Just for Fun! – Page 6 – in thriver words

NO Labor Day! Ideas for Inexpensive Gluten-Free Holiday Fun

I’m thinking the upcoming holiday really should be revised to NO Labor Day! I’m pretty sure my boys would agree. To quote one of James’ favorite children’s books: “‘I won’t work. I won’t work. I won’t work today!’ hissed Digger Dan.”(1), and while the day is billed as a day to honor the contributions of American workers, most of us just want to join Digger Dan and take an extra day off! By the time we reach Labor Day in the South, we’re exhausted from relentless heat and humidity. The kids are back in school along with a bazillion activities and we won’t have another break until Thanksgiving. I’m with Digger Dan too – some time off seems right!

I always think it will be fun to spend some time with my friends during a long weekend, but I’m well aware that if I plan a big party or trip, my time off can quickly turn right back into work. Having faced this dilemma many times, the kids and I have come up with a few fun ways for the gluten-free crowd to enjoy the holiday with friends without a lot of work and without breaking the bank! Perhaps you’ll want to give them a try. Here are a few ideas:

A neighborhood parade.
Be sure to divide up all the duties so that no one has too large a task and communicate via group texts.

If you want to go big – One person can get permission from the city to block off the street for a couple of hours.
One person can be the grand marshall for the parade. The grand marshall will decide what time the parade starts and the order in which the participants will appear. One person can be in charge of “floats”. Keep this simple. Have the kids who have wagons bring them already decorated (or not). A few balloons taped to the side or some streamers or paper signs work just fine. If you have some soccer players on your street, they can wear their soccer uniforms and march along together. Taekwondo students can wear their uniforms and much like bands perform in parades, they can stop along the route to perform a basic routine. Another idea is to have everyone dress as what they want to be when they enter the workforce. If someone has an easy way to broadcast music, add music. If not, leave it out. At the end of the route, set up a folding table and lawn chairs and let everyone bring one food item chosen from this list that requires no research of gluten-free food:
Baby carrots
Celery sticks
Cucumber slices
Squash slices
Raw broccoli
Athenos Hummus
Grapes
Strawberries
Bing or golden cherries
Watermelon slices
Honeydew cubes
Cantaloupe cubes
Sliced kiwi fruit
Potato chips
Tortilla chips
Salsa
Wholly Guacamole
Pickles
Olives
Cheese cubes
Popcorn

A sprinkler parade.
If you really want to keep things simple, this is a fun variation that’s especially good for a scorchingly hot day! Get all the neighbors to synchronize their automatic sprinklers or drag out the hose with a sprinkler attachment and parade from yard to yard through the spraying water. End with a Slip’n Slide in someone’s yard. In a dry yard, provide a couple of ice chests filled with cold bottles of water and an assortment of single serve gluten-free ice creams (they even have a spoon included), tapioca pudding and rice pudding like these:
Haagen-Dazs Single Serve Cups in Vanilla, Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Coffee, Strawberry, or Dulce de Leche

KozyShack Original Recipe Rice Pudding
KozyShack Original Recipe Tapioca Pudding
KozyShack Original Recipe Chocolate Pudding

If you’re not a fan of parades, invite a few friends over for a Tent Movie Festival. Take the mattresses off your beds and drag them into the TV room (or use air mattresses). Create tents over the mattress area using sheets. For this event, you can even wear your pjs!

At one of these parties, we drank Blake’s fresh jalapeño juice. I’m not going to recommend it as an option for the average consumer, but it was interesting and not as overpowering as I expected. It’s probably a better idea to choose some snacks from the above lists for your menu and then watch movies for hours in your festive movie tents. That’s about as much non-work as I can imagine.
party tent
If you don’t want to bother with the tents, have a Documentary Film Festival with a food theme. Cue up Fed Up; Bite Size; Food, Inc.; Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead; Just Eat It; Super Size Me; and Food Matters. In an ironic twist, James worked as the colorist on several of these movies – so much for having Digger Dan as a hero.

For your film festival, buy an assortment of teas – green, white, rooibos, pu-erh, chai, and passion. Serve them hot, cold, and/or blended into smoothies or milkshakes. Don’t drink too much passion tea in one day. It will make you drowsy and grumpy, not passionate at all. Seriously, I’ve done it and I felt awful!

