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Fruity Breakfast Cake | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Fruity Breakfast Cake: Super Healthy Kids Post

Fruity breakfast cake is a great way to start the day! Soaked gluten free grains and healthy fat mixed with fresh fruit is a winning combination.

Fruity Breakfast Cake | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Cake for breakfast?

You bet! When made with colorful fruit and nutritious ingredients, cake can be great way to start the day and help your kids enjoy fruit in a different way. Fruity Breakfast Cake tastes delicious which is important so that kids will eat something and feel satisfied until lunch!

Fruity breakfast cake is a combination of whatever berries, cherries or stone fruit you like topped with a low sugar, soaked cake.  It is also free of many allergens – gluten, dairy, nuts, corn and soy.

What makes a breakfast nutritious?

Balance!

Create a balance of macronutrients by pairing the breakfast cake with a protein like scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil or butter, sausage or whole milk yogurt. Then you get carbohydrates, protein and fat in your meal. This is great for providing energy and balancing blood sugar.

Fruity Breakfast Cake | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Want to hear more about how to create a balanced breakfast and how to make this delicious breakfast cake? Head over to Super Healthy Kids for the full post and recipe!

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan Week of 8-2-15

This week’s allergen friendly meal plan is all about enjoying summer, keeping up with fresh produce and sticking to a rotational diet.

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Welcome to August! It’s the last month before the craziness of fall schedules begins. It is also time to start the thing I’m dreading…having my son skip naps a few times a week to prepare him for afternoon preschool.

We had a wonderful week of no activities last week. I think we all needed that. This week it’s back to the usual orthodontist, groceries, etc.

What’s happening in the kitchen?

I’m doing my best to keep up with all of our fresh produce. Blueberries are now done. But I’m still working on zucchini and beans. I’ve already got quite a bit of both in the freezer.

Next up will be freezing corn and canning peaches. And tomatoes are starting to ripen. I’ll stash those in the freezer to use later for spaghetti sauce.

As usual I have a pretty ambitious kitchen to-do list that includes:

What’s OFF the menu?

Last week was a bit off for my little one (and for me!). I first thought it was from blueberries (and I missed out on blueberry pie!). Then I thought maybe egg whites. But I finally concluded that it was from rice.

So scratch that off my list of grains. I’m now down to rye, wheat, corn, sorghum and teff.

I had been working on creating first birthday cupcakes…but I was using rice. I’m not ready to give my daughter any of the grains I just mentioned. So looks like it’s back to the drawing board for her birthday dessert.

On a good note I finally started my probiotic! And so far it seems to be going ok. Hopefully soon I can give it to my little one as well. We both desperately need it.

I also had my thyroid tested. Everything looks good. I’m glad that is staying stable amidst all the stress.

Since I am adding more wheat to my diet I am still considering letting the big kids have it once in a while too. So this week I will be experimenting and watching for any reactions.

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

What’s cooking?

We were very busy using up blueberries the last couple weeks. We made an amazing blueberry pie. My oldest learned to make one all by herself! Be on the lookout this week for some delicious blueberry recipes.

Last week I posted recipes for sweet potato salmon burgers and homemade tallow french fries. I also shared my daily moments that matter.

I’m still working on stretching our meat budget. And I’m doing some recipe creating this week. Of course we’ve got seasonal produce on the menu as well.

I’m also making a meal for our neighbor that just had a baby. So I’ll be doing a double batch of dinner one night.

Here is our allergen friendly meal plan for the week. Nothing fancy. Just simple, in season food.

What is on your menu?

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sunday
B – toast w/ sunbutter, peaches | broth w/ squash, peas and salmon
L – cp roast beef, roasted potatoes, broccoli | roast beef, peas, squash
D – grilled cheese, salad, beans, blueberry applesauce | roast beef, beans, sd bread
*soak flour for zucchini bread, soak oats for granola, freeze beans, make jello, make sd bread

Monday
B – yogurt, granola, blueberries | broth w/ beef and beans, sd bread
D – zucchini soup, zucchini bread, cheese
*make zucchini bread, dry oats, freeze beans

Tuesday
B – zucchini bread, yogurt | broth w/ sardines, pumpkin, spinach
D – beef and bean stir fry over rice
*prepare oats, make granola

Wednesday
B – overnight peach oats | salted caramel custard w/ cherries
D – goulash, broccoli, garlic toast | broth w/ ground beef, peas
*soak flour for bread, make peach cobbler, soak lentils, make extra goulash

Thursday
B – baked egg puffs, toast | sd bread w/ avocado
D – creamy red lentil and sausage stew, bread w/ peach jam
*make bread, make peach jam, roast squash

Friday
B – granola bar, yogurt | leftover soup
D – peach breakfast tart, bacon, caramelized Brussels sprouts, corn on the cob
*soak flour for cornbread, soak beans

Saturday
B – kids’ choice | salted caramel custard
D – orca bean and squash chili, cornbread
*make cornbread

Homemade Tallow French Fries | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Homemade Tallow French Fries

Nothing goes better with your grilled burger than fresh-out-of-the-pan tallow french fries! No vegetable oil. No fillers. Just pure potato and real fat.

