Mini Cheesecake Trifles

In the two and a half years of being free of gluten I have not had cheesecake. I can't believe I have not tried to make it yet. It was a random craving this week that got me started on trying to find a recipe. Well, I shouldn't say random. I was at a pre-passover sedar where they gave out mini cheesecakes and of course, I had no idea what was in it and did not eat it. So as I have posted before, when I have a craving I will find a way! While looking, I found a whole bunch of no-bake recipes which did not have egg and seemed very easy. So here it goes....

First Layer: Graham Style Crumbs
1 1/2 cups of Kinnikinnick Foods Gluten-Free Graham Style crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Second Layer: Cheesecake 
8 ox of cream cheese
2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar
2/3 cup of milk

Third Layer: Berries

Fourth Layer: Whipped Cream

Fifth Layer: More Crumbs

You can add or delete layers and add your own touch. It was a big hit with kids and adults.  Enjoy!

Pancake Puffs and a Migraine Shake

When I delivered Vince my mom asked what kind of food I wanted waiting at home. Pancake Puffs. It was an infomercial at the time and it was all I could think about. They were delicious. Today, when the kids woke me up fighting, I decided to make the Pancake Puffs and hope it would put them in a better mood. I used the Maple Grove Farms Gluten Free Pancake mix. Emma, my pancake connoisseur, loved them!

And in regards to the Migraine Shake.... the girls, especially Ava, have been suffering with migraines for years now. We have been to a neurologist, ENT, allergist, pediatrician, and still no answers. They are just classic migraines. There are guidelines to try and minimize them such as have kid on a strict routine, never skip a meal, early bedtime, no nitrates, lots of water, no soda, healthy weight. We do it all. There are some websites that recommend magnesium, vitamin B2, and fish oils. So, this morning I added all three to a smoothie with orange juice, peaches, bananas, and Kefir yogurt drink. Apparently, that was as yummy as the pancakes. Of course, I would not suggest using those unless talking to your doctor. 

So, I sign off today in hopes the kids stay in a good mood and headache free.

Getting Started Gluten-Free

It is very overwhelming to think about revamping your whole diet. Even worse, revamping your child's diet. Kids are usually picky eaters and hard enough to feed without food restrictions. Some tips I have to a parent who is going to try feeding their child Gluten-Free....

Things that your child may eat that are already Gluten-Free:
-Cheese
-Milk
-Yogurt & Yogurt Drinks
-Fruit & Veggies
-Dried Fruit
-Raisons
-Rice
-Beans
-Edamame
-Nuts
-Eggs
-Squeezables (apple sauce, fruit & veggie blends)
-Plain French Fries (Ore Ida is my favorite)
-Popcorn
-Tortilla Chips
-Popchips
-Corn Tortillas
-Meat

Brands that have Gluten-Free replacements:
-Vans Ancient Grains Frozen Waffles
-Nature's Path Gluten-Free Waffles
-Many Cereals (Corn & Rice Chex, GF Rice Krispies, Nature's Path)
-Udi's Frozen Pizza, bagels, and breads
-Apple Gate GF Chicken Nuggets
-Bisquick GF Pancake Mix
-Red Mill GF Oatmeal
-Glutenfreeda Instant Oatmeal
-CherryBrook Farms Kitchen GF Baking Mixes
-Glutino makes almost everything
-Enjoy Life makes many snacks, cookies, and trail mixes
-Lucy's Cookies & Brownies
-Snyders of Hanover GF Pretzels
-King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
-Jovial Pasta
-Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta

Things that have gluten (but you may not know) so Do Not eat:
-Soy Sauce
-Barley
-Rye
-Imitation Crab
-Oats that are not labeled GF
-Many seasoning packets
-Many sauces and dressings, always look

Good luck getting started. Remember, give it 3-4 weeks before you start seeing real changes. It takes your body a while to cleanse and heal. And also remember, if you are going to try this give it a fair shot and don't cheat.

Bento Box & Mini Burgers

I am sort of obsessed with the bento box plates. It almost forces me to feed the kids a well balanced meal because I have to fill the sections.

Tonight I made mini burgers, sort of a cross between meatballs and sliders. We are keeping Ava off gluten (for her sinuses & allergies). A slider without the bun is like a meatball. So I decided to mix worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper with ground beef, roll into balls, and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. I put cheese on at the last minute.