Of course, your Documentary Film Festival doesn’t have to have a food theme. Cue up Happy; I Am; Print the Legend; Citizenfour; Dancing Outlaw; I Always Do My Collars First; and Naked States. With all the online streaming services, you can stretch this idea into a whole lazy weekend and never run out of options.

Wear a mustache and act surprised!
Sometimes errands pile up and a holiday weekend is a great time to catch up. Of course, that doesn’t sound very fun. Make it fun by gathering friends or family, donning fake mustaches, and then running your regular errands looking surprised! Snap photos or video of yourselves and people’s reactions along the way. When you get home, look back at the photos. The laughter will do you good for a long time to come.

That’s it. Done. You have entertainment, social engagement, food, and fun without a ton of work and expense. Of course there are a million variations on these themes. Let us know what you come up with!

Have fun, and happy NO Labor Day!

(1)Digger Dan by Patricia Lynn (Author), Si Frankel (Illustrator), 1953
http://www.athenos.com/products/hummus/
http://eatwholly.com/
http://www.haagendazs.us/Products/
http://www.kozyshack.com/products/french-vanilla-rice-pudding
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-871-passionflower.aspx?activeingredientid=871&activeingredientname=passionflower

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My Kitchen is a Sticky Mess

My kitchen is a sticky mess. Today my doorbell grandchildren showed up for a cooking lesson with soda and candy in hand. We’ve all learned a lot.

There was a simple plan in place. One of them had agreed to help me with a pork tenderloin recipe at 3pm. That plan went by the wayside when 3 of them showed up at noon. Of course they were hungry. After I shared my tuna croquettes and green peas with them, there was a flurry of activity in the kitchen.

The oldest brother mixed the glaze for the pork tenderloin while the middle brother chopped celery and red bell pepper for a white bean tzatziki salad. I sent the youngest to the back porch for some dill. Of course, he had no idea which plant that was. Not wanting to end up eating something ornamental and poisonous, I joined him on his search.
Herbs
We started our exploration of back porch flora with mint. I had him smell each herb. We identified them by name and discussed what each might be used for. Of course no lesson is straightforward with this crew. We got interrupted several times with questions from the other two. Eventually, the conversation culminated in a pesto tasting.

Before we arrived at pesto, I had to demonstrate what 3/4 cup means. I had given one of the kids a 1/4 cup measuring cup and a recipe that called for 3/4 cup of tzatziki. He was at a loss for how 1/4 cup related to 3/4 cup. I must admit this had me shaking my head a bit. After all, these kids are 12, 13, and 14.

Anyway, that led to a more general lesson on fractions. We filled a one cup measuring cup with water from a 1/4 cup measuring cup, counting each time until it registered that there are four 1/4 cups in one cup. Eventually, that led to a recognition that 2/4 and 1/2 are the same. We tried doubling a recipe that called for 2/3 cup flour and it still took a minute for them to grasp that 4/3 equals 1 1/3 cups. Cooking is such a practical way to deal with fractions. A few bad batches of biscuits and you’re bound to step up your math game.

Then it was my time to learn. The oldest taught me how to make a drink he invented that combines orange soda with candy and ice. The drink was tart and tasty, but it’s going to require a real food processor or blender. Today, we made it using the larger of my food choppers which was up to the task in the beginning, but totally burned out before we were done. During the process, orange soda was transferred to every surface in my kitchen and half of those in the breakfast room. I still feel like I’m sticking to my computer and my phone.

I also learned about the risqué videos kids watch on Instagram – unfortunately, by seeing one with my own eyes. I learned that you cannot allow any cursing or it’s out of hand in less than a minute. I learned that Stewart sometimes likes to wear a little bling. Most importantly, I learned that every single one of you with multiple teenagers must have nerves of steel and astronomical grocery bills.
Bling
Now it’s the end of the day. I am tired. My kitchen is a sticky mess and we’ve all learned a lot. That’s often the way it goes in the kitchen.

Relax…Gluten-Free is an Option Everywhere in Asheville

Relax…gluten-free is an option everywhere in Asheville! Want an easy-to-be-gluten-free vacation? Asheville, North Carolina is a great choice.
Grove Park
Set in a bowl surrounded by the beauty of the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville has a robust farm-to-table culinary culture. There are tailgate markets all over the city and restaurants serve delicious combinations of fresh ingredients. Imagine a salad topped with roasted peaches served over house-pickled beets or lobster nachos in which the rich flavor of the guacamole and slaw rival the lobster on the palate.

