Birthday Treats

It's Birthday Party Central at Landon's school this month! This week, they have a celebration every day. Sugar high will be in full effect! I'm considering sending a bottle of wine for his teachers, if they survive. 

Navigating birthday celebrations when you have food intolerances can be tricky. However, with proper planning and preparation, you can still enjoy the festivities without compromising your health or the health of your family. 

I made up a batch of gluten free cupcakes last month and popped the finished product in to the freezer. I made a very easy, 3 ingredient frosting at the same time. Now, when we have a party coming, I grab a cupcake, frost it and decorate it a day or so in advance. 

Here's the cupcake I decorated today, since we have a birthday party this afternoon. 

It's gluten free, food dye free and full of flavor! I try to keep these a surprise so Landon has something to look forward to each time. I decorate them differently, using things he likes that we have on hand. This time I used some really great non GMO marshmallows and raisin in the center. 

These are the marshmallows we like. 

I will warn you now, they are pricey. However, they are corn syrup and food dye free, which is important for us. We use them sparingly and keep them stored in a ziploc to keep them from drying out. 

I have used his bunny snacks as a topper and also plan to use dried coconut and dried fruit to create a face on the cupcakes in the future. 

Do you have any other ideas for me? If so, I would LOVE to hear from you!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Ok, I'm not gonna lie, I enlisted the help of a pre-made pie crust and a can of Pumpkin Pie Mix. I planned to make the pie filling part from scratch, then my super awesome sister gave me a few cans of Pumpkin Pie Mix. Easy! Have I mentioned recently how much I like easy? This pie is gluten free AND dairy free! Score!

Here's what you will need:

Place the pie mix, 3/4 cup canned coconut milk and 2 slightly beaten eggs in a bowl and stir until combined. Pour in to a prebaked gluten free pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 35-40 minutes. 

Here's what your final product should look like!

Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes

I like easy recipes. You know, the kind which require minimal ingredients yet always have an amazing flavor.

I also like almost anything when it's roasted. There's something magical that happens when you coat foods in raw butter or oil and roast them in the oven. Magical, I tell ya!  

I used to LOVE sweet potatoes with plenty of butter and brown sugar. I still enjoy those, however, I've come to adore plain ol' roasted sweet potatoes even more.

Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes

6 Carrots

6 Parsnips

4 Sweet Potatoes

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/8 cup melted raw butter (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Peel everything, cut in to bite sized pieces and place in a bowl. Pour the melted coconut oil and butter over the veggies, add salt and pepper then mix until everything is evenly coated. Pour on to a metal baking pan and roast in a 425 degree preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until the veggies are fork tender. Enjoy! 

Chicken AND Mashed Potatoes

Do you remember when I told you all I would post a recipe a day leading up to Thanksgiving? Yeah, me too. Epic blogger fail! I'm making up for it today by giving you TWO recipes! 

I'm not a huge fan of turkey. As a matter of fact, I could go a whole holiday season just eating all the side items. I do, however, like chicken. We've been eating more of it lately since I discovered it can be made whole in a Crock Pot. It's super easy and totally delicious!

Whole Roasted Crock Pot Chicken

1 Free Range Pasture Raised Chicken (local if possible) 

1 onion thickly sliced

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground cayenne

Combine all the dry spices in a small dish. Place the sliced onions in the bottom of the Crock Pot. Coat the chicken with your spice mixture all over the outside and on the inside. Place the chicken on top of the onions and cook on high for 4 hours. Do not add any liquid, it isn't necessary. Don't forget to save those bones to make home made, gut healthy stock!  

Red Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds of red potatoes

1 cup salted butter

1/2-3/4 cups of heavy cream or half and half

salt and pepper to taste

Cut potatoes in quarters and steam them until a fork will easily go through, usually about 25 minutes. Place butter in a large bowl and add hot potatoes. Add cream, salt and pepper and mash. That's it! Easy peasy! 

