It's Starting to Smell Like Christmas...

This gluten-free Ginger Bread cookie recipe is from Canadian Living, found here. The 3-D Christmas themed cookie cutters are from Ikea, found here.

Gluten Free and It Freezes Well Too!

This dish is a way that I can eat lamb without making a roast or have left-overs to deal with. This my friends is Irish Stew ready for the slow cooker. It freezes well too so I'm able to put it into individual containers and freeze for a later time. Perfect for those chilly winter evenings. Just make sure you use a gluten-free beef broth and coat your lamb pieces with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend first.

Serve it up with some hot-out-of-the-oven gluten-free cornbread.

Fruit Cake

All kidding aside, I love fruit cake. No seriously, I do.  

Dried papaya, mango, cherries, raisins and fruit mix has been marinating with some rum. Waiting...

for the big day. Baking day!  The delicious marinated fruits were used to create four beautiful gluten-free loafs. Some days, I can hardly wait for Christmas.

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

It is nippy outside and the weather report is calling for the chance of rain turning into snow flurries later today. I'm actually kind of excited to see the first snow fall. It really is a quietly beautiful sight.  And it makes for a perfect day for some chili!

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

2 white onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, miniced

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can of black beans, rinsed well

3/4 cup of beef broth

1 cup of pumpkin puree

1 cup of diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of chili powder

2 tablespoons of honey

Saute onions and garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add ground beef and cook until it starts to turn brown and season with cinnamon, oregano, chili powder.  Add black beans and tomatoes and mix. Add honey, beef broth, and pumpkin puree. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.