DIY Glitter Fall Leaves

For Thanksgiving I always love to make the dinner table festive with Rich Fall hues before we have to jump right into Winter! For my Thanksgiving table setting I purchased an ivory colored table cloth and a roll of Burlap Ribbon that I placed across the middle of my table, to draw just the right amount of attention to the center. The burlap ribbon is a subtle color and allows you to place a centerpiece of your choice in the middle.  Whether you're placing a vase full of Fall flowers, a pumpkin or candle arrangement in the middle of your table the burlap ribbon makes for a perfect table runner. Here are instructions for how to make fake glitter leaves; these are perfect to toss onto your Thanksgiving table and add just enough sparkle to jazz up your table setting!

DIY Glitter Fall Leaves 

Supplies Needed:

• Fake floral leaves 
• Mod Podge
• Sponge Brush
• 3 different colors of extra fine glitter 

Directions: 

1. Cut your desired fall leaves from fake flower arrangements and lay them out on a covered surface.
2. Using sponge brush,  paint surface of a leaf with mod podge. 
3. Pour extra fine glitter onto the mod podge covered surface of leaf. Repeat with remaining leaves, changing up the glitter color until all leaves are glittered. Let leaves sit for 15 minutes.
4. After leaves have sat for 15 minutes, pick leaves up and shake the loose glitter off onto your covered surface. 
5. Let leaves dry for 2 hours until the glue has fully dried, before placing the leaves on your set table be sure to shake them once more for any loose glitter. (If you don't want to worry about any loose glitter falling off your leaves you can always paint another coat of mod podge over the glitter layer to seal it all in; just make sure you decide to do this a good amount of time in advance before your dinner so that the top coat covering the glitter can fully dry.) 

Pictured below: 1-Remove fake leaves, 2-coat leaf with mod podge, 3-cover mod podge surface with glitter

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Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Here is another classic comfort food recipe gone gluten free that I experimented with! This is one of mine and my families favorites, hope you enjoy!

Easy Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (It's easiest and personally I think its yummier to get a rotisserie chicken and use that!)
• 1 bag of Organic Foursome frozen Vegetables from Trader Joe's (includes organic peas, cut green beans, carrots and corn)
• 1 (10, 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Bisquick mix
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 stick melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 1: Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Layer or mix up the chicken and frozen vegetables in the dish.

Step 2: In a separate bowl mix together cream of chicken soup and chicken broth. Pour mixture over chicken and frozen vegetables in your casserole dish. 

Step 3: In another bowl mix together the gluten free Bisquick mix and milk. Pour this mixture over the chicken, vegetables, chicken broth and cream mixture that is in your dish.  

Step 4: Once your casserole dish is covered with the Bisquick + Milk mixture, drizzle the melted butter over the top. Place dish in your heated oven and bake for 60 minutes, or until top is golden brown. 

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Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

As the weather is progressively getting cooler, I always crave something warm and delicious for dinner. So after experimenting in the kitchen a bit I decided to post some gluten free comfort food recipes. All of them are delicious, easy and perfect for those chilly nights. I hope you enjoy this tasty gluten free for an all american dish....macaroni & cheese!

The Yummiest gluten free Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients: (serves 4 as a side dish)

• 2 cups dry gluten free elbow macaroni or penne pasta (I have made both kinds of pasta and they are equally as delicious, I purchased both pastas from my local Safeway) 
• 8 ounces Original Velveeta cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Step 1: In a large pot, boil water and cook your pasta according to packages instructions. 

Step 2: Cut/cube Velveeta cheese into small pieces, place the cubed  Velveeta cheese in a small saucepan. Add heavy cream and salt to the saucepan, stir ingredients together. 

Step 3: Turn saucepans heat on low, stir cheese and cream together until cheese cubes are melted. Reduce heat once the cheese is melted. 

