Life, Gluten Free

Allergy-Friendly Easter Ideas

Any kind of holiday can be tricky with food allergies, but not on my blog folks. I just won't let it happen. I have some allergy-friendly easter products and ideas to share with you today. I hope you enjoy them and that they help you have an allergy-friendly Easter with your kids!

Alternatives to dying eggs (for those with egg allergies)

 Ceramic Paint-Your-Own Easter Eggs by Eggnots

Eggnots are shaped just like real eggs, and can be decorated in many different ways. You can use paint, glitter glue, ceramic markers -- just to name a few!

If you would rather have wooden eggs, check your local craft store. Wooden eggs can be painted or dipped in glue and glittered.

Plastic eggs can also be painted, googly-eyed and more! Check out my Pinterest Easter Board for more ideas.

You can also find egg shaped styrofoam, but I am not a big fan of styrofoam.

Allergy-friendly Easter Basket Fillers

Books (This year I bought Sophie a lift-the-flap easter adventure book)

Art supplies 

Stickers

Bubbles

Colorful Chalk

Dried fruit from Made in Nature (apples, mangos, apricots, plums, figs!)

Inka Plantain Chips

Piggy Paint [non-toxic nail polish: odorless, gluten-free, nut-free] Use code: HAPPYSPRING15 at checkout for 15% off, now until April 6th at 11:59pm CST.

Allergy-friendly plastic egg fillers for egg-hunts

Stickers

St. Claire's organic candies

Dehydrated Banana Chips

Coins (quarters, dollar coins, etc)

Marbles

Allergy-friendly easter treats to make

Candied Orange Slices

Coconut Mango Lassi

Orange Fig Bars

Chocolate "Cheesecake" Bites [dairy-free]

Banana Bake

What are your Easter traditions? Do you have any allergy-friendly easter ideas? feel free to share in the comments below!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

I'm signing off to finish getting ready for Santa and his reindeer. There's gluten-free cookies to be made. This is serious busines you know. Don't forget to leave carrots for the reindeer.

Need last minute holiday recipes? here's some. Take your pick!

Gluten-free Banana Bake

A reader made this and said:

"I made your recipe this evening and it was heavenly.  I made mine with apple bananas orange juice lemon rind gluten free granola as a topping and in the center of the dish I made a well and put in one cup of gluten free peach yogurt. It was so good it tasted like a apple banana custard pie."

Doesn't that sound good? Thanks again for your email Ellen! I appreciate it very much. :)

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin Cookies

Apricot Fig Bars

Baked Sausage and Brown Rice (we don't eat grains anymore, but it's a great recipe if you can tolerate grains)

Tomato Sauce with Balsamic Vinegar

Last minute gifts or something to keep the kids busy?

Easy pom-pom garland for kids to make

DIY felt tea bags and cookies

and from Tinker Lab comes something so sweet and fun, DIY kits that kids can put together for their friends. We are thinking about making one of the "Make an Ornament Kit," it's honestly just to awesome to pass up. Great ideas from Rachelle at Tinker Lab.

And in other news, the calendar said yesterday was the official first day of winter and mother nature said "you're darn right it is" and left us with this:

Sorry Santa, hope you don't slip on our roof. By the way, we don't have a chimney.

Thanks for reading my blog! You are cherished. Have a wonderful Christmas!

5 gluten-free cold weather recipes

I don't know about you, but I am looking at a good 8 or so inches of snow outside.

And it's cold! As in, it is supposed to be -4 tonight.

So I've compiled a list of some of my gluten-free soup, cake and breakfast recipes.

I hope you enjoy them!

Pumpkin Spice Cake 

Potato Leek Soup

Carrot Potato Soup

Coconut Cake (not grain-free, I need to make a version that is!)

Banana Coconut Porridge

Want more ideas?

Head over to my friend Debbie's blog, The Gluten-Free 'Dish', and check out her recent grain-free carrot cake recipe (note: it's not a tree-nut free recipe, but it sure looks good and is appropriate for those who can have nuts)

Keep warm! ♥

Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie

What is Thanksgiving without a good Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie recipe, right?

I had a pie pumpkin from our CSA just waiting to be used for something, so when I got a request for a gluten-free pumpkin pie.. well, I quickly got to work and by noon we had pie!

I have to say, this pie is amazing - with just the right amount of everything. Sophie declared "you should enter this in a contest!"

Our desserts have to be nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free, grain-free and taste awesome. Those are the requirements and sometimes it's a hefty challenge.

But then sometimes when I am creating a recipe, it's almost like the inspiration comes from.... heaven?? This pie is like heaven, folks. Go make some. It's quick, easy and it will taste amazing. Promise.

 Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients & Directions (for pie crust):

1 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for about 5 minutes

2 tablespoons coconut oil (not melted, but softened like room temp)

1 cup coconut flour

7 tablespoons water

After the raisins soak, drain and discard the water.

