The Easiest Brownies I've Ever Made

This weekend I made the easiest brownies I have ever made.  Only two ingredients:

A box of brownie mix and a can of pumpkin.  I found the idea in the latest issue of Food Network Magazine (October 2015 issue).  Just combine the brownie mix and the whole can of pumpkin, pour in a brownie pan, and bake according to the package directions.  Super simple! 

Baked brownies!

Sprinkles and frosting!

I was a bit skeptical of how these would turn out.  The recipe was for regular brownie mix and didn't really specify how big the box of brownie mix was supposed to be or anything else.  The box I used was 16 oz, and regular brownie mixes were 18-20 oz.  However, they turned out just fine!  The brownies are very moist and fudge - actually almost more like fudge than a brownie.  I did end up coming them about 10-15 minutes more than the package directions - stuck a toothpick in every few minutes and the same amount of batter was still coming out, so I just took them out to make sure they didn't burn.  Maybe if I had left them in longer they would have been more brownie-like and less fudge-like?  But I don't mind they way they turned out at all!  Perfect quick treat to make for the fall. You can even take it up a notch with some frosting and sprinkles if you like!

Yum! Pumpkin brownies!

Out and About in Orlando - Sweet by Holly

I checked out a cupcake place today as well - Sweet by Holly.  They were on Cupcake Wars on Food Network before and I've been wanting to check them out, because they offer gluten free cupcakes!
 They had several different options for gluten free cupcakes - vanilla with vanilla frosting, chocolate with chocolate, raspberry, or peanut butter frosting, and red velvet with cream cheese frosting.

Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcake

I decided to go with the vanilla and vanilla frosting.  The gluten free cupcakes were slightly smaller than the regular cupcakes, but that was fine by me.  It was the perfect size for me.  I have to say it was honestly not the best gluten free cupcake I have tried.  The cake was a little bit dry which does seem to be common for gluten free cupcakes (at least the ones I have tried in the past).  It was also not overly sweet, which was fine by me, but if you were expecting a super sugary cupcake, this was not it.  The frosting was really good and sweet though, and made up for the slightly dry/not as sweet cake.  Two other family members were there, one got a red velvet cupcake and one got chocolate peanut butter, and they both enjoyed them very much.

Red Velvet and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes (NOT gluten free)

We also got a few mini cupcakes, none of which were gluten free.  I cheated a little bit and did try the red hot red velvet mini cupcake, which was cinnamon red velvet with a cinnamon cayenne cream cheese frosting.  (I do seem to be able to eat small amounts of gluten like that occasionally without it affecting me very much - can't recommend it for everyone but it works for me.)
That mini cupcake was delicious and much more moist than the gluten free one.

I'm not sure I would make a special trip back there again, but if I was in the area and in the mood for a cupcake I would probably stop in.   It would be nice to see a little more variety with the gluten free cupcakes - there were probably 20 or 30 regular flavors, and just a few gluten free flavors, but at the same time it is great to have those few options available and to be able to get a cupcake with the rest of my family!

Mini cupcakes (NOT gluten free)

Out and About in Orlando - Toasted

Tried a new (to my family anyway) place today - Toasted in Orlando.  Super cute grilled cheese logo!  They not only have a gluten free menu but also vegetarian and vegan, as well as an allergy guide that lists outer common allergens (nuts, dairy, eggs, soy).  It did not take me very long to figure out what to get - I saw it right on the little sign outside.  The Autumn Melt.  It had cheddar, bacon, pumpkin, apples, and cranberries on it.  It was so good!  The bread held up perfectly to the fillings inside - and there was A LOT inside!  Another member of my family got the Autumn Melt as well but on regular bread, and enjoyed it as well.

Gluten Free Autumn Melt

 The gluten free version came in a slightly different basket than the regular version, so that was one easy way to tell them apart.  Also the gluten free one was not cut in half, but did come with an individually wrapped fork and knife in case you want to cut it.

Both were served with a little pumpkin candy corn, which I did not know were gluten free but now I do.  It was a nice touch to add to the fall theme!

We also split some fries - both regular and rosemary/truffle oil.  The cashier had said one order of fries was enough for 1-2 adults, so we decided to get both kinds for the 3 of us that there.  We all got sandwiches as well and agreed that one order of fries would have been more than enough!  I really like rosemary so I enjoyed those ones slightly more, but if rosemary's not your thing, the regular ones were great too!
Definitely plan on going back to Toasted - I only wish it were a little closer!

The regular Autumn Melt (cut open so you can see more of the fillings)

Fries - regular and rosemary/truffle oil

Out and About in Orlando - Burger 21

Bacon Cheesy Burger

I thought it might be nice to post some review-type things about local places I've been to here in the Orlando-area that have gluten free options.
So the other day I went to Burger 21 with my family.  Everyone enjoyed their food very much!  One person got a regular burger, one got a hot dog, and I got a gluten free burger, the Bacon Cheesy.  It has bacon, American cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a gluten-free bun from French Meadow Bakery.  I really enjoyed it...well-cooked burger, yummy bacon, and one of the better gluten-free buns I've had.  Seems like a lot of the time the buns are very crumbly and fall apart as you eat, or they are either too big or too small for the burger, but this bun was just right!

