Caleb's Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I asked my brother, Caleb, to write a guest post on these biscuits and he said, “hell no.” Frankly, it’s probably better that way. A post by Cal would be laced with profanity and wouldn’t contain any actual measurements. You would all abandon me.

Umm before we get started with the recipe, I have to say THANK YOU for all the sweet Facebook messages, texts, and calls I’ve gotten about my “Random Thoughts.” All the love feels so amazing! This week has been hell (Perry is feeling much better, finally), but having all these lovely comments to read has made things so much better, so THANK YOU!

Onto Caleb’s biscuits! Every time Justin and I visit Florida, we beg Cal to make these for us (and he always does because he’s an excellent little brother). He doesn’t measure ANYTHING. It blows my mind. These turn out perfect every single time.

Me and Cal

He made a copy of the recipe he sort of follows and wrote his own comments. For example, where it says “3/4 cups of milk,” Caleb crossed it out and simply wrote, “bullshit.” Fortunately, I’ve watched him make these enough times that I knew what they were supposed to look like.

Cal's recipe

I made these for Easter dinner and they were fantastic. I actually measured things, so there are real measurements below. I have to say, his are still (somehow) better. He just has the magic touch.

Here’s what you need (from the recipe above and the mind of Caleb Obler) . . .

One box of gluten free bisquick (see picture below)

3 cups of milk (I used 2%)

1 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp salted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups fresh shred sharp cheddar 

For the topping:

3 tbsp salted butter, melted

½ tbsp. dried parsley

½ tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp salt

Stir together right before you are ready to spread on the biscuits (see directions below).

Here’s what you do . . .

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. In a bowl, combine the entire box of bisquick, milk, garlic powder, butter, and cheese. Stir to combine, but it does not have to be perfectly smooth.

3. On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, drop a handful sized drop of batter. Do not try to form it – you want little peaks to form on the top of your biscuits.

4. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until you start to see the little peaks brown on top. You want an even browning.

What the biscuits should look like before you put the topping on them.

5. Once you see the browning on the biscuits, take out the biscuits and with a pastry brush, spread the butter/parsley/garlic/salt mixture over the biscuits.

6. Bake for another 5-7 minutes.

7. Remove and eat warm. Enjoy!!

These are some of my favorite things and they were a hit at Easter. They do NOT taste gluten free (aka, they taste awesome).

Many thanks to Cal for sharing his recipe and promising to open a food truck with me if my life falls apart. Our food truck would kick serious ass.

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

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Random Thought Tuesday

Ya'll ready for this?!

Ew. This does not look like the pretty pictures I see online

1. Can someone please provide me with a healthy "green" smoothie recipe? Every time I make one, it looks like someone threw up in my cup. I'm convinced all the pictures of green smoothies online are doctored to be a gorgeous green color.

2. I recently discovered this phenomenon called oil pulling. Basically, you swish coconut oil in your mouth for 15 minutes each day and it's supposed to clear out all these toxins in your body. I was 100% convinced this was going to be life changing. Day 1: I felt nauseous, but assumed it was the toxins leaving my body. Day 2: I threw up (too much throw up in one post?). I have officially given up on oil pulling.

3. On a similar note, someone needs to invent gluten free saltines.

4. We took Piper for a 3 mile walk last week. And by walk I mean I carried her for at least half of it because she laid down and refused to get up again. I'm not sure if I'm more embarrassed by that or the fact that I put her in an Easter dress on Sunday.

5. Are you all familiar with sock buns? You essentially put a sock in your hair and roll your hair over it and it makes this beautiful bun. I became obsessed with this last week (poor Justin). I used this Christmas sock with green stripes (you have to cut a hole in a sock). It totally worked, but you can see the green stripes through my beautiful sock bun. Only AFTER I had cut a hole in my sock did Justin tell me you can purchase hair-colored donuts specifically to make sock buns. Sigh.

