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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Carrot Apple Coconut Muffins

Parents always ask how they can sneak veggies into their kids diets. That is probably why Parenting Magazine (www.parenting.com) had a whole page article on carrots and "fun, fresh ways to fix this kid-pleasing veggie".

I had my eye on the recipe for Carrot Apple Coconut Muffins since April's issue. It was a recipe that required ingredients I always have in my house and it sounded really good. I had to modify it a little bit but the muffins were still great. And it was easy enough to make that Vince helped me bake them.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the following ingredients:
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 cup of peeled, grated Carrots
1/2 cup of peeled, grated Apple (Or I used 1/2 cup of Apple Sauce)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed

Then in a separate bowl mix:
2 eggs (or 3 tsp of Ener-G egg replacer + 4 Tbsp water)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup Coconut Milk
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Honey

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. If it looks like it needs more liquid, add some coconut milk. Add 1 Tbsp of batter to mini muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes, 30 for regular size muffins.

Enjoy being sneaky.

Banana Oatmeal Raison Bars

I have been quite busy lately and haven't been trying new recipes. I am waiting for my Beetnik Gluten Free food delivery and was thinking I would blog again once that came. But yesterday when I saw on Facebook a link for these Banana Oatmeal Raison Bars I figured I could squeeze in some baking time. They actually came out delicious! I think they are even better today though, maybe they aren't meant to be eaten hot. Since there is no sugar they made a good breakfast (I don't like sugary breakfast food). If making as a dessert food, I would replace the raisons for chocolate chips.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheRoadToHealthy/

I shared it on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheEverythingFreeMommy?ref=ts&fref=ts

I modified the recipe and came up with:

3 smashed Bananas
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 cups of GF rolled oats
1/4 cup Coconut Milk
1/2 cup raisons (Or I think Chocolate Chips would be great)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Mix and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Fun Grilling Ideas from Parenting



I wanted to share this from Parenting Magazine (www.parenting.com). It is so much fun for me to find a food article in Parenting that is completely free of my family's allergies. They have so many great and creative ideas on how to feed kids but frequently they are no good for my family. These 10 ideas all look delicious and I have a whole weekend with no plans! Who has ever grilled watermelon or strawberries before?

1. Steak tacos- Grill flank steak 8 to 9 minutes each side and serve in corn tortillas with any topping you like.

2. Teriyaki Shrimp- Find a gluten-free, sesame-free teriyaki sauce and marinate shrimp and pineapple for 15 minutes. Alternate shrimp and pineapple on skewers and grill 2 minutes on each side.

3. Spartan Salad- Grill watermelon slices 3 to 4 minutes on each side, chop, and toss with lettuce, feta, and gluten-free greek salad dressing.

4. Pizza- Place gluten-free pizza crust or gluten-free pitas on the grill and cover with tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and any other topping. Lower the hood and cook 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Maple Pork Chops- Mix 3 Tbsp of maple syrup with 1 tsp chili powder. Grill pork chops 6 to 7 minutes on each side basting often with the mixture. Serve with baked beans.

6. Cheesy Corn- Grill unshucked ears of corn about 15 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove husks and serve with butter and grated parmesan cheese.

7. Strawberry Skewers- Put 3 to 4 strawberries on a soaked bamboo skewer. Brush with a mixture of 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Grill 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.

8. Greek Chicken Skewers- Marinate chicken breast chunks in olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Skewer chicken and grill 5 minutes, turning once. Serve with a side of Tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, and red onion.

9. Backyard BBQ sliders- Marinate boneless skinless chicken thighs in gluten-free BBQ sauce. Grill 4 minutes on each side. Serve on buns or without, add additional BBQ sauce, and a side of cole slaw (slaw dressing has mayo so make your own if allergic to eggs).

10. Sweet Spuds-Toss sweet potato wedges with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and cinnamon. Grill 10 to 15 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Healthy & Safe Snacking, Everything-Free

There is a huge pressure in our society right now to feed our children organic, GMO-free, sugar-free, vitamin rich, super power foods. But moms of kids with food allergies have even more pressure, we worry about all that AND nut-free, egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free. We can't give our kids most of the suggestions that the magazines and blogs suggest like nuts, hard boiled eggs, trail mixes, protein bars, peanut and almond butter, etc.

As I have blogged about before, my daughters get migraines. They get migraines from a few different triggers but one of the biggest is unhealthy snacking. If they have nitrates, too many processed carbs, not enough protein, too much sugar, or not enough water it is a guaranteed migraine for one or both of them. So in addition to wanting to feed my kids healthy snacks, I have to.

Sunbutter- It is way better than Soy Butter. It is made from sunflower seeds and it amazing, I swear.  Put Sunbutter in smoothies, on bread, on waffles, on apples, or with bananas.

Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Cake mix- This mix is gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, and dairy-free. It is easy and actually really good. My tip, undercook cupcakes by about a minute or two and the inside is a bit gooey like lava cake.

Orgain Healthy Kids Protein drinks- They are an awesome protein on the go choice. They are good for lunch boxes or road trips, or something the kids can help themselves to in the fridge.

GoGo Squeeze Apple Sauce- I keep these in my fridge, car, bag, and even at my office. They are a really easy quick small snack to hold you or your kids over til the next meal. I also put these in their lunch boxes.

Lucy's Snack n' Go Packs- These are everything-free cookies that are perfect to send to school or parties when your kids are allergic to the treats being served. They are wrapped in small portions, just three small cookies. Ever been at a park play date and someone shows up with donuts or cookies to be nice, but your kid ends up crying because they can't share?

Enjoy Life Coco Loco bars- This is my version of the granola bar. I won't say it is filled with all the vitamins your kids need but it is Safe and Easy!

Club Soda- I grew up with a soda machine built into my kitchen. It didn't kill me but I still won't let me kids drink it. So club soda is a great treat for them when they want a "soda" instead of water.

Yogurt, Granola, & Honey- Instead of sugary fruity yogurts, I send my kids to school with the small plain greek yogurt, a side of nut-free granola, and a small packet of honey.


Thursday, May 2, 2013

Taco Salad



Even my salads have a Mexican flare. This salad has been on my mind for days. I even had a Mexican Casserole two days in a row and still was thinking up a Taco Salad. And then today my grocery store was advertising a new corn chip, The Better Chip, Jalapeno flavor. It was calling my name and definitely going in my salad.



Taco Salad:
Spinach
Chickpeas
Black Beans
Diced Orange Pepper
Diced Cucumber
Diced Tomato
Olives
Sauteed Ground Beef-with pepper, salt, chili, and about a cup of salsa
Shredded Cheese
Crunched up Jalapeno Corn Chips

Salad Dressing:
Olive Oil
Honey
Lime
Salt & Pepper

With the help of my mom, I realized my kids do not like their food items all mixed together like I do. So tonight I kept a portion of the ingredients out of the salad for them. They had ground beef, olives, and cucumbers.

Dinner took about 15 minutes to prepare and was amazing. Tomorrow I will have the leftovers for lunch which will make it four days in a row of Mexican food.