EGGPLANT - GROUND TURKEY AND KALE CASSEROLE BAKE

It's cold tonight and I was craving something comforting and warm. I've eaten so much pumpkin/butternut squash/sweet potato soup, that my skin is going to turn orange! So, I thought I would make up something warm and comforting that wasn't soup. I ate lots of eggplant when I was growing up. My mom would make eggplant patties out of it and they were delicious. So, I'm a fan of the strange purple plant...

I was in the mood for an italian seasoned casserole. I put this together using things I had in my pantry and fridge. (except for the eggplant which I bought over the weekend, not knowing what I was going to do with it)

SLOW COOKER TURKEY BREAST WITH GLUTEN FREE GRAVY

This year was all about side dishes. I was going to be very involved with all of my choices and knew I needed something simple, yet delicious for the turkey.

I wanted to try a slow cooker turkey. I do quite a lot of soups and pot roast in the slow cooker, so I'm very comfortable with it. 

We have a few family members that aren't big turkey fans, so we also cooked a pre-seasoned tri-tip roast from costco and a full-size turkey added to that would have been too much. The breast is really my favorite part anyway, so I chose a nice 7 pound breast with bones. 

This came out delicious!! I started it first thing in the morning, it cooked 7 hours and was so juicy and tender. Never has Thanksgiving turkey been so easy. 

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CREAM CUPCAKES

I am very lucky in the food department. I don't have any allergies or sensitivity to any certain types of foods. However, I know that is not the case for many and a very good friend of mine suffers from Celiac. I had never even heard of this disease before. Now that I know about it, I am so glad there are so many options these days for gluten free diets. I have experimented with several recipes to try to make a delicious meal or desert for her so she doesn't miss her gluten and these are another winner.

GLUTEN FREE MAPLE CINNAMON CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Still on my quest for the perfect gluten free chocolate chip cookies. I think my recipe that I posted a couple weeks ago is hands down the best standard chocolate chip recipe. I wanted to spice things up a bit, so I tweaked the recipe a little to give it a little kick with some cinnamon and maple syrup. I loved how these turned out. The flavor is yummy and because of the maple syrup, the texture is moise and chewy, just how I like it!

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I'm still on a quest to help my girlfriend, who has celiac, get over feeling like she can't have her baked goodies! Today was all about chocolate chip cookies! I think I have the combination of ingredients down so that when you take a bite of this cookie, you won't even know it's gluten free! My husband ate 4 and he said he didn't even know they were gluten free! That's gotta be a good sign. I think these are the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made, gluten free or not! I hope you enjoy them too!

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS - GLUTEN FREE / SUGAR FREE

I have a good friend who has some recent health issues that have her on a very restricted diet. No gluten, low fat, no sugar, etc. Sounds pretty boring doesn't it? She is a sweets lover, like me, so I wanted to try to make something that would satisfy her sweet craving, but stay within her diet restrictions. Since it's fall, a pumpkin spice muffin seemed like the right choice. So, off to gluten free land I go, a hopping and a skipping, this is going to be fun. I like discovering new things.