6. We have approximately 2 weeks left of law school and my motivation is at an all time low. I was in Criminal Procedure the other day and we were discussing "attenuation of taint" (Google it if you really want to know what that is) and I started to giggle like a 5 year old. Again, I'm embarrassed for myself.

I will explain why this is relevant to #7 soon

7. My backup plan if this whole law school thing doesn't work out is to open a food truck with my youngest brother (Cal). It would be a gluten free food truck with a smoker. And we would try to sell alcohol, though Justin says this isn't possible. This idea is clearly becoming more appealing as I Googled prime food truck locations in D.C. last week.

8. I am 99% certain that I will cry hysterically in front of our mover because I get emotional about change. I am 100% certain that Justin partly chose our mover because this guy appeared to be capable of handling an emotional woman. Keep in mind, he toured the house during my oil pulling experience, so Justin likely chose well.

9. We FINALLY finished House of Cards Season 2 (I know, we're like a million weeks behind) and OMG. I fully intend to stalk Kevin Spacey in D.C. when I need a break from studying for the bar this summer. Although, did you know that because Netflix owns the rights to Frank Underwood, you can't take pictures of him or with him when he's "dressed in character"? How do I know if he's Frank Underwood or Kevin Spacey wearing a suit?! Life problem.

One of my precious children

10. I'm never having children. I've felt this way for awhile, but it was reemphasized at 11:30 p.m. yesterday in the ER vet with our cat who had a bad (read: violent) reaction to a sedative we gave him to take him to the vet for an exam. And again at 6:30 a.m. when we went to pick him up and pay the bill. He's fine, by the way. He's currently rolling around upstairs high on whatever sedative they gave him at the ER last night.

11. We've gotten to a level of chaos and stress that Justin can see when the crazy comes into in my eyes and will just go get me a glass of wine. This is an excellent trait in a husband.

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Strawberry Margarita

We booked movers this week. A margarita was absolutely necessary

Life is completely chaotic and hectic right now. We are moving in a month (a freaking MONTH) to D.C. (OMG) and it's becoming a struggle to open a casebook for school, let alone read it (ew).

I came home from school the other day and wanted a margarita. We had 0 margarita ingredients except tequila, triple sec, and fresh strawberries.

I was desperate. I worked with what I had and it turned out GREAT.

Or maybe it didn't and I just wanted a margarita that badly. Try making one and let me know:

Here's what you need . . .

1 oz. = 1 shot glass

2-3 oz. of strawberry simple syrup (recipe below)
2 oz. of silver tequila
1 oz. of triple sec
1 oz. coconut water
ice

Here's what you do . . .

1. To make your simple syrup, combine 1/2 cup of sugar and a 1/2 cup of water in a pot. Melt the sugar, then take off the heat. Blend sugar water mix with strawberries.

2. Combine all your ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Add more simple syrup if you prefer a sweet cocktail. I don't love super sweet cocktails, so 2 oz. was perfect for me.

3. SHAKE IT! Pour. If you hate strawberry seeds, strain it with a mesh strainer. 

4. ENJOY! I think this would also be excellent garnished with a little fresh lime, but we didn't have them and I had no intention of leaving the house to buy them.

Easy! Delicious (I think)! Cinco de Mayo is soon, so you should start prepping now. 

PS: How cute are our Easter placemats? They were in our Easter basket from Justin's dad and stepmom and I LOVE them. 

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My Favorite Taco Recipe

Are my photography skills getting worse? It's entirely possible.

I have zero artistic skill whatsoever, so I apologize for my terrible photos. My grandmother on my father's side was an artist - she painted beautiful watercolors - and I remember she desperately wanted me or one of my brothers to have excellent artistic skills.

None of us did. Or do (to my knowledge), which is evidenced by my terrible photographs and my paintings of animals that look like trees.

Anyway, onto tacos!

I LOVE tacos. Justin and I make this recipe at least once every two weeks. It's easy, cheap, and delicious.

