Stephen's Recipes

And you may call me a slacker...

2010-04-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I joined the can jam and have only managed to make one batch of food. Well, I had planned on doing my carrots and that same week my entire family managed to get sick. Needless to say, I didn't get any carrots into pretty jars.

There's my excuse. Now that it's out of the way, it's time to get back up on the horse and try again. I haven't even checked to see what this month is or even if I missed it again. Here's hoping not.

And February's food item is...

2010-01-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

with much nervous pleasure, I tell you it's Carrots!!

Ummm, a vegetable? Really? It's only the 2nd month of this challenge and I will now say that's it's officially a challenge in my book.

Doris and Jilly of Doris and Jilly Cook, say that water canning a vegetable comes with certain rules. RULES? Oh boy, now I'm in for it. I can see this one being a go to store, buy some carrots, cut them up, and can them. Right? The problem is, I don't know. Something about acid. Low-acid, high-acid, adding acid, reducing acid...enough to make my head spin in circles.

This can challenge is definitely going to make me learn something new. Oh wait, didn't I just mention learning something? Little did I know it was gonna be so soon.

Of I go to consult my beloved Ball book to read about acid canning. Any good suggestions for me? Send some prayers my way please. Or wish me luck, whichever works for you!

Carrots, here I come, ready or not.

2010-01-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

Note to self...must take pictures for next month's round-up!

Wowee, what a deal! Just take a look at all the awesome bloggers we have that posted all those yummy looking marmalades!

Who knew that I need to be a professional blogger, photographer, and canner? It looks like I'm gonna be working on a few new skills these next 11 months.

My Challenge for the Month--Citrus

2010-01-22T14:32:00.000-08:00

My decision, lemons. Since I knew that I could pick up some Meyer lemons from my local Fred Meyer, I decided that I would use those for my canning challenge. Now I've heard some good things from food bloggers regarding these lemons, so thought I would take this opportunity to try them.
My recipe choice came from, Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. My bible for canning right now as I'm still considered a newbie at all this!
I chose the Lemon Prune Honey Butter. I had all the ingredients on hand and it sounded like a recipe that would be good in the cold morning on some warm croissants, homemade english muffins, or homemade bread.
It's also a straightforward recipe, which I like. And it turns out, it is really good on some homemade bread, so good in fact, that I made a second batch cause the recipe only makes three 8-ounce jars.

Lemon Prune Honey Butter

Makes about three 8-ounce (250ml) jars

3 cups pitted prunes
1 1/4 cups water, divided
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2/3 cup liquid honey
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp brandy (optional and did not use)

1. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine prunes, 1 cup of the water, lemon zest and juice. Stir well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until prunes are soft, about 15 minutes.
2. Working in batches, transfer prune mixture to a food mill or a food processor fitted with a metal blade and puree just until a uniform texture is achieved. Do not liquefy.
3. Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars and lids.
4. In a clean large stainless steel saucepan, combine prune puree, remaining 1/4 cup water, honey, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Stir well. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in brandy, if using, and remove from heat.
5. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot butter. wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
6. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

We can jam!! My first New Year's Resolution!

2010-01-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Alright, after taking many months of not posting anything on here, it's time to get started again!! Only this time, I am participating in a "canvolution" that is spreading around the world.

Tigress' Can Jam has set up a challenge for participants to choose one local fruit or vegetable to hot water bath can. Each month a blogger will be posting a food item that is local to them and hopefully local to everyone else. January's fruit is CITRUS!! Now while I love my citrus, as do my kids, it's not a local item here in the cold, rainy Pacific Northwest. So, some researching I will do.
I will be posting my food item by the 22nd of each month, so be sure to check back to see what my pantry will be holding next!!

I am excited to be a participating blogger and can't wait to get started! Here's to a New Year full of good and healthy foods!!

In honor of 100 degree weather...homemade ice cream

2009-07-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

I love making ice cream. It's simple, quick, and oh so delicious!

I originally saw this ice cream recipe over at Gluten Free Goddess. She makes some of the absolute yummiest foods. As I am always still searching for dairy-free, this hit the spot!

Of course, I have tweaked the recipe for our taste buds and children preferences. It's still dairy-free and is a keeper in my household recipe book.

I used raspberries in my first recipe adaptation, but the flavors mingle so much better with blackberries. So much so that I am glad blackberry season isn't over yet!

Blackberry Ice Cream

2-3 bananas, fresh or frozen (I prefer really ripe fresh for the flavor)
1 cup blackberries
4 tbs agave nectar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup dari-free or better than milk rice
2 cups coconut milk
a dab vanilla extract, to taste
1/4 tsp xantham gum

Combine all ingredients into blender. Whip until smooth and creamy.

Pour mixture into ice cream maker. Churn according to manufacturer's instructions. I run mine for 25 minutes.

Reserve extra for frozen treat popsicles.

Makes 4-6 servings ice cream with enough left over to make a small 6 pack popsicle container. Freeze and enjoy!

Martha Stewart on allergies??

2008-02-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

I recently received an email from AllergyKids asking for my vote on a new magazine, LIVE FREE, dedicated to those dealing with food allergies published by Martha Stewart.

So I rushed right over to place my vote and I am asking you to do the same. Hurry, hurry as she needs to hear from us by Thursday!!

I'm still around...

2008-01-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

Life has definitely been busy for me this past year. I am now the proud parent of 3 happy, healthy boys and have lots to be thankful for in 2008!!

Time is precious for me right now, so it will be a while before I get back on here for some more blogging. I do love the comments from visitors and do check for those, they are always welcome and bring great ideas!!

I am pretty sure that my newest child has some issues with dairy, so we are exploring the possibility. Glad that I have all the knowledge from my second child, it makes this new adventure way easier.

Here's wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2008!!

I know I've been gone...

2007-06-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

This current pregnancy has made me extremely uninterested in food!! So I don't have anything to put in my blog right now.

As for Stephen, we took him in for another food allergy prick test and it came up inconclusive. So, we are in a stand-still right now, still watching him for reactions to any foods. He does still react to too much fruit, loose bowel wise. Those darn fruit popsicles are sooooo good though!!

Hopefully everyone is having a fantastic spring right now and starting to enjoy the beginnings of home grown produce!! Best time of year!!

Donut Muffins

2007-04-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe sounded really good, so decided I had to try it. It comes originally from GFZing! and blogged about by Mrs. G.F.

She talked about being pregnant and craving donuts, so that gave me even more reason to try them!!

Now, I have changed the recipe around a bit more since I can't leave anything alone. I don't know what the original flavor is like, but these are really good. Mrs. G.F. said she used brown rice flour and a bit of white rice flour. Most of my mixes nowadays include millet flour along with flax seed to increase the nutritional value. Makes me feel better when I'm eating them if I'm getting some nutrition!! Even my family now asks if these are the "good for you ones?" And I say, "well, better for you, at least."

My version of Donut Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups GF flour mix (my mix is 3/4 cup + 3 tbls brown rice flour, 1/4 cup + 3 tbls millet flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, and about 1/8 cup ground flax seed)

2 tsp aluminum free baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. xantham gum (I leave out)

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs*

1/2 cup GF rice milk

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla (Nielsen Massey is GF)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl cream together both eggs with the coconut oil until smooth. Add rice milk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together, making sure your flours are room temperature. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients slowly, mixing just until blended.

Spray muffin tins or use muffin liners and fill about half full. *Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar mix (1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon).

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Makes about 9-12 muffins.

*First batch I used one egg, and they were pretty crumbly since I don't use xantham gum. Adding one more egg took care of that issue.

*I sprinkled the first batch before they went into the oven and the sugar formed a crust on top that was kinda messy when eating. The second batch I waited until 3 minutes were left for cooking and sprinkled it on and the result was much nicer. Just enough to melt most of the sugar, but didn't leave a crust.

Here is another option for a donut like glaze (like Dunkin Donuts) instead of the sugar. I haven't tried this, but will on my next batch.

1/3 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup hot water

**Added note: some of the donuts have been in the fridge for two days now and they are still delicious. A quick zap in the microwave and they are even still moist!!

I have not tried it with the ones in the freezer, but hoping for the same outcome.

April is Autism Awareness Month

2007-04-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Celebrate the unique qualities of your child!!

There was a really good article in one of the Marlene's newsletter this month. If I could find the article I would reference who wrote it, but it's lost in my mess of a house somewhere.

Since starting on this journey of GFCF foods, I have come across many articles and information linking the GFCF diet and autism recovery and have "met" many wonderful and caring parents struggling to help their child(ren) interact with this world. It truly takes a dedicated parent to partake of this journey of healing, but finally meeting your child and seeing who they are on the inside is the biggest blessing.

While my recipes on this site deal mainly with gluten and dairy, many of these parents eliminate soy as well. Soy seems to cause many of the same issues for children as dairy would. I haven't noticed with my son, but we are now 95% soy free as well, just to be on the safe side. I realized our intake of soy increased ten-fold since that is the ingredient that replaces dairy.

