I don’t know what your Easter plans are, but our Easter plans drastically expanded this week when we found (and bought) our very own gorgeous Gypsy RV Van. We had been considering renting a RV for the week, as we had a little unexpected free time, but it was so expensive we thought it might make more sense to look into used RVs instead. We didn’t really think we’d find anything- but we fell in love and somehow ended up driving her home. Oops! We’re planning on going on a week-long road trip and so our menu of the week is a bit simple, and all foods I can easily prepare in our new camper van! Making this menu was very helpful, as I’ll have to figure out how to stock our van, and now I at least know the foods to bring.

Have any of you had experience with gluten-free RV camping? Please share any tips (and menu ideas!) in the comments!

Gluten-free RV Camping Menu
Breakfasts:
Pamela’s Mix pancakes, Eggs & fried potatoes, Bob’s Red Mill Hot Cereal or Arrowhead Mills grits, Fruit sweetened GF cornflake cereal OR GF rice chex

Lunches:
Egg Salad Sandwich, Almond Butter and Jelly Sandwich, leftovers

Monday: Italian
GF Pasta and Balsamic Eggplant pasta Sauce

Tuesday: Indian
Rice and Indian Packaged Meal

Wednesday: Mexican
Corn tortilla quesadillas and fresh salad

Thursday: Thai
Rice noodles with Peanut sauce and veggies

Friday: Comfort Foods
Corn Muffins and GF soup (Amy’s)

You can find more great menus over withOrg Junkie. As always, many thanks to Cheryl for temporarily housing the Gluten Free Menu Swap at her blog. This week, she is also hosting the gluten-free Menu Swap with a flax seed theme. I’ll be on the road, so I don’t know that I’ll have much of a chance to use flax seed, but my favorite way to use them is in baked goods. I also enjoy them in raw food recipes, so I might have some in a prepared GF raw snack bar.

This week I had to share some special Easter appropriate recipes with you. Around Easter time, eggs seem like a natural ingredient. Previously, I shared a recipe for Asparagus Cheddar Red-Pepper Quiche that I had made for a local Celiac Bay Area potluck. But, I had actually made two different quiche for that potluck, and my favorite was actually the one below with olives, sundried tomatoes, and feta cheese. As with the other one, you can use your favorite GF crust, whether it is Whole Foods GF bakehouse, GF Pantry pie crust mix, or Bette Hagman’s recipe for dream pastry.

Here are more gluten-free Easter egg recipes:
Pickled Eggs and Beets

Gluten-Free Sundried Tomato feta Spinach Quiche Recipe Main Course  Vegetables  Dairy  American

Ingredients Gluten Free Pie Crust* 2 tsp. olive oil 1 onion 1/2 jar artichoke hearts, chopped 1/4 cup (or less) sundried tomato, in oil and rinsed or dried and reconstituted in water for 30 minutes 2 tbsp. sliced olives (kalamata etc) 2 large handfuls of spinach 2-3 ounces feta mozarella to taste 3/4 cup milk 4 eggs fresh basil, julienned herbs (dill, provincial etc) salt to taste freshly ground pepper Directions Sautee onion in olive oil. When it turns translucent, add other ingredients through the spinach. When spinach has wilted, put filling in pie crust, sprinkle with cheese. Mix milk and eggs together, whisking and seasoning. Bake 35 minutes or so at 375 or until quiche is firm and lightly brown on top. Notes *I used Gluten-Free Pantry pastry mix, but think I prefer Bette Hagman’s Dream Pastry Mix for handling OR, for an easy “cheating” move- use Whole Foods GF Bakehouse pre-made pie crust. Follow directions on pie crust recipe for crust and pre-baking.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1375 Added:  March 15, 2009 Last Modified:  March 17, 2009

Naturally Dyed Easter Egg Main Course  Dairy

Ingredients Base: 1 quart water +2 tbsp white vinegar Color Elements: Blue: Red Cabbage, 4 cups Yellow: 3 tbsp turmeric You Can also try the following color elements: 4 cups onion skins (12 onions) 4 cups chopped Beets 1 quart strong coffee, no water Directions To make each dye, bring water, vinegar, and color element to a boil, lower the heat, simmer 30 min and strain dye. You can boil eggs with dye or cold dip, for 5 seconds up to overnight, and dry on wire wrap. For Turmeric, you can just add the powder to hot water without boiling it. Deep yellow- soak eggs in turmeric for a long time Teal- Soak eggs in turmeric solution for 30 minutes and then cabbage soak for 5 seconds. Bright Blue- Soak eggs in cabbage solution overnight (or just for a long time)