Step 4: When your gluten free pasta is done, drain pasta and place it back into the pot you cooked it in. Add your cheese sauce to the pot of pasta and stir. Coat all noodles with sauce, serve and enjoy! 

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Twice Baked Sweet Potato Recipe

Last night I was planning to make a large chopped salad for dinner and thought I needed a something to go with it;  so while I was at the market I decided to grab some sweet potatoes and thought I'd figure out what to do with them when I got home. I personally love sweet potatoes because they remind me of fall and have many health benefits! So I came up with this easy recipe for twice baked SWEET potatoes and they turned out to be super delicious!  Hope you enjoy!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon chopped dried cranberries
• 2 Tablespoons chopped almonds
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Step 1: Poke your two sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a microwave safe plate covered with a paper towel and place them in the microwave for 7 minutes. 

Step 2: Remove your sweet potatoes from the microwave and slice each of them in half. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the inside of one of the halves and place the inside of the potato in a medium sized bowl. Clean out the inside of the potato half leaving a thin layer of potato along the inside of the skin. Repeat this process with the remaining halves. Place your empty halves on a cookie sheet. 

Step 3: Use a fork to mash up the inside of your potatoes that you placed in the medium bowl, mash potatoes until they resemble a smooth texture. Add in the butter, cranberries, almonds, cinnamon and stir mixture until ingredients are all blended together.

Step 4: Take your mashed sweet potato mixture and using a small spoon, scoop the mixture into each of the empty halves on your cookie sheet. Scoop the mixture in the halves until all of the mixture is gone.  Once your potato halves are filled, you can refrigerate them (for up to 24 hours) to cook later or place them in a preheated 350 degree oven to cook. Cook the potato halves for 30 minutes. Once they have cooked, serve and enjoy!  

Sweet Potato Health Benefits:

Massive amounts of Antioxidants

Contain twice the amount of fiber compared to regular potatoes

Rich in Vitamin C & E 

Potent source of Maganese (helps stabilize blood glucose levels and appetite for hours)

High levels of B6 and Potassium

The tubers also contain iron, magnesium and Vitamin D

Soothing for the stomach

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Recipes from my Pumpkin Carving Party

This weekend myself & my roommates had our second pumpkin carving party. We set up tables covered with plastic table cloths (makes clean up super easy), tea light candles for our guests to put in their pumpkins, plastic gloves so our guests don't have to get dirty when cleaning out the pumpkin guts and we placed many decorated paper bags that contained carving supplies in them. All we asked of our guests is that they bring their own pumpkin and we provide everything else including yummy gluten-free treats and cocktails! Once everyone was done carving their pumpkins we had a bonfire in the back yard with s'mores. It's perfect since the nights have been getting cooler. Thought I would share with you some of the gluten-free favorites from our party,  hope you enjoy!

Something Salty...

Warm Chili Cheese Dip Recipe

  Ingredients:

• One big block of Kraft Velveeta Cheese (32 oz)
• One Can of Hormel Chili with Beans
• 3/4 pound of drained, cooked turkey meat
• Tortilla Chips

Directions:

Step 1: Cut your Velveeta cheese into small squares and place in a crock pot.

Step 2: Open can of Hormel chili With beans and drain just a little bit so the juices on top drain out. Pour the can into the crock pot on top of velveeta cheese. 

Step 3: After you have drained and cooked your turkey meat place it in the crock pot with cheese and chili. Place the crock pot lid on top of the ingredients and turn crock pot on low; be sure to stir the dip often(about every 40 minutes) and check that it's not burning on the sides! 

Step 4: Once the ingredients have cooked together and the cheese has melted to become a smooth, dip-like consistency it's ready to eat!  Keep crock pot on low or turn it off for your guests to enjoy warm and yummy dip. Serve with tortilla chips & enjoy! 

Something Sweet...