While I was baking the burgers I threw in the oven Ore Ida Simply Fries and Broccoli drizzled with Olive Oil.

Prep work took five minutes, all three dishes were done at the same time, and no one complained about what I made. Success.

Banana Muffins

I love when our bananas get too ripe to eat, an excuse to make banana bread. Today I decided to try banana muffins and I researched some sugar free ideas. I can't exactly quote a website or recipe because I took ideas from a few. Here is what I came up with:

Banana Muffins

In a VitaMix (or if you don't have one just mix)...
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 brown bananas
1/2 cup honey
3 tsp Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 6 Tbsp water

Once those are blended add...
1 cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Blend again. Then fill muffin tins 3/4 way full and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

So the house isn't clean, the laundry isn't put away, and the grocery shopping isn't done, but we have fresh banana muffins. Sunday Funday.

Baked Ziti, Gluten-Free

Back to school. I have been longing for this day for weeks. I was dying for a good routine, kids busy all day with mind enhancing activities, and my personal life getting back on track. I guess I set my standards too high, cause so far this week has been a spiritual let down. Nothing bad happened, in fact, it has been all good. Kids love going to school, love their teachers and friends, no tears, no clothing or hair meltdowns. The let down is all me. I am not good with transition and never have been. My mom said I cried every Sunday night. The simple transition from weekend to week was even hard for me. In the eight years since I have been a mother I always have a hard time during the 2 week winter break, the beginning of summer, and the beginning of school.

Anyways, I needed some comfort food this week. I need a good old fashion pig out night and a dinner no one would whine about. I needed an easy, yummy, kid friendly dish. BAKED ZITI. I pulled it together at the last minute with whatever was left in the fridge.

First, I sauteed ground white turkey meat. Then threw it in the crock pot.
Second, I sauteed a bag of broccoli slaw in some olive oil. Then threw it in the crock pot.
Third, I added a jar of Mario Batali sauce to the crock pot with salt and pepper.

I let that cook for 3 hours. Then I made Jovial Gluten Free Pasta. I added pasta, sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese in a lasagna pan and baked at 350 for 15 minutes. Voila! Gluten-Free Baked Ziti. It totally hit the spot. The whole family liked it and in case you are wondering, the kids did not notice the broccoli slaw. In the 3 hours it disappeared into the sauce.

My side dish was a simple salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, and mini fresh mozzarella balls with a balsamic, olive oil, and dijon dressing.

What I thought would be high fives and jumping for joy turned out to be an unexpected case of the back-to-school-blues. Nothing a few days and a good baked ziti won't fix.

Summer Traveling, Everything-Free Style

It has been a while since my last post. I spent a summer traveling, working, driving, coordinating, planning, packing, unpacking, and EATING!

My trip to New York City was without children. So without having to worry about eggs, nuts, or sesame, I was on a Gluten-Free mission. First, we first went to Risotteria (http://www.risotteria.com/), which has GF bread sticks, risotto, meatballs, pizza, paninis, and gluten-free dessert. Everything was great and even greater was not having "food anxiety". 

Next, on the way to my friend's Brooklyn wedding we headed to Park Slope where my cousin Shuna bakes for Brooklyn Larder (http://www.bklynlarder.com/). There I got to try a GF Pistachio Cake, Almond Cheesecake Crust crumbles, and an assortment of dinner foods. You can order her Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour (which I posted about) and many other things on their website. Needless to say, when I went to put on the dress for the wedding I could not breathe. 

Thanks to my cousin Jesse and his GF friend Sami, I found the MOST delicious raviolis I ever had in my life. Bistango (http://bistangonyc.com/) was a dream come true. I actually almost never made it there. As we were getting ready to leave our apartment for the airport, I got an email that our flight was cancelled. We rescheduled later in the day and booked it to Bistango. I sat down and a plate of GF bread and oil was served. It was so good I had to double check that it was really missing the gluten. Then we ordered the Spinach & Ricotta Raviolis with Pesto Sauce and Sundried Tomato & Goat Cheese Raviolis with Marinara Sauce. Both were perfect. 