Add raisins, coconut oil and coconut flour to your food processor. Begin blending and add the tablespoons of water (a few at a time, blending each time).

After the last tablespoon is added and you blend it well, the crust should be visibly "thick" and you can pinch some between your fingers.

Add to a pie dish, using your fingers to pat it down.

Save some aside for topping (optional, but a good idea!!)

Ingredients & Directions (for pie filling):

1 cup of pumpkin (I used a small pie pumpkin, baked and then remove the seeds/skin)

1/2 cup jewel yam, (bake a yam and then measure out 1/2 cup)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tablespoon thai kitchen organic coconut milk (full fat)

Using your food processor again, add in all the ingredients listed above.

Blend well and taste test!

Add filling to your pie crust and garnish with extra pie crust crumbs and drizzled maple syrup.

After it sets for about 15 minutes, the pie is ready to eat or store on your countertop (with a cover) until you are ready to serve it.

You can also store it in the refrigerator if you want a chilled pie.

(I also heated a slice in the oven lightly, which turned out lovely too).

 

 

 

This pie is SO good, I hope you try it. It took me a very short time to make it, too. It could definitely be made on short notice.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Halloween Traditions for Kids with Food Allergies

As I mentioned before, I love hallowen! Yesterday I shared some allergy-free hallowen recipes and now I am going to let you know how we celebrate Halloween in our allergy-free house.

1) We have a Halloween Party every year for Sophie and some of her friends. Sophie LOVES it and looks forward to it every year. It's really important for kids with food allergies too, because you are able to easily control the environment (knowing that all the snacks/treats you serve are safe).

2) We always carve pumpkins together (pictures in another post!)

3) We hand out non-food treats to trick-or-treaters that come to our house: stickers, pencils, erasers, etc. Sophie loves this part, because she can hand out to kids and see all of their costumes.

4) Trick-or-Treating. This is where problems can arise, but we've found away around it. We are going to let her trick-or-treat at a few houses in the neighborhood - just for fun - and then when we get back, we have safe food treats and goodies to give her and we arranged to give the trick-or-treat candy to a neighbor. (here's a pic of some of the fun books I got this year for her treat bucket)

(Pumpkin Soup, Make-a-Face Stickerpad, Fancy Nancy's Halloween and Dinosaur Train Spooky Scavenger Hunt)

5) We BOO our neighbors.

6) We always do a variety of Halloween Crafts, which can be very safe and lots of fun.

We made puppets to go along with the song 5 Little Pumpkins

Halloween Puzzles (idea from dana made it)

and of course, the Halloween Party was a big hit!

Homemade caramel on apple slices

Homemade fruit salad, homemade fruit punch and plantain chips

We set up a craft table (this year we decorated wooden halloween-themed magnets)

Owl-themed treat bags this year :)

with fun goodies...

And there you have it. A safe, fun and simple halloween!

We're ready for the trick-or-treaters!

Recipes for Allergy-free Halloween Treats

Halloween just happens to be my favorite holiday, and October my favorite month.

Which is why I am kinda sad it's almost over!

If you are still looking for something yummy to make, I am going to share with you some fun allergy-free hallowen recipes from my recipe stash!

Chocolate & Banana Truffles

Spooky Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

Candied Orange Slices

Boo-Nannas

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Also, I found a few fun allery-free recipes from other bloggers to share:

Banana Mummies from Lexie's Kitchen (too cute!)

Chocolate Apples from Manifest:Vegan

Orange Snack-o-lantern Fruit Cups from Pink Parsley ** (I am making these on Halloween to surprise Sophie!)

** Allergy-free is a term I use loosely, since you can be allergic to just about anything. However, the recipes I shared above are free of some of the top allergens such as tree-nuts, gluten, sesame, eggs, etc.

Have a safe Halloween with healthy, allergy-free treats!

Chocolate & Banana Truffles

 

Earlier this week, my husband came home from work to find me in my apron making yet another chocolate treat! I had purchased some organic cream cheese on sale, thinking I might make something chocolatey with it.

And then the inspiration came.

I got out all the ingredients and went to work.

 

What came out was chocolately goodness so divine, that I had to ration his daily amounts because he just.couldnt.stop (he would eat SIX at a time, is that normal?? I think not).

And today, just a few short days later... there is just one left and he has asked me to make more soon.

Should I?

Probably yes, but in exchange for a foot massage.

Read on for the recipe!

