Everyone is probably aware that tomorrow is Veteran’s Day, but a lesser known fact is that the Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775; making today the 235th Birthday of the Marine Corps. And Marines believe once a Marine, always a Marine, so it is appropriate to wish anyone who served in the USMC a Happy Birthday today… and offer them a piece of cake.

At my house, I decided to go for a patriotic version of my mom’s no-bake cheesecake. She has been making it for years, and I would consider it her signature dessert. It is a simple take on the classic cheesecake, only much easier to make and does not require a spring-form pan. We typically eat it with cherry pie filling, but I decided some mashed up strawberries, with some blueberries added in, would be great for a red, white, and blue dessert.

So, to my husband and all the other brave men and women who have earned the right to be called United States Marines, I want to say, “Thank you, Happy Birthday, and Oorah.”

I read that the Marines’ Hymn is the oldest service song in our country, so thought it was worth including today.

The Marines’ Hymn
From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine.

Our Flag’s unfurled to every breeze from dawn to setting sun.
We have fought in every clime and place, where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far off northern lands and in sunny tropic scenes, You will find us always on the job, the United States Marines.

Here’s health to you and to our Corps, which we are proud to serve.
In many a strife we’ve fought for life and never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven’s scenes,
they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines.

No Bake Cheesecake

You can use reduced fat cream cheese and condensed milk, but it may not look as smooth; this doesn’t bother me, but if you are picky or serving to company go for the full calorie stuff. Also, the bottled lemon juice is fine here, I won’t tell anyone.

• 1-8oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 can sweetened, condensed milk
• 1/3 cup bottled lemon juice (if using fresh lemons, the juice of one lemon is enough)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 baked and cooled almost graham cracker pie crust
• 1 can cherry pie filling or desired topping

1. In stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, mix together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Pour into crust and refrigerate for at least two hours.
2. Top with cherries (I like to plate pieces individually and then top with cherries, but you can just pour the can on top of the cheesecake before cutting).

Desserts Gluten Free, gluten free cheesecake, gluten free no bake cheesecake

I read a cooking tip in my local newspaper, If you have leftover cream perilously close to its expiration date, just freeze it. Well, I haven’t been to impressed with freezing dairy, but I always seem to have leftover cream sitting in my fridge that will ultimately be thrown out. If it could actually freeze that would be such a time and money saver.

The tip also went on to say that you could whip the cream and freeze the dollops for several weeks; and the best part they only take about 10 minutes to thaw at room temperature. Now this was one tip I couldn’t overlook. How many times would having pre-whipped cream have been so nice? Too many to count at my house. Not only would this be great for the holiday, but anytime you have company over. It would be such an easy thing to prepare ahead of time.

I was skeptical that this would actually work. First, my cream carton said clearly on the side DO NOT FREEZE. So I had to put these freezer cream tips to the test.

To freeze liquid cream, you have to leave 1/2 inch at the top of the container, giving the cream plenty of room for expansion. I used containers designed for freezer products, but I think any freezer-safe jar or container with a lid would do; you could even reuse a cottage cheese or yogurt container. It will thaw overnight if placed in the refrigerator. It will most likely separate, so shake it before using. This really does work!

For the whipped cream, I placed small dollops on a parchment lined baking sheet and placed in my freezer until frozen. Then I placed them in an airtight container and returned them to the freezer. When I checked a couple weeks later, they still looked good. I pulled a few out, let them defrost on the counter. They still held their shape and tasted just like fresh whipped cream!

Freezing cream is one kitchen tip I am glad I discovered. I hope it saves you time and money in your kitchen as well.

Kitchen Extras, Kitchen Tips, Make ahead freezing cream, freezing kitchen tips, Gluten Free

Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast claims to give you recipes for quick, fresh dishes.  I think it lives up to its claim. With almost 160 simple, practical recipes, there is more than enough ideas for what to make for dinner, or lunch or dessert for that matter. The book itself is over 250 pages, with the beautiful photography we’ve come to expect in cookbooks. The book is divided in three section, recipes that take 20 minutes or less, recipes that take 40 minutes or less, and a  small chapter for recipes requiring more time or special ingredients. Each chapter begins with a table of contents, divided into the typical categories: soups, starters, salads, etc. The recipes are fairly diverse, having quite a few fish and poultry recipes, which is good for those of us trying to cut back red meat.

And while this cookbook is definitely not gluten free, there are plenty of gluten free recipes and simple modifications that could be made (using corn tortillas, gf pastas, etc). Most of the recipes have simple ingredients that can be found in a well-stocked pantry, but as always with Emeril, you’ll need quite a variety of herbs and spices, including plenty of Creole or Cajun seasoning.

