GF Spicy Sausage Balls with Chipotle Sauce

Okay I know I need to work on the name of these but hey... it's kind of funny: Sausage Balls! But seriously these things are delicious and addictive. The Boyfriend almost hurt himself eating so many of these. This recipe makes a lot of them but it's easily halved. I just like to make a bunch at one time and have the rest for leftovers, they reheat great! 

Spicy Sausage Balls with Chipotle Sauce Ingredients

Yeah... you really have to get in there with your hands to mix it up!

Right before they hit the oven!

This is what happens when you have way too much free time on your hands!

Om nom nom!

These are kind of spicy! So if you want to tone it down then leave out the jalapenos and reduce the amount of chipotle peppers! But I like it spicy! This recipe makes 60 balls! 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage
• 8 oz of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups of Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
• 2-4 diced jalapenos 
• 2-5 shakes of Tabasco Chipotle
• 3/4 cup light mayonaise 
• 4 whole chipotle peppers (from a can)
• 1-2 tsp Adobo sauce (from the can)
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree. 
2. Place the sausage, cheese, Bisquick, eggs, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, Tabasco Chipotle sauce, and cayenne pepper into a large bowl. 
3. Mix throughly with hands until fully combined. It will get messy!
4. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 1 inch balls. Arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Keep in mind that they do get a little bigger as they bake.
5. Put into the oven and bake for 20-24 minutes. 
6. Let cool for two minutes before taking off the sheet. 
7. For the dipping sauce: In a food processor combine the mayonnaise, 3 chipotle peppers, the adobo sauce, the lime zest, and the lime juice. Blend until fully combines and smooth. 
8. Serve sausage balls with the dipping sauce and enjoy! 

My GF visit to DC!

This semester has been particularly rough for me. First The Boyfriend leaves to do an amazing internship - taking Sir Harvey with him, then I find out about the whole "Hypothyroidism" fiasco, and then there's the serious gluten allergy! But thankfully I'm blessed enough to be able to visit The Boyfriend & Sir Harvey once a month. The downside of this arrangement is getting me onto a plane. Seriously - it's not natural for humans to be in the sky. If God wanted man to be that high in the air he would've given us wings. 

But I suffered the plane rides because it's just not the same being without my men! Here's a lovely view from my window seat! Please bear with me about the photo quality, I never claimed to be an expert! 

So the visit was very pleasant if I do say so! I enjoyed being up north because they seem to have adopted the Gluten Free lifestyle more than the south. I was able to find a Gluten Free menu at more than half of the restaurants I went to! 

My favorite was Mon Ami Gabi !! They had a great GF selection! They're GF bread wasn't that great but hey... it's GF bread - what'd ya expect? But I loved my Steak Béarnaise with frites! And I especially loved that everything was guaranteed GF! Cannot tell you how stressful it is to eat something not knowing whether or not you're going to be doubling over in pain in an hour! 

But a close second in the GF restaurent race was Legal Sea Foods! They had a great gluten free menu! The crab dip was yummy and I happily ate some with GF rice crackers! I ended up getting a simple meal of grilled shrimp and fries, but the best part was that the chef himself brought it out to me and personally guaranteed that it was all gluten free - even specifying that the fries were in special GF fryer! I cannot tell you how long it's been since I've had fries because of that fear - needless to say I ate every single fry on that plate and loved it! 

The highlight of my trip (besides seeing The Boyfriend) was going to Annapolis! Love that place! It was such a beautiful weekend!! We took Sir Harvey with us! I was skeptical at first bringing the dog but soon found out that everyone else brought the dog too! I ran into some adorable pooches while walking the streets! Here's some photos to laugh at! 

Awkward Selfie because I had a bout of shyness

Random sighting of Star Wars! 

Lovely view from behind

The great thing about Annapolis was that it really was dog friendly! We ate at Harry Browne's and it was definitely dog friendly! We were seated outside on the patio on the sidewalk and it was great considering how beautiful it was outside. The waiter brought out a doggie water bowl for Sir Harvey and little doggie treats too! It was adorable! Although the menu wasn't exactly GF, the waiter was very accommodating to my needs. This gluten free thing makes a girl feel very high maintenance, not something I enjoy! But thankfully people seem to be pretty understanding!

All in all it was really great trip! So happy I got to see The Boyfriend and Sir Harvey! On Friday The Boyfriend had to work so I got in some quality time with Sir Harvey! Aka the puppy got seriously spoiled! We spent hours in the sun and he got too many treats! 