Deviled Eggs

We cannot have a holiday with out Deviled Eggs. Seriously. If I don't make these, my 6'8" brother-by-love will go berzerk. You do not want to see him go nuts over some eggs. It isn't pretty. Okay, that may be a slight eggzageration. Ha! You see what I did there?! Anywhoo, here's my tried and true recipe!

Mama's (I'm referring to myself there) Deviled Eggs 

~  1 dozen boiled eggs
~  1/2 C real mayonnaise
~ 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
~ 1-2 tsp vinegar
~ 1/8 tsp ground cayenne
~ Salt and pepper to taste
~ Paprika or cayenne for garnish

Cut your peeled eggs in half lengthwise and place the yolks in a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until well blended. Transfer the yolk mixture to a Ziploc bag. Snip the corner and fill your eggs. Top them with a sprinkling of paprika or cayenne, if you like it spicy! Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

Thanksgiving Food.

Next week is Thanksgiving, Y'all! Can you even believe it?

This photo of Landon from 2010 always makes me giggle. He's all like, "gimme that turkey leg!". :-)

I've been working incessantly on coming up with a gluten free menu to share with all of you. I've seriously been thinking about this and developing new recipes for weeks. It's been a ton of fun!

We stay away from dairy as much as possible on a daily basis, with the exception of raw butter, which I use a lot. The foods we will be eating on Thanksgiving are mostly dairy free but not totally.  

Take a peek at what will be on our table next week.

Starters

~ Deviled Eggs ~ GF

~ Relish Tray ~ GF, DF

The Feast

~ Turkey AND Chicken ~ GF, DF

~ Ham ~ GF, DF

~ Mashed Red Potatoes ~ GF

~ Creamed Corn ~ GF

~ Cornbread Stuffing ~ GF, DF

~ Cranberries ~ GF, DF

~ Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Parsnips ~ GF, DF

~ Green Beans Amandine with Bacon ~ GF

~ Dinner rolls ~ GF, DF

Finishers

~ Pumpkin Pie ~ GF, DF

~ Cheesecake ~ GF

~ Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins ~ GF

*GF = Gluten Free

*DF - Dairy Free

Every single one of these items are completely gluten free yet still flavorful and satisfying! 

I will post recipes very soon. As a matter of fact, I will be posting at least one recipe a day from now until Thanksgiving. 

Stay tuned! 

Bone Broth, Chicken and Overcoming Intimidation.

This is actually considered a stock, due to the addition of veggies and spices. You could leave those out to make a traditional bone broth, however, I don't because I love the added flavor.

I've been doing some (by some, I mean tons of) reading and researching about bone broth. Turns out, it has some pretty spectacular health benefits and is amazing for gut healing. It's no wonder chicken soup is seen as a cure all for illness. When made properly, it actually does wonders for our bodies!

I'm weird about bones in my food. I don't like them and have a hard time eating anything off of a bone. I know, it's not normal. Whatevs. I also get grossed out when I have to handle raw meat. I'm working through it! Kind of.  

I decided to suck it up and get over it. I made a whole chicken in the crock pot, had Scott pull all the meat from it when it was done, then threw the bones back in the pot to make broth. 

Here's the basic process I used. 

First of all, I purchased one free range pasture raised chicken. This is very important in my opinion, especially when you will be making broth from the bones. I spiced it up with paprika, crushed rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic powder and bit of cayenne. I rubbed that all over the outside and inside of the chicken. I also thickly sliced one onion and put everything in the crock pot on high for 4 hours. It was amazing!

For the broth, I left all the drippings and onions in the pot then I tossed the bones back in, added 3 whole carrots, 4 whole pieces of celery including the leafy parts, 2 bay leaves, a bit more salt, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (this helps break down the bones and pull all of the good nutrition out) and filled it to the top with filtered water. I then let it go on low for approximately 48 hours, adding water as needed. I poured it through a strainer in to jars which I will freeze until I'm ready to use. 