Another option is the Feingold diet. I don't know much about it since you need to be a member, but I do know that cutting out certain fruits and artificial colors and flavors is a big part. I have learned apples and bananas can be serious behaviour triggers, but I haven't properly tested them in our house yet. We have cut out the artificial colors and flavors, including high-fructose corn syrup. I realized how easily most of this is taken out of our diets once you get into a more natural state with your foods. (i.e. no boxed foods)

I decided to set up a list of good sites to check out if you are on this journey or if you might want to read more on it. (there are many more options for healing-- enzymes, chelation, detox, heavy metal testing, vitamin testing, and several more that parents have tried--do remember that each child is different and may respond differently)

~DAN! doctors (defeat autism now) are the best source of information regarding a lot of these treatments and testing. I highly recommend finding one in your area.
http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/dan/dan.htm

~Talk About Curing Autism-great site on starting the diet, resources, recipes, books, new parents, support, etc...A really great site!!

~The GFCF Diet

~The Feingold Diet

~Dana's View-a wealth of information regarding Dana's story of her children and what she did to heal them. Lot's of good ideas and links to other sites.

~GFCFRecipes from Yahoo Group-over 1100 tried and true recipes from parents of autistic children and continues to grow

~Woggle-Bug-this is another really great site done by a parent of an Asperger's child. I like the philosophy behind what they are striving for. Good recipes, including a cookbook you can purchase, some more information of things I have posted here, and a really great sense of humor.

~Food Allergy Kitchen-mainly about food allergies, but hey, since we are on this diet, every little bit helps!!

I will add more sites as I come across them. There are several blogs that I like that are already listed on my side bar. Most are only gluten-free though, but good to read and great ideas for converting recipes.
Hopefully this may give some a good starting point and others, well, my hope is to help spread the word. If I can take some of the knowledge that I have aquired over this past year and help just one family see their child smile and say "I love you," then it's all worth it!!

Lemon Meringue

2007-04-04T21:28:00.001-07:00

Lemon Meringue
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

Who would've thought?? I had no idea that lemon meringue was naturally gluten free, except of course, for the crust and the butter.
I also had no idea that egg whites took sooooooo loooooooong to fluff up. I kept thinking I did something wrong. Then finally, they started to stiffen and I got really excited.
You see, my first egg white experiment went haywire. I guess you can't have ANY egg yolk in with the whites. Sheesh. Picky, picky!!

Then I remembered that Elise at Simply Recipes had a blurb about treating egg whites properly, so I went back to check out that post. I almost followed her directions perfectly, (I forgot to start out slow) and they still turned out ok.

I figured this would be the perfect very first spring dessert to try. Can I consider a lemon meringue to be a spring dessert?? Who cares, it looked good, I had the ingredients and I'm pregnant, so those are the only excuses I need!!

Enjoy!!

Lemon Meringue Pie

original recipe from an advertisement I got in the mail from Fife RV, thanks guys!

1 baked 9 inch GFCF pastry shell
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch (I used tapioca starch)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water
3 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsp. GFCF butter
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/3 cup lemon juice

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, tapioca starch, and salt in top of double boiler. Gradually stir in water. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until thick enough to mound slightly when dropped from spoon.
Cover and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Do not remove from boiling water.
Mix together egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Blend a little of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir into remaining hot mixture.
Cook 2 minutes over boiling water, stirring constantly. Remove from boiling water. Gently stir in butter, lemon rind, and juice. Cool to room temperature without stirring.
Turn into baked pastry shell. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until foamy, then gradually beat in 6 tbsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time. Spread meringue over filling. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool at room temperature.

My new favorite brand-Glutino

2007-03-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Glutino brand at my local Fred Meyer Marketplace. Can you say, jumping for joy!! So far all of their products that we have tried have passed the test. The family taste buds!!
I don't normally purchase boxed foods anymore because 1) the cost is outrageous, 2) we never know if we'll like it or not, and I hate to see food go to waste. Majority of GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free) boxed foods just can't pass the test.
But I have to pass on my good find as we have enjoyed their products. Yes, they are still very expensive, but even my particular husband enjoys their food.

Update on Stephen--he is doing very well since we have a handle on his food allergies. We still do not know why he has dairy issues. His lactose intolerance test came up normal, so his GI told us to feed him dairy and he shouldn't have issues. Well, he still does. Go figure!!
He seems to be ok with a very small wheat infraction as long as they are spread out few and far between. We don't test his tolerance on purpose, he is an almost 3 year old, you know!!
We did recently learn after some testing that he is a bit behind with his social skills. When his system was on overload from his allergies, he wasn't able to absorb some skills that a typical child would learn between one and two years. But, he's learning very quickly, and being in preschool will help him learn some of those skills, just a little later than usual. I knew something wasn't quite right, and I don't have to worry so much anymore. (at least until kindergarten when they tell me he's ADD and won't sit still--I'm sure it'll never end--he's already an extreme busybody)

How many of you knew that ADD and ADHD run on the autistic spectrum??
Did you know that many ADD or ADHD children are on the same diet as Stephen?? Gluten and casein are drugs in their system. Causes haywire and a lot of unpleasant gut issues. I could have easily described my son as acting severely drugged before his diet change. Many people may never understand what I went through as they never saw my son during this time. It wasn't possible to leave the house when his behaviour was that bed. I myself would have never believed it if I had not personally watched my son change for the better. Sleeping through the night was not a possibility until all dairy was removed from his diet. That made me a believer!!

When it comes to my child, I was willing to try anything and I'm glad I gave it a chance. Even though we started the GFCF diet for different reasons, I'm so glad I stuck with it. It took some time for his system to heal, but today he's a much happier and healthier child because of it.

What defines a foodie?

2007-03-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

A simple enough question, don't you think?
Well, Susan, over at Farmgirl Fare has asked this question on several occasions. She has received many good responses, including mine this time.

I have never really given it much thought until recently. Food defines our life around here now. Every aspect of this journey called life is consumed with food. I never thought life would be like this. Cooking meals, shopping, travelling, cross-contamination, edibleness, (is that a word?) and on the list goes.

So here's my question...would I be considered a foodie? I didn't choose this food thing by choice. I chose it for my son. I do seem to have some of the foodie traits, but a little bit different than most food blogs. So, I thought I'd do a different twist to the foodie part. I just don't know what I would name this little meme. If anyone has any thoughts, feel free!!

Defining my foodieness in 10 or less...

1. I always have an Epi-Pen in my purse. I've never considered the fact that food could cause death until the allergist told me to always have it with my son. Talk about facing reality. That was the worst moment of this journey. I now know that the chances of my son turning anaphylactic from wheat are pretty slim. The thought is always there though.

2. We never leave the house without some sort of safe food. Fast food, OUT!! Knowing that I may be caught somewhere without safe food for my son bothers me, a lot. So I always have a backpack of foods and an emergency back-up in my trunk. Food now follows me!!

3. The first credit card looking thing in my purse is a list of words that wheat and dairy hide under on ingredient lists. This was my very first purchase after the allergy testing. Worth the money!!

4. I now shop at 6+ grocery stores and only shop the outer aisles in most of them. I am willing to travel over a hour each way for my son to have something special. And some people travel further.

5. Really strange looks from people at the grocery store. I tend to get over excited when my local Fred Meyers stocks a new GFCF item or when I can find some really cheap rice flours at the large Asian store down the road. Now that's happiness!!

6. I now have over 8 different flours in my freezer. Now that's dedication or crazy!! And I know how to use each flour in different recipes. Experimentation is key, especially to get more protein into my child. Rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, and potato starch flours are pretty empty in the nutritional department.

7. I am a recipe tweaker. I cannot leave a recipe alone. My husband gets so mad!! I have to experiment until I think it tastes right. And with 4-5 different flours in one recipe, there's a lot of tweaking that can be done!!

8. I know what xantham, guar, and arrowroot are.

9. My neighbors would never call me to ask for an ingredient. I could probably call them for an egg or two, but that's about all.

10. Dreams, now that's a story in itself. At the beginning, I would call them nightmares. I would toss and turn thinking of food, recipes, and shopping. What could I possibly cook and how in the world am I going to afford this stuff?? It has gotten easier, thank God and I don't dream about it as much. I've learned that home cooking definitely tastes better than boxed and it's still costly, but I've managed to cut down on the costs by doing a lot more cooking at home and from scratch.

Ok, there's my 10 or less. I could probably think of more and I probably will. For some reason, the definition of foodie is stuck in my head and I can't seem to get it out. Now, for those with food allergies, all this may not seem too weird. For all the other foodies out there, I don't appreciate food in the same way as you do. I was not raised with food that way, so I have a lot to learn. And learning I am. I now appreciate the flavors in a brownie or a carrot cake. That for me is a new sensation in itself.

So if anyone feels the need to comment, please feel free and let me know what you think. I would be curious to hear from other food allergic people or parents of food allergic children like me.

Recipes can win you a new kitchen??

2007-03-01T11:02:00.000-08:00

Look at all the cool things you can do at a new recipe site Group Recipes.
Click here to sign up and get a chance to win $6,000 towards a brand new kitchen from Lowes, Sears, or Home Depot!!

Add a Food Widget to your website or blog
Add a Profile Photo
Go Back to where you were before you signed up
Explore Food
"Stumble" Through Recipes
Go to your Personal Food Page
Peruse Foodies
Browse Recipes
Submit a Recipe

Sounds like a lot of fun to me!!

Donuts anyone??

2007-02-27T19:41:00.001-08:00

Donuts anyone??
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

Will post the recipe when I get a chance. This is just a teaser!!

I heart sugar cookies

2007-02-19T13:34:00.001-08:00

I heart cookies
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

And here you see my crappy picture taking abilities!!