Mini Caramel Apples

  Ingredients:

• Miniature Organic Granny Smith Apples from Trader Joe's, they come in a bag containing 10 for only $2.49
• 1-2 bags of square caramel candies
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1 wooden skewer
• 12-15 lollipop sticks (4.5'')
• Parchment paper
• Cookie sheet or large serving platter

Directions:

Step 1: Unwrap all of your caramel candies and place them in a double boiler pot on top of the oven on medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of milk to the caramel. Carefully continue to stir the caramels. 

Step 2: While the caramels are cooking, take your mini apples out of the bag and remove the stems. Once all the stems have been removed, insert the wooden skewer into the top of the apple where the stem was, pushing it deep into the apple;  remove the skewer and place a lollipop stick where the skewer was. Place your apple with the lollipop stick to the side. Repeat this process with remaining apples. 

Step 3: Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place your apples with lollipop sticks on to the parchment covered pan. Once your caramels are completely melted into a liquid consistency, pour the caramel into a tall bowl. Take your apples and dip them into the caramel shaking them to remove the excess caramel layer thats at the bottom of the apple. Place the caramel covered apple onto the parchment paper covered pan. Repeat this process with remaining apples until all apples are covered in caramel. If the caramel becomes thick near the end place it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds so it becomes thinner and easier to dip the apples in. 

Step 4: Once you have dipped all your apples in the caramel, carefully cover the apples on the pan with plastic saran wrap and place the apples in your refrigerator so the caramel hardens onto the apples. When you are ready to serve them, remove the apples from the parchment paper and place on whichever plate you desire to serve them on and enjoy! 

& Something Bubbly..

Champagne + Spiced Cider

Ingredients:

• Brut Champagne
• Spiced Cider from Trader Joe's
• Empty clear wine bottle 
• Funnel

Directions:

Step 1: Right before your guests arrive pour champagne through the funnel into the clear glass bottle. Be patient as the champagne bubbles out, fill the clear glass bottle 3/4 full. 

Step 2: Shake up the spiced cider, using the funnel pour the spiced cider into the clear glass bottle entirely filling up the bottle to the top. Do not shake the mixture! Pour into glasses and enjoy! 

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Nut Bread

I love the fall season & everything about it! My favorite thing about fall is being able to bake in the kitchen without over heating the house and filling the house with delicious smells! Growing up I always remember my Mom would make pumpkin bread. It smelled delicious while it was baking in the oven and was perfect for breakfast or dessert! She would heat it up in the microwave for 10 seconds with a little butter on top and it tasted fresh out of the oven! So today I pulled out the family cook book and decided to make it, but substitute a few things so it was gluten free! Hope you enjoy!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cup gluten free all-purpose flour (I used Trader Joes brand)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Cup pumpkin puree
• 1 Cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 Cup butter or margarine softened
• 1/2 Cup chopped pecans 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.

Step 1: On a sheet of waxed paper or in a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside. 

Step 2: In a large bowl combine pumpkin, granulated sugar, milk, eggs and butter, beat until well blended.

Step 3: Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating just until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans. 

Step 4: Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired. Slice and enjoy!

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Gluten Free Skinny Pancake Recipe

I stumbled across this recipe and had to share it with you! I love breakfast but most gluten free pancake mixes I've had are heavy and very filling. These pancakes are super easy to make, delicious, gluten free, dairy free and healthy!

Gluten Free Skinny Pancakes

Ingredients: 

(For one serving of 3 small pancakes)

• 2 egg whites

• 1/2 cup uncooked oats

• 1/2 banana

• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

Directions:

Step 1: Place ingredients in a blender, and blend for 30-60 seconds until all ingredients are well mixed into a batter consistency

Step 2: Pour 1/3 of batter onto greased griddle or large pan on medium heat, flipping over the pancake until both sides are slightly brown. Repeat until all batter is gone. 

Step 3: Serve with desired toppings and enjoy! 

Note: I placed my batter in a plastic baking squeeze bottle to make my pancakes pretty and have a fun design! 

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