bulk of the leavening action occurs as soon as the batter is mixed. If there is a delay between mixing an baking, some of the gas may escape and cause deflation.

Double Acting

Baking powders that contain both fast and slow acting acids are called double acting. Double acting baking powders work in two phases; once at room temperature, and once when heat is added, like cooking the oven. By providing a second rise in the oven, double acting baking powders increase the reliability of baked goods by rendering the time elapsed between mixing and baking less critical, and this is the type most widely available to consumers today.

Why do we use baking powder?

We use baking powder as a yeast subsitute for end-products where fermentation flavors would be undesirable or where the batter lacks the elastic structure to hold gas bubbles for more than a few minutes. Because carbon dioxide is released at a faster rate through the acid-base reaction than through fermentation, breads made by chemical leavening are called quick breads.

What is baking powder made up of?

Most commercially available baking powders are made up of an alkaline component (typically sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda), one or more acid salts (like Tartaric Acid), and an inert starch; either cornstarch or potato starch are the most commonly used. Baking soda is the source of the carbon dioxide, and the acid-base reaction can be generically represented as NaHCO₃ + H⁺ → Na⁺ + CO₂ + H₂O, for us non scientific people all that looks like is a bunch of letters and numbers.

The inert starch serves several functions in baking powder. The main function is to absorb moisture, to prolong the shelf life by keeping the powder’s alkaline and acidic components from reacting prematurely. A dry powder also flows and mixes more easily and the bulkiness helps for accurate measurements.

What is the difference between fast acting & slow acting?

Fast Acting

A fast-acting acid reacts in a wet mixture with baking soda at room temperature, common low-temperature acid salts include cream of tartar and monocalcium phosphate (also called calcium acid phosphate).

Slow Acting

A slow acting acids will not react until heated in an oven. High-temperature acid salts include sodium aluminum sulfate, sodium aluminum phosphate and sodium acid pyrophosphate.

Dos and Don’ts for baking powder

Don’t expose baking powder to steam, humid air, wet spoons, or other moisture.

Do store your baking powder in a air tight container for no more than a year. Even when kept dry it will eventually loses its potency. To test its strength, measure 1 tsp powder into 1/3 cup hot water. The mixture should fizz and bubble furiously. If it doesn’t, throw it out.

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup with a twist.

I get tired of the same old things all the time. So I decided to make the Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, so that I could eat it. Gluten Free, Dairy Free. It is so yummy. Here is the recipe.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients;

1 batch Chicken Gnocchi (Potato Dumpling Recipe Below)

5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 Tablespoons Gluten Free all-purpose Flour

1 Quart Almond Milk

½ cup Celery Finely diced or ½ teaspoon Celery seed

1 cup chopped Onion or 1 teaspoon Onion powder

2 Garlic Cloves minced or 1 teaspoon Garlic powder

2 14 oz cans chicken Broth (I use Free Range Organic Chicken broth)

1 cup Carrots finely shredded

1 cup Chicken Breasts, cooked and diced

1 cup fresh Spinach ( I have used Frozen Finely chopped Broccoli also)

½ Teaspoon Salt

½ Teaspoon Thyme

½ Teaspoon Parsley

Instructions;
1. Sauté the Onion, Celery and Garlic in the Olive Oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent.

2. Add the Flour and make a Roux. Let the Flour and Olive oil cook for about a minute.

3. Add 1 Qt. Almond Milk.

4. Into the Roux add the Chicken and Carrots.

5. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the Chicken Broth.

6. Once the mixture thickens again add the Gnocchi, Spinach and seasonings.

7. Simmer till soup is heated through.

8. Before serving season to taste with Salt.


Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Home Made Instant Potato Gnocchi Ingredients;

2/3 Cup Dry Instant Potatoes

2/3 Cup Boiling Water

1 egg at room Temp., Slightly Beaten

½ teaspoon Salt

1 ½ cups Gluten Free All-purpose Flour

Instructions;
1. In a Medium Bowl, stir instant potatoes into the boiling water until blended.

2. Fold the egg and Salt

3. Slowly add in the flour, a third at a time. Dough will become thick and will not stick to the bowl.

4. Place the dough on a well–floured surface and knead well. You want it not to stick to anything.

5. Cut the dough into 4 sections. Roll each section into cylinder rolls about the thickness of your thumb.

6. Cut them into bite sized pieces. (I cut mine about 1/2” long.)

7. Using your fork tines, make indentions on the Gnocchi and form to your liking.

8. To cook, place Gnocchi into boiling salted water. DO NOT crowd the pot.

9. Gnocchi is done when it floats to the top.

10. Serve with your favorite sauce.



 I made Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins last night also. I used the Aunt B's Mayberry Cookbook "He's A Nut Banana Bread Recipe". and changed it to be Gluten Free, Dairy Free.



Ingredients;
3/4 Cup Olive Oil

3/4 Cup Maple Syrup

2 Eggs

3 Bananas

3 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 Cup Walnuts

Instructions;

1. Preheat Oven to 300 degrees.
2. Grease and flour 1 large or 2 small loaf pans.
3. In a large bowl cream together the Olive Oil, Maple Syrup and Eggs.
4. Add the Bananas, Flour, Baking Soda, Vanilla and nuts.
5. Mix well.
6. Pour the Batter into the prepared pan/s.
7. Bake for 1 hour or until brown.

  I hope you enjoy the recipes.

Happy Scrappin',

Janice