I needed a 'Stephen approved' cookie and since I enjoy sugar cookies, decided to give it a shot.

This recipe is adapted from GFUtah

These cookies are gluten and casein-free. The soy is in the shortening. I can't find a soy-free version around my area. No artificial colors either. I did change the flours for some added protein.

Rolled Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour blend (I used 1 1/2 cups rice flour, 1/2 cup potato, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, and 1/2 cup sorghum)

1 tbl flax seed

1 1/2 tsp xantham gum

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until creamy. In a separate bowl, mix flours, flax, xantham, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mix to liquid mix until you can form a ball. Chill in refridgerator for one hour.

Roll dough out between a silpat and wax paper, using rice flour for easy removal.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let cool before frosting tops. Makes about 24 cookies.

Buttercream Frosting (adapted from Farmgirls Mocha Buttercream Frosting)

1/4 cup dairy-free butter, softened

1 cup organic powdered sugar

1 tsp gluten-free vanilla

1 tbl rice or almond milk (Rice Dream brand has a tiny bit of gluten-so avoid that brand if you are sensitive)

2 tbl raspberry or strawberry juice for the pink color (I had some frozen berries in the freezer, just defrosted and squeezed the juice out)

Cream butter-mix in powdered sugar, vanilla, and rice milk. Beat until smooth. Add more milk to reach desired consistency. Refridgerate to harden. Spread on cookies and refridgerate again.

These cookies are soft and flaky and got good reviews from our preschool parents. I do believe my sorghum flour took some of the sweetness away but that was ok for my family. I used lets do...sprinkelz from Whole Foods on the top.

[Gluten Free] Goddess

2007-02-19T12:57:00.000-08:00

[Gluten Free] Goddess: Gluten-Free Bloggers

One of the best gluten-free bloggers around is looking for other gluten-free bloggers to list on her sidebar. Are you, or do you know someone?? Send them on over. And if someone could tell me how to get a cute button offered from Karina, well, then I'de have a cute button over on my blog!! Oh well!! This computer sophistication stuff is above my knowledge.

A big THANKS to Karina for helping me out with the fancy stuff!! I figured it out!!

A sick GFCF child

2007-02-10T22:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, now what in the world do you feed a sick GFCF almost 3 year old?? Now I know when I'm sick, I don't much feel like eating, but I can eat pretty much anything in the house, right?
Well, it's a bit harder with an almost 3 year old. I wouldn't call it the flu that he has, but it's similar. He doesn't want to eat a whole lot and I can't think of anything that he can have that a sick person would normally eat. Like, say the BRAT diet. (bananas, rice, apples, and toast) We are avoiding apples and bananas until I can properly test them and he doesn't eat rice on regular nights and I'm out of his bread. (poor excuse, I know, but I'm out of sorghum flour and it's kinda hard to make bread when a child won't let you leave their side)
I guess he's pretty much stuck with water until he lets me leave his side and then I might whip up some of that mighty tasty chicken noodle soup from GlutenFreeGirl. And I know he'll shake his head and not touch a drop of it, but that just leaves more for me!!
I will be so glad when his immune system catches up to where it should be. We are working on that slowly but surely. I do know that since I have put him on Olive Leaf Extract we have not had a recurring case of MRSA. Yippee!! And that tea tree oil works wonders!! I am a believer in the naturopathic ways now. I've seen it with my own two eyes, and even my very disbelieving and stubborn husband has changed some of his ideas. My little boy is on the mend and that's all that matters right now.

Good blogspot to check out...

2007-02-10T22:42:00.000-08:00

www.foodallergylinks.blogspot.com

Lots of good sites to go check out regarding all areas of food allergies.

Do you want to know what accompanies your Potato Chips??

2007-02-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

How about this for a little food for thought??

Homemade Bread

2007-02-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

Ever since I got my new Christmas present, I have been trying different types of bread recipes. Several have not tasted very good and some just did not rise. Since we are still cutting back on the amount of soy in our diets lately, I started looking for a GFCFSF and yeast free bread recipe.
I did manage to find one, but it was printed when I was a newbie to the diet and was printing every recipe that I could find, regardless!! So I wish that I could give proper credit to the recipe maker, but the only thing I have is that it says "thanks to Kelly Weaver". I don't know if this is her recipe or she helped them find it. Whichever it is, I'm glad I have it. This recipe can be GFCFSF, has no yeast, corn, and is low in sugar. With my ingredients, there is soy in the butter.
There may be soy in the palm shortening, but I can't find any, so don't know off hand.

Really good Sorghum Bread-No Yeast

2 cups sorghum flour (I use 1 1/2 cups sorghum and 1/2 cup brown rice flour)
1 1/2 tsp guar gum (I use xantham gum)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp dried egg whites (real whites ok) (I skip this-but might help be less crumbly)
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs (could replace if needed)
3 tbl Spectrum palm shortening or GHEE or GFCF margarine (I use Earth Balance)
2 tbl honey
1 cup + 1 tbl soda water, Perrier, etc...
1 to 2 tsp flaxseed meal (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I sift my flours and mix with other dry ingredients. Mix eggs, butter, and honey together. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix well. Add soda water last.
Grease and flour a bread pan. Bake 30 minutes, cover with foil and bake another 25 minutes. Immediately remove bread from pan and place on a cooling rack to prevent soggy bottom. Allow bread to cool completely before cutting.

Homemade Coconut Yogurt

2007-01-31T19:08:00.000-08:00

I have recently acquired a yogurt maker so have been searching for some good homemade yogurt recipes sans dairy.
Now, does that sound to unusual?? I didn't think so. Well, it is unusual, I guess. I have searched and searched and searched some more using every imaginable word combination I can think of for dairy free yogurt recipes. I have located 2!! I have learned lots and lots of do's, dont's, and why's about yogurt though!!
And some helpful people on my yahoo group found me a dairy-free yogurt starter. It's kinda costly, but a little goes a long way.
So far I have had better luck with the coconut recipe than the almond milk one. The coconut one was a tad bit sweeter. The consistency isn't quite like yogurt, especially when you add fruits and stuff to it, more like a smoothie. The almond milk did separate while cooking, but I shook it up before placing in the fridge and it was fine after that.
If anyone has any experience with homemade dairy-free yogurt I would love to hear from you. Especially for more recipes.

Coconut Milk Yogurt (as close to as I can so far)

Candy Thermometer is needed

Sterilize all bowls, utensils and yogurt maker (internal container)before starting. You can sterilize them in the dishwasher or boil them for 5-10 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 14 oz. cans organic coconut milk, unsweetened
¼- ½ cup dried milk substitute (Vance’s DariFree or Miss Roben’s RiceMilk Powder)
½ teaspoon dairy-free probiotic

Combine coconut milk and dried milk substitute in a sterilized, microwavable bowl. * Stir until the contents are well mixed. Heat in 30 second increments in the microwave until the temperature of the milk mixture is between 105 and 115 degrees. Scoop out about ½ cup of the milk mixture into a sterilized cup, and add the probiotic. Gently stir until the probiotic is mixed in. Then add the liquid back into the main bowl and mix.
*You can also do this on the stovetop. Make sure to sterilize the pot and spoon.

Pour mixture into the yogurt maker and “cook” for 8-10 hours. You should smell a tart, “yogurty” smell and the coconut milk will be thick. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Makes about 4 cups of cultured coconut milk. Sweeten or flavor however you like.

Sweeteners: maple syrup, agave or sugar and a little vanilla extract—like a teaspoon of sweetener per half cup of yogurt and 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla. I used some maple syrup with frozen blackberries and raspberries. I also hid some nasty tasting vitamins in it!!

You can use pectin to thicken if this recipe is too thin. * If you use pectin, add it when you put in the coconut milk and dried milk substitute. You will need to blend it in the blender or use a hand blender. Be sure to sterilize whichever you use. Then heat the mixture to 115 degrees and add the probiotic and calcium water (included with the pectin) and then continue with the above directions.The most important things to remember are to sterilize everything (even utensils) so there is no bacteria to compete with the probiotic and make sure that the coconut milk/dried milk mixture is lukewarm (between 110-115 degrees) when you add the probiotic.

Chocolate Earth Balls

2007-01-04T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is a fabulous and easy recipe!! Very yummy to boot!!
These are GFCF and vegetarian, and we made them SF also. Trying to cut down on the soy lately!
We did add some flax seed and some extra vitamins and was thinking about making them with sunbutter to take as a treat to preschool. I might try freezing a couple and see how that goes for a quick emergency snack for Stephen. (always on the lookout for those!)
I also used some of the Wilton sprinkles that I recently learned are GF!! Yippee!! Both boys really loved the sprinkles and I really loved the coconut!!
These will definitely be an item that we will make again and again as they are so easy and both boys can help w/out making too much of a mess!!

Two great causes to support!!

2007-01-04T15:05:00.000-08:00

The first is a local organization to me and I always like to support the locals!! The site is a small Victory and they are doing some great things for grieving families.
This is also the organization that Ginger's Cafe is sponsoring for the month. So head on down, gather some info, get a great cup of coffee, some gluten-free brownies and help out a great cause at the same time! And tell her I said "hi!!"

The next company I came across through one of the yahoo lists that I belong to. (there are some really good ones for allergies-by the way!) This one is Two Angry Moms and they are on a quest to help change the school lunches for the better. I can join this one now as I will be sending my oldest to kindergarten this next school year and that's been a big thought in my head lately. Oh the challenges of growing up!!