Sir Harvey and I enjoying the sunshine! 

Sleepy Sir Harvey after a day in the sun!

A Gluten Free Breakfast of Champions!

Okay so being Gluten Free for breakfast really sucks. I love chocolate chip muffins, pancakes, scones, and bagels - oh how I loved the bagels. Basically I was addicted to every gluten-loaded deliciousness offered during the am. BUT! I have a found a delicious and quick go-to breakfast that lets me avoid the whole "If-I-eat-gluten-I-feel-like-I-want-to-die-for-the-next-72-hours" scenario! And it tastes really good! Plus it's not terrible for you! 

My drink of choice is the delicious Chai Tea Latte from Oregon Chai. It is delicious. You can mix 1 cup of the concentrated chai tea with 1 cup of fat free milk and throw some ice in there and it's presto magic! Make sure you get the Original Chai Tea Concentrate - personally I find the Sugar Free not so yummy. 

I love to pair that with some vanilla greek yogurt (definitely partial to Oikos) mixed with gluten free ginger snaps! I crunch up the cookies and mix it into my yogurt! Can't even tell they're gluten free! My favorite brand is MI-DEL... so delicious! 

 

MY SECOND STITCH FIX

Ahhh... StitchFix numero dos! Eeek! So excited! It's rather addicting this StitchFix business! But things like this really do perk a girl up! Who needs gluten when ya got fashion?

So for those of you who don't know.... StitchFix is an online personal shopping experience! You get your own stylist who handpicks 5 items just for you! There's a $20 styling fee but it's credit towards your fix! And if you decided to keep everything in your box there's a 25% discount! But if you only like one or two things, it's free return shipping!

This time I had Jackie for a stylist! (Thought immediately went to the one and only Jackie O!) I love the personal little note she wrote for me!

"I had a great time styling for you today! I love the polka dot top by DownEast! Pair the Daniel Rainn top with skinny jeans and cute flats. The Peppermint dress has a preppy chevron print and is perfect for spring/summer! Have fun and I hope to style again for you! xo Jackie" 

Things like that really make ya smile! And it just makes a girl feel special to know that these really were picked just for me!

DownEast Tobi Cropped Lurex Cardigan - $58

Okay, first item on the list: DownEast Tobi Cropped Lurex Cardigan at a whopping $58

 Okay, This isn't really my style. I thought I would absolutely hate it but it wasn't so bad on. This is an extreme maybe. Main thing is: Do I really want to spend $58 on something I'm not crazy about? I'm not made of money people! I decided not to keep this one. 

Peppermint Dorthy Chevron Printed Dress - $58

 Alright, next on the list: The beautiful Peppermint Dorthy Chevron Printed Dress

  Okay, now this was the item that immediately drew my attention! I love patterns and chevron is one of my favorites! But thing is... this dress had such a weird fit. It felt awkward on top and great on the bottom. Looking at the photos... it looks good on top but awkward and bunchy on the bottom. Figures. But I love the cut in the back! Low backs are my weaknesses! I ended up keeping this dress - no regrets so far!

Moving on... the next thing was very pricey! Daniel Rainn Miri Crochet Detailed Sleeveless Top at a ridiculous $78.00!! What? Does money grown on trees somewhere?! 

Sadly I love love love this top! This is me to a T! I only put it with two skirts in the photos but I can imagine a million kajillion outfits with this top! And the fabric was so soft! Grrrr... WHY ARE YOU SO EXPENSIVE! .... and yes, I really am that awkward haha. But alas, I did not keep this item. 

Okay... the next thing is a pretty necklace! Thank you for the 41Hawthorn Triple Layer Bubble Necklace for $38.00! 

Ain't she a beauty? It's the cheapest thing on here but yowsa $38.00 for a necklace? But it went great with the cute chevron dress they sent me! But I can't decide whether to keep it or not. I mean, I already have 4 bubble necklaces but I don't have a pretty pink/peach one! And they've already got my twenty bucks! But I didn't keep it. Hope I made the right choice!

