Ingredients:

• 3 Corn Tortillas (Guerrero is my personal favorite, always the softest)
  
• 2 Hot Dog Wieners (Johnsonville: Beddar with Cheddar-favorite)
• 4 Gherkin Baby Dill Pickles 
• 1 Serrano Pepper
• 3 Pickled Okra
• 9 Sliced Peperoncino Peppers
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 tbsp Sriracha
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
• Fresh cracked Pepper
• Celery Salt

I hated hot dogs as a kid.  They were flavorless meat on bread with mustard, not anything to be excited about eating.  It wasn't until I discovered the Chicago Dog that I got into hot dogs as an adult.  The idea of putting ingredients that typically didn't go on a hot dog excited my creativity.  This is probably where my new fascination of Bloody Mary's comes from.  Trying to find the perfect combination is a challenge I always want to explore.  Shortly after exploring any and everything I could put on a hot dog, I discovered what was causing my stomach problems...gluten.  I was heartbroken to lose my new favorite food.  Then, I discovered gluten free hot dog buns!!!!  Well, they were not so great, and by not so great I mean I would spit out the bread to eat what was left in the middle.  What do I do? Shortly after  I discovered the magical corn tortilla and its many uses.  Let's turn my favorite food into a taco I decided.  

Directions:

1. Cut the  hot dogs in half lengthwise.  Turn over and cut lengthwise again  leaving four equal spears.  Dice the hot dogs into about 6 cm pieces.   Place pieces into a skillet and warm until they begin to blacken on sides, remove from skillet.
2. Place corn tortillas into skillet.  I prefer my corn tortillas cooked in a little bit of oil until a little crispy on both sides.  Usually takes about 30 seconds per side .
3. Cut okra in half lengthwise.  
4. Cut serrano pepper in half and core out the seeds and stems.  Cut pepper in little strips.
5. Dice onion.
6. Cut baby gherkin pickles into half lengthwise.  Then cut other half leaving four spears like the hot dogs.  Dice into equal parts.  I like this thick relish over a normal store bought relish.  Love the crunch.
7. Mix mayonnaise with sriracha.  Sriracha  mayonnaise   is surprisingly   delicious.  Definitely give it a try even  if you have doubts.
8. Now assemble your taco.  Corn tortilla, diced hot dogs, diced baby gherkin relish, diced onions, peperoncino peppers, pickled okra halves, and strips of serrano peppers.  Drizzle sriracha  mayonnaise   over tacos to complete.  Add fresh cracked pepper and the essential celery salt to complete  this easy meal.

My favorite cake before going gluten free was funfetti.  These made my day when I saw them on the shelves at HEB with all the other cookie box mixes.  I figured they wouldn't be that great but boy was I surprised.  These have become my wife's favorite cookies, she is not gluten intolerant!  They really are amazing.  They don't fall apart and taste just like the real thing.  Pillsbury did a great job with these cookies. 

 They also have a funfetti cake mix but that one is not as great as these cookies.  There is a recipe on the box as well for a fruit pizza.  I have tested this fruit pizza as well and say that it is wonderful minus the orange marmalade.  I added some strawberry preserves to make the cream cheese mixture not as tart.  Please forgive the missing piece, I was too excited to try.  

My favorite part of the week is when work is not calling my number and I am able to spend time making this favorite brunch meal with a bloody mary.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• Simply Potatoes Steakhouse Diced Potatoes, or Hash Browns, or peel and dice raw potatoes
• 4 pieces of Bacon
• 2 tsp of Himalayan Salt
• 4 tsp of Lemon Pepper
• 1 tbsp of White Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 cup of Butter
• 1/2 cup of Mixed Cheese 
• 1 tsp of Paprika
• 1 tsp of Olive Oil
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp of White Wine Vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Add package of Simply Potatoes to skillet with 1 tsp of Olive Oil.  Cover potatoes to let potatoes cook throughout stirring occasionally.   These take the longest to cook and therefore are the first to start with.  When they are done, I add the mixed cheese and bacon (I use microwave bacon to save on dishes used and help ease the difficulty of the dish.)  Keep warm until plating.
2. Poach the eggs.  For better clarification, follow Alton Brown's directions for poaching an egg, (video linked below.)  Heat an inch and a half of water over medium heat until bubbles start to form over the whole pan.  Add eggs to ramekin to easily drop into the heated water.  Add 1 tbsp of White Wine Vinegar to the water.  Scrap off all the bubbles before dropping the eggs into the water.  Leave the eggs in the water for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.  When the time is up remove the eggs from the water and let dry on a paper towel.  Season with salt and lemon pepper.  It's that easy.
3. Prepare the Hollandaise.  This is actually easier than it seems as well. In the microwave, melt the 1/2 cup of butter.  Set up a double boiler.  Put two inches of water in one pot and allow to come to a soft boil.  Over the pot of water you place a glass bowl that fits in the pot above the boiling water line.  Add four egg yolks to the bowl with 1 tsp of White Wine Vinegar.  Whisk the mixture together.  Remove the top layer of the melted butter if any separated.  Now, slowly add the melted butter while constantly whisking the eggs.  Continue whisking until the mixture starts to coagulate and form a heavier sauce.  Remove glass bowl from water and add paprika, lemon pepper, and salt.
4. Put down hash on plate.  On top add the poached eggs and spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs and onto the plate.
   