Spangler Dum Dum Pops

2006-12-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a quote from the Spangler Candy Co. regarding their DumDum Pops which are a favorite in my household. This is good news for us!!

Dum Dum Pops do not contain many of the food allergens, including peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy or wheat gluten. Dum Dum Pops are manufactured on dedicated equipment. This allergen statement does not include our Dum Dum Gum Pops or Dum Dum Variety Pack (Dum Dums with chocolate chewy, sour chewy, or gum filling).
Dum Dum Pops are kosher approved.

Wowee!! $58,176.70

2006-12-22T22:19:00.000-08:00

Menu for Hope III has done a fantastic job of raising money for the UN World Food Programme.
I hope everyone headed over to bid on those awesome prizes. I'm hoping for dinner in Seattle, wish me luck!!

The Shameless Seven...

2006-12-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

If you care about where your Organic or soy milk and dairy products come from, then you should read this site.

I am disappointed to hear that Costco is on the list of companies selling these products. I think I might send an article in to their Costco Connection newsletter about this. It's sad to see.

A great fundraiser for UNICEF!!

2006-12-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

Browsing around on my favorite blogs again and came across Menu for Hope Campaign on A Readable Feasts blog. So I headed over to Food Blog S'cool to see what this is all about.
Those food bloggers...such creative people!! And $17,000 raised last year, WOW!!

So here is my shout out to all you readers out there, take a moment, spend some $$, get a chance at some great prizes, and help out a great organization.

Check it out, donate, spread the word, it all helps!!

2006-11-30T15:07:00.000-08:00

View live webcams of Christmas lights and make a donation towards Celiac research at the University of Maryland.

Alek-guy who set up the lights, I think, has set up 3 live webcams on his home for people to view and control lights and blow up characters. He has gotten donations for the Celiac research from different companies, and while he does not take donations himself, you can donate to his cause.
He has children with Celiac disease.

Go check out his site when you have a few minutes as there's a lot to look at!! Some neat stuff and way above my head with the technical stuff!!

Early Merry Christmas!!

GFCF Recipes from Groups

2006-11-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

I joined the GFCFRecipes group on yahoo recently and they are in the process of putting all of their recipes together at http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Writermom77/

I have only briefly checked it out as I just learned about it, but it looks pretty good and well organized. I'm always on the lookout for one more recipe that my family likes, so I will definitely be looking around!!

If you try any of the recipes, I would be interested to hear what you think. Leave me a comment on which is your favorite!!

Wal-Mart and Organic?? Does it make sense...

2006-11-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

"Wal-Mart is now the No.1 seller of organic milk in the country. The problem is that the milk they are selling -- Horizon Organic -- is not really organic."

Here is a really good article to read if you are concerned about what goes into your cereal or dinners.

Absolutely nothing to do with food!!!

2006-11-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

Another of my favorite blog writers had a birthday recently and asked people to post their weirdest habits and she has people coming out of the woodwork to comment. So, if you're bored one of these days and need some interesting stuff to read, head on over to Boobs, Injuries, and Dr. Pepper and read all her comments. Some are pretty unusual (to me, ok) and some are funny.
It's interesting to see how many people do the same stuff.

Coconut Carrot Cake and frosting recipe

2006-11-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

The original recipe can be found over at GlutenFreeGoddesses blogspot.
I have to say this cake is definitely my favorite!! I could not get enough of it, but then I do have a certain fondness for coconut.

Coconut Carrot Cake

3 large organic free-range eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup applesauce, plain
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 cups flour mix-she uses Pamela's, I use my own mix with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda added per cup of flour, per GlutenFreeGoddesses recommendation)
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups grated carrots-about 4 carrots
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped walnuts, or pecans (I did not add any of these)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform cake pan.

In a mixing bowl beat the eggs; add the oil and beat; add the brown sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon, and spice. Add in the baking mix and beat until combined. [The batter should be a bit thinker than wheat flour batter.] Add in the coconut and carrots; stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan; and place the pan in the center of a preheated oven. Bake until the cake is firm, and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese icing and sprinkle with coconut, if desired.

Frosting

4 oz. softened Better than Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons softened Willow Run soybean butter
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract, to taste
3 cups, or more, powdered cane sugar
a squeeze or two of fresh citrus, to taste
1/4 cup sugar

In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar a cup at a time; squeeze a little lemon or other citrus juice into the frosting and beat till smooth. Taste test. Add more sugar, if needed, to thinken; add more juice to thin.

Frost the cake.

Makes 8-10 slices.

If this cake survives past the first day, chill it to firm up the frosting, slice and wrap each piece in foil; pop into a large zip freezer bag and freeze.

Stash Tea-Gluten Free

2006-11-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

I recently used some Stash Chai Spice Tea in a cupcake recipe, so went online to their site and took a look at their FAQ's page.
Sure enough, it say's "We do not use any wheat, rye, oats, or barley in any of our teas. They are 100% gluten free."

Yippee!! Now I can share the cupcakes with my son!!

2006-11-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

And yet another one!! I haven't read this whole blog yet, but it's looks like a good one from the first page!!

http://www.foodallergylinks.blogspot.com/

2006-11-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

This is also another neat site for people with allergies to travel a bit easier. I might have to purchase a couple when we decide to visit England!!

http://www.allergytranslation.com/Home/home.php

Kyle "P.Nut" Dine

2006-11-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

This is a neat site to check out on myspace.com. Kyle "P.Nut" Dine has made some songs about being gluten-free and other food allergies, including an epi-pen song. Spreading awareness!! Go check it out!!

Several things...

2006-10-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

First, I would like to say "Congratulations" to Gluten-Free Girl on her "YES"!! That's what life is all about!!!

Second, I will be posting a slightly modified version of GlutenFreeGoddesses very, very, yummy Coconut Carrot Cake recipe soon.

Third, I recently made a delicious spice cake that needs a bit of modifying for a bit softer of a texture. The problem usually is a crumbly texture with the gluten-free flours, but this time it was nowhere near crumbly!!

Fourth, I have finally come close to a good mixture of gluten-free flours that I use in my baking. I have tried several versions that I don't much care for.
A good point from GlutenFreeGoddess is to add 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp baking powder per 1 cup of flour mix. I will have to research this a bit to see if that's why my spice cake came out with a lot of elasticity!! Or maybe it just needs a bit more moistness added!! Shall try and try again!!

Now if I could transfer all these delicious baked good recipes into dinner recipes, life would be that much better!! Dinner ideas are still a bit difficult and I know Stephen is getting tired of the same old snacks. So, I'm on the hunt again...

Steve Irwin

2006-10-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with food, but it's very funny!! Head on over to Spicy Crackers blogsite for her "pineapple, pineapple, pineapple" post.
I never watched Steve Irwin's shows, but did catch parts here and there when my husband was channel surfing. I did like his way of explaining the wild. There was a uniqueness there that I don't believe will ever be able to be duplicated.
May he RIP

Fall is knocking on my door...

2006-10-12T14:45:00.001-07:00

ocean shores trip6
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

Those lazy days of summer are gone and I'm searching for some good soups and stews already.
I've found some good ones and GlutenFreeGoddess is on a roll at her blog with some yummylicious guys and recipes!! Try her Roasted Corn Chowder, it's fabulous!! I'm also dying to try her Sweet Potato Cornbread soon. I've been looking for more ways to use sweet potato as it's very nutritious.

One of my favorite bloggers, GlutenFreeGirl, is posting more now and is a third of the way closer to publishing her book. I'm excited and can't wait till it comes out!!

Read at your own risk!! Part 4...A warning for dog owners

2006-10-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Walmart...need I say more??

GM rice in US

This one has lots of good information on a variety of topics

On another topic....

For the dog owners out there--hopefully this does not happen to your beloved animal
~~Dog owners warned over sugar-free items
Fri Sep 29, 6:56 PM ET

Keep those sugarless treats out of Fido's reach.
Veterinarians warned on Friday that a commonly used sweetener might cause liver failure in dogs, and perhaps even kill them.
Their report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association appears to strengthen the suspected link between the sugar substitute xylitol, thought to make dogs sick, and possible liver failure.
Xylitol, a naturally occurring product, is found in many sugar-free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and toothpastes.
Researchers Sharon Gwaltney-Brant and Eric Dunayer with staff at a poison unit of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Urbana, Illinois, gathered information on eight dogs treated between 2003 and 2005 after eating products containing xylitol. Each dog became ill, and five died or had to be put down because of liver failure, possibly from ingesting xylitol. One dog who had to be euthanized had eaten four large, chocolate-frosted muffins containing about 1 pound (0.45 kg) of xylitol.
"People don't think sugar-free gum can kill their dog. I didn't before I got into this. But this is something people should be aware of," Gwaltney-Brant, who co-authored the study with Dunayer, said in a statement.
Gwaltney-Brant said for dogs, ingesting even a small amount of xylitol can trigger significant insulin release, which drops their blood sugar and can be fatal." A 22-pound (10-kg) dog who consumes one gram (0.03 ounces) of xylitol should be treated," she said, adding that further studies were needed to definitely establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

A must have book...

2006-09-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs has some exciting news she has shared with her blogger friends. She is a fabulous writer and a celiac foodie. Her life has made some fantastic turns since she became gluten free. Her blog is definitely something you won't want to miss.