Half-and-half Fries

They also have AMAZING fries (in my opinion anyway).  Both regular fries and sweet potato fries.  My family split a basket of the half-and-half fries, so both regular and sweet potato, and it was more than enough fries for the three of us to share.

Sauces!

They have a big sauce bar as well, with 10 or so sauce options, many of them gluten free.  I got honey mustard and ranch, and also tried "Rajin' Cajun" and apple cider.  Apple cider was definitely my favorite...great with both types of fries and on the burger.  Kind of similar to honey mustard to me.  I had to try a little bit of the toasted marshmallow sauce as well, even though it is not gluten free - very tasty with the sweet potato fries!

The gluten-free menu is a lot smaller than their regular menu - just burgers and salads, but I wanted a burger so that worked out just fine for me.  (On the regular menu, there are hot dogs, chicken burgers, turkey burgers, seafood burgers, even veggie burgers...so it would be nice to have a few more of those options on the gluten-free menu just to have a little more variety.)  I have previously gotten both vanilla and strawberry milkshakes there before from the gluten-free menu, and those were awesome too!  So I definitely recommend trying out Burger 21 - the food was great, staff was very friendly, and even though it was super busy when I was there, there were still open tables and it was very clean!

They also had some super cute animal pictures on the wall that I just had to take pictures of as well!  Dog and cat with some burgers and a dog with some hot dogs...

Chicken Waldorf(ish?) Salad

First recipe of the blog! Yay!
It's a relatively simple one but I found it surprisingly delicious.  I've never been a big fan of cold salads but I will definitely be making this again.  I used to work at a pool snack bar at Disney World that served Waldorf salad sandwiches.  I never knew what it was really, never tried it...but it always looked good.  So my mom and I decided to make it, since she was familiar with it and knew how to make Waldorf salad.  Well, I don't know if it's exactly Waldorf salad, but pretty close maybe...I don't know, it tasted good and that's the point, right?  And 100% gluten free for me!  Perfect way to use up some leftover chicken.  I can't claim to be some recipe-writing expert but I will certainly try my best here!

Chicken Waldorf Salad

 Chicken Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:

Chicken Waldorf Salad...yum

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled, and chopped up
• a couple bunches of grapes (used green grapes), quartered
• 1 apple (used Granny Smith), diced
• handful of pecans, halved
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise 
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• lettuce (however much you want really for your salad)

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, grapes, apple, and pecans in a bowl.
2. Combine mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.
3. Add mayo/mustard mixture to chicken mixture and stir to combine.  
4. Serve salad over lettuce. Enjoy!

In the Pursuit of Healthiness (and happiness)

Hello there, internet world.  My name is Kristy and I am on a mission to get myself healthier, and hopefully as a result, happier.

I've always been more of the "chubby" one in groups of friends.  I never really paid much attention to what I was eating.  If I wanted potato chips, cookies, cake, whatever it was, I would eat it.  Typical family dinners always consisted of a meat and some kind of starchy side - bread, pasta, rice.  Maybe a can of corn or green beans as well.  Point is, healthy food was never a huge focus.  Well, once I got into high school, my mom and I did start exercising together and trying to plan healthier meals, but still, it just wasn't that big a priority.

About a year and a half ago, I was getting sick a lot, missing work, and spending a lot of time lying in bed.  I finally went to the doctor, because I was having some similar symptoms to what my mom experienced when she had gall stones and had to have her gall bladder removed.  However, everything came back normal.  The doctor suggested I try a gluten free diet for about a month and see if that made a difference.  The idea of a gluten free diet really kind of freaked me out.  First off, I wasn't really familiar with it or with celiac disease.  I'd heard of celebrities going on a gluten free diet, and had kind of just assumed it was another "fad" type diet.  And what would I do without pasta, mac and cheese, bread, pizza, cake...

When I decided to start my month of gluten free eating, I bought a couple cookbooks and researched online, and all the symptoms I read about matched how I'd been feeling, and I didn't feel like some crazy person that was just making up not feeling well (kind of how the doctor made me feel...).

And within just a couple weeks, I really did start to feel better.  No more stabbing pains in my side, no more feeling like I needed to stay close to the bathroom, no more being super tired and staying in bed all day.  I don't know if I have a gluten sensitivity or actually have celiac disease, but I know I certainly feel a lot better when I eat no gluten, and eating any amount of gluten can cause problems for me.  

I've always been interested in starting a blog but it just hasn't really happened before.  I figured why not try to do it now, to keep some record of my (hopefully) healthier choices in food, recipes, maybe some random stuff.  Who knows.  And maybe my journey to a healthier, happier, and gluten free lifestyle can help somebody out there, just like other blogs have helped me out.

And in case you wonder about the name of the blog "Teddy in the Kitchen," it is inspired by my little kitty buddy Teddy who loves to help me out anywhere and everywhere.  There are actually four kitties in the house...all of them terrific kitchen helpers, but especially Harbin!

Chewy the tortie girl, Oliver the orange tabby boy, Harbin the tuxedo boy, and Teddy the tabby boy

Do you have some food for me?  Harbin LOVES food...