Homemade Tallow French Fries | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

You’ve got the grill fired up. The burgers are under way. There is a pile of fresh vegetables from the garden to create a salad.

But something is missing.

What is the perfect side with a grilled burger and garden vegetables? French fries, of course!

Convenience Food for Real Foodies

There is very little convenience food that I buy. But I confess that french fries are almost always in my freezer. They are easy when you don’t have time to cut up potatoes.

Plus with a kid that is allergic to wheat, rice and corn but refuses to eat potatoes in any form except french fries or chips…you serve french fries a little more than you would like.

Since I don’t really care for the vegetable oils in the frozen variety I do sometimes make my own tallow french fries.

If you have never had homemade french fries you are really missing out! They are better than anything you’ll get from a bag or even from a restaurant.

My whole family goes crazy for these tallow french fries. I go crazy for them too…because they are made with healthy fat and have no fillers, gums or acids. Some frozen french fries even have corn! A big no-no with a corn allergy.

Homemade Tallow French Fries | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

The Secret to Crispy Homemade French Fries

When making homemade tallow french fries there is an important step you can’t forget. Soak and dry the potatoes! This is critical so they will fry up nicely. The soaking removes some of the starch. And oil and water really don’t mix.

Another key to great french fries is using enough fat. I don’t have a fryer. I don’t like to use up all of my tallow at one time either. But I do make sure that there is a plenty of fat in the pan. When I’m done making the french fries I pour the leftover tallow back into a jar to use later.

Of course the final step is to sprinkle the tallow french fries with lots of quality unrefined sea salt. The saltier the better in my opinion.

Then pair them with quality ketchup or make your own!

Homemade Tallow French Fries | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Freshly Cooked French Fries

Homemade tallow french fries are best eaten fresh out of the pan. There really is nothing like it.

But if you have leftovers (something that pretty much never happens here with homemade fries) you can reheat them in the oven.

You could make a big batch when you have some time in the kitchen and freeze them so you have homemade french fries on hand for quick meals.

French Fries Without Potatoes

Maybe you don’t like potatoes? Or maybe you’re like me and don’t tolerate them?

Try another vegetable! You can use the same cooking method with carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and rutabagas. Pretty much any root vegetable will work.

Is your mouth watering yet? I know mine is. Grab some potatoes, tallow and salt. Fry up the best french fries you’ve ever tasted.  Just a warning…your family will want them all the time once they’ve tried tallow french fries.

Have you ever made your own french fries?

Homemade Tallow French Fries | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Homemade Tallow French Fries
Serves 4
Homemade french fries with real fat and real salt.
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Ingredients
  1. 3 medium russet potatoes
  2. sea salt to taste
  3. tallow (enough to fill pan)
Instructions
  1. Peel the potatoes. Cut into 1/2" sticks.
  2. Soak the potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes.
  3. Dry the potatoes completely.
  4. Heat tallow in a large skillet over medium heat (use enough to fill the pan about 1/4" deep).
  5. Cook the potatoes in the tallow until golden, turning once in a while to make sure all sides are browned, about 10 - 15 minutes.
  6. Place the finished fries on a paper towel and sprinkle liberally with sea salt.
  7. Serve immediately.
Notes
  1. Lard or palm shortening will work in place of the tallow.
  2. Any root vegetable will work in place of the potato.
  3. Store leftover fries in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Heat in the oven to warm.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/
 In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Made To Matter With Target and Stonyfield: My Daily Moments | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Made To Matter With Target and Stonyfield: My Daily Moments

I am partnering with Target and Stonyfield in the Made To Matter Campaign. I think we should make each day matter with the choices we make for our families and our environment.

I have been compensated for my time commitment to use these products. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Made To Matter With Target and Stonyfield: My Daily Moments | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Have you heard of the Made To Matter campaign? Companies like Target and Stonyfield are doing their part to give consumers better choices of products and food. In turn we can make our own moments that matter.

My daily moments.

I make a lot of choices every single day as I try to raise healthy kids. Sometimes it is about feeding them nourishing food. Sometimes it is about teaching them how to take care of God’s creation.

Then there are times when I have to make choices about their health and well-being.

I have also heard from many moms lately that they want to make good choices but find it hard when they are so bombarded with junk food and chemicals everywhere they go. We all really do want our choices to matter.

Taking care of my baby.

If you’ve been around very long you know that I’ve had a challenging year with my youngest. We have struggled to figure out why she hardly ate for months.