Read at your own risk!! Part 3, Food and Flavourings

2006-09-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

If you like to eat fast food and TV dinners, than I would advise against reading this article.

And if you're not sure what 'Read at your own risk' is and you would like to know, click here.

Banana Bread

2006-09-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have kinda given up on the cinnamon roll recipe for right now. I still need to do some more tweaking to it before I am satisfied.
In the mean time, I decided to try changing a banana bread recipe. It turned out very good, so I made it again with some more changes, and it turned out better!!
For some more cold weather treats, be sure to check out
gluten free goddess for her yummy looking chocolate chip cookie squares. I haven't a chance to try them, but they are next on my list, with some modifications, of course!! No recipe is safe in my house from modifications anymore. Oh, I yearn for the days....

Banana Bread

3/4 cup safe margarine (room temperature)
1 cup organic light brown sugar
2 tbs organic honey
1 tsp safe vanilla
2 eggs
2 very ripe bananas

3 tbs almond milk
1 3/4 cup safe flour mixture (I use a version of Bette Hagmans mixture-3 cups brown rice flour, 1 cup potato starch flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, and 1/4 cup flax seed meal)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp xantham gum

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat eggs in separate dish, add honey and vanilla, then add egg mixture to butter and sugar.
In a seperate bowl, mash bananas. Add almond milk. Add to egg mixture. Stir well.
In a large bowl, place flours, baking soda, baking powder, and xantham gum. Carefully mix well.
Slowly add egg mix to flour mix or vice versa. (I never remember if you add liquid to flours or add flours to liquid)
Grease and flour a bread pan. Pour mixture in, avoiding any bubbles. Bake for approx. one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let bread cool completely before inserting in refridgerator to avoid a mushy center. I haven't tried freezing any slices yet, but I think that it would freeze well.

I will probably try adding another banana to this bread or maybe a little cinnamon. I like mine to have a lot of banana flavor, so we'll see.

Testing, testing...

2006-09-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on a Cinnamon Roll type recipe and I'm having a bit of trouble with it. The first one turned out good, but was too dry.
The second one turned out okay, but I added banana for some moisture, and now you taste the banana. It's almost like a faint banana bread. Not what I'm looking for.
So, we will now try for a third one in a couple of days. I don't mind as it gives me a reason to keep the house warm with the oven!! That's about the only reason why I like the cold weather. A really good excuse to make all sorts of baked goods!! And I will be doing more this winter as I have several recipes that I have been itching to try, but not when it's hot!!

I shall keep you updated on how it goes!!

Pumpkin1

2006-09-16T18:40:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin1
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

I told you I would post more photos of my garden, so here they are. My pumpkins are actually turning orange!! I'm so excited!! I can't wait to puree this thing and make a fresh pumkin pie out of it. I may even try making it wheat and dairy free!!
I'll keep you updated on that idea!!

Pumpkin2

2006-09-16T18:38:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin2
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

Isn't this just awesome!! I never thought I would actually have pumpkins in my garden this year. I guess I will have to try again next year with a much bigger pumpkin and see how it grows!!

Crazy & Wild Tomato plant

2006-09-16T18:37:00.001-07:00

Crazy & Wild Tomato plant
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

This is my absolutely crazy tomato plant. I have trimmed this bugger 3 different times this year and it's still growing like crazy. At least it produces some great tomatoes!!
It is so heavy that it's pulling my stakes out of the ground and using the house as a leaning post. I trimmed another 2 feet off the top just before I took this picture.

Up close

2006-09-16T18:35:00.001-07:00

Up close
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

Here are some of my beautiful cherry tomatoes

Corn Allergy Info & Read At Your Own Risk part 2

2006-09-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

We do not have to deal with a corn allergy in my family, but I'm learning there are many people out there that do. So, I am passing on some good information regarding corn.

http://no-corn.blogspot.com/

http://www.cornallergens.com/

http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?n=70687&m=1fne920&c=Betlxvdndfjcxpg

Here are some other good places to go regarding celiac disease

http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/

http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/671health.html

And if you haven't learned enough yet...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_2159.cfm

http://www.organicconsumers.org/index.htm

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=70615-cfsan-allergens-fda

2006-09-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe someone didn't catch this before I did!!
I was reading to see what key words were used recently from google and saw 'watermelon'. Now that got me thinking...I don't have anything about watermelon on my blog, so why me?? Well, I have a picture of my PUMPKIN plants, but I have it labeled watermelon. LOL!! I've been doing that all summer, calling my pumpkins watermelons!! Go figure.
Maybe next year I need to try a watermelon patch so that I can be correct all summer!!
I will have to get out there and take a picture of my pumpkins as it's looking like I was succesful and they are actually turning orange!! YEAH!!
I also had to trim back my monster tomato plants so that they would focus some more on turning those tomatoes red. I cannot believe how much these plants keep growing. I'll get a picture of them up too for ya!! Since I trimmed them back and cut off some of the extra leaves, I realized that I have more tomatoes hiding in there than I originally thought. Now I can SEE them!!

~~Update:
I tried the peanut butter cookie recipe, and they turned out great. They are a bit crumbly, so maybe I'll add a bit of something next time. You would never believe that all those extra ingredients do not exist in these cookies!! I can't stop eating them and sweeping the floor several more times a day!! Oh well, Nathan did exclaim that he "loves my cookies and these were the best!!" I guess that makes up for the extra sweeping I gotta do!!

Peanut Butter Cookies

2006-09-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the simplest recipe for peanut butter cookies that I have ever seen!! It was sent to me by a good friend of mine this morning and I have yet to try it, but will this afternoon!!

SIMPLY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1 CUP PEANUT BUTTER
1 CUP SUGAR
1 TSP. SODA
ONE EGG

COOK 10 MIN. AT 350 DEGREES. ENJOY!!

Sent to Blogger Beta...

2006-09-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I have no option now as to whether I get to stay, I'm forced over to the new Blogger Beta. It really sucks right now as I cannot comment on blogs that haven't switched yet!!
So I guess keep an eye out for the new changes on my blog. Hopefully they've got more bugs ironed out. We'll see...

A basic white sauce

2006-08-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

This recipe originated out of contents on hand and a need for dinner. So, I experimented with what I had.
We had stumbled across an outlet store for groceries that had several items that are normally pretty expensive at my grocery store. Coconut milk, sweet rice flour, and rice noodles. So, combine we did!! The noodles are called Notta Pasta and were very good.
Here is the recipe that is listed on the side of the sweet rice flour box with my changes for a dairy free experience. And I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor as I am fairly new with the coconut milk.

Basic White Sauce

4 tbls safe butter
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 1/2 tbls Sweet Rice Flour
1/4 cup coconut milk

Over low heat melt safe butter in 1 1/2 cup coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Make a smooth paste of 2 1/2 tbls Sweet Rice Flour and 1/4 cup coconut milk in a small bowl and add slowly to heating mixture. Stir over heat until thickened.

I did add a little bit more of the Sweet Rice Flour as I wanted the mixture a little thicker for the noodles and less of a mess from my son. The coconut milk gives it a nice rich flavor and went well with the noodles that we used. We added some steak pieces along with some frozen peas to make a complete meal. Enjoy!!

Blogger Beta

2006-08-26T23:13:00.003-07:00

I have just finished switching over to the new Blogger Beta, so please let me know if there are any kinks that need to be worked out!!
I tried to keep most of it the same as I like my blog and so far it seems this beta stuff is a little easier for someone still learning all the HTML stuff!! Yippee!!
Let me know if you like some of the changes!!

~~Added note: Ok, maybe not so easy as it won't let me post it!! AARRRGGGHHH!!!

Spreading the word....

2006-08-17T10:28:00.003-07:00

Miss Susan over at Farmgirl Fare is sharing her heart and hoping there are more animal lovers out there willing to do the same.
There is a place called the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado that is closing it's doors soon and looking for homes for their animals. Each dollar raised right now helps them to stay open one more day and gives each animal a chance to find a good home.
You can read more about how you can help on her website.
I love her idea of donating to an organization in the name of someone, as yes, I think we all have too many objects!!
So, go check it out, donate, and leave a comment at her site, and mine too! I'de like to hear that I helped a little bit too!!

The rest of my garden...

2006-08-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here are the monster tomato plants. These one's grew from last years tomatoes, and I didn't bother to move them. They like to grow leaning in that direction, even last year they leaned that way!! I have trimmed and trimmed and trimmed and they still are wild!! I do have my red tomatoes coming in now!! I'll have to go get a closeup!!

I have 3 corn plants back there and my bush beans in front. My peas almost didn't make it this year after my child played with them but they are growing back so I'll get a couple more out of the plant!!

This would be my strawberry pot~~I only started this pot this spring, so am pleasantly surprised at how many strawberries we are getting!! They are pretty small, but my boys don't care.

Blogger issues

2006-08-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

I was going to add the rest of my garden photos, but Blogger is experiencing difficulties right now!! My first time experiencing this even though I have read about it on other blogs!!
Shall try again later.

Watermelons, errr, pumpkins!!

2006-08-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH)

2006-08-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is not to scare anyone, but here are some good sites with information regarding the connection between gluten and DH. I am starting to wonder if there really is such a thing as a "wheat-allergy" and maybe just need to make my son completely gluten free.
I know most of his foods are already gluten-free, but his rice milk has gluten in it. There isn't a big difference between gluten and wheat-free foods, so maybe it'll be easy to go gluten-free.
We've already had him tested for gluten, and of course, it came up negative. We may just go in for the biopsy to truly and completely rule it out!!
And if this is the case, there go my hopes of him ever outgrowing his allergy.

