Not about the food today.

This morning when I woke up, God placed this on my heart. So today, it is not about the food.
Some people believe that we are here on this earth randomly living, by chance having a good day or bad day. Circumstances happening by chance to no fault of our own. And for people who believe that, I guess it means you came from nothing and then will return to nothing. That doesn't make sense to me.
I am here for a purpose. I am created for a purpose. I did not come to live just to die. What a waste.
I am a child of God.  And some of you may not believe in God. Well let me tell you my friend, He is real. Very real. Very real to me and my family. When we didn't have enough money to pay the bills and we put God first, He provided the money we needed. Unexplainable to us and our checkbook, but all we can do is thank God. When I was sick for 8 months and didn't know what was wrong, yet I could still take care of my children without my husband taking time off from work and be at church three times a week, unexplainable to me, but all I can do is thank God! When I have felt alone and hurt, God has put his arms around me and comforted me and let me know that I am never alone and that He will always be with me. Heb. 13:5
God created me, formed me in my mother's womb. I am special. All of  us are so very special to God. Why else would he send his only son to die on a cross to shed his blood for our sins so that we can be forgiven? Because He loves us. Oh how hard that was. As a mother I cannot even imagine the pain of it. But he did.
So are we here just randomly to live having things thrown at us and having to cope and deal with things. No! We were created by God to live for God and when life does throw a curve, we have a loving God who helps us get through whatever the circumstance. He promises!
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5

Desserts!

Here are two desserts that my family really enjoys. The first is a chocolate chip cookie that is made with one ingredient that makes such a difference - brown sugar! 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 C. softened butter or margarine

1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1 Egg

2 1/4 C. Rice Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1 tsp. Salt

1 C. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

3/4 C. Nuts (optional)

Preheat oven 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and stir until blended. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes (optional). Roll spoonful in hands to form a ball. Place on cookie sheet (may line with parchment paper to make clean-up easier). Cook for 8-10 minutes, until cookies get light brown.

The second dessert is an individual dessert so it quite fun. You can make it and then add whatever you want to personalize it. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mug Cake

4 Tbsp. Rice Flour

4 Tbsp. Sugar

2 Tbsp. Cocoa

1 Egg

3 Tbsp. Milk

2 Tbsp. Canola Oil

3 Tbsp. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Pick out your favorite large mug! Add the dry ingredients. In a bowl, mix egg, milk, and oil. Add to mug. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Place a saucer under mug and cook in microwave 2 1/2-3 minutes. Cake will rise over top of mug. Eat plain or add whipped cream, ice cream, milk, cream, jam, syrup, or fruit. You can always place jam or fruit on the bottom of mug before you add ingredients to give a little "surprise"!

Spaghetti & Meatballs!

I made Spaghetti and Meatballs last night for dinner and my intentions were to take pictures but as I reached for my camera, I realized my battery was dead. I was able to get one picture of the best taste testers! 

Spaghetti Sauce

2 Large cans Hunts All-Natural Crushed Tomatoes

2 C. Water

4 tsp. Minced garlic or 4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Bay leaves

3 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Pepper

2 Tbsp. Oregano

1 Tbsp. Thyme

1 Tbsp. Marjoram

Place all ingredients into a 5-quart or larger stock pot. Keep on low heat for as little as 1 hour or as long as 5 hours. The longer you have the sauce on the heat, the more time the flavors have to blend together.

Meatballs

1 Pound Pork

1 Pound ground beef

1 Tbsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1 Tbsp. Marjoram

1/4 C. Onions, chopped fine

2 Tbsp. Minced garlic or 2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Fennel seed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all above ingredients. Roll into ball - whatever size you prefer. Put in a pan that has a lip on all sides (it will be juicy). Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Then place in spaghetti sauce.

Lunchtime!

Today at breakfast, Brandon and I talked about going out for lunch. Yes, I know it was still breakfast but Brandon was thinking hamburgers and fries for breakfast. So for lunch I made, you can guess, hamburgers and fries. With food allergies, we cannot just go out anywhere. So by making it at home, we have control how it is made. So here is our version of hamburgers and fries.

