Gluten-Free Stuffing

One of the best parts of the Holidays is ....
big family feasts.
And one traditional part of the feasts can be...
stuffing.
My husband's mom makes amazing stuffing.
Everyone loves it.
I love it too...
but there's a problem.
I'm supposed to be gluten-free
(or close to it).

Who wants to be a downer and omit a crucial part
of a big turkey dinner?
Not me.
So I had to improvise.

First, I took 1 loaf of DeLand brand gluten-free millet bread
and I cut the slices down into little "croutons".
I spread all the croutons out on a cookie sheet
and baked them at 300* for 20 minutes.
They became crunchy like regular croutons.

I sauteed mushrooms and diced celery and onions in some butter
with some chopped fresh parsley, rosemary and oregano.

I put my "croutons" in a bowl and carefully poured one cup of
chicken stock over them, mixing them with a fork until they were
mostly soft.
Then I stirred in my sautéed mix.
I blended it thoroughly, adding some salt and black pepper.
(probably about 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper).

Last but not least, I beat an egg in a bowl and poured that over my stuffing.
I mixed it in.
Then I put the stuffing in the oven.
350 for 40 minutes.

It was hot and delicious and once served with some turkey,
some thick and tasty (gluten free) gravy and some green bean casserole...
I would have totally forgotten that it wasn't the standard kind
had it not been for the proud memory of making it.
If I served it to my husband, he would have known it wasn't his mom's recipe...

but He never would have known it was gluten free ;)

Crock Chocolate

It's cold outside!.....

....Ok, so I live in North Florida and
maybe it's only a little cold outside.
But a little is all you need
for an excuse to have hot chocolate!

Now, are you tired of those darn swiss miss packets?
Yeah they're great on the go
and cheap too...
but let's say you really want to impress someone.
Like... your husband's family.
I have a much creamier-smoother-sweeter-more-amped-up recipe for you!
My friend Attie takes credit for this... she taught me.
I'm just sharing the wealth.

Get your crockpot out.
That's the first step.
Next you fill it with:
-1/2 gallon of milk
-14 oz. condensed milk
-1-2 cups of heavy cream
-1 bag of chocolate chips

Turn the crockpot on...first on high,
then after an hour, turn it to low.
Let it cook for another hour
(2 hours total)
stirring occasionally.
When the chocolate is all broken down
and evenly distributed throughout the milk,
pour a bag of marshmallows on top.
Voila!
You have a treat that will melt their hearts.


Tip: If you are amongst people who love to spike everything,
just add some peppermint schnapps or
some chocolate wine (Chocovine, cocoa di vine, chocolate shop...)