You can customize your tacos however you want. Sometimes we use guac, sometimes we use avocado (when I'm in the mood to deals with cutting one) - it's up to you.

Here's what you need . . .

Taco shells (most hard corn taco shells are GF)
1 lb of ground chicken, turkey, or beef
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp taco seasoning (I use Trader Joe's brand)
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes w/green chiles (see pic below)
1 can of black beans, rinsed
Toppings of choice (we use cheese, shredded lettuce, and light sour cream)

Here's what you do . . .

1. Saute meat in some olive oil on medium-high heat with your onion and seasonings until cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.

2. Add beans and tomatoes and turn heat to low. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes so all the flavors soak in.

3. Assemble your tacos and enjoy!

See, I told you it was simple. And there are always plenty of leftovers for more tacos or a taco salad.

Ugh. Can someone teach me to take better photos? These just don't do these tacos justice.

Have a wonderful weekend! The weather in NC is gorgeous and I intend to take full advantage by reading case books on our balcony :)

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Homemade Hibachi "White Sauce"

I really debated on whether or not to post this. My nostalgia for the town where I grew up won, so here we go.

I imagine most of you have been to a hibachi restaurant. The places where the crazy chefs cook the food in front of you and almost light you on fire? These places are amazing (well, not in North Carolina, but the ones in Florida are amazing).

ANYWAY, one of the key parts about eating hibachi is dumping the mysterious "white sauce" all over your food. You try really really hard not to think about what this white sauce is made of because it makes your food taste amazing.

I made the white sauce. It's as bizarre as you think.

Now that I'm gluten intolerant, I can't eat at the hibachi place because they put soy sauce on everything and soy sauce has gluten (why??). Sad for me.

BUT, we can make our own hibachi at home. The first time we did this it was fantastic, but it was missing something.

Freaking white sauce.

I went a hunt for a recipe. I tried several. The one that tasted the most legitimate was this one I found on this absolutely sketchy message board. You have to click this link. The guy tells a story about sitting at a bar with a Japanese chef…so weird. But it works.

It's legitimately good. BUT, you have to get over the fact that you are pouring mayonnaise on your rice. YOUR RICE!!! WHY DO WE DO THIS?!

I had to share for all the fans out there. Throw it on some stir fry or whatever you want.

Here's what you need (adapted from this sketchy message board) . . .

1 1/4 cup of mayo (I used Kraft made with olive oil)
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne

Here's what you do . . .

1. Well, it's a sauce. So . . . you mix all these things together. Blend it in a food processor or stir with a whisk. LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT. It tastes WAY better overnight.

2. Pour it on whatever you want, try not think about it, and enjoy.

Like I said, weird post. I had some on the side with sautéed fried rice, grilled shrimp, and sautéed zucchini/onion (see the fried rice link above).

Don't judge me for this one. You know you've asked for extra cups of the sauce when you box up your leftovers at the hibachi place!!!

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Random Thought Thursday

Oooh. I like the way "Random Thought Thursday" sounds. Perhaps this will be my random thought day? We'll see.

1. Trader Joe's knows the way to my heart. Cheese > chocolate.

2. I had a minor meltdown at the doctor's office last week because I had to have a flu shot and I am complete baby about shots. I force the nurse to tell me stories (not kidding) and not show me the needle.  Side note to Mimi (my grandma): do not Google flu shots. I already got one, it's too late.

Justin's famous homemade latte

3. I gave up coffee for Lent during what is turning out to be the worst semester of law school. I very quickly regretted this decision, but I'm obviously sticking with this because I'm insanely stubborn.

4. I have the most fantastic friends in the world. I had a pick-me-up convo with a friend last week that made life all better, and I got a super positive e-mail from Beth a couple days ago (I'm still blogging for her! See it here!).

