Back to the What's For Dinner conundrum

Having finally found a few go-to meals, everything will be changing up. Tried making gluten-free bread today. Kind of soupy and weird, to be honest.

G-Free

As part of going gluten free, we had to get a new toaster. The instruction manual actually has a section called "Inserting the food into the bread slots".

Celiac

Found out this week that Small Fry has celiac. Looks like we will be going gluten free! Easier said than done, but still, doable. Already cleared out the pantry. Next, the freezer.

Funny thing is, any open cereal, Fiber One and Shredded Wheat, specifically, was brought out to the chickens. They haven't touched it and neither have the squirrels. Naturally gluten free, I guess.

Slow Cooker Pork with Dried Fruit and Squash

As you know, because I am a fried cook, I want to get out of chopping whenever I can. Chopping vegetables is something I dread. Washing and merchandising the fruit so that it actually gets eaten is really arduous to me as well. Why am I the only one in the house who can wash the grapes?

Byerly's now sells cut up butternut squash, so my plan was to use that for this recipe. However, I was at Target, and decided since the recipe sounded so good, I would actually cut up a squash. I know.

This turned out so well, my husband says it's better than a restaurant meal. I served it with sweet potato and regular waffle cut fries.

Slow Cooker Pork with Dried Fruit and Squash

3-pound boneless pork loin roast
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup pitted dried plums (AKA prunes before their identity crisis and name change)
1 1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Combine brown sugar, ginger, salt, cinnamon and pepper and rub evenly over pork.

Place in slow cooker along with apricots, plums and squash.

Cook on high for one hour. Then reduce to low for 7 to 8 hours.

Use the fancy plates for this one.

Maple Syruping

It took 12 years for me to realize that I have two maple trees in my back yard and I could tap them. They're big enough for two taps each. I've been boiling the sap down inside in small batches. The house is so humid my hair is getting curly.

Here's a before and after:

Easy and healthy Honey/Soy Salmon

One of my go-tos is always salmon. If I can get it fresh, just some olive oil, salt and pepper, then broiling it for 10 or so minutes is great.

But it's winter in Minnesota. So I have had to accommodate frozen fish - harder for me because I have texture issue with it. But now I just pour soy sauce and honey on top and broil it. You cannot tell it was frozen. Delish. Serve with Trader Joe's sweet potato fries and haricots verts means good and quick.