Sometimes she would scream. All of her feedings were so short.

We finally figured out she  has a lot of food allergies and have worked to eliminate the problem foods.

That’s not all.

On top of that she has tongue and lip ties. We have now had them clipped twice to improve her ability to nurse and eat solid food.

Her second clipping was just a few weeks ago. On top of the procedure she was cutting her one year molars. Needless to say she was in pain. She was hardly sleeping either (sometimes taking three hours to get to sleep).

Due to her allergies we can’t use traditional pain medications. They all contain palm-derived ingredients. We tried a few different things without much luck.

Finally we tried Hyland’s Teething Tablets*. What a life saver!!

There was one time I was trying to get her settled for a nap. She just cried and cried. I finally remembered the teething tablets. She was asleep in about sixty seconds (this in not an exaggeration).

We both finally got a little bit of calm and rest in a chaotic time.

Made To Matter With Target and Stonyfield: My Daily Moments | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Made To Matter companies and products.

There are lots of great companies joining the Made To Matter campaign. One of them is Justin’s. We got to sample some Justin’s almond butter, chocolate hazelnut spread and peanut butter cups**.

My kids were so excited to have these treats! I was very excited that my son could actually eat them all. He had never tried a peanut butter cup before.

Both of my kids liked the chocolate hazelnut spread the best (think healthier version of Nutella®).

We also love the SheaMoisture shampoo***. I use it for my seven year old’s hair. I LOVE the smell.

Another brand I use is Yes To. I like their shampoo!

StonyfieldSuperGrainsStrawberry
photo credit: Stonyfield.com
StonyfieldSuperSeedsBlueberry
photo credit: stonyfield.com

That’s not all.

Many of the brands joining in the Made To Matter campaign are creating exclusive products just for Target. This includes Stonyfield.

Stonyfield’s new products have just been released. Super Seeds yogurt has softened flax seeds while Super Grains yogurt contains buckwheat and quinoa. They sound delicious!!

Stonyfield is committed to offering quality, organic products. We love using their whole milk plain yogurt. Stonyfield’s new Oh My Yog! is amazing as well.

I couldn’t finish a post about Target without mentioning their support of breastfeeding moms! Their policy is that you can nurse your baby anywhere in the store. How awesome is that?! You don’t have to hide in a dirty bathroom stall to feed your child. I wish there were more companies like Target that truly supported a healthy lifestyle.

We can all make our lives matter simply by choosing quality products that support health and sustainability.

Have you had any moments that matter lately? What are some of your favorite natural products?

Made To Matter With Target and Stonyfield: My Daily Moments | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

*Please note that Hyland’s Teething Tablets do contain a small amount of lactose. For this reason I only use them when we absolutely need them since my daughter can’t have dairy. In some cases the benefit of the pain relief outweighs the reaction to the lactose.

**All of the Justin’s products we tried contain palm fruit oil. So even though my family loved them I’m not sure I would buy the product due to my daughter’s palm allergy. I don’t really like to have it in the house/have my big kids getting it on anything.

***SheaMoisture does contain coconut oil. So avoid it if you have a coconut allergy. I do not use it on my infant because of this.

In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers

Get out of your summer burger rut with these sweet potato salmon burgers! They are simple, nutritious and even make great finger food for the little ones.Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

You’ve had the grill going all summer with the usual fare – hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue chicken.

Those are all great. But are you ready to change it up?

Sweet potato salmon burgers are a delicious alternative to traditional hamburgers that you can eat all year long.

They only require a few simple ingredients and minimal preparation time. Sweet potato salmon burgers make a great, quick weekday lunch.

Keep them in mind when it’s time to pack lunches again! They are great eaten cold.Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

You can decide if you make them heavier or lighter on the meat or potato. By using less salmon these burgers make a very budget-friendly meal.

I love how easily these burgers come together. All of the ingredients can be eaten as-is so it’s just mixing and warming. No need to worry about how well done they are.

But what I love even more is how much my kids enjoy them.

You can eat them on a bun or just dip them in ketchup.

It is fun and easy to spruce up sweet potato salmon burgers.

We top them with homemade pesto. You could eat them open face with a fried egg. Here are some other delicious toppings for sweet potato salmon burgers:

Now that my little one is eating a lot of solids I have to cook things she can eat as well. Sweet potato salmon burgers make a perfect finger food.

All of the ingredients are safe for babies six months and older. Break up the burger into small pieces and let them feed themselves.Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Let’s not forget the nutrition factor!

Sweet potato salmon burgers have healthy starch and vitamins from the sweet potatoes. The egg yolks are packed with vitamins. Salmon has essential fatty acids. Then they are cooked in healthy fat for a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat all in one burger.

Be sure to make a big batch of sweet potato salmon burgers. You can freeze some for later. And leftovers are great cold or warm.