I'm pretty sure I just saved myself at least $20 or more AND made something way more nutritious. This cannot be purchased in a grocery store! I can't believe I was intimidated by the process for so long. It's SUPER easy and totally fool proof!

Have you ever made your own bone broth or stock? Does the idea of doing so seem like too much work? I want to hear from you!

Grain/Gluten Free Waffles

Grain/Gluten Free Waffles

~ 3 eggs {we prefer free range, cage free}

~ 2 tsp apple cider vinegar {we prefer Braggs}

~ 2 TBSP honey OR 2 TBSP sugar

~ 1 C milk of your choice (we use coconut or almond milk)

~ 1 TBSP butter (melted) {we prefer raw butter from grass fed cows}

~ 1 TBSP coconut oil (melted)

~ 3 C finely ground almond flour {we prefer Honeyville}

~ 2 tsp ground cinnamon

~ 1 tsp baking soda

~ 1 tsp baking powder

~ (optional) 1/4 cup tapioca starch {this will make the waffles a bit crispy}

Place your eggs, vinegar and honey in a blender and blend on high for about 3 minutes. Add milk, butter and coconut oil and blend for another 2 minutes. Add all other ingredients and blend for 3 minutes. You want this to have a bit thicker consistency than wheat flour based waffle batter. Add more flour or milk to reach your desired consistency. Add batter to your heated waffle iron. This recipe makes approximately 8 large waffles. I freeze what we don't eat and pop them in the toaster on the mornings we're in a rush.

Landon likes these plain or drizzled with a bit of honey. They are delicious either way. You can top them with whatever you like.  

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Would you like a stupid easy dinner idea?

I thought so. 

Here's what you will need:

1 Spaghetti Squash

Salt

Pepper 

Olive Oil

Topping of choice (marinara, alfredo, etc)

Baking Dish

Knife

Oven 
Wine to drink while you wait for the squash to roast

Ok, those last few are a given, but I'm feeling silly this evening. 

Here's what you will do:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Microwave your spaghetti squash for a few minutes to soften the skin. Slice it in half length wise and place it cut side up in your baking dish. Drizzle it with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pop it on the oven and let it roast for about 45 minutes or until it begins to brown. Take it out, scoop out the seeds and shred the insides then eat up! You can top this with marinara sauce, alfredo sauce or enjoy it plain. 

Landon and I chose to eat it all by itself and it was amazing!

We hope you all enjoy this as much as we do. 

Before.

After coming out of the oven.

Seeds and such. 

Ready to eat.

He said, "I will show you my spaghetti squash and you can take a picture." Okay, Little Dude. 

Grain/Gluten Free Chocolate Delight Brownies

My dear friend Laura posted on Facebook last week about some amazing brownies she made using almond flour and coconut oil. I asked for her recipe and she happily shared it with me. Thank YOU, Laura! I tweaked things a little bit and am now sharing it with you! 

Landon and I have made these twice this week! He loves to help me in the kitchen and I adore having him at my side as I create new recipes. We sing songs about love as we mix every thing together because we believe that's the best way to infuse love in to our goodies. I guarantee they taste better when we do this! He also gives me an abundance of hugs and kisses in between adding ingredients. It's darling and precious. Memories I'm certain he and I will treasure forever. Get your kids in the kitchen with you. It's a wonderful way to be in teaching moments without them even realizing it!

We hope you enjoy these brownies as much as we do!   

Grain Free Chocolate Delight Brownies

~ 2 eggs (I always use cage free, free range)

~ 1/4 C coconut oil (I like organic)

~ 1/4 C butter (I use raw, grass fed)

~ 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (I prefer Bragg's)

~ 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

~ 3/4 C sugar (I used beet sugar because it's what I had on hand. You can also use coconut sugar or cane sugar. Add more or less depending how sweet you want your brownies.)