   
   It sounds complicated but after you master the hollandaise sauce it really is real easy to make this a customary dish for your weekends.  Enjoy!            

These are by far my favorite gluten free chicken strips that I have found.  Not only are they reasonably priced, hard to come by in the gluten free world, but they also end up being crispy.  The breading does not fall off the chicken like Applegate's gluten free chicken strips.  You also get a lot of chicken strips for under $5.00.  I have found these chicken strips at Target and at Wal-Mart recently.  These chicken strips would be the only reason I would walk into a Wal-Mart for another three years.  

Verdict:  They are worth a trip to Wal-Mart  

This is a quick and easy recipe that tastes delicious!  If you have never tried Gnocchi, it is naturally gluten free depending on what it is made with and I would describe them as eating pillows.  I take the gnocchi and toss them with a bag of creamed spinach and add a little cheese it is that simple.

I'm really a sucker for anything that say's it is gluten free to try it at least one time and I lucked out with trying gnocchi.  This is the brand I have found at HEB's in the pasta aisle.  Racconto, they have other gnocchi that is not gluten free so be sure to grab the one that stats "Gluten Free."

Ingredients:

• Package of Racconto Potato Gluten Free Gnocchi
• Package of Creamed Spinach
• 1 tbs of Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 tbs of olive oil

Directions:

1. Throw the Creamed Spinach bag in the microwave per the manufacturers directions.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the gnocchi.  The gnocchi is done when it floats to the top of the water.  Usually takes about four or five minutes.
3. Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a skillet.  Add the gnocchi to the skillet and toast all sides of the gnocchi until a little brown on sides.
4. Add creamed spinach to skillet.
5. Plate gnocchi and top with Mozzarella cheese.  It's easy to be gluten free today.

In a world with no Blue Bell Ice Cream, *tears,* this is the one and only product that has fulfilled my ice cream fix.  It's gluten free and taste wonderful.  I have tried other talenti gelato's that are gluten free but none of them match this one for me.  The price is a little expensive, but it is definitely worth its price.  I have found talenti gelato at HEB's near the missing Blue Bell Ice Cream gallons, *tears.*  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Diced Prosciutto
• 4 cups 50/50 Spring Mix/Baby Spinach
• 3 pears
• 2 tbsp Blue Cheese Crumbles
• 1/2 cup Pecans (Praline pecans work wonders here)
• 1 tbsp O Fig California Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp Mustard
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat Prosciutto over medium-high heat stirring occasionally until the prosciutto starts to become crisp.  Somewhere around 4 minutes.  Then drain the excess fat.
2. Peel fresh pears using a vegetable peeler.  Slice pears on all four sides leaving a square core. Dice the pear slices into equal sizes.  
3. In a bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, honey, and mustard until mixed.  (The mustard acts as an emulsifier and helps keep the vinaigrette from breaking.)  Using  a whisk, slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette comes together.  (The standard vinaigrette is 1 part vinegar, 3 parts olive oil.  The O Fig California Balsamic Vinegar is a little sweeter than a normal Balsamic Vinegar and actually works well as 1 part vinegar, 2 parts olive oil with the honey added.)
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix the spring mix/baby spinach, enough vinaigrette to lightly cover the greens, and the Himalayan Pink Salt.  (I like Himalayan Pink Salt because I think it brings out the flavor more than normal salt, by all means use normal salt or whatever you have instead.)
5. Chop up the pecans on cutting board.
6. Put salad mixture on plate.  Now top with the crisp prosciutto, fresh pear dices, blue cheese crumbles, and chopped pecans.
7. Now enjoy this easy and delicate meal!