Add pieces of burger to your salad, cut it up for dipping or mix it into your scrambled eggs! I like to slather mine with pesto and eat it plain.

If you don’t tolerate potatoes you can use another orange vegetable like pumpkin or squash. The burgers will still taste just as great.

Are you ready for something different on your grill? Sweet potato salmon burgers are the perfect summer or year round meal.Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers
Yields 6
A light burger perfect for summer picnics. It even makes great finger food for babies.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato (or pumpkin or carrot)
  2. 6 - 14 oz. canned boneless skinless salmon (one 6 oz. can, two 6 oz. cans or one 14 oz. can - however meaty you like it)
  3. 2 egg yolks
  4. 1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  5. 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  6. 1/2 tsp. dill weed
  7. 1/2 tsp. organic cane sugar
  8. lard, tallow or coconut oil for frying
  9. optional - crumbled bacon or bacon strips, pesto, grilled onions, avocado, tartar sauce, Miracle Whip®
Instructions
  1. Add the potato, salmon, egg, salt, garlic powder and sugar to a medium size bowl. Puree with an immersion blender. Add crumbled bacon at this point if desired.
  2. Chill 30 minutes.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the frying oil.
  4. Divide the mixture into 6 burgers.
  5. Cook in the pan until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
  6. Place burgers on buns and add favorite toppings (bacon strips, grilled onions, pesto, avocado, tartar sauce, Miracle Whip®)
Notes
  1. These burgers make great finger food for babies 6 months and older.
  2. You can substitute tuna for the salmon.
  3. You can add anchovies or sardines to the burger for extra nutrition.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/


In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

This post is linked to Savoring Saturdays.

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan Week of 7-26-15

This week’s allergen friendly meal plan and activities will focus on fresh produce and enjoying summer. It’s finally time to relax…and clean!

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

I kind of feel like summer is just starting this week. Vacation is over. Camps are over. Procedures are over. I think we just might get to fully relax!

We actually don’t even have a single thing scheduled. Maybe I could take the kids to the park for the first time this summer!

My baby girl finally had a whole week that was good!  A few episodes of a gassy tummy. But no allergy run-ins. It’s a miracle. She even nursed every hour yesterday, playing catch up.

I’m hoping we can keep things calm so I can try introducing a probiotic soon. We both really need it.

Going a new direction.

Through this whole process of figuring out my baby’s allergies I’m learning a lot about my own body as well. I won’t go into details here, but I think I am adding gluten back to my diet (properly prepared…not junk food). I have already been eating traditional sourdough for a while. But now I will do some soaked wheat as well.

I really need to be able to rotate my starches. And there aren’t very many I can have. My four day rotation (once I get to the store to get more flour!!) will be: rye/spelt (sourdough), wheat (soaked), rice/teff/sorghum (soaked), corn.

I am planning to let my kids try some soaked wheat as well and see how it goes. If they show any reactions I will keep them gluten free. If not then I will let them have it rotationally as well.

I also learned that I really need to stick to my slow oxidizer diet – no raw veggies. It’s tough since I LOVE salads. But I really feel so much better when I avoid them. I feel good with lots of well cooked vegetables in broth. I’m also making sure I get liver a few times a week.

Good news!

Through elimination/avoiding and working on healing I can now eat eggs, corn and avocado! Three things I used to have a really hard time with and avoided for a long time. They don’t bother my little one either. That is very exciting!!

I also got my thyroid levels checked yesterday. In spite of everything my body has been through lately my levels are stable.

Finally, I’m making it a priority to give my big kids probiotics, vitamins and cod liver oil daily. We all need a vitamin and mineral boost!

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

It’s blueberry time!

Yesterday we stocked up on over thirty pounds of blueberries. This is my favorite time of year…because blueberries are my absolute favorite fruit.

Of course that means there will be blueberry goodness in my kitchen. My baby’s first birthday is also very quickly approaching (ahhhh!!). So I need to start experimenting with cake that she could eat. Here are my potential projects:

I do want to catch up on some thorough cleaning around the house as well. Gotta keep the dust away!

Last week I posted some delicious cherry recipes – sourdough cherry granola, teff and sorghum cherry bars and blender to oven maple cherry baked oatmeal. Grab the last few cherries and give one of these a try!

Let’s get cooking!

I am really trying to cut food costs a bit these days. I need to stretch our meat more since that is one of the most expensive things we buy. The simple solution is casseroles and soups…but that is almost impossible with all of our different allergies. There is so little that the whole family can eat. So I’m doing my best to get creative.

I’ve got lots of tasty food on the menu this week. I’m also changing the format a bit so you can see what I eat too. My meals (if they are different than the rest of the family’s) are second/in italics. This will also help me stick to my rotational eating.