If you’re in the habit of ordering a salad without croutons to keep gluten-free ordering simple, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover that your waiter will usually offer you a side of bread. Don’t worry. He didn’t misunderstand. Gluten-free is mainstream here. Often from a local bakery, your bread may be slices of toasted loaf bread or it could be focaccia-style rosemary slices.

In the mood for a burger? Of course there’s a gluten-free bun available. Want a crepe? Oh look, all the crepes are gluten-free even if you’re not!

The gluten-free options don’t end with the city limits. In nearby Weaverville, you can feast on appetizers like fried pickles, chicken nuggets, bagel chips, and sausage balls. There are other great offerings in Arden, Fletcher, and Hendersonville.

There’s no question you will eat well and can choose to eat healthy with no particular effort when in Asheville. That means lots more time to relax, and energy to enjoy the beauty, while you experience an abundance of recreational options. From outdoor choices that include hiking, biking, fishing, and rafting to indoor choices that encompass art or craft galleries, spa treatments, winery tours, outlet mall shopping, and touring the Biltmore Estate, there is ample opportunity for fun.

Have a place you find easy-to-be-gluten-free? Let us know below so we can enjoy it too!

http://www.romanticasheville.com/outdoors.html
http://theblueridgehighlander.com/asheville_north_carolina/
http://www.findyourspot.com/NC/Asheville
http://www.thecornerkitchen.com/
http://www.biltmore.com/visit/things-to-do/dining/stable-cafe
http://www.localeats.com/Restaurant_Detail/Weaverville/Creperie-&-Cafe-of-Weaverville/19385/
http://www.limonesrestaurant.com/
http://www.rhubarbasheville.com/

Show Me Some Heart Healthy Love With a Valentine’s Day Frittata!

eggshells

With Valentine’s Day looming, it’s time to show me some heart healthy love! How? Well, first let me sleep late in my favorite pjs, then bring me some coffee and the newspaper and tell me how adorable I am. Now, get in the kitchen and make me some eggs.

Wait a minute, I said heart healthy and then I said eggs. What’s up with that? Well, it seems that the US government is about to withdraw its warnings about consuming cholesterol. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee which provides the scientific basis for published Dietary Guidelines has recommended that the warnings be lifted. While the final report has not yet been filed with the Department of Heath and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, it is rare for the guidelines to vary significantly from the recommendations of the committee.

This new stance will likely result in some confusion because many of us have been taught consuming cholesterol is DANGEROUS for everyone, but it appears that the science to support that conclusion was weak at best from the very beginning. About 25% of the population on average will experience detrimental effects from consuming cholesterol. The rest of us can enjoy our Valentine’s Day frittatas with total peace of mind.

Speaking of frittatas, I like them for brunch and for dinner whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not. They’re quick, easy, and a perfect delivery system for lots of yummy, fiber-filled left over vegetables. I can throw one together in a heartbeat when guests arrive tired and hungry. If I’m low on leftover veggies, I use frozen English peas which I always have on hand. Okay, I’ll admit sometimes I sauté onions, shiitake mushrooms, and red bell pepper rather than using leftovers. They make one of my favorite delicious combinations in a frittata or alongside a slice roast beef.
veggies
I don’t limit the ingredients to vegetables. Country ham and asparagus; bacon and cheddar; sausage, feta, and kale; salmon and dill are all flavor combinations I love encased in fluffy eggs. Just like the traditional one pot meal, you can throw in anything that you think will taste good.

So what’s the formula for a successful Valentine’s Day frittata? Use an oven safe skillet, get the broiler hot, coat your skillet in oil or butter, choose fully cooked meats and/or vegetables with complimentary flavors and enhance them with herbs or cheese, salt and pepper. Warm the meat, vegetables, and herbs in the oil coated skillet over medium low heat. Add a splash of water to 6-8 eggs for fluffiness before you lightly whisk them along with the salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the skillet, sprinkle with cheese and cook until the eggs set and only a tiny layer of liquid egg is left in the center on top. Finish under the broiler causing the eggs to rise and lightly brown.
frittata

Most importantly, don’t forget to include the love. It’s the most important ingredient for heart health every day!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/10/feds-poised-to-withdraw-longstanding-warnings-about-dietary-cholesterol/

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015.asp