Chocolate & Banana Truffles

contains no: eggs, tree nuts, soy, gluten

Ingredients:

1 ten ounce package of enjoylife mega chunks

1 eight ounce container of organic cream cheese

4-5 bananas cut into chunky rounds

shredded coconut

perky's crunchy rice cereal  (optional)

Directions:

Using a double broiler, slowly melt the chocolate

Add in the cream cheese and stir

Once completley melted, remove from burner

Slice the banana into chunks while the chocolate begins to cool

Start dipping the bananas when the chocolate is warm but not hot (as in, you won't burn your finger but it's warm and not cool)

Use a spoon or tongs to help coat the banana with a thick layer of chocolate

Add to unbleached waxed parchment paper

Sprinkle on  perky's rice cereal (if desired) and shredded coconut

Place in the refrigerator to cool

Come back after a while (say 20 minutes) and add the sticks (if you want, this is an optional step too!)

Press the chocolate around the sticks with your hand so they stay in well

After they refrigerate, they become very firm

Serve!

Makes about 24 truffles.

** You can sub the cream cheese for non-dairy cream cheese, too.

You may have to hold yourself (or your husband) back so you don't eat them all in one sitting.

We had a halloween party for Sophie and her friends over the weekend, and I made caramel apple slices. (with homemade maple caramel of course!)

She was stoked. It was a fun time!

Happy Halloween!

Spooky Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.

I can't eat chocolate, which is why this very recipe is a mix of sweat, courage and undying devotion.

My husband loves chocolate and since I love him to pieces, I buy stockpile enjoylife chocolate chips and chocolate chunks whenever they are on sale. And so, when the inspiration hits for something chocolatey.. I can make it for my one and only and then watch him eat it up.

Bite by chocolatey bite.....

(The smile is worth it.)

Spooky Chocolate Cheesecake bites

Ingredients:

10 oz of enjoylife chocolate chunks

1 tablespoon coconut oil (not melted, just room temperature)

2 tablespoon so delicious coconut creamer

12.3 ounce package of organic mori-nu silken tofu (this is the kind you buy in the baking section.. not the refrigerated kind)

shredded coconut (for topping, if desired)

chocolate chunks (I saved a few.. probably about 7, to chop into small pieces for garnish)

Directions:

Melt chocolate chips using a double-broiler method (I use a stainless steel pot and a stainless steel mixing bowl).

While melting, stir often and mix in coconut oil and coconut creamer.

Once melted and creamy, remove from stove.

Get your food processor ready and add the silken tofu first, then pour in the chocolate mixture.

Scrape the sides well!

Blend until thoroughly mixed, scraping the sides with a spatula as needed.

Add to a rectangular glass or stoneware dish.

If desired, top with shredded coconut and finely chop chocolate chunks for garnish!

Wait as long as you can to eat them or refrigerate overnight (for best results, if you want them to firm nicely).

No I cannot eat them but that's okay.

Yep, that's love, folks. That is true love. Topped with chocolate chunks. ;)

Candied Orange Slices

Cooking for your family can be a pretty great experience for everyone involved. When I make things for my family, I enjoy the thought that I feed them healthy foods that nourish their bodies as well as appeal to their taste buds.

For this recipe, it may not be the healthiest but the peel of an orange has the highest concentration of biolfavonoids. Just sayin'.

Candied Orange Slices

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup organic maple sugar

3-4 organic oranges, sliced in circles

Directions:

Place 1 cup of water and 1 cup maple sugar in large skillet pan

Bring to a boil and whisk around to melt the sugar

Place the oranges slices in the mixture

Bring down to a simmer and closely watch the mixture for about 15-20 minutes

Stir about every two minutes

I let my sugar cook down to basically nothing before removing the orange slices

Place on a plate to cool, serve or store in fridge for later!

Later that day, I dipped some of the slices in melted chocolate for my husband.

Boo-Nannas: A Halloween Treat!

I wish I could say this was my ingenious idea but alas it was not. I scored this recipe from this blog: The happy raw kitchen. I did do something differently though because the coconut was not sticking for me.

I used finely shredded coconut but since it wasn't sticking, I decided to put some in a small blender and grind it further. After that, it stuck very well. I didn't use a ziplock bag. After dousing the banana in orange juice (fresh squeezed), I rolled it in coconut and stuck the raisin eyes in before slipping a popsicle stick in the banana.

I decided to freeze them because I thought kids would like it frozen. I also made it the night before the party, so I wanted to be sure they would keep.

Here is my adapted recipe, mostly the same with a few changes:

Ingredients:

peeled banana, cut in half, each banana makes 2
fresh squeezed orange juice
dried shredded coconut
raisins
popsicle sticks

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle banana with orange juice

2. Roll in coconut *I found it worked best to blend the shredded coconut to a finer shred, because the finer it is the better it will stick!

3. Gently press in the raisin eyes

4. Place on popsicle stick

5. Freeze in individual wax paper bags (or refigerate if you don't want it frozen!)

They are so cute and also very tasty. I had fun making them and displaying them.

They were a hit at the party and really, they look so darn cute. I hope you try them!

Here's a short video clip that I recorded of Sophie enjoying one of the boo-nannas:

Have a wonderfully spooky Halloween!

-heather