Here is our allergen friendly meal plan. Lots of fresh produce. Lots of blueberries. Lots of summer flavors. What are you eating this week?

One final thing.

I can’t forget to mention one more thing…Happy 12th Anniversary to the love of my life! I can’t wait to see what God has planned for this coming year.

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sunday
B – zucchini muffins, yogurt, | broth w/ steak, squash, mustard greens; zucchini muffin
L – at a baseball game (boys) | tuna salad, peas, zucchini muffins (girls)
D – pepperoni, ham and olive pizza, salad | pea and tuna risotto
*freeze blueberries, make sd pizza crust, render lard

Monday
B – granola bars, yogurt | salted caramel custard w/ blueberries, broth w/peas
D – tacos, peaches, broccoli
*make salsa, make soaked pie crust, skim cream, make vanilla ice cream, make sd bread

Tuesday
B – sourdough toast w/ sun butter, fruit | sourdough bread w/ avocado, ground beef
D – roast chicken, potatoes, carrots | roast chicken, avocado, kale, sourdough bread
*make broth, boil eggs, make blueberry pie, make rice yogurt?

Wednesday
B – hard boiled egg, toast, fruit | broth w/ chicken, spinach and pumpkin
D – pork chops, rice, beans
*soak oats, soak teff

Thursday
B – cinnamon raisin oatmeal, crispy almonds | teff porridge w/ blueberries and gelatin, broth with mustard greens
D – zucchini chicken pie w/ soaked crust, blueberry applesauce
*make cheese

Friday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit | broth w/ chicken, squash and kale
D – sd pancakes w/ blueberry topping, scrambled eggs, roasted cauliflower
*make crunchy crumble, feed sd

Saturday
B – pancakes, fruit, crispy almonds | salted caramel custard w/ blueberries and crunchy crumble
D – pan seared salmon, seasoned rice, peas
*make practice cupcakes

Blender To Oven Maple Cherry Baked Oatmeal | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Blender To Oven Maple Cherry Baked Oatmeal

Maple cherry baked oatmeal is a simple way to use fresh fruit and soaked grains for a quick prep breakfast. Toss the ingredients in the blender and bake.

Blender To Oven Maple Cherry Baked Oatmeal | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

During the hottest days of the summer the last thing you want to do is spend a half hour in the kitchen baking.

That doesn’t mean you want to eat cold cereal for breakfast every morning.

The solution?

Soak some oats. Grab your blender. And you are already half way to a great breakfast.

Maple cherry baked oatmeal is so simple to make. All of the ingredients go into the blender. Then simply pour the batter into a baking dish and your work is done.

Change the texture.

I’ve mentioned before that my oldest has problems with certain textures. One of the foods she struggles with most is oats.

Crunchy granola? Fine. Oatmeal? No way!  One bite and she has had enough. She practically gags on it.

My solution is to blend the oats.

Then baked oatmeal tastes more like cake! She loved this.

Blender To Oven Maple Cherry Baked Oatmeal | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Cherries add sweetness.

The combination of sweet cherries and maple syrup is perfect. You get a burst of flavor and natural sweetness.

You can do almost all of the preparation for this maple cherry baked oatmeal in advance. Soak the oats the morning before to reduce the phytic acid content. The night before pit your cherries.

Then in the morning all you have to do is put everything in the blender and bake. Freshly baked breakfast will be waiting for you when you are finished getting everyone ready for the day.

An added bonus is that you do your baking before it gets too hot. If you have a toaster oven that is a great solution too!

What about allergens?

If you are gluten free be sure to buy gluten free oats. There is one egg in maple cherry baked oatmeal. It can be replaced with gelatin or flax eggs.

Any type of fat you tolerate can be used in this baked oatmeal.

If you are like me and don’t tolerate oats, simply replace the oats with another gluten free grain like brown rice or amaranth. You’ll never know the difference!

Blender To Oven Maple Cherry Baked Oatmeal | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Blender To Oven Maple Cherry Baked Oatmeal
Serves 12
Maple cherry baked oatmeal is a simple way to use fresh fruit and soaked grains for a quick prep breakfast. Toss the ingredients in the blender and bake.
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Ingredients
  1. 2 1/2 cups oats
  2. 1/2 cup sorghum flour (or brown rice, white rice or amaranth)
  3. 1 1/2 cups warm water
  4. 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  5. 1 egg
  6. 1/3 cup maple syrup
  7. 1/3 cup organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
  8. 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  9. 1 tsp. baking soda
  10. 1 tsp. organic vanilla
  11. 3 Tbsp. liquid fat (olive oil, avocado oil, melted butter, coconut oil, lard or tallow)
  12. 1 cup pitted sweet cherries (20 - 25 cherries)
  13. Optional add-ins: chopped nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, seeds
Instructions
  1. Combine the oats, flour, water and lemon juice. Let sit 24 hours.
  2. Heat the oven to 350*F. Grease a 7x11 baking pan.
  3. Add the soaked oats and the remaining ingredients to a blender.
  4. Blend until pureed.
  5. Pour the pureed mixture into the prepared pan.
  6. Stir in any optional add-ins.
  7. Bake 1 hour.
  8. Let oatmeal cool 10 minutes before serving.
  9. Serve plain, topped with butter, with milk or yogurt.
  10. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 9 months.
Notes
  1. Some or all of the oats can be replaced with brown rice flour or amaranth flour.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

Breakfast is served.