My last trip was a 2 week road trip to North Carolina. On the trip I discovered the app called Find Me GF. You plug in an address or city and a list of GF friendly places come up. I only wish I found the app sooner. It made roadtripping with allergies much easier. Even though the kids are not gluten-free, a place that is gluten allergy conscious is usually conscious of all allergies. One of those places I found was a bakery in Jacksonville, Sweet Theory (https://www.facebook.com/SweetRevolutionBakingCo). I am coming off a cupcake high at the moment. All of their cupcakes are Gluten-Free, Egg-free, Dairy-Free & Nut-free (they only use coconut oil) and their other desserts are all Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, and Nut-free.  I got the kids donuts and cinnamon rolls, things they never get to eat, and I got us all a dozen of their Everything-Free Cupcakes. We spent all weekend testing the different desserts and I swear to God every single one was perfection! I am dying right now after eating (sharing with the fam) banana, carrot, and chocolate chip cupcakes. Earlier we had vanilla lavender and chocolate brownie cupcakes. I just have to call and see if they mail their desserts. If not, I will have to make a trip up there more often.

Another place I found on the Find Me GF app is Zoes Kitchen (http://zoeskitchen.com/). They are a fast food, mediterranean style restaurant with locations all over the country...not in South Florida, yet! Their food is fresh and simple. They label Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, and Vegan dishes which makes a lot of lives easier. They cater too! Their kids menu is great, offering "chicken fingers" which are actually grilled chicken strips with a side of fruit. 

So here I am full, tired, and looking at piles of laundry. School starts in a week, back to work tomorrow after 2 weeks off, toys and clothes busting out of the rooms, and I truely think it was one of my favorite summers since the kids were born. 

Mango-Coconut Chia Pudding

Now that I have this blog people send me the best recipes! The newest one is from my friend Heather, who eats similar to my family. We had a crazy cooking session at my house the last time she was here but it was too crazy to write about. It was a mediterranean feast of some sorts, with homemade tzatziki,  mint meatballs, salads, etc. but the kids were helping and ingredients were flying. I forgot half the things we did. Next time Heather, aka "Headda", is in town I will document it better.

http://www.food.com/recipe/mango-coconut-chia-pudding-494615

This recipe is an awesome dessert, breakfast, or snack. I, of course, had to alter the recipe a little but it is the kind of recipe that everyone can make their own. I eliminated the almonds and added blueberries and cinnamon. (The cinnamon was a recommendation from my friend Debbi who was here sampling with me. She also suggested adding pineapple to give it a little bite.)

Anyways, I have to make it again soon because I ate it all without sharing with the kids. Emma wasn't too interested but Ava had Will's last bite and liked it. I imagine the more fruit and cinnamon in it the more my kids would eat of it. If I have time to make it on July 4th I will layer with strawberries and blueberries for a fun red, white, and blue treat. 1 batch made 5 single servings so if you are going to make for a party double or triple the recipe.

Thanks for reading and if you make, enjoy!

Best GF Pizza Restaurant EVER

Since the day I stopped eating gluten the only thing I really miss is Pizza. I have found some frozen ones that keep me sane but I have not found a place I can take the family and just enjoy pizza. Tonight that has changed. YOUR PIE. (http://www.yourpie.com/)

First, the gluten-free pizzas are exceptional!!! Not for a second did I miss eating everyone else's pizza. They are prepared in the back, away from all traces of gluten. You have millions of toppings to chose from... pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, red sauce, unlimited free veggies, meats, etc.

Second, they have great options for non-GF peops. They have white crust and whole wheat crust. They are careful with other allergies, such as our kids' egg, nuts, and sesame allergies. They confirmed all ingredients.

Third, the kids options are awesome. They give you a kids pizza, drink (from a fountain with a million choices), and gelato for $5.99. While waiting for your food they gave my kids pizza dough to play with. They had a ball!! Emma asked if we could have breakfast there tomorrow and Ava asked if we can have all future family dinners there.

Lastly, the have wine and beer.

Kids happy, me happy, we are going back!!!!

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

How could black beans and dates turn into delicious brownies? They can! My kids were shocked. They helped me make them and gagged at the thought of black beans, plus dates, plus sunbutter, plus chia seeds all blended together. It wasn't until I put the cocoa powder in that they considered even tasting them. However, blend and bake and I swear they come out delicious. After coming out of the oven, I must warn, they are more like a gooey souffle. Jill, the friend who gave me the recipe, suggested putting them in the fridge over night and the next day they are more the consistency of a fudgy brownie.