~ 1/3 C cocoa powder

~ 1/4 C + 1 Tbsp coconut flour (Bob's Red Mill)

~ 1/4 C almond flour (I like Honeyville)

~ 1/4 tsp baking soda
~ 1/2 tsp baking powder

~ 1/4 tsp salt

~ 1/4 C chocolate chips

Melt the butter and coconut oil. In a blender, combine the eggs, apple cider vinegar, butter and coconut oil. Blend for about 2 minutes. Then add the sugar and vanilla to the egg mixture. Blend for about a minute. Add all other dry ingredients and blend for about 3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. You may need to stop halfway through to scrape the sides of the blender. Stir in the chocolate chips, pour in to a greased 8 x 8 glass pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container. 

Side Notes: If you have a nut allergy, use 1/2 C coconut flour total and eliminate the almond flour. If you like your brownies cake-like, use 3 eggs. You DO NOT have to use a blender, however, using one makes a smoother finished product. If you don't have a blender, simply mix the wet ingredients followed by all dry ingredients. These will still taste awesome!

Enjoy with a big glass of Coconut Milk!

Chocolately goodness!

See how happy these brownies made Landon!

Bite Size Stuffed Peppers w/ Feta and Cranberries

Fall is here and I'm loving it! I have the fall scents going in my wax warmers, I'm making fall food lists in my head, my hoodies are ready, my boots are practically jumping on my feet. You know, all the stuff that says Hi, I'm Fall and I'm ready to play! 

One thing I've been craving lately is stuffed peppers. The version I came up with last night can totally be a summer dish too if you throw them on the grill. I added feta and cranberries to make them more Fall-ish. 

Would you like to know a secret? I'm a frugal Mama. Okay, so that's really no secret. I try to balance all of the expensive things necessary for Landon with the super savings I am able to find on other items. All except 2 ingredients in this recipe were purchased at Aldi. I started shopping there regularly when Landon got sick out of sheer necessity. Times were tough. I still make an Aldi trip monthly because, frankly, it just makes sense. Also, because sometimes, money is still tight. OH, and because it's absolutely ludicrous to me to spend more money on the exact same items in a different store, with more marketing and mark up. You do have to read labels at Aldi (which I always do anyway) because you will find many products with high fructose corn syrup (cheap additive), which we always avoid. They did recently come out with an organic line! Exciting! 

I digress... 

Back to peppers. One thing I love about this recipe is the versatility. You can get creative with your ingredients and make lots of different flavors. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Bite Size Stuffed Peppers w/ Feta and Cranberries

- 20ish small sweet peppers (jalapeños would also be superb!)

- 1 lb pork sausage

- 16 oz. cream cheese

- 6 oz. feta cheese crumbles

- 1/8 cup dried cranberries

- 1 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder and ground cayenne pepper (or more according to your tastes)

**I did end up with extra filling, which I will use later for another recipe. If you have extra, freeze it!

Mmmm...peppers...

Brown the sausage in a skillet.  

Mmmmm...sausage...

While the sausage is cooking, remove the stems from the peppers and slice them in half. 

Mmmmm...peppers again...

Mix the cream cheese, spices and sausage together in a bowl. Once those are thoroughly combined, gently add in the feta cheese. 

Mmmm...cheesy filling...

Fill your peppers and top with a few dried cranberries.

Ready to go in to the oven!

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. That's it! Super easy and delicious! 

Ready to go in to my tummy!

Gluten Free Friday - Why?

I read an article over on the Huffington Post the other day, which talks about gluten intolerance and whether or not it's just a fad. It was interesting and got me thinking about the reasons we choose to be gluten free. 

Here's the thing. Not everyone is gluten intolerant. Many people eat gluten every single day and are seemingly fine. Or are they? It's not up to me to tell others how they should or shouldn't eat. I'm just here telling our story and sharing how removing gluten has benefited us.