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Martha Stewart Recipe ID:  1214 Added:  March 25, 2008 Last Modified:  April 2, 2008

Here’s a recipe for a vegetarian banana pudding (with eggs and milk)
a vegan southern-style banana pudding- just substitute gluten-free cookies or leave them out!
a raw-foods, gluten-free recipe for banana-choco banana pudding

More interested in raw foods dessert recipes?
Here’s the Recipe for Date Nut Torte that I enjoyed at the tea
OR, if you’re in the mood for chocolate,
try this chocolate dried fruit raw fudge recipe

And you thought tea and sandwiches were off the menu! No way. I am also happy to report that I didn’t feel so much as a twinge from the food- so they must have really taken the CC issue seriously. They did a great job of keeping me, and the other gluten-free girl (a third grader!) safe. So, who knows. The next time you come across a gluten-full event like this- try talking to the manager or owner and see if special arrangements can be made. Believe me, sometimes a little effort results in a lot of fun (and some great food!)

After I came home I was eager to recreate the yummy sandwiches in my own home, so I put together the below recipes for tea sandwiches. They aren’t QUITE as good as the ones at the tea shop, but they were pretty yummy all the same.Next time you feel like tea, scones, or tea sandwiches, why not make them at home- any lunch can be special, with a little extra preparation and a teapot full of imported tea brewing.

*Oh, and because we were visiting my friend over Easter weekend, we also dyed some eggs together- the natural way with vegetables and colorful spices. The eggs turned out great and it was lots of fun, so I included the recipe below in case you want to try it. Who needs artificial colors and cardboard boxes with bunnies on them? Not me, now that I know how to make my own super-food-safe coloring liquid. Enjoy and a Very Happy, if Belated, Easter.

Read about gladtobeglutenfree’s experience with a gluten-free tea service
Or, make your own tea treats from Milk for the Morning Cake’s roundup of gluten-free teatime recipes.

Gluten-Free Vegetarian Tea Sandwich Recipe Main Course  Alternative Grains  European

Ingredients 1/2 loaf of your favorite gluten-free bread, sliced, with crusts removed if desired. Sauce 1: GF Mayonnaise (Spectrum Vegan or other) smidgen of GF Mustard Fresh Herbs, minced (thyme, marjoram, basil, whatever you like) Fresh Chives, minced dollop of yogurt (soy, goat, or cow yogurt works!) Filling 1: 1 Eggplant (asian is desirable, but anything is ok), thinly sliced to make strips 1-2 zucchini, thinly sliced to make strips 1 yellow squash, thinly sliced to make strips Olive oil chopped fresh herbs (thyme, marjoram, etc.) salt pepper Fresh basil leaves 1 organic tomato, sliced Sauce 2: Cream Cheese (Tofutti better than cream cheese or dairy) Fresh dill, minced Fresh chives, minced Filling 2: Thinly sliced cucumbers Sauce 3: Your Favorite Hummus kalamata olives, pitted, and sliced or chopped Filling 3: Fresh Avocado slices Thinly Sliced tomatoes fresh sprouts Directions Combine ingredients for all sauces in separate little rice bowls and reserve. Take your sliced vegetables for filling one, baste lightly in olive oil and chopped fresh herbs or your favorite blend, and grill them nicely until they look done. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare your bread and spread sauce 1 on two pieces of bread. Next, layer filling 1 on the bread and cut it into a cute triangle. Make your second sandwich with sauce and filling 2, and your third sandwich with sauce and filing 3. Enjoy with hot, delicious black tea and a light salad if desired.

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Inspired by Tea Party menu, but original. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1217 Added:  April 2, 2008 Last Modified:  April 2, 2008

Naturally Dyed Easter Egg Main Course  Dairy

Ingredients Base: 1 quart water +2 tbsp white vinegar Color Elements: Blue: Red Cabbage, 4 cups Yellow: 3 tbsp turmeric You Can also try the following color elements: 4 cups onion skins (12 onions) 4 cups chopped Beets 1 quart strong coffee, no water Directions To make each dye, bring water, vinegar, and color element to a boil, lower the heat, simmer 30 min and strain dye. You can boil eggs with dye or cold dip, for 5 seconds up to overnight, and dry on wire wrap. For Turmeric, you can just add the powder to hot water without boiling it. Deep yellow- soak eggs in turmeric for a long time Teal- Soak eggs in turmeric solution for 30 minutes and then cabbage soak for 5 seconds. Bright Blue- Soak eggs in cabbage solution overnight (or just for a long time)

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Martha Stewart Recipe ID:  1214 Added:  March 25, 2008 Last Modified:  April 2, 2008