White Bean and Kielbasa Stew with Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits

I broke out the slow cooker again for this one. And it was SO easy. Thanks, Real Simple! Here is what I made: Real Simple White Bean and Kielbasa Stew

The recipe calls to serve the stew with some rustic bread. I chose to make my own biscuits because I had a biscuit recipe I'd been meaning to try for a long time. So here is what I made:

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits (adapted from Katie Lee's Sage Buttermilk Biscuits recipe as published in Ladies Home Journal) - Makes 12

Ingredients (note: This recipe makes 12 biscuits, but I cut it in half to make six biscuits):
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus 4 tbsp. softened
2 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp heavy cream

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, cut the butter into the flour, using a pastry blender or two knives, until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, and stir to combine. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Mix with a fork until all of the ingredients are incorporated and the dough just begins to come together.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, form dough into a ball and roll to about 1/2-inch thickness. Flour a three-inch biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) and cut out the biscuits. Reshape the leftover dough into a ball, roll it out again, and cut out more biscuits. Repeat until there is no dough remaining.
3. Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet and brush with cream. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. While the biscuits are still hot, spread some softened butter on top of each one and let melt.

Because of the gluten-free flour, I assume, the biscuits didn't rise and form a traditional biscuit shape. But I thought it just made them look rustic, which is what the stew recipe wanted. And they tasted really good, especially right out of the oven.

My husband is a good sport

The other night I made gluten-free Pappardelle with Peas and Parmesan. The picture accompanying the recipe looked delicious. The finished result ... not so much. I couldn't even finish my bowl of the pasta. I thought the recipe was going to be kind of alfredo-like, but it was not. It was pureed peas-like. (At least our blender, which hasn't been used since 2009 still works.) My husband finished his bowl even though I offered to make him something else. He is such a good sport.

Are you Smarterer than me?

As a BzzAgent, I get to try new things and then review them for you! One of the latest campaigns I'm participating in is for a website called Smarterer. The purpose of this site is to test your digital, social, and technical knowledge and see if you know more than your cubiclemate and friends. For example, the site tests you on your knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Photoshop, and Google Search. The company's website says: "People are rapidly accumulating a new set of digital and technical skills that make them valuable and effective in today's workforce, yet no one is measuring or validating these skills. As consumers we need an easy way to enhance our reputation collateral. As employers, we hire based on work history and personality metrics, but are missing the key criteria that prove people's ability to use the tools needed to be successful."

It's kind of fun! Here is what I found out about myself after taking a few tests:

For Facebook, I ranked proficient! I got 541 points and am in the top 64 percent of proficient users.

For Google Search, I ranked expert with 703 points and that was after only about five questions! (I search through Google exclusively.)

For PowerPoint, I ranked familiar with 309 points. And I guessed at the answers for some of the questions.

And for the 80s Trivia test (not sure what that has to do with "digital, social, and technical knowledge" but hey, it was fun to take!), I scored expert. I got 714 points!

Now I can always improve my score by answering more questions or adding good questions of my own to the tests.

This is a fun website for those of us who use these types of technical and digital programs on a regular basis. I actually learned information about stuff I use everyday. For example, did you know that the Google search engine was originally called Backrub?

(If you're on the East Coast, don't forget to enter my Dr. Oetker's Pizza Giveaway! You have until February 29!)

My Word is Patience

This is a layout I did for a challenge at the All About Me blog. February's challenge is to scrap what our word is for 2012. I chose the word "patience." The journaling reads: Not everything in my life is as I want it to be. But I need to enjoy what I have now and have faith that someday somehow everything will work out.

I finished up most of my Echo Park Life is Good kit. That was a fun one to work with. I just loved the colors and all the fun embellishments and letter stickers. Now all I have left are some scraps for making a few cards with, but I ran out of adhesive! I smell a trip to Michael's!

What is your word for 2012? If you want to participate in the All About Me challenge, you have until the end of this month. There is a prize this month, too, so check it out!

A Love Layout Using Non-Love Papers

(I apologize if some of you already saw this post in your Google Reader. I was pre-posting and wanted to schedule it for today, but it didn't listen to me and posted immediately after I hit publish the other night. *sigh*)

Here's a layout I made for a challenge at the My Little Shoebox blog. (I swear, I've been REALLY good lately about entering challenges, which is a surprise given how little time I have to scrap during the week.) It was a Sweetheart Sketch challenge and we had to use stuff from any My Little Shoebox paper collection. I had won the Destination collection awhile back and so I, of course, chose those papers and embellishments for this challenge. I used a Sharpie to outline the pink hearts. I love when I use non-seasonal papers for seasonal/holiday layouts. The challenge is already over with at the MLS blog, but you should challenge yourself to do something similar!

And don't forget that my East Coast readers can enter my Dr. Oetker's pizza giveaway here! You have until February 29. Yum!

Pagerize Me

Over at Scrap Our Stash, I participated in a challenge where I had to "pagerize" (or scraplift) another person's layout. Well, my layout was chosen as the winner! That means that now one of my scrapbook layouts will get pagerized. Check it out here and play along! (And you can go here to see my winning layout.) The winner gets to be the next Pagerizer. You've got until March 12 to play and then I will choose my favorite. :)

Dr. Oetker's Pizza Review and GIVEAWAY

A few months ago I signed up to be a BzzAgent, which means that I get to try and review stuff and then share my opinion with you! The first campaign I got to participate in was for Dr. Oetker's Ristorante Pizza. First off, it's pronounced "oht-ker." Second, it's a brand that's been around since 1891. In 1891, Dr. August Oetker started out developing and selling baking soda in his pharmacy in Bielefeld, Germany. Five generations later, the company has grown quite a bit, but it still relies on the finest, freshest ingredients and restaurant-quality results. Its Ristorante Pizza has been a European favorite since 1985, but it wasn't until 2009 that it arrived stateside.

There are six pizza varieties: Mozzarella, Spinaci, Funghi, Quattro Formaggi, Vegetale, and Speciale. I tried the Speciale: pepperoni, cooked ham, and spicy herbs. It only took about 10 minutes to cook in the oven and when it came out, it's thin crust was super crispy! This was really good pizza! It wasn't too tomato-ey and really not spicy at all, despite the "spicy herbs" in the description. I really enjoyed it. (Unfortunately my husband could not enjoy it because it is NOT gluten-free, but that just meant there was more for me!)

Right now, Dr. Oetker's Ristorante Pizza is found in the frozen aisle of most major grocery stores on the East Coast. So if you live on the East Coast, visit oetker.us or ristorante.us to find specific grocery stores that carry the brand. (The websites also tell you what pizza varieties are available at what store.) The pizza retails for about $4.99.

BUT I want some lucky readers on the East Coast to try Dr. Oetker's for less than the retail price. I have eight coupons for $1.50 off one Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza. That means, I'll pick four lucky readers to each win two coupons! All you have to do is visit oetker.us or ristorante.us, pick which flavor of pizza you'd like to try, and let me know in the comments section by February 29. I'll use random.org to help me pick the winners and announce them shortly thereafter.

(Sorry to everyone who is not in the U.S. or on the East Coast. Hopefully they will expand the brand into other regions.)