Both of my big kids loved this baked oatmeal. No texture issues at all.

I bumped up the nutrition factor by spreading lots of butter on top, as if it was a muffin.

Maple cherry baked oatmeal can also be served with milk poured on top or whole milk yogurt. I thought it tasted great plain, sprinkled with a bit of sea salt to support my adrenals (until my baby girl got horrible reflux and I couldn’t eat any more of it. If you have reflux use caution. Oats can be problematic).

This makes a great breakfast year round. Use cherries from your freezer stash to make a batch of maple cherry baked oatmeal during the winter. You’ll have a healthy and delicious breakfast all week long.

You can also make a double batch and stock your freezer for easy school morning breakfasts. It makes a simple addition to school lunches as well. It can be eaten like a muffin. What kid wouldn’t love a bowl of chicken noodle soup and baked oatmeal packed in their lunch?!

No cherries left?

No problem. Try blueberries! Or any fruit you like.

Make maple cherry baked oatmeal an extra special breakfast by stirring in chopped nuts, dried fruit, cut up fresh fruit or chocolate chips after you pour the batter in the pan.

Try some maple cherry baked oatmeal this summer. Then enjoy it all winter using your frozen fruit. Pair it with a protein like eggs or bacon and add some healthy fat like butter or yogurt. You’ve got the perfect breakfast your kids will love.

Are you an oatmeal fan or does the texture bother you? Have you tried it with the oats pureed?

Blender To Oven Maple Cherry Baked Oatmeal | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

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This post is linked to Savoring Saturdays.

Teff and Sorghum Cherry Bars | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Teff and Sorghum Cherry Bars

Teff and sorghum cherry bars combine two flavorful gluten free grains with a sweet summer fruit to make a soaked, allergen friendly bar. Cherry bars are perfect for easy breakfasts, snacks or even dessert!

Teff and Sorghum Cherry Bars | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Cherries, cherries everywhere!

Did you take advantage of cherry season this year?

I think I blinked and it was over. It lasted maybe two weeks.

I’m thankful we got a good haul while they were around. I froze most of them. But we still have a small bowl in the fridge that needs to be used up ASAP.

We could eat them fresh. But we are all getting cherried-out after devouring them for a few days straight.

Instead I like to make teff and sorghum cherry bars. My kids go crazy for these.

The dough is made with soaked gluten free grains and can be mixed by hand. The cherries are combined with gelatin and touch of honey for a sweet cherry filling.

Trying to get your kids in the kitchen?

Teff and sorghum cherry bars are perfect for little hands that want to help. The dough is very “hand friendly” and needs to be pressed into the pan. It is also a very firm dough, so it doesn’t spill out of the bowl very easily.

Teff and Sorghum Cherry Bars | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Teff and Sorghum Cherry Bars {soaked, gluten free, dairy free, corn free, nut free, egg free, soy free, coconut free}
Serves 12
A simple soaked bar using fresh sweet cherries. It makes the perfect summer breakfast, snack or dessert!
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup teff flour
  2. 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
  3. 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. warm water
  4. 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  5. 4 Tbsp. olive oil (or liquid fat of choice)
  6. 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. honey
  7. 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  8. 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  9. 2 tsp. grass-fed gelatin
  10. 1 cup sweet cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
  11. 1 Tbsp. hone
  12. 1 tsp. grass-fed gelatin
Instructions
  1. Combine the teff, sorghum, water, lemon juice and oil. Work the wet ingredients into the flour. It will be crumbly. Cover and let sit 7-24 hours.
  2. Heat oven to 350*F. Grease a 9" square baking pan.
  3. Mix the cherries, 1 Tbsp. honey and 1 tsp. gelatin. Set aside.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients to the flour mixture. Mix until combined.
  5. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  6. Spread the cherry mixture on the dough.
  7. Top with the remaining half of dough.
  8. Bake for 35 minutes.
  9. Let the bars cool completely.
  10. Cut into bars.
  11. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator (for up to a week) or freezer (for up to 6 months).
Notes
  1. The sorghum can be replaced with white or brown rice flour.
  2. Avocado oil, melted butter, lard, tallow or coconut oil will also work in place of the olive oil.
  3. You can add chopped nuts or chocolate chips into the dough or on the cherry layer.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

Worried about allergens?