The recipe actually gives another recipe for a topping. I went the easy route and just put whipped cream and blueberries on top.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fudgy-black-bean-brownies-and-banana-treat

Ingredients
2 cups cooked black beans or canned no-salt-added or low-sodium black beans, drained
10 Medjool dates (remove the pits)
2 tbsp Sunbutter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup natural, non-alkalized cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground chia seed
Raspberries or other berries for topping

DirectionsPreheat oven to 200° F.

Blend the black beans, dates, sunbutter and vanilla in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again. Pour into a very lightly oiled 8 x 8 inch baking pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Cool completely before cutting into small squares. Top with raspberries or other berries.

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.

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.

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.

Greek Chicken with Hummus, Tzatziki, & Quinoa

Have I mentioned I am back to work? Not too much, only 10 hours a week but it seems to have cut into my food shopping, cooking, and blogging time. Heads up...my recipes will probably get easier and shorter and my posts about take out restaurants will get more frequent. I have my old job from 4 years ago working at a residential eating disorder treatment center. I am one of the Education Coordinators, helping the students who are in treatment keep up with their school work. I also contact teachers, parents, and counselors.

I was sure this dinner would be a disappointment. It was about 15 minutes of prep and not well thought out. But Emma said half way through dinner, "Mommy, can you make this again tomorrow night?" It is amazing how good that feels, when your kids all actually like the dinner you prepared. Success! And when it happens after an easy prep it is even more of a Success!

Greek Chicken:
I cut chicken with a scissor, put the chunks in a baking dish and added a little greek salad dressing. Baked at 350 until done.

Baked Broccoli:

Cut up broccoli, top with Olive Oil, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Sesame-Free Hummus:
In the VitaMix I added:
1 can chickpeas
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp Olive Oil
salt

Tzatziki:
Fage Total Tzatziki

Quinoa:
Cook in a rice cooker or pot
1 cup of Quinoa in rice cooker
1 tbsp of greek salad dressing
2 cups of water
After it cools add Feta Cheese.

Nothing fancy but when the kids liked it, I decided to share it. Enjoy.

Baking with a Baker (and Blogger, Writer, & Photographer)

My cousin, Shuna, from http://eggbeater.typepad.com/, is a Baker (and Blogger, Writer, & Photographer). My recipes would probably horrify her... but today I got to bake with her. First, she made me Gluten Free Flour! Mixed and matched and viola, my own Gluten-Free All Purpose flour. Her recipe was inspired by glutenfreegirl.com. This flour can be used for all kinds of cooking. 

Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour:

200 grams Super Fine Brown Rice 

150 grams Sorghum

50 grams Potato Flour

250 grams Sweet Rice Flour/"Mochi" Flour

150 grams Potato Starch

100 grams Arrow Root

50 grams Coconut Flour

Then, I got to watch her make chocolate chip cookies. I must admit, every time I try and bake cookies from scratch they look and taste like scones. I can't even share the exact recipe she made because there was a lot of tasting and adding and I lost track. It was a variation of the recipe on the back of the Kirkland Chocolate Chips.

Chocolate Chip Cookies,  Egg-free + Gluten-free:

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1.5 teaspoon of Ener-G egg replacer + 2 tbsp warm water

3 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 1/3 cup Gluten-free All Purpose Flour

1 cup Chocolate Chips

Mash the butter in a bowl until it looks whipped. Then add the sugars and mix. Then add the egg replacer, vanilla, and salt. Once mixed, add the flour. Do not mix until the flour is fully mixed in. When there is still a flour coating on the butter mixture add the chocolate chips and finish mixing. Taste and if you are as talented as Shuna, add what you think is missing. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. 

I learned lots of lessons today which will hopefully affect my cookies forever. First, I learned not to melt the butter but get it to room temperature and mash it until it is a whipped consistency. Second, I learned not to over mix, it creates too much air which could have caused my scone like cookies for so many years. Third, I learned that gluten-free baking is inconsistent and trust yourself, if you think it needs more of something despite the "recipe", then go for it. In baking-for-dummies terms, the gluten-free flours absorb the liquids differently and longer than a gluten based flour and there is no consistency among them. After the cookie dough appeared and tasted done to me, Shuna added more salt, vanilla, and butter. End result, they were insane!

Lucy's Brownie Cakes, Gluten-free + Egg-free + Nut-free + Diary-free

I have been MIA lately I am going to admit why. I messed up. Thank God no one got sick, but I am 95% sure I messed up big time on the kids' allergies.