We didn't decide one day to become gluten free because of some kind of fad. It was something we felt was medically necessary in order to help our son heal after a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis in 2011. We did a lot of research then enlisted the help of a medical doctor who specializes in dietary needs and nutrition. We still see her every few months to make sure we're on track and up to date with what is best for Landon. A big factor in his healing was removing wheat, which causes high levels of inflammation in his system. For him, inflammation in his intestines is a very bad thing. If a product contains wheat, it usually contains gluten. For Landon, we chose to remove all grains with the exception of rice, as his little body was in the biggest part of it's healing process. Rice is still the only grain he gets to have, with the exception of a bit of organic cornmeal which is in one of his breakfast cereals.

For myself, removing gluten has a direct impact on how I feel physically, mentally and emotionally. I know, it may sound crazy, but it's totally true. Wheat is a big one for me that causes a lot of physical discomfort. Every single time I remove wheat and gluten from my diet, my aches and pains go away completely. I also sleep better, have more focus, better energy and am all around a happier person. I often wonder if the large amounts of wheat and gluten I ate during my pregnancy with Landon was passed along to him in utero, causing the intolerance's he now has.    

I have several friends who have Celiac Disease. For them, an exposure to even the tiniest amount of gluten means days of sickness. Trust me (and them), it's not fun.

What I know for sure is gluten is incredibly hard to digest and can truly mess with gut flora. Probiotics are a staple in our house and we don't go a day without them!

Here's an interesting article discussing ways gluten can be detrimental to your health. Here's another article which highlights all the different levels of sensitivity. I found both of these to be helpful and interesting to read.

Happy Gluten Free Friday! 



  

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Yesterday morning, as I was getting breakfast ready for Landon, he asked for muffins. We didn't have any so I promised him we would make some together when I got home from work, which made him super happy. I like it when my kid is happy.

We decided to make a variation of my Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins. I didn't realize how much I had changed ingredients until I went back and looked at the original Pumpkin Muffin recipe. So, essentially I have a brand spankin' new one for you!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

1 can of pumpkin puree (less a couple of tablespoons for your pint sized kitchen helper)

1/4 C raw butter

3/4 C all natural applesauce

4 eggs (we use local or at least free range/cage free organic)

1/4-1/2 C raw local honey (use more or less until you reach your desired sweetness)

2 tsp organic apple cider vinegar (we like Bragg's)

1/2 C almond milk

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 C rice flour

4 C Honeyville almond flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 C chocolate chips

Add all wet ingredients to a blender and blend for approximately 2 minutes. Blending is a key step in the process because it mixes everything to create a smooth, airy batter. Add in your dry ingredients and blend for another 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the blender halfway between. Transfer everything to a bowl, add in the chocolate chips and stir by hand until everything is incorporated. Fill your muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 24-28 minutes at 325 degrees. This recipe makes 24 muffins. 

Variation for those with nut allergies:
You can use approximately 2 cups of coconut flour in place of the almond flour.

Variation to make these grain free:
Use 1/2 cup coconut flour in place of the rice flour. 

P.S. There are no photos of our muffins when the came out of the oven because we were too busy devouring them.

He's ready to get this muffin party started!

Raw local butter is a new addition to this recipe. It added a really nice flavor as well as moisture to the finished product.

Dairy, nut and soy free chocolate chips! YUM!

I measured the almond flour then Landon carefully added it to the wet mixture.

We usually eyeball the amount of honey, which Landon enjoys because he gets to squeeze it all by himself!

In goes the applesauce.

Adding almond milk gives the muffins a moist texture.

Landon's treat at the very end is a few chocolate chips, which he LOVES!

Gluten Free Friday - House Favorites

Last week, I talked about how to get started when eliminating gluten from your diet. Today, I am sharing some of our favorite prepackaged foods, which are all tried and tested by myself and my 3 year old.

Blue Diamond Nut Chips:  
Delicious! I think the name is totally weird but still, they are tasty. I love them dipped in hummus or spicy mustard. Landon likes them plain.
  