Homemade Fries

4 Large russet potatoes
1 C. Rice Flour
Salt
Pepper
4 C. Canola Oil

Heat canola oil in stock pot on medium high heat. Cut potatoes long wise in half. Cut again in small strips long wise and again in thin strips keeping them long. Measure one cup of flour and put in a long tupperware container with 1 Tbsp. salt and 1/2 Tbsp. pepper added. Mix. Check oil by dropping a pinch of flour to oil. If it bubbles, it is ready for potatoes. Flour potatoes a couple at a time. I cooked potatoes in four batches for 10 minutes each. When they are ready, take out with a slotted spoon. Salt immediately. Taste test!!!! :)

More Salsa!!

Well, since we have all this salsa, and I do love it, I decided to make good use of it at lunchtime today. I made Huevos Rancheros. If you do not eat eggs much, eggs are a wonderful protein to add to your diet. In our family, we go through 5 dozen eggs in 2 weeks. We eat eggs in every way possible, well almost. I don't care for poached. But anyway, here is a little easy recipe for Huevos Rancheros that is just something quick and easy but delicious. I served mine on a plate with lettuce and half of an orange.

 Huevos Rancheros

Cook two eggs together on medium heat in a pan sprayed with canola oil until firm enough to flip the eggs. Flip and add 1/3 C. salsa and 1/4 C. shredded cheese. Cook until desired yolk consistancy. I like my yolk a little runny so I took mine off pretty quick and put it in the microwave for 20 seconds to let the cheese melt completely. A very quick and healthy lunch!

We have a new addition to the Biernat house. Dexter is our female Guinea Pig. She is 3 months old and belongs to Brandon! He is so proud of her and is a great father. She loves apples, oranges, kiwi, carrots, and spinach. Spinach is her favorite! So please welcome Dexter to our family. She is very sweet.

Slow-Cooked Salsa Chicken

Tonight it is all about the chicken. Sometime when you make a dish, it is just so divine that you wish you can just keep eating it and never get full. This is one of those dishes! Easy and delicious! Can't beat that! Prep. time is 5 minutes and cook time on high was 4 hours and on low allow 7-8 hours (depending on your slow cooker). You cannot overcook this recipe. The longer it cooks, the more tender the chicken!

Slow-Cooked Salsa Chicken

4-5 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 C. Salsa

1 Tbsp. Cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp Salt (more to taste if necessary)

1/2 Tbsp. Chili powder (depending on how hot you like it)

1/4 tsp. Pepper

1/2 tsp. Thyme

1 8oz. Package of sliced mushrooms

1 13.6 Thai Kitchen Coconut milk

Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle with spices and herbs. Pour salsa, coconut milk, and mushrooms over chicken. Stir. Cook on high for 4 hours and low for 7-8 hours. I served over brown rice but you can use pasta, corn chips, etc. Of course, I also used my husbands homemade salsa! My tastebuds are a little bit spoiled!!!!

Morning - GLORY!

It is a Sunday morning and typically we would be at church right now. We had to have Biernat Baptist Church this morning. My husband did a devotional and my son played the piano. It was quite sweet.

We woke up to the blinding sun this morning. Oh, I am not complaining, trust me. It is beautiful especially against the snow. God gives us such beauty.
So I went on and made a big breakfast this morning. Waffles, eggs, fried potatoes, and ham. It is amazing how boys love you when you cook for them. Lots of hugs are given! There is a truth about "a way to a mans heart is through his stomach".

Basic Waffles

2 1/2 C. Rice milk

4 eggs, Broken and blended

1/4 C. Canola oil

3 C. Rice flour

3 tsp. Baking soda
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Salt
1Tbsp. Cinnamon
3 Tbsp. Sugar

Mix milk, eggs and oil together in a large bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix well. Bake in hot, oiledwaffle iron.

If you wish to add extra ingredients, here are some suggestions:
1 cup apples, cut into small pieces w/ 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup blueberries and 1/4 C. sugar
1 banana, smashed and 1/4 cup walnuts, cut into small pieces
dates, aprictots, prunes, raisins, etc...  Any fruit is delicious!

Enjoy!!