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/#10
http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/dermatitis_herpeti.html
http://www.csaceliacs.org/dh_defined.php

I like this article the most. I believe it has some of the best information that I have read in a while about celiac. I will be printing this one and taking it to our pediatrician.
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/956622658.html

There's a new Garden Party

2006-08-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

If you like looking at other people's gardens, be sure to run over to Today's Lessons (who started this garden party) and see all the neat gardens she has posted on her site!!
I will get out there to my little city garden before the sun goes down and get more photos to post on my site. Here's the link to my little tomato plants from earlier in my blog. And more links to my watermelons and finally the rest of my garden.
I have learned that there are many activities one blogger can participate in to stay busy, but I like the garden party idea as I am quite proud of my small little city garden. So, what better way to advertise for me and also to see what other people's gardens are doing!!
Hope everyone had a good weekend!!

Interesting facts from FAAN

2006-08-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Public Service Announcement from FAAN

What's more American than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk?

For millions of Americans with life threatening food allergies, just one taste of these could kill them.

Here are the facts:
* A food allergy reaction can cause Anaphylactic Shock, which can result in death

* Close to 12 million people suffer from food allergies, including 2 million school aged children

* Food allergy reactions result in over 1 million emergency room visits each year and hundreds die

* Just trace amounts of food allergens can cause a reaction

* The number of people with food allergies has doubled over the last 10 years and continues to increase

So until there is a cure . . . Please be considerate . . . It's a matter of life and breath. To learn more about this national health issue, call 800-929-4040 or visit FoodAllergy.org

No comments??

2006-08-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

I know that people are visiting my site, but I have no idea if people like it or not!! I am getting no comments.

Good, bad, ugly, helpful, suggestions, ANYTHING!!

Now, I do realize that in the allergy suffering world, it's rare to have two people with the exact same allergies, but I know that there are some recipes that can be useful when finnaggled(sp?) a little bit!!

Maybe I'll start doing one of those neat meme things and absolutely bore everyone with the uneventful details of my life!! I bet someone would comment then!! At least to tell me to get a life!! But then I'de have a comment......

Storing grains, nuts, and oils

2006-08-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

I learned quite a bit reading this site. Since I have ventured into this new adventure of natural foods, I have been a bit unsure of how to store items. Hence, my refridgerator has never looked fuller(?) than now!!
All these fancy new baking grains, butters, special uncontaminated jars for Stephen, his leftovers and ours...sheesh!! No wonder half the time I think I left my mind somewhere!! Trying to keep it all straight is crazy!!
I just realized the other day that Stephen needed his own mayo jar and butter. Now, I've been good about keeping his PB&J separate and making his lunch first to avoid cross-contamination. I usually think about it because it has to be a whole new brand for him and I just assumed there would be no wheat in mayo!! I will be calling some companies on monday to verify as there are 'natural flavors' listed and that could be our 'no-no'!!
Just when I think we are doing good...another bump in the road. I so refuse to buy him his own toaster. Lousy mom!! I just don't have the room for another on my counter and since he uses it everday for his bread, I am not storing it after each use!!
There are people who have to have their own plastic containers, frying pans, utensils, and such to avoid cross-contamination. Can you imagine the size of kitchen I would need?? I would need two dishwashers!! (my two aren't old enough yet and I realized that they can't really anyways as someone said, if it can't go into the dishwasher, don't trust it to be safe)
Why did I have children then?? Oh well, guess they'll just have to mow the lawn more often!!
I am still learning, and I think I will still be learning when he (hopefully) outgrows this wheat allergy!!

Read at your own risk!!

2006-08-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe posting site, but I haven't found any spectacular recipes to post lately, so I'm gonna give some info about food.
Many people would rather not know (my husband) about what is in his food. He wants to enjoy it regardless!! I have done too much research regarding my child's allergies to have missed some of this info.
Besides, that's kinda my personality. Beat it till it's dead, and then some!! So, if you are like my husband and don't wanna know, just skip any entry that is labelled 'read at your own risk'!!

This one is about ice cream
Ben & Jerry's taking a stand

This one-clothing from corn??
How about corn packaging??

Some of this stuff just makes me depressed!!

most sites listed are from an online forum I belong to...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2006-07-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

This recipe was recommended by one of the online forums that I belong to. I do not have the origination of the recipe to give proper credits to.

These are very good cookies, even though I changed it around a bit. Being wheat-free, I've learned to stay away from oats because of the possible contamination issue being so big. The original recipe calls for oat flour and I don't know yet if it's the same, so I substituted my GF flour mixture instead.

The cookies are pretty crumbly, so I may decide to add two eggs next time and see if that helps. Otherwise, the original recipe is wheat, dairy, and egg free!! It could easily be gluten free with the proper ingredients and most of mine are now, except for my brand of rice milk.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 18 cookies

1 3/4 cups oat flour ( I substituted wheat-free flour mix )
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar or light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil or melted margarine (I used canola)
1 tablespoon flax seed meal
1/4 cup soy or rice milk
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flax seed meal and soymilk. Add sugar and stir, add oil and vanilla and whisk vigorously until all ingredients are emulsified. (about 1 minute)

Mix wet ingredients into dry, fold in chocolate chips.

Drop batter by the tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2 inches of space between cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, place cookies on a cooling rack or plate to cool completely.

Farmgirl's Chocolate Cake Emergency

2006-07-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

Now, if you've read some of my posts, you would know that I continuously search the internet and read food blogs when I have the time.
I have come across some very good food blogs and enjoy being able to sit down at the computer and know that I can open a few of those blogs and find something new on their site practically everyday. (Unlike my own food blog!!) Farmgirl Fare is one of those sites.
I have been reading her interesting and uplifting sites for some time now as I am usually a lurker, not much of a commenter. She writes about her life on the farm. It's insightful, funny, sad, beautiful, and not very glamorous. (something about always being in coveralls, I think!!) It's always a great place to start!! And until just recently, I realized that she had recipes on her blogs!! The reason I stopped at her blog in the first place, and I had to read someone's comment about the chocolate cake recipe to remember to look at the recipes.
Now, as with the brownies, I have tried several boxed brands with no luck. They are always too dense, so I had given up looking for a good cake. (it gets pretty expensive after awhile) I was afraid to try this recipe as this is my first time using alternate flours. But, I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and decided to give it a whirl!!
So, I tried her recipe with some modifications, of course, and it turned out really good for the first time!! I was excited and my son devoured the cake, sharing some with me occasionally. Farmgirl has graciously given me permission to post her recipe on here along with the proper credits. So, be sure to check out her Emergency Chocolate Cake and I promise that you won't be able to stop there!! You'll definitely be going back for more!!

Emergency Chocolate Cake
recipe shared by Farmgirl Fare

1/2 cup dairy-free butter, softened (I use Willow Run)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
1 cup wheat-free baking mix
1/4 cup milled flax seed
1/4 cup unsweetend cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea-salt
1 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme or soy yogurt, if preferred

I omitted the 1 teaspoon baking powder since it came in the list of ingredients on my box. I also took a chance with the flours and substituted one-for-one. I added a small amount of flax seed for my children, sneaking in that healthy part every chance I get!!

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan. Cream butter and sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Beat eggs in separate dish until fluffy, slowly add to butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with Sour Supreme. Beat just until smooth. Turn batter into prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool in pan. Cake may settle in the middle as it cools--this is normal.

Buttercream Frosting
originally Mocha Buttercream Frosting

1/4 cup dairy-free butter, softened (I still use Willow Run-doesn't leave a butter aftertaste)
1/4 cup (about 3 ounces) wheat-free, dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (or not)
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
about 1 tablespoon soy or rice milk, optional

I left out the instant espresso powder and added rice milk instead of regular milk.

Melt chocolate chips and a small amount of the butter in the microwave. In a small bowl, beat remaining butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla, then cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and enough milk to make desired consistency.

For muffins: Bake mini-muffin size 10 minutes and baby loaf size 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool in pan. Frost cooled cakes and top with mini chocolate chips or sprinkles if desired.

To freeze: According to Farmgirl, these cakes freeze beautifully and defrost quickly. Simply slice, wrap each slice in plastic, and toss into a ziploc freezer bag. Mine didn't last that long...but, I might try freezing some cupcakes for those last minute invitations for my son!!

Brownie Update

2006-07-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

I am having a 'need to get things caught up' moment, so excuse the several posts that I'm doing today!!

I have worn out my welcome at home with my newly-found brownie recipe!! I have now tried it several different ways and can tell you what I liked and didn't like!!

I have learned that several things do matter. The type of butter and chocolate that is used makes a huge difference.

I usually use Willow Run, but didn't have enough this time. So I substituted my regular butter, Earth Balance Natural Margarine and it left an aftertaste. I did not like the aftertaste, but my husband did!! So I guess that works both ways!!

Now, if you like your brownies rich in chocolate flavor like I do, then the chocolate you use makes a huge difference also. I used a 77% extra-strong dark Belgian chocolate the first time and it worked great. I changed my chocolate to a 72% baking chocolate the second time. I will admit it worked nicely, but did not give off the deep, rich chocolate flavor. Also with the third. I again used a dark chocolate, but nothing compares to the Belgian chocolate flavor.