Envirokidz Crispy Rice Bar:

I would describe these to be similar to a rice krispie treat only way healthier! These come in several flavors but the Berry Blast and Chocolate are Landon's favs.

Ronzoni Gluten Free Pasta:
This is a new find, which was on the shelves of our regular ol' neighborhood market! Super exciting! It does contain corn so beware if you're sensitive to that. It is delicious and loved but our whole family!

Beanitos: 
These come in several varieties and are great plain or with salsa. Landon's favorite is the black bean type.

Envirokidz Chocolate Koala Crisp:
These are basically chocolate rice krispies. YUM! Landon likes them plain or covered in almond milk.

Annie's Homegrown Rice Pasta:
This is a somewhat new food for us. It does contain a bit of dairy but is very tasty! It's nice to have the option of mac and cheese every now and then.

There you have it! It's nice to have so many different options, which weren't around before. The prices are a bit higher for these products. In my opinion, you can't put a price on good health so it's all beyond worth it!

I hope this post has been helpful for all who are on a Gluten Free journey or those who are simply curious!

If you're gluten free and have a story to share, I would love to hear from you! 

Gluten Free Friday - How To Get Started

For many, the idea of going gluten free seems daunting. I understand. I was once there. Today's post is all about how to get started. 

1. Don't expect it to be something to be accomplished over night. Some people are able to completely cut out gluten with no problems at all, for others it needs to be a more gradual progression. Don't put too much pressure on yourself! Every little bit helps!

2. Choose fresh foods which are naturally gluten free. Below is a list ideas for you:

• ALL fresh fruits and veggies!
• Eggs
• Meat
• Fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Rice 
• Corn
• Quinoa
• Millet
• Beans
• Almond Milk
• Rice Milk
• Cow's Milk (We don't do milk products but many people are able to with no problems)
• Cheese

     

3. Read labels! I can not stress the importance of this enough. You will find there is gluten in things you never would have imagined! If you are unsure about a product listed in the ingredient list, don't purchase that item. It's always better to err on the side of caution. Check your local markets for a specific gluten free section.

4. Seek out alternatives for your favorite gluten filled foods. There is an alternative for almost anything these days. 

5. Keep an open mind as you try new things. You may not love everything but most gluten free products are actually very tasty. 

6. Try new recipes. Here's my Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin recipe. Start there. Once you get used to baking with alternative flours, you'll find that it's actually very simple. You can find many other gluten free recipes simply by doing an internet search.

7. Seek out help from others! There are so many people dealing with gluten sensitivity. Ask your friends. I would be willing to bet you know at least one person who is in the same situation.  

Here are some key points to remember:

• When in doubt, go without. If you aren't 100% sure what a food contains, skip it.
• Add only one new food at a time in order to gauge whether or not you are reactive to it.
• Wheat free does NOT mean gluten free. Read those labels!

Sushi: AKA "Shoe-sheee"

I had the privilege of sharing a food first with Landon today. You would think with all of his dietary restrictions, he may be leery of trying new things. Yeah. That's so not the case. He begs for something new and different. I love his openness and enthusiasm. 

I asked him a few days ago if he would like to try sushi with me. He responded with a loud, cheerful YES! I'm fairly certain he had no idea what sushi consisted of but he sure was interested in finding out. 

Today, we had the first of what I am sure will be many sushi dates. I have to say, times like these are treasured in an incredibly meaningful way. Being able to try foods that we wouldn't have dreamed of just 6 months ago is a dream come true. Most people don't give a second thought to giving their child a food they have never had before, except maybe wondering if they will like it. I weigh very heavily my decisions on introducing anything new. I am so thankful we are in a place to have these options. 

We kept it simple with Avocado Maki and California Maki. Landon loved every bite and asked for more when it was gone. So far, his tummy likes it too. It's naturally gluten free, which is also a huge plus!