For years it has seemed like cookbook authors and professional chefs have been out of touch with the amount of time at-home-cooks have to spend on meals, especially the weeknight dinner. Sure there have always been quick cooking recipes available, but they typically call for packaged and unhealthy ingredients. I am grateful that a superstar chef like Emeril Lagasse has come to our rescue. The majority of Emeril’s other cookbooks are very complicated and just too time consuming for the average home cook, however, I think Emeril 20-40-60 is a refreshing change. Whether a serious Emeril fan or a novice cook,  I think 20-40-60 would be a great addition to any busy cook’s cookbook collection.

HITS:

• Fish Tacos With Black Bean Salsa
• Peanut-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (flourless)
• all the great photos
• expected prep time and cooking time given for each recipe
• easy to understand instructions

MISSES:

• Kicked-Up Snickerdoodles (In all fairness, I didn’t try these, but cayenne in a snickerdoodle, no thanks)

*I have no affiliation with this author or publisher, I just enjoy the cookbook.

Cookbook Reviews Emeri Cookbook review, Emeril 20-40-60 cookbook review, Gluten Free

I had a cheap rice cooker once and I was never quite satisfied with it. It ended up in the garbage and for years I made rice on the stove top.

Well, we went gluten free and I had to rethink this. First of all, we eat a LOT more rice now. We also eat almost exclusively brown rice, which takes a long time to cook, so someone has to be in the kitchen for way longer than reasonable, watching the rice. And perhaps the most important reason, I want really good tasting rice, rice with nice texture, cooked to perfection, and if the rest of the meal isn’t quite ready, it needs to stay warm.

Well, apparently what I needed all these years was a fancy, programmable rice cooker; one that had setting for both brown and white rice and had a warming feature. I had no idea rice cookers had come so far.

When I saw a programmable rice cooker Aroma ARC-1000 Professional Rice Cooker/Food Steamer at Costco for around $30 I threw it in my cart and I have been thankful ever since.

I really think any family could use a nice rice cooker, but it truly is essential for a gluten free family.You can cook a large batch of rice with very little effort and keep it warm until needed. You’ll have leftovers for breakfast, lunch or dinner the next day, which is so convenient.

The texture and taste are far superior to anything I ever produced with my cheap rice cooker or on the stove top. Just read the directions, the little measuring cup that comes with it is not equivalent to our 1 cup measuring cup, so be sure to keep it. I also cook quinoa on the white rice setting and it turns out perfect every time.

Having a programmable, reliable rice cooker may not solve all our gluten free cooking woes, but it does make living and cooking gluten free a lot easier. A programmable rice cooker is definitely a gluten free kitchen essential. Does anyone else have a kitchen item they find essential since eating gluten free?

Gluten Free Basics, Kitchen Essentials aroma rice cooker, Gluten Free

Refried beans are such a great thing to have on hand. They can be used in main dishes, dips, as a side, and what kid doesn’t love a bean and cheese quesadilla? And they are so inexpensive and easy to make.

I have tried a couple different recipes to make homemade refried beans, and I have found that this adaptation from a recipe on allrecipes works the best for me. It is simple, you just throw everything in the slow cooker, when the beans are done you strain and mash. It couldn’t be much easier, and they taste a lot better than canned refried beans. If you don’t have chicken broth, or want to make it vegetarian, you could certainly use vegetable broth or water; but you might need to add extra salt.

This recipe makes pretty mild beans, if you want to add a kick, you could use more jalapeno pepper, or add hot sauce, taco seasoning, spices etc. It is a good basic recipe that can be modified to suit your taste.  And like most slow cooker recipes, this makes a lot of food; but don’t worry, the beans freeze really well.

A dish or refried beans.

Homemade refried beans and homemade tortillas, simply the best bean and cheese quesadilla you could eat.

Refried Beans Without the Refry

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed (black beans or a combo of both beans also works well)
• 1/2 jalapeno, chopped
• 2 Tb garlic, minced
• ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 9 cups chicken broth
• salt, optional
  

1. Place onion, beans, jalapeno, garlic, pepper and cumin in slow cooker. Add broth and stir to combine. Cook on high 8 hours, adding more water or broth if needed.
2. Once beans have cooked, strain and reserve liquid. Mash beans with potato masher, or for a smoother texture use an immersion blender (you can also cool them slightly and use food processor, I find this gives the smoothest texture). Add reserved liquid as needed to get desired consistency. Add salt if needed.
   

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