Category: Easy Recipes

Chicken Salad

chicken salad

I don’t mean to be prejudiced, but my Momma makes THE best chicken salad. It’s so good that every other chicken salad pales in comparison.

You think I’m exaggerating? Try it and prove me wrong! (ha)

This is great because it is delicious on top of salad greens or on a sandwich with chips. Whatever you’re in the mood for!

Chicken Salad:

Ingredients:

– 1 pack chicken breasts (cooked and cut into bite size pieces)

– 1 cup celery (chopped)

– 1 cup purple grapes (halved)

– 1-2 teaspoons celery salt

– 1 1/2 mayo (more if desired)

– 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Stir. Serve. Enjoy baby!!

This is a great recipe to make a day beforehand, because all of the flavors become even more delicious the longer it sits. Yummy!

thecarolinafarmhouse2 Comments

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

So when we lived in Spartanburg, SC, I used to volunteer at the Carolina Pregnancy Center (HOLLA AT MY CPC SISTAS) and there were these sweet older ladies who would come and volunteer in the afternoons.

They would count change from donation bottles or fold letters for mail outs, and I loved getting to talk to them. Not only were they hilarious, but they also shared good recipes! (ha)

One lady in particular told me one day (insert sweet little old lady voice) “I have the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Except I don’t make them too often or I will eat them all at one time, so it’s not good for my figure. Hee hee.”

I was excited because it didn’t call for any kind of flour, so they were naturally gluten free, and hey, I don’t care about my figure SO BRING ‘EM ON!!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

– 1 cup peanut butter (chunky or regular)

– 1 cup sugar

– 1 egg

– 1 reg. pack chocolate chips (the whole thing, so don’t you eat any!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix peanut butter, sugar and eggs until well blended. Add chocolate chips. Scoop tablespoon size chunks onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen small cookies.

Now grab a glass of cold milk and enjoy!!

thecarolinafarmhouseLeave a comment

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken Tenders

gluten free fried chicken

Call me crazy, but fried chicken is a necessity of life.

That’s why my poor, Southern, little heart was broken when I realized I had a gluten allergy.

Nevertheless, I was bound and determined that I would NOT wither away and be skinny and I WOULD find a way to eat all of my favorite fried foods (that is extreme sarcasm. I would love to be skinny. But I love food too much. So I picked the best option: FOOD).

I tried and failed many times to create the closest thing to real fried chicken, then one day it actually worked!

The secret is instant mashed potato flakes.

You just use them for the breading and it creates wonderfully crispy chicken. BAM.

Also, I’ve found that it helps to have a deep fryer for this, it keeps the breading on better and you can monitor how well it’s cooking easier. I don’t have a deep fryer since I’ve gotten married, so I just pan fried them. But they got a little more crispy than I normally like.

But enough of my rambling. On to the recipe!

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken Tenders:

Ingredients:

-6 to 8 chicken breast tenders

-1 & 1/2 cups of instant mashed potato flakes

-2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (as well as any oil you will use in your fryer or pan)

-seasoned salt

-salt and pepper

Directions:

Place oil and potato flakes in two separate dishes. Season potato flakes with seasoned salt, salt and pepper.

Dip chicken tenders in oil then place in potato flake mixture until evenly coated. Place in fryer and cook 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. I usually take a piece out and check the center to make sure it’s done, then I know how long to cook the others. It’s a little different for me every time I make it.

I hope ya’ll enjoy!

thecarolinafarmhouseLeave a comment

Balsamic Turkey Salad

IMG_0089

This recipe is so easy. No, for real. It’s so easy that I’m kind of embarrassed to put it on here.

But if your life is even slightly as crazy as mine, easy is one of your favorite words.

Easy, easy, easy. Ahhhhh.

Anyway, this recipe is a win-win because not only is it easy (HEEHEE) but it’s also healthy! And sometimes I want to pat myself on the back for making a dinner like those really healthy moms who grow their own herbs and spices and also have their handmade clothing hanging outside on a clothesline.

When in reality I may-or-may-not-have just run through the McDonald’s drive-through for lunch.

I’ll never tell. *cough cough*

But let’s get off this rabbit trail and back onto the main road!

Balsamic Turkey Salad:

Ingredients:

-1 package ground turkey

-olive oil or vegetable oil

-dried minced onions

-garlic salt

-lettuce

-balsamic dressing

DIrections:

Add turkey, oil, and spices into a saucepan and cook until meat is brown. Add onto salad, top with Balsamic dressing and enjoy!

 

See…I told you it was easy! 😉

thecarolinafarmhouse2 Comments

How To Make Your Own Jelly

image-17

I had the privilege of learning to make jelly from my sweet mother-in-the-Lord, Mrs. Freda.

Now this lady can do pretty much anything. She makes her own curtains, she cans her own food, she made all of Rhett’s nursery bedding, and she makes really really good sweet tea.

She’s awesome. And I want to be like her.

So I got her to teach me how to make jelly. Baby steps. Baaaaby steps.

Now, we made jelly from blueberries that we picked from their yard. I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder. And It. Was. Awesome.

Now the beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t require pectin or a canner or any fancy equipment.

So it’s basically perfect for people like me. People who don’t have a clue what they’re doing. (ha)

Blueberry Jelly:

What You Will Need:

-4 half pint jars with lids

-3 cups sugar (divided)

-4 cups of berries, rinsed

Directions:

image-23

Rinse berries and place in pot. Place enough water in pot to barely cover the berries.

image-18

While you are waiting for your berries to begin boiling heat your oven to 200 degrees and place your clean jars (without lids) sideways on the oven rack.

image-19

Place your lids and rings into another pot and cover with water and bring to a boil.

Bring berries to a boil and then mash them with a potato masher. You just want to help the berries open up and get those juices out.

Boil berries for 5 minutes. Then add 2 cups of sugar.

Boil for 7 more minutes and then add 1 cup of sugar. Then boil for 10 more minutes.

image-21

Take your jars out of the oven. (Mrs. Freda had this handy little clamp to get them out without burning your hands! But you can always just use potholders too) Pour berries into jars and seal with dried off lid. Turn upside down for 10 minutes and then return to upright position. You should hear the lids sealing by a “popping” sound.

(May use other types of berries. If making jelly, strain pulp.)

And that’s it! Super easy and I think it’s so fun to give these as gifts to people. It’s such a unique thing to give!

image-22

The hardest part of this whole process was trying not to be distracted by this cute little baby. (ha)

thecarolinafarmhouseLeave a comment