guilty pleasures

Going gluten free hasn't been too terrible so far.  I've lost a little weight due to the fact that so far I haven't had any bread or cookies or pasta.  (I have some GF alternatives, but I haven't gotten around to dabbling with them yet.)  There are actually a TON of GF products at a local store here.  Although they are pricey, they are worth the money because they taste good and give me a good amount of convenience.  (I haven't tried cooking GF too much yet - other than slight recipe tweaks - because I am not sure if this is permanent and I don't want to spend tons of time and energy on something that may be temporary.  I did buy all kinds of new flour the other day though, and I think I will dabble a little.  There's just nothing like homemade baked goods.)

But at least for now I have these little beauties to keep my taste buds happy:

Also, last night I went out with the girls (Wes' side of the family) and we ate at Buca Di Beppo. Definitely one of my new favorites. They had a good amount of GF options and we got a chicken dish for me. It was DELISH! I already can't wait to go back.  Mmmmm.


Tonight I'm making Italian chicken with GF cream of mushroom soup.  I thought I'd share the recipe since it's identical to the regular version with the exception of a gluten free soup.  This is a great Sunday recipe because it's cooked in the crockpot and there's always plenty to share.  :)

Italian Chicken
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix (I use Good Seasons or Wildtree)
1/4 C water
1 block cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup (I like mushroom because I think it gives it a more restaurant-y flavor, but I've also used the chicken and it's still really good.)
1 pkg. (or 1-2 C) sliced mushrooms - we love mushrooms, so we usually double this amount. 

Put 4-6 chicken breasts in the crockpot.  Combine water and Italian seasoning and then pour over chicken.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  After 4 hours, add the remaining ingredients and cook on high for an additional 2 hours.  Serve over pasta or rice.  (Sometimes we also throw in some peas or steamed broccoli in to squeeze in some more delicious and nutritious vegetables.  I think we'll do some peas tonight and serve oven roasted broccoli on the side.)

Yum!