So, in the next couple of months when I am allowed to make another batch of these delicious brownies, I will be ordering from Soy Free Sales to get their organic dark Conacado chocolate. Or maybe I will make a trip over to Trader Joes and pick up the Belgian chocolate that Gluten Free Goddess uses in her original recipe.

My advice is to try what you like and give your brownies the ultimate 'melt-in-your-mouth' flavor!! It is possible with this recipe and one can not tell they are wheat and dairy free. I have had several people taste test these, and though they were wary, they did say there is not telltale difference between these and the 'real thing'!!

flowers

2006-07-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

flowers
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

This is going to be a huge cherry tomato season around here!! Shall post more photos as it gets going!!

Maybe I shall post more photos of my little city-garden!! Keep checking back!!

tomato anyone?

2006-07-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

tomato anyone?
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

Here is the first little tomato that I could find!! So cute looking!!
Still working on those camera shots. I think it's a little blurry, and I'm definitely not the master photographer!!

cherry tomato plants

2006-07-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

tomato plants
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

As I am getting ready for the first tomatoes to ripen, I am thinking of some good ways to use my tomatoes. Come to find out, I don't have any except for just eating them straight off the bush!! And spending the rest of the time keeping my children away from the entire bush!! My youngest was eating them ripe or not last year and didn't care.

We still aren't sure if Stephen has a tomato issue or not. It seems he's fine with whole tomatoes, but not the stuff in the jar or can. I don't know what to think. His allergist said it may just be the citric acid and an overload for his system. (like spaghetti sauce instead of a slice of tomato) So, we may be testing this theory this summer!!

I am looking for some ideas on food dishes for these little tomatoes. I know all about the salads but we get real tired of that fast!!

This is only my second time growing cherry tomatoes and these plants are growing from my plants last year. I didn't even think about them reseeding themselves!! I was only going to have one or two plants this year!! I had six last year and they overtook the patch. These are as organic as possible and I can't wait to taste the first one!! Nothing like fresh picked!!

Creamy Noodles-2nd time

2006-06-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Creamy Noodles
Originally uploaded by foodillusions.

I tried our noodle recipe again using Tinkyada noodles and Tofutti American cheese. I have to say that I am impressed. I believe this is the closest that we have come to having real Mac & Cheese in over a year!!
This will be my first time trying to send a photo to my blog, so hopefully it works. My first attempt at being food creative for a photo!
Be gentle!!
Also, I have tried the new brownie recipe several ways now, and will send an update as soon as I try this latest batch cooking in the oven as I write!! My mouth is watering, as the aroma of freshly baked brownies is just something to die for!! Well, at least in my opinion!!

Here is the original Creamy Noodle recipe and now this one with the new and improved ingredients!!

1 cup plain soy or rice milk

1 cup water

1 cup organic free-range chicken broth

1 tbl dairy free margarine

2 cups Tinkyada noodles

2 slices Tofutti cheese

dash of garlic powder

dash of basil

Bring rice or soymilk, water, chicken broth, and margarine to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.Add noodles and spices.Reduce heat and simmer about20-25 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally until most of liquid is absorbed by the noodles. Add cheese, stirring to help melt for a creamy consistency.

Serves 4

Dark Chocolate Brownies

2006-06-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, permission granted!! Here is the fabulous brownie recipe that I told you about. These are rich, chocolately heaven!! This is so much closer to a Betty Crocker brownie than any of those wheat-free bagged mixes!!
I have learned there are several variations of cocoa content in dark chocolate bars, so I am experimenting with which brand and cocoa content I like most. I used a 77% cocoa content the first time (extra strong dark chocolate), which produces a nice deep chocolately flavor, which I prefer. I did take a chance with the 'may contain traces of milk and nuts' statement on the bars.

original recipe from Gluten Free Goddess

Dark Chocolate Brownies

5 ounces Belgian Dark Chocolate
1/2 cup dairy free butter (Willow Run works great for baking)
2 organic free-range eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 rounded cup almonds, processed into a fine meal
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional:

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup wheat and dairy-free extra semi-sweet chocolate chips for the top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with foil and lightly oil the bottom.
Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a large Pyrex cup in the microwave until you are able to stir it together easily. The chocolate will look smooth and glossy.
Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium high till frothy. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth.
Add the melted chocolate into the egg-sugar mixture a little at a time - incorporate it slowly - and beat well for a good minute.
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond meal, rice flour, fine sea salt, and baking soda; whisk together. Add the dry flour mix into the chocolate mixture and beat well for a minute. Add the vanilla, beat another half minute or so. You now have your brownie batter.
If adding nuts, stir in the nuts by hand and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Shake the pan a little bit to even out the batter. Layer the semi-sweet chips over the top and press in slightly.
Bake in center of preheated oven for 33 to 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set. Do not overcook. [Err on the side of gooey, if you must. Gluten-free bownies are better slightly undercooked than over-cooked]
Cool on a wire rack and remove from pan by gripping the foil edges. Chill before cutting. Make 9-12 servings
I haven't tried these brownies slightly chilled as she suggests, I couldn't wait that long and they didn't last that long!! Enjoy!!

**Tidbit-use a plastic butter knife to cut brownies-keeps the brownie looking nice and from gathering on the knife

Originally 'Mexican Black Bean Salad'

2006-06-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe while doing another of my random searches for recipes. I spend most of my computer time doing that lately as we get tired of the same foods all the time!! I have a tendency to look at the ingredients of the recipe to make sure I know what they all are and scan the rest. So, it looked good, and I printed it out. Well, after getting all the required ingredients out for this recipe, I started reading the rest. If you click on the link, and it hasn't been changed on the site, you will see what I mean. Some of the ingredients listed at top are not used in the directions. Now, for most foodies, that wouldn't be a big deal, but for me, that was!! So, when in doubt, fake it!!
So, in a round-about way, I created my own recipe!! Please bear with me as I don't usually put recipes and directions together, I prefer to read everyone else's!! I was pleasantly surprised how my recipe turned out, especially after changing so much of the original.
I do not like my greens plain on my plate, so was hoping the sauce from the chicken and the beans would make a good dressing. Turns out I was right, the combination was nice!!

Here goes, but I will have to call it 'Mexican Kidney Bean Salad'!!

1 can kidney beans (rinsed)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
small onion, minced
1 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup organic chicken broth
2-4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
1/2 cup smoked tomato marinade
1 tsp. italian herb seasoning
bag of mixed greens or romaine, shredded
1 small tomato, chopped
small can olives (optional)
cheese of some sorts (vegan, non-dairy, or cheddar for us dairy eaters)

Place kidney beans, chili powder, minced garlic, minced onion, and 1 1/2 cups chicken broth in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook chicken cubes with the smoked tomato marinade, italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup chicken broth until chicken is no longer pink.

Place shredded greens, tomatoes, and olives in a large bowl. Add beans and chicken and mix together. Place cheese on top if so desired. Serves 4.
(I don't mix it all together right away as I adore leftovers and want to be able to reheat the chicken without wilting my salad-so I assemble each plate individually-it's also a good way to teach your children to serve themselves and only take what they want)

**Tidbit-chicken is easier to cut while it is still mostly frozen

Fiber Smoothies

2006-06-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

I recently had a morning playdate at my house with some friends of ours and they ended up staying for lunch. Now, normally I would not have thought to post our smoothie recipe on here, as I don't talk much about it, but as my friend and her children were here when I normally make our smoothies, they got to try it. And they liked it and said that it worked!! We use our smoothies for the fiber since my youngest is wheat allergic and is short on his fiber because of it.
We found out he was constipated from a nice x-ray at the GI's office. I wasn't a happy mother to hear that, especially so close to starting his potty training. So, as usual, I went on an extensive search!! I didn't look farther than my corner cafe this time. (at first) I spoke with Laurie (Ginger's Cafe blog) and she gave me this great recipe for a good fiber smoothie. So, we went home, tried it, researched it, tried it again, researched it, changed it, tried it again, changed it, and tried it again!! This recipe is the end result of my taste tests for me and my children. I have added a few ingredients from Laurie's original recipe, but bless her heart for getting me in the right direction!! This is great as I don't like many vegetables, and my boys would prefer only green beans and strawberries. So, it works for all of us.
I only make one batch and only once a day. I also don't measure, so you'll want to experiment even more for your families size. I don't want to overdue the fiber intake and just watch my son's for any indication of needing to change it. The things we do as parents!!
Feel free to add or delete any ingredients, like I said, this is geared for our taste buds. It's a good idea to write down your initial ingredients as you get familiar with how different things taste in their au naturale form!! Broccoli is very overpowering, so we don't use that.
Also, check to see if your blender is strong enough, otherwise chop all your ingredients into small pieces and blend a little bit at a time.

Here goes!!

Fiber Smoothies

2-3 leaves of Kale or Swiss Chard
several baby carrots or one large carrot
1 avocado
1 pear (skin on-we prefer the Asian pear)
1 apple (skin on-we prefer red delicious)
half a bag of frozen berries (we used mixed berries or blueberries)
1 tbl milled flax seed (keep refridgerated)
a good splash of unsweetened apple juice
a good splash of unsweetened pear juice

Wash all skins of produce with a good produce wash to remove the pesticides. Slice, dice, and chop for your blender if need be. Place all ingredients into blender and proceed to blend. (I use the soup or smoothie option on my blender) Scrape sides if avocado is sticking, and add more juice if mixture is too thick. Thick does not work well in a sippy cup!! Pour into cups and enjoy. Makes approx. 5 cups

A good place to check out the fiber in fruits and vegetables (scroll down to the last page) Trader Joes

The Search for Brownies ends...