5. Speaking of amazing friends, one of my BFFs, Laura, solved my cork problem with the super thoughtful gift seen above. Girl is getting MARRIED in less than 3 weeks and she's sending ME gifts. Is there an award for most fantastic bride ever? Because she wins. I'm trying to find the perfect spot on the wall to hang it.

Want one? Find it at Target

. . . those are all my corks. 6 years worth of cork collecting. Some people collect useful things, but me? I collect corks. FYI, they smell.

7. I've been hunting for a formal gown for the last few weeks for no reason except I've convinced myself that there will be some last minute event that I need a formal dress for and . . . what if I don't own one?! Anyway, I was browsing some department store websites and some of these dresses have so many holes I think there is more skin than fabric. Am I just getting old or are these dresses really awful? There was even one that had a caption that said, "show a little side boob!" Can we all agree that NO ONE should show ANY side boob EVER? K, thanks.

8. Perry has a box and bag obsession, which I know is completely normal for a cat, but he got into that WET Trader Joe's cooler the other day…and just sat there. Why?! I think he's broken.

9. Justin made a deal with me this week that he will likely regret: When I get a real lawyer job, I get to buy these Tieks, which I have been lusting over for months. I had a lot of motivation before, but this is just icing on my cake. Anyone need a lawyer in D.C. or Baltimore? Here I am (almost)!

10. One of my favorite words that my friend Elizabeth introduced me to is Hangry (hang-gree). Hangry is when you are hungry and become angry. I get Hangry often and easily. I need to eat pretty frequently and I have no idea why. One of the worst things you can do when someone appears Hangry (JUSTIN): Ask in a soft tone, "hey…do you think you need to eat something?" NO I DO NOT. GO AWAY AND BRING ME BACK SOME ALMONDS.

11. Today marks the start of my very last Spring Break ever. I had a dream about a margarita last night. I'm clearly taking this well.

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Grilled Chicken and Caramelized Shallot Pasta

This is my 100th post on this blog. HAPPY BLOG BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! No, wait…that's not right. Anyway, Happy 100 Posts!!!

When I started this blog two years ago, I never thought I would make it this far. This has been such an outlet for me, so thanks for reading!

ONTO PASTA! I love goat cheese. I love all cheese, really, but goat cheese is fantastic because it's so low in fat. Low in fat = health food. Just kidding…

Anyway, this meal comes together very quickly. It's great for a weeknight. Don't let the small list of ingredients fool you - this is PACKED with delicious flavor. AND, bonus, it's actually quite low in calories for a pasta dish.

Here's what you need (slightly adapted from How Sweet Eats) . . .

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

Italian Seasoning

Adobo seasoning

1/2 pound of pasta (we used gluten free)

6 oz. goat cheese

2 medium shallots, sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp brown sugar

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbsp unsalted butter

4-5 basil leaves

Red pepper flakes*

*Leave them out if you don't like a hint of spice!

Here's what you do . . .

1. Cook your chicken however you want. We chose to grill it and Justin seasoned it evenly on both sides with Italian Seasoning and Adobo. You could also do salt, pepper and garlic powder, and you could also pan sear it. Or leave it out altogether. Your call! When it's done, slice into little bite-size pieces.

2. In a small pot, melt your butter. Stir continuously until you see little brown specks appear on the bottom. As soon as you see that, immediately take the butter off the heat and stir for 30 seconds more. Add your minced garlic to the butter, stir for 30 more seconds, then set aside. 

3. Prepare your pasta.

4. In a large pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and your shallots with the salt. Cook on low heat covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add your brown sugar, stir, and cook for an additional 5 minutes (still covered and stirring occasionally). 

5. Sprinkle a pinch of red pepper flakes over the shallots. Then, add pasta, brown butter/garlic, chicken, and goat cheese (crumbled) and stir to combine. Add basil leaves on top, serve, and enjoy!

Like I said, this is really loaded with flavor. Though it seems like a lot of steps (and pans), it's really simple and worth the extra dishes later. 

Have a wonderful week! Thanks for sticking with me this long :)

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