I usually brine my turkey but I decided to go a different route this time. I love the results of a brined turkey but I am trying to cut back on salt and the whole brine process is time consuming. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did. The leftovers were amazing and I was able to make 4 quarts of broth from the carcass. I did not have fresh celery therefore I used my old standby of celery salt. If you have celery on hand just substitute 1/2 cup diced. I prefer the celery salt in this case because it is a rub. Give it a try and adjust as needed.

• 1- fresh 15lb turkey
• 1 leek sliced
• 1 granny smith apple
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp celery salt
• 2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbl minced garlic
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tsp basil, oregano, black pepper and sea salt
• 2 tbl olive oil

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss until coated. Loosen the skin of the turkey by placing your hand just under the skin and separating it from the meat. Stuff 1/3 of the mix underneath the skin on the breast and legs. Rub 1/3 of the mix on top of the bird and all around on the skin. The rest of the mix should be placed inside the cavity. Then drizzle a little olive oil on top of the bird.

Bird can be cooked in a roaster or in the oven @ 350 degrees. I prefer the roaster as it keeps my oven open for other fixings plus it always seems to cook faster this way. My turkey took under 3 hours but make sure you follow the specifications that came with your bird or follow the guidelines on your roaster. Below are some guidelines:

Unstuffed- This would be our recipe
8 to 12 pounds 2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4 1/2 to 5 hours

Stuffed
8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

photo credit: bucklava

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We love to go to the fair every year. One of the many stops we make is always at the candied nuts booth. You can always smell them from a distance and that cinnamon spice makes my mouth water!

• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbl cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tbl GF vanilla
• 1 lb pecan halves

Heat oven to 350. Spray nonstick spray onto a cookie sheet lined with foil.

Beat egg white until foamy. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla. Add nuts and stir to coat. Spread mixture onto the prepared sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until toasted and golden brown. Depending on the humidity that day, the nuts might take longer to crisp up. If necessary add an time in 5 minute intervals.*  Remove from the oven and cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

*I have had to cook them as long as 60 minutes on a humid day. So don’t despair if they still are not golden after 40 minutes.

photo credit: Jasmine&Roses

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1. The World’s Best Gluten Free Zucchini Cake Ever!
2. Gluten Free No Bake Cookies

I prefer to make my own pure vanilla rather than buying it.

Here is the breakdown in price for store bought versus homemade GF pure vanilla:

• $7.17 for a 2 ounce/59 ml bottle of organic GF vanilla
• for 750 ml of this kind would cost $93.21

Versus

• $30 for Idol Grape Vodka – high quality, distilled 7 times and filtered 5 times
• $8 for 2 vanilla beans bought from Walmart (half the price I would pay for 1 bean at other grocery stores)
• Total cost for 750 ml of homemade vanilla would be $38

This recipe is easy to make but be sure to give it time for the flavor to blend.

• 1 bottle of Idol Grape Vodka – 750 ml
• 2 vanilla beans

You will have to pour out just a tiny bit of the vodka for the beans to fit without over flowing. Cut up the beans into small pieces. Make sure you use all of the bits that fall out. They are the most important part of the flavor. Add to the vodka and cover. Let sit for at least 1 month. The coloring will be very light, almost clear. The longer it sits the better the flavor and the darker it gets. I just used up the last of my bottle and it was very dark and flavorful. It had been sitting for almost a year.  The vanilla will last indefinitely. Whole vanilla beans that have been used in sauces or other liquids can be rinsed, thoroughly dried, and stored for reuse. I always transfer my beans to the next bottle and just add a new bean along with the old.

Try this recipe when your vanilla is done. Browned Butter Frosting Enjoy!

photo credit: rox sm

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When cooking Gluten Free, fresh spices are always best but sometimes not realistic. I use what I can from my little herb garden and then I purchase the rest.

I have to say I tend to use more dried herbs because it is easier to show my children what to use and not having them chopping herbs up yet. They do a lot of cooking and if I add fresh herbs to the mix I think they will start to get confused. They remember onion, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and chives that is about all they can handle right now.

When purchasing dried herb mixes, I recommend going organic.

The prices are not that much higher and you are getting a better quality product. They are also more clearly labeled from what I have seen.  I do purchase such items like garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and pepper from my local grocery store. I have never had a reaction and they are pure ingredients. Meaning nothing is mixed in the product.

Really it is the mixes you have to worry about the most. Here is what I recommend keeping in your spice/baking rack for cooking:

• Sea salt
• Pepper/pepper grinder
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Basil
• Oregano
• GF soup base
• Arrowroot or Tapioca starch for thickening
• Cornstarch
• Olive oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Canola oil
• GF soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Balsamic Vinegar
• White Cooking wine
• Cinnamon (great sprinkled on fresh fruit)
• White pepper
• Homemade seasoned salt
• Chives
• Celery Salt

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1. Home Made Super Seasoned Salt Recipe
2. Gluten Free Zucchini Beef Parmigiana with Weight Watcher’s Points Plus
3. Heinz Gluten Free Around the World

I try not to use too many corn products because I get migraines from corn. I was using seasoned salt on everything I cooked so I developed a homemade version which I like even better plus it is corn free.

Super Seasoned Salt

Developed by Brenda Wilkey

• 2 tbl sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp tapioca starch, arrowroot or potato starch

Mix all of the ingredients with a wire wisk and pore into your favorite shaker jar. We use this on almost everything except when I am using my garlic pepper mix. This recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled. I usually make enough to fill my shaker and I have a refill container in the cupboard so I never run out.

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1. The Gluten Free Spices