No need to be! Teff and sorghum cherry bars are free of:

  • gluten
  • rice
  • dairy
  • nuts
  • corn
  • soy
  • eggs
  • coconut

The grains are also soaked for better digestion and absorption of nutrients. What’s not to love about a treat like that?

Let’s not forget one of the stars of this bar…grass-fed gelatin!

The gelatin helps bind the bars, create a gooey filling and adds nutrients.

If you are looking for a simple breakfast, try teff and sorghum cherry bars. Add a dish of whole milk yogurt, scrambled eggs or  pastured bacon and you’ve got a great start to your day.

Teff and sorghum cherry bars aren’t just for breakfast.

I love using cherry bars as a simple component in lunches. A few slices of raw cheese, fresh in-season fruits and vegetables and a cherry bar…the perfect (and easy!!) summer lunch. Bonus that it can all be eaten with your hands.

Not sure how to use up those last few cherries? Give teff and sorghum cherry bars a try. You many find yourself digging in to your freezer stash to make them all year long!

You can even add chopped nuts and chocolate chips to the batter or spread them on top of the cherries for a really special treat.

Did you miss out on cherries?

No problem. Try these bars with blueberries! Simply mash the berries a bit before adding the gelatin.

No matter what fruit you add these bars are delicious and a perfect summer treat.

What are some fun ways you use your fresh, summer fruit?

Teff and Sorghum Cherry Bars | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sourdough Cherry Granola | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sourdough Cherry Granola

Sourdough cherry granola is a simple, traditionally prepared breakfast cereal that incorporates fresh cherries with a touch of maple syrup and honey. No baking required and only five ingredients! It doesn’t get much easier.

Sourdough Cherry Granola | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

When I was in college I got hooked on granola. I have no idea what brand they had, but the granola in the cereal bins in our cafeteria was amazing!

Just thinking about it makes me want a bowl. Granola and milk…two things I miss dearly.

I looked forward to it every single day. Yes, I said every day.

If you’ve been around here long you know that eating the same foods every day often leads to an intolerance or even allergy. Which is why I now am on a rotational diet.

Can you guess what I can’t eat now? Oats. Which means no traditional granola.

Sourdough Cherry Granola | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

There are alternatives.

I’ve made alternative versions of granola over the years like grain free granola and soaked cereal.

Nuts have been out of my diet for a long time now. And lately my little one reacts to so many things that my grain options are dwindling…even many of my usual gluten free grains.

Instead I use a lot of sourdough right now (but of course I try not to eat it every day!)

What do you do with bowls full of cherries?

After cherry picking recently I was trying to brainstorm new ways to use up cherries. I decided to try my hand at making granola using my sourdough starter with added cherries for a sweet twist.

Making granola could not get any simpler! There are only five ingredients in sourdough cherry granola. All you do is mix and dehydrate.

The result is a sweet, fruity, crunchy cereal perfect for snacking or an easy summer breakfast.

Sourdough Cherry Granola | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sourdough Cherry Granola
Serves 12
A sweet, fruity, crunchy granola made with traditional sourdough and sweet cherries.
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Ingredients
  1. 2 1/2 cups sourdough starter
  2. 1 cup sweet cherries, pitted
  3. 1/4 cup honey
  4. 1/3 cup maple syrup
  5. 1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  6. optional: 1/2 tsp. baking soda to make it a bit softer
  7. optional after drying: chopped nuts, dried fruit, coconut flakes, min chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. 3 - 9 hours before making the granola feed your sourdough starter so you have at least 3 1/2 cups.
  2. Puree the cherries in a blender.
  3. Mix the cherry puree, sourdough starter, honey, syrup and salt (and soda if using).
  4. Pour the mixture onto parchment lined dehydrator trays (this filled two trays in my Excalibur).
  5. Dry on the highest setting until crisp (this took about 15 hours for me).
  6. Break the granola into small pieces for granola or large pieces for crackers.
  7. Store in a sealed container in the cupboard or in the freezer for long term storage.
Notes
  1. You can replace the cherries with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or a combination of fruit.
  2. You can use all honey or all maple syrup. The combination gives a neutral/mild sweet flavor.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/
There is no flour added to the sourdough starter so you don’t have to worry about waiting for grains to ferment.

There is also no need to worry about oats!

Are oats really that great?

It’s funny that oats are such a staple in our culture. Oatmeal is thought of as the “perfect breakfast” and great for heart health. But I find that many people have a really hard time digesting oats. Even my mom (that doesn’t know a ton about real food) thinks they are hard on your stomach.

And if they are not properly prepared they are extra hard on your gut due to the high phytic acid content.

