Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies

Cookies are one thing that can still bring tears to my eyes.  My motto has always been, "I haven't met a sugar cookie I didn't like."  Cheesy but it is true.  I love cookies and baking cookies.  Having celiac disease and a child with gluten intolerance has been difficult on the cookie front.  Pinterest is full of great looking cookies and most of those cookies are full of gluten. Since it is fall and pumpkin is the main flavor, I've been working on pumpkin cookies.  First up, pumpkin spice kiss cookies.  These are great and also egg free.

Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies
36 Hershey pumpkin spice kisses, unwrapped and placed in the freezer for 2 hours or overnight
1 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups coconut flour blend (I used Gluten Free Mama's blend)
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream butter,  sugar, and vanilla. Add flour and pecans, beat on low speed until well blended.  Cover dough and refrigerate 1-2 hours or until dough is firm enough to handle.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll dough into 36 balls, using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each ball.  Place on lined baking sheet (parchment paper or silicon liners)  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool for 4 minutes and then press frozen kiss into center of ball.  Do not be alarmed-COOKIE WILL CRACK AROUND THE EDGES! It is okay and it give the cookie personality.  Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on cooling rack.  Makes 36 cookies

Not grandma's meatloaf

My grandma's  meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes to serve in the fall and winter.  Since it has been raining like no other here in Wyoming, I decided to try out meatloaf.  My grandma's meatloaf recipe called for crushed saltine crackers or Ritz crackers.  Here is where Rice Chex comes in handy.  Rice Chex can be used in place of any crackers or even bread crumbs in a recipe.

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf
1 lb ground hamburger or ground venison
1/2 cup of Rice Chex,finely ground
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce or 4 oz can of tomato paste with water added to thin it out
1 T yellow mustard
2 T Montreal Steak Seasoning or more to taste
2 T dehydrated onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 T brown sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix tomato sauce, mustard, and brown sugar together.  Add hamburger to beaten egg, top with ground Chex and sprinkle with seasonings.  Add half of the tomato mix to the meat mix.  Press meat mix into a 9x9 loaf pan.  Cover and cook for 50 minutes.  After 50 min, check temperature of meatloaf--temperature should be above 165.  Add rest of tomato sauce mixture and bake for another 10-15 or until correct temperature.

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

1 tablespon olive oil
1 cup medium or long grain white rice
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 zucchini, grated
1 cup Velveeta, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in sauce pan over heat and brown rice.  Once rice is browned, add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Once at a boil, cover and turn down to low.  Cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.  Remove from heat, add butter, zucchini, Velveeta, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Stir until mixed and Velveeta is melted.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Spiced Squash Muffins

These were one of my favorite muffins when I could still have regular flour.  Here is my adapted version of spiced squash muffins.  Instead of using butternut squash, I used some crooked neck squash that I finely chopped in my mini chopper.



Spiced Squash Muffins
2 cups of Gluten Free Mama's Coconut flour blend
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cups finely chopped squash, zucchini, yellow or crooked neck
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients first.  In mixer, mix together eggs, squash, corn syrup, butter, oil and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients until just moistened.  Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Inspired by Spiced Squash Muffins on Taste of Home

I added some brown sugar on top for a sweet touch

Apple spice pancakes

Autumn is my favorite time of the year.  I love the smell of the crisp air, taste of apples, and corn mazes. Since it still is warm in Wyoming right now, I decided to bring the smell of autumn into my house. Apple press Scentsy scent and these pancakes.

Apple Spice Pancakes
3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Puporse Baking flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon apple pie spice
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2-3 cups milk (this depends on how thick or thin you like the batter)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 apple, peeled and finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together.  Cook on warmed up griddle. These pancakes are great with real maple syrup or even apple butter.

Sausage gravy

I've searched for a good sausage gravy recipe & all have fallen short.  Why redo a recipe when the original is fine? Gluten free flour hasn't worked & corn starch just did not cut it. My last resort was Bob's Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour. The results: best gluten free sausage gravy we have had. 

Sausage gravy

1 lb Jimmy Dean natural pork sausage 

1/4-1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour

4-6 cups of milk (this depends in how thick or thin you want your gravy)

Salt & pepper to taste 

Brown sausage in 6 qt pot. Once browned, add flour. Add enough flour to make a paste. Cook for 1 minute to allow the flour to blend with the sausage fat. Gradually add in milk. It takes about 30 minutes for the gravy to thicken up. Add more milk if gravy becomes too thick. Salt & pepper to taste.