A few nights ago I went to blog about my Turkey Tacos. I had bought a seasoning packet, Fontera Taco Skillet, at the store that day and read the ingredients at least two times, maybe three. I made tacos, the kids ate them, and so I went online to share them with you. However, I already threw out the seasoning packet so I looked it up online to share the exact info. I immediately noticed the scary words "sesame oil" when the item came up.  I even blogged previously that some of the Fontera packets have sesame oil and I still missed it. My kids had no hives! I do not know what that means. It was one of the last ingredients and the tacos had cheese with very little Turkey, so perhaps they did not react to the little bit? Or has their sesame allergy gone away? Or was it a different flavor that I bought in the store and the one I found online was different? I do not know but I was horrified and mortified and it took me a few days to get over it.

Sometimes, I think these things happen to remind me to be more careful. Stick to what I know works. Stop trying new and creative recipes and give the kids what they like and what I know is safe. Or maybe an accident happens to show you the children have outgrown an allergy. I have no clue. I think we all need to be retested and so I am going to leave it at that...A reminder to go back to the doctor and see where we are at this year.

Here I am today, with a Store Bought suggestion, afraid to try any new items for a while. Lucy's Brand cookies are an easy treat for my family. Their cookies are nut-free, gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free. Bottom line, they are safe. And they are good!! So they either have a new item or it is new to my Whole Foods. Brownie Cakes, wrapped in individual servings packs (with two mini brownie cakes). These are PERFECT! They look like cupcakes so I can leave them at the schools for birthdays. I can bring them with me on play dates, to restaurants, while traveling as a "special treat", or to leave in my car in case other parents bring surprise cupcakes to the park. I swear, this little box from Whole Foods has the potential to change my life.

The whole family tested them out and we all approve. Also, try Lucy's cookies. So far, I like every flavor I have tried.

Hope this helps and enjoy!

Zucchini Linguine, Cauliflower Mash, and Grilled Chicken

Imitation night... I was inspired to imitate some of my favorite dishes tonight with vegetable replacements. The grilled chicken is real...although for a minute I considered sticking with the theme and making some imitation chicken tofu thingy.

Cauliflower Mash:
2 bags of Microwavable Cauliflower, cooked
1 tbsp of Cream Cheese (or dairy free cream cheese)
1 tbsp of Butter (or dairy free butter, I used Smart Balance)
1 minced Garlic Clove
1 tbsp of Parmesan Cheese (Optional)
Salt & Pepper

Put all the ingredients in the VitaMix and blend on a low speed. Mash down while blending.

Zucchini Linguine:
4 Zucchinis
1 jar of Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp of Olive Oil

Shave the zucchinis using a vegetable peeler. Go around the zucchini in a circle until you see the seeds and throw the rest away. Saute shaved zucchini with olive oil. After a few minutes add the sauce. Cook about 5 minutes. Serve like Linguine.

Grilled Chicken:

Chicken Cutlets

Salad Dressing (I used Organicville Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic)

Put some salad dressing in a Grill Pan. Grill chicken.

Edamame Salad

I have been meaning to blog about this dish since I started the blog. My friend Jenny told me about this simple recipe for Edamame as a snack, side dish, or appetizer.

1 bag of Frozen Edamame, defrosted
Craisins
Feta Cheese, Crumbled
Salad dressing, I used Organicville Olive Oil & Balsamic

Mix and serve!

Whole Foods Indian Red Lentil Soup, Everything-free

I am sorry that I have been out of touch. Spring break, new (old) job, and a little bit of cookers block (if that is a thing?). I am tired and overwhelmed. Headache, potty accident, atomic meltdown, ear infection, shower refusal, allergic reaction to dog, MRI scheduled, planning the summer, school project, kids fighting, Uggs in the rain, eczema.... Yea, I ended up hysterical crying in the doctors office today. There was a student nurse following the doc. I had no control and just melted down. Wonder what their conversation was after I left?

In other news, I stumbled upon the Recipe section of the Whole Foods website and found new inspiration. There are hundreds of recipes, all simple, healthy, and many are allergy free. My first recipe was their Indian Red Lentil Soup.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/indian-red-lentil-soup

Check it out. Their pictures are better than mine so I am not posting one. It was simple, delicious, and pretty easy.