I attempted to eat oats once recently…and my baby had such  horrible reflux or stomach pain (she can’t tell us which yet) that she just screamed. So it’s nice to have an alternative to the traditional oat-based cereals.

Sourdough Cherry Granola | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

But how does it taste?

Now let’s get to the really important part – what my kids think.

They love it!

To be honest we haven’t been eating it as cereal much. But we have been munching on it a lot!

Sourdough cherry granola is the perfect finger food for snacks whether at home or on the go. It is not messy and stays good at room temperature.

I kept my sourdough cherry granola simple. If you want to spruce it up you can add dried fruit, nuts, coconut flakes or chocolate chips after it is dried and crumbled.

Not a cereal fan? Break the dried sheets into larger chunks for crackers!

Sourdough cherry granola is a great way to use fresh summer fruit. If you want to change it up you can swap blueberries, strawberries or raspberries for the cherries.

Give yourself a break.

This summer let yourself sleep in once in a while and wake up to a simple, no prep breakfast. Pour raw milk over your sourdough cherry granola or sprinkle the granola on a dish of whole milk yogurt.

Take five minutes and five ingredients to get sourdough cherry granola going. Then let your dehydrator do the work. Stock your pantry and your freezer with this delicious breakfast.

Are you a granola fan? What is your favorite version?

Sourdough Cherry Granola | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan Week of 7-19-15

This week’s allergen friendly meal plan is focused on using fresh produce and keeping up with preservation! Our garden is really growing right now.

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

I always look forward to Sunday morning.

It’s a time to start over with a new week. It’s a time to look forward to the joys and challenges of the coming days.

Last week we certainly had our challenges. But we also had our joys. My oldest had a wonderful week at camp.

I am so grateful that my baby’s lip and tongue tie clipping went smoothly. It was night and day difference from last time since we didn’t have all of the allergy stuff on top of it.

I continue to learn every week new things to avoid for her. We had a good week with food until Friday when I ate some of our locally made bacon. So Friday and Saturday were not so great. She is also teething like crazy. So sleep has not been very good.

Health Comes First

All of this made me realize that the rest of our summer needs to be spent at home. No big outings.  No being gone for hours where she will hardly eat/nurse and let her tummy get upset again. Her health is the priority right now.

I also know I need to make sleep a priority for myself. My body has really been struggling again. I did manage to squeeze in a nap yesterday!

We tried to introduce rice for my son again…and again it did not go well. I guess that one will have to be on hold for a while yet.

So on to this new week…hopefully with full health for everyone!! My oldest has soccer camp all week. It is also grocery week plus farmers market, library and orthodontist.Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Bring on the Veggies!

Our garden is growing like crazy right now!  We’ve got lots of beans and zucchini. So we are feasting on them both!

I realized yesterday that my sorghum flour is moldy (gross!). So I’m down to just two types of gluten free flour…which means I won’t be doing a whole lot of baking. I would like to do some. So we’ll see if I can find more flour at our regular store or if I just make do with what I’ve got.

On my to-do kitchen list for this week:

  • freeze beans
  • make sourdough bread
  • make zucchini bread and/or muffins
  • make popsicles?
  • make baked oatmeal
  • roast squash

Need some seasonal recipes?

Last week I posted recipes for sourdough hamburger buns and cherry mustard vinaigrette. If I can find the time to write I’ve got three cherry recipes I want to share with you this week!

Next up is blueberry season. If you’re anxious to get started using them here are some great recipes to try:

Let’s get cooking!

My allergen friendly meal plan was quite a challenge this week since we are running low on meat. Plus I can’t eat the bacon or ham we have in the freezer now. That makes it very difficult to rotate foods! Thankfully we have our co-op pick up this week. I may have to break down and look at the meat at our grocery store for the first time in YEARS.

Here is what we’re eating this week. How about you?

Allergen Friendly Meal Plan | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sunday
B – yogurt, granola bars
L – crockpot meatloaf, roasted potatoes, carrots
D – green bean casserole w/ bacon, peaches, rice
*freeze beans

Monday
B – muffins, fruit
D (prep ahead) – crockpot 7 layer dinner, applesauce
*soak quinoa, boil eggs

Tuesday
B – hard boiled eggs, toast
D – chicken nuggets, broccoflower, quinoa
*soak oats

Wednesday
B – blueberry baked oatmeal
D – pan fried cod, roasted cabbage, chips
*soak flour for bread/muffins, freeze beans

Thursday
B – yogurt, granola, blueberries
D – pea soup w/ ham, zucchini bread or muffins
*roast squash, make sd bread

Friday
B – blueberry baked oatmeal
D – sd pancakes w/ blueberry topping, sausage, beans
*feed sd starter

Saturday
B – kids’ choice
D – grilled steak, baked potatoes, sqaush
*freeze beans