2006-06-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

As I await permission to post a recipe from another blogspot, Gluten Free Goddess I have to say that my search is over for the best brownies!! Even my husband agrees, even though he still prefers Betty Crocker boxed brownies. He refuses to be completely converted. = )
These brownies are sure to fool even the pickiest gluten-free eater. They are moist and rich in chocolate flavors!! You better be prepared with a glass of milk at your side, errr, ricemilk!!
I have prepared many wheat, dairy, and gluten-free packaged brownies and homemade recipes, but this is the absolute best!! I can't wait to post it here for the rest of my friends to enjoy!! I am happy to say that recipe will go into my archive recipe book forever, even if we do go back to wheat and dairy. One more recipe to cross off my search list!!
Keep checking back as I will post the recipe as soon as I hear back from the other blog. Maybe I'll even try a fancy photo...who knows, it could get interesting around here!!

Taco Salad

2006-05-23T22:44:00.001-07:00

Since the discovery of the Taco Seasoning recipe, there are several recipes that I can try again and this is one of them!! This is an old favorite of mine, but it's been changed around a bit for Stephen's allergies. I have to say...it wasn't as good as I remember it being, but it was still good enough to have again. Both of my boys ate almost their entire dinner with this one.
This recipe is great for many variations. Be creative. Different kinds of chips, adding olives or mushrooms, using chicken instead of ground beef, or even using ground turkey. I love how one recipe can be changed depending on what's in my cupboards that week!!

Taco Salad

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup taco seasoning (see taco seasoning post)
1 cup water
mixed salad-shredded
1 tomato-diced
Tofutti Sour Supreme
several slices Tofutti cheese
Blue corn chips-crumbled

Brown hamburger until done. Drain juices. Add seasoning mix and water to hamburger. Bring to a boil, simmer about 10 minutes.
Place shredded salad and blue corn chips in large bowl. Add hamburger, tomato, cheese, and sour supreme. Mix well.

Taco Seasoning Mix

2006-05-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

I discovered this recipe while doing random searches, as usual!! I seem to come across some of the neatest things while randomly searching the net. We tried this on our taco salad and it was delicious. It is a tad bit spicy, so if you have sensitive children, just tone down the spicy ingredients. **Tidbit-did you know paprika should be stored in the refridgerator to help keep it's red color?

Recipe taken from www.birdshillenterprises.com

Taco Seasoning Mix-Gluten Free

seasoning for 1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon potato starch
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water

Brown 1 lb. ground beef in hot skillet; drain off fat. Stir in 1 cup water plus the above spices. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Welcome-an update

2006-05-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

I hope this post finds everyone happy and well!! I haven't had much feedback on my recipes, so hope they are being enjoyed. One note for the Creamy Noodle recipe. I am learning that different brands of wheat-free noodles do not handle the long 25 minute cooking process. They end up pretty mushy. I am still searching for a wheat-free noodle that can handle the process or I will reduce my liquid the next time I make the dish and hope for the best!! Will update you as I go!!
Am nervous about Stephen's GI appointment in the morning, hoping for the best.
We are starting to head outdoors more as the weather gets warmer, so still searching for good, easily transportable wheat-free, dairy-free snacks for my boys!! If anyone has any ideas, please post them!!

Spanish Rice

2006-05-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is a really great side dish, or as a full meal with black beans and/or chicken chunks added to it. I have adapted the original recipe to include zucchini for more vegetables.

Original recipe taken from Theresa Kingma's cookbook "Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Kid Pleasing Recipes and Tips"

Spanish Rice

1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbl vegetable oil
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 sliced and quartered zucchini
3/4 cup uncooked Minute Rice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp pepper
dash of hot pepper sauce-optional
1 cup water

In a Dutch oven or large skillet saute onion, green pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in tomatoes with juice, zucchini, rice, sugar, chili powder, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and water. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender and most of liquid is absorbed.

Serves 4

Italian Herbed Flank Steak

2006-04-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

This is a really great quick meal, especially on those hot days when you don't want to turn the oven on!! It has taken a bit of time to learn what flank steak is and how it needs to be cooked. It is a fairly expensive cut of meat, so any time you can find it on sale is great. I've learned it's not a meat to be used without any seasoning of sorts. It works good in steak fahitas also.
This has a five minute prep and 15 minute cooking time with only two dishes to dirty.
recipe taken from "What's to Eat" by Linda Marienhoff Coss

1 teaspoon chopped dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chopped dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
1 (1 1/2 lb) flank steak, trimmed of all fat

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients except margarine and flank steak; set aside. Melt margarine in a large frying pan over medium heat. Place flank steak in pan. Sprinkle flank steak with half of the herb mixture. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 6 minutes. Turn steak over and sprinkle with remaining herb mixture. Cook, covered, until flank steak is rare, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.

Place flank steak on cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes-flank steak will continue to cook a little more while standing on the cutting board. Check doneness of meat; meat should be medium rare. Slice, against the grain, into thin slices. Serve, using the pan juices as a sauce. Serves 6

Creamy Noodles-1st recipe

2006-04-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

This is the closest that I have been able to find to Mac & Cheese and my boys love it. I tend to make a larger batch the first night and add peas and hamburger to it the second night. It's a good lunch item with tuna fish in it also.

1 cup plain soy or rice milk (I like it better with vanilla ricemilk)
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbl dairy free margarine
2 cups wheat free elbow macaroni (amount depends on noodles, some hold up better than others-I prefer Ancient Harvest Quinoa)
2 slices Tofutti cheese
dash of garlic powder
dash of basil

Bring rice or soymilk, water, bouillon, and margarine to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add noodles and spices.

Reduce heat and simmer about20-25 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally until most of liquid is absorbed by the noodles. Add cheese, stirring to help melt for a creamy consistency.
Serves 4

Ginger's Cafe

2006-04-22T11:07:00.002-07:00

The cutest cafe and sandwich shop moved into my neighborhood recently!! It's called Ginger's Cafe and is named after the owner's dog, Ginger!! Be sure to stop in and say 'hello' and take a pic of your dog with you and post it on her wall.
Ginger's carries some great sandwiches and assorted baked goods along with some really good coffee since my husband continues to frequent there!! Or is it the really great personal service?? = ) He appreciates both!!
Laurie, the owner, just happens to be very knowledgeable about Celiac's Disease. She is learning about the foods that she carries to be sure which is safe. She also has drinks that are dairy free, so that Stephen's not getting left out!! He is at that age now, so when Charles comes home with his and Nathan's 'coffee', Stephen knows he's being left out!!
Saturday's are also a great day to hang out at Ginger's as she has live music during the afternoons. Definitely a nice place to be!!

Mandarin Chicken

2006-04-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is becoming an absolute favorite among my friends!! It's easy to prepare and takes only 5 ingredients.

Mandarin Chicken

1 1/2 cup rice (minute rice works great)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups orange juice
1 cup dairy-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 (8.5 oz) can mandarin oranges
Paprika or minced fresh parsley, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease (read label) a shallow 3 qt. baking dish.

Spread uncooked rice in prepared pan. Top with chicken. Pour orange juice and chicken broth over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with oranges.

Bake for 65 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear and rice is tender.

Garnish with paprika and parsley, if desired. Serves 4

Usborne Books

2006-04-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

I recently became an Usborne Books at Home consultant. My site is www.ubah.com/F2155 if anyone is interested. It goes along with teaching my children everything about life and if I can get the teaching materials cheaper, I'll do it!! There are some excellent food blogs around here, so be sure to check them out. I have found several that I really like. Now if I can learn html, maybe I can rearrange my site a bit to have some catagories and some clickable links. What was I saying about having time...?? Nathan wants to read about Christopher Columbus right now. Taking advantage of my Usborne Books kit already. = )

My first time!!

2006-04-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

I have to say, this is my first time for several things here!! I have never blogged before and never had a blogging site!! I'm proud of myself!! Now to find the time. = )
This is also my first time having to deal with allergies. My first son ( 4 and a half years old) does not have any that we know of and neither do I. If my husband has them, well...he ignores them!! My second child (23 months) has intestinal issues with dairy and all derivitives. His skin test showed positive to wheat. So, re-learning to cook hasn't been fun and I don't like how my life suddenly revolves around food 24/7.
I would like this blogging site to be a welcome help for people with children that have allergies and have no idea, like me, what to do about them!! I will keep you posted with his updates as we are still doing more testing to be sure of what's going on. We are scheduled for a GI and a IGE antibody test as the skin tests do not seem to be accurate. Would not recommend those to anyone. Skip it and go directly to the blood test for antibodies!!

If you would like to post a recipe or just anything helpful (cookbook, books, web links, etc...) please feel free to. You may link to email to spread the word. I don't want this to be a secret!! There are many allergy sufferers out there and many more that have no idea!!

If you decide to post a recipe, please tell us what the recipe is free of so they can be easily sorted through. I would like to be able to do some sort of a directory, but not that computer savvy!! Any ideas are welcome!! Thanks and good EATS!!