Gluten Free Mexican Rice and Beef Recipe

February 19, 2013 By

mexican beef and rice-1-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew loves all things Mexican. He loves the flavors, the language, the culture. Everything. He wants to go to Mexico when he gets older and hopes to learn Spanish soon. But that means he always requests Mexican inspired dishes. His favorite seems to be “Mexican Pizza”; our version of tostadas, but I can’t make them every night. He also seems to not want to eat meat much, so I am always looking for new ways to get protein in him. That is how I came up with my Gluten Free Mexican Rice and Beef Recipe.

We purchase a 1/2 of a grass fed steer every year, so we have tons of ground beef. I needed to use up some of it and coming up with an easy one-dish meal seemed like a great way to do it. I hope you enjoy.

4.0 from 1 reviews
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Gluten Free Mexican Rice and Beef Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper or 5 small sweet peppers, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 cups white rice, uncooked
  • 1 can tomatoes, diced with juice
  • 3 cups Beef Broth, organic or homemade (or more)
  • 2 tablespoons cumin (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 can tomato sauce (optional)
  • fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
Instructions
  1. In a very large skillet cook the beef until done.
  2. Remove the beef and set to the side.
  3. Heat the oil in the pan and saute the onions and peppers until they have softened and the onions are translucent.
  4. Add the garlic and cook a moment longer.
  5. Add the rice and stir so that it is covered with the oil and cook for about 2 minutes.
  6. Add the spices and cook for a minute.
  7. Add the tomatoes and beef broth.
  8. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover with a lid.
  9. Allow to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, checking occasionally for doneness and to make sure you don't need more liquid.
  10. If more liquid is necessary add more beef broth or a can of tomato sauce.
  11. Once done, add cooked beef back in and stir in the cilantro.
  12. Serve immediately.
  13. To reheat, add tomato sauce and heat over low heat on the stove.
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My Job Chart and the Demise of Guys

February 18, 2013 By

The Demise of Guys? Over My Dead Body

I was recently reading an article written by Gregg Murset called The Demise of Guys? Over My Dead Body. Gregg is the creator of My Job Chart and he was discussing how young men and boys are getting caught up in online technology so much that they are losing a large part of their lives to video games and pornography. Gregg has 4 boys of his own and he wants to make sure that his boys, and all boys like them, do not get caught up in electronics to the point where they are neglecting other, more important, aspects of their lives. He discusses the fact that because of the intense stimulation that video games produce, our boys minds are becoming “rewired” to expect constant stimulation at a higher and higher level. It is leaving them with an inability to relate to real life. And the graphic nature of pornography is harming their ability to develop normal, caring relationships. Again, they are becoming stimulated in an artificial way, which leaves them expecting life to be different than it really is.  As the graphic below shows, this is a scary and disturbing trend.

The Trend & What Can Be Done

My Job Chart

My Take On This Issue

As the mom of 3 boys I am very concerned about my kids well being and how they will develop as young men. With autism thrown into the picture, life becomes very complicated. One of the only things Matthew truly enjoys is video game, and there in lies a large problem. We know they aren’t healthy for him, but when given the opportunity to have free time, he has no interest in other things. My husband and I are really looking for guidance in helping him, and his brothers, choose other activities to stimulate their mind and keep them active. We are hoping he and his brothers will choose to join a swim team as they get older, since it is a great activity and something we think they will love.

But the main idea is to get our boys away from the computers and get them involved around the house, or in outside activities. So what do you do to keep your kids active and off the computer?

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

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AutisMate iPad App Review

February 16, 2013 By

 

I don’t think anyone expected the iPad to become the go-to product for working with autistic individuals, but it really has become the perfect vehicle to help them learn and communicate. AutisMate is a new app available through iTunes or the AppStore that encompasses many tools that are usually separate products, brings them together and allows them to be customizable and portable.

AutisMate offers preexisting scenes, but more interestingly, the ability to build your own scenes with photos that mean something to the person with autism. I built one using a photo of our pantry. I used the tool to put “hotspots” on the photo which are “clickable”. I used hotspots to designate the area where gluten free snacks are stored in our home. I also opted to record my own voice instead of using the synthesized voice that comes with the app. I think this is a great option since it allows the user to hear familiar voices in the correct setting. You may wish to have a teacher or therapist record their voice in the school or therapy settings. This helps to build consistency which is very important when dealing with autistic children who thrive on stability.

AutisMate also offers the ability to create visual stories which can be likened to social stories. You can, again, populate the stories with photos of specific items and people in your child’s life. This would be great for all sorts of situations such as going to school, to the dentist or even on vacation. As long as you have photos you can customize these stories and review them as often as necessary. If something changes, you can easily change the scene.

photo provided by AutisMate

It also offers a Sentence Builder which uses PEC type symbols and allows the user to “write” sentences to communicate wants, needs or information. There is the Visual Scheduler portion which allows you to customize routines and schedules for your child. These can be very helpful for children that need reminders of what to do in certain situations or at different times of the day.

AutisMate is a complete toolkit which can be completely individualized for each user. It can also easily be updated as a user’s skills and needs change. The fact that it is on an iPad not only makes it interesting but it is very portable and there is a GPS option which can build items around your location. AutisMate retails for $149.99. It is not limited to those with autism, but instead, can be used for anyone with communication issues. For more information visit AutisMate online.

I was provided with a free beta version of AutisMate to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

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Friday Favorites Date #FridayFavorites

February 15, 2013 By

Friday Favorites Date

This Friday Favorites Toni asked us to tell you about our favorite dates. I had two wonderful dates with my husband that really sick in my mind. One was our very first date that ended with us laughing in the rain during Lent and the other had me firing a 9mm handgun in Los Vegas ! They are wonderful memories. What was your favorite date? Please leave me a comment.

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