And last but not least is the DownEast Banks Sheer Dot Peter Pan Collar Top for $48.00

 

Now this isn't my usual style but I loved it when I unfolded it! And I loved it in the mirror! I felt cute and chic! Maybe a tad 50's stepford? Definitely felt preppy! But then the photos... whoa. I'm not so sure I love it anymore. I'm trying to keep it in perspective: I am just getting past a seriously rough cold/sinus infection so the Swollen Face Syndrome isn't permanent but still... I don't know if I'm a fan of this top. And I so so so wanted to be! I think the main things was the sheer material with the polka dots. I love sheer shirts. I love polka dotted shirts. I do not love sheer polka dotted shirts. The collar was adorable and the sleeves were just too cute! But I just couldn't keep it - back to SanFran it goes!

So that's it! That's my second StitchFix! And wowsa... pricey pricey pricey! Time to switch down to the cheapest bracket! But overall I was happy with it! 

If you're interested in doing this yourself then click here and let the madness begin!!


StichFix #1 ! 

MY FIRST STITCH FIX!

Hi! I received my first fix a little bit ago but I decided to share with you what I kept! So so so sorry I didn't think to photograph the other items! But have no fear - will never happen again!

For those of you who don't know.... StitchFix is an online personal shopping experience! You get your own stylist who handpicks 5 items just for you! There's a $20 styling fee but it's credit towards your fix! And if you decided to keep everything in your box there's a 25% discount! But if you only like one or two things, it's free return shipping!

Okay so for my first fix I had stylist Miranda! (Thoughts immediately went to the redhead on Sex & the City!)

Now $195.00 is a lot of money to a poor college student. If I could've I would've kept everything! But alas... I had to choose just one! And I know I picked the very best one! ... gah I'm getting corny with age! 

So I absolutely loved the Everly Bixby 3/4 Tab Sleeve Blouse!

Everly Bixby 3/4 Tab Sleeve Blouse - $58

And yes, those are birds on the shirt. Who on earth thought "Hey! Lets put some birds on a shirt!" I don't know but I absolutely love it! And I should mention that every piece of clothing comes with a styling card! 

So below is me wearing the shirt! Yes... I'm very photogenic! HAH! But I love this outfit! The necklace is from Urban Peach Boutique - they have great jewelry for even better prices! And the skirt is from Banana Republic circa seven years ago!! 

 So tada! That's pretty much my first fix!! If you're interested in trying this out for yourself, which I highly recommend, then click here to begin!

GF Hibachi Steak & Mushrooms

EEEK!!! Today was a big day! Today I signed the lease for my apartment next year... with The Boyfriend. Yep. I'm moving in with The Boyfriend. It's equal parts terrifying and exciting. I feel like such a grown up living with a man that's not related to me. But then being in such a mature situation makes me feel like such a little girl again! Thank god The Boyfriend is super dreamy, haha :)

Okay, okay, okay! This is not a blog for me to swoon over The Boyfriend. This is about me going Gluten Free people!! Today I was so excited that I had to have my ultimate favorite: HIBACHI!!! Only thing is, hibachi usually involves Soy Sauce... dun dun dunnnn! And as you gluten free people know, soy sauce is a no no. Thank God for this little blessing: Organic Tamari Gluten Free Soy Sauce! Just as good as the real thing!!

And of course I have to top it off with some Siracha!! Gotta love the spicy Asian food <3

GF Hibachi Steak & Mushrooms

Ingredients
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 (8-oz) package sliced mushrooms
1 ½ pounds top round steak
1 cup of uncooked rice

1 cup gluten free Tamari, divided
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tbsp Sesame seed

Directions:
You can either cook the rice in a rice maker or on the stove. I personally go for the rice maker. Being ¼ Asian, you cannot have a complete kitchen without one.

But for the rest of you who like the stovetop: bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the 1 Cup rice and remove form heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Then remove cover and let stand 5 minutes for rice to absorb remaining water

Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and stir-fry until they are almost done, about 5 minutes. Add in 1 tbsp of sesame seeds. While the vegetables are cooking, heat a second skillet over high heat and 1 tbsp oil.

Cut the steak into small cubes, and stir-fry until browned on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a high heat pan. Add the rice, ½ cup of gluten free Tamari, 2 tbsp of butter, and 2 tbsp of the sesame seeds. Continue to toss until there is no “white” rice left. Add in 2 tbsp of butter.

In a small bowl combine the rest of the gluten free Tamari, vinegar, garlic, and cornstarch and set aside.

Add the steak, along with any accumulated juices, to the pan with the mushrooms. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the pan and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the butter.

Top the stir-fry rice with the steak and mushroom mixture to serve!