Author: Mary | Just Take A Bite

July 28, 2014

Gluten Free Dairy Free Double Strawberry Shortcake

What’s summer without strawberry shortcake? If you are gluten and dairy free you don’t have to go without!

This shortcake has double the berries – both in and on the cake! Strawberry puree adds just enough moisture to the cake. Sweetened strawberries on top add a burst of flavor.

Double strawberry shortcake is a great baking project for kids. My three-year old loved helping. He especially liked to mash the berries for the topping.

For an extra treat, add vanilla ice cream on top of the cake before adding the sweetened strawberries.

If you don’t have any fresh strawberries left you can simply defrost frozen berries. So you can make this treat year round.

My kids definitely approved of double strawberry shortcake. I hope you do too.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Double Strawberry Shortcake

2014-07-03 11:06:13

A delicious strawberry shortcake that is allergen-friendly and has a double dose of berries.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Cake

1 cup any combination of gluten free flour (i.e. sorghum, tapioca, rice, amaranth)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup strawberries, pureed
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Topping

2 cups strawberries, hulled
2 Tbsp. honey, maple syrup, sucanat or coconut sugar

Cake

Heat the oven to 350*F. Grease an 8" square baking dish.
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Add the wet ingredients. Beat until well mixed.
Pour into the greased pan.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
Allow to cool completely.

Topping

Add sweetener to the strawberries.
Mash lightly with a potato masher.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Shortcake

Serve the cake topped with sweetened strawberries. Add ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Notes

If using frozen strawberries, allow them to thaw before making the shortcake.
The strawberries can be replaced with blueberries or raspberries.

By Mary - homemadedutchapplepie.com

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.
If you order by clicking on any of my Tropical Traditions links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

July 27, 2014

Meal Plans Week of 7-27-14

I’m almost there. By the end of the week it will be August. Baby is due in August. That means it’s really getting close!! We’re down to the last 3 1/2 weeks and all of the final preparations.

We had one final family outing to the beach yesterday. Now I’m ready to stay put and start nesting.

I’m still trying to keep up with my kitchen work…and I’ve got lots of great recipes coming your way! I might try to go blueberry picking later this week. After that it will be time for blueberry projects. We’re also in the process of freezing the beans from our garden.

My daughter has swimming lessons again all week. I hope my swollen body can handle another week of sitting in a hot pool room.

If you missed any recipes from last week be sure to check them out! I shared my recipes for zucchini salmon cakes, strawberry slushies and soaked gluten free cereal. I just finished our batch of cereal this morning in my yogurt. I hope I have time to make another before baby arrives. It’s so good!

Amazingly we don’t have any afternoon outings this week. What a nice treat. But we’ll keep plenty busy. Here is what’s on the menu. What are you eating this week?

********************MENU********************

Sunday
L – cp beef roast, vegetables
D – balogna sandwiches, watermelon, peas, chips, strawberry slush
*make/can salsa (two kinds), make df ice cream

Monday
D – spaghetti, broccoli
*make graham crackers

Tuesday
D – beef and vegetable stir fry over rice
*skim cream, make gf bread

Wednesday
D – sweet and sour meatballs, beans, mashed potatoes
*freeze beans, make ice cream, make pudding, make gf bread

Thursday
D – salmon cakes, peas, french fries
*clean, make gf bread

Friday
D – BLTs, broccoli, fruit
*clean

Saturday
D – out to eat
*freeze blueberries

July 25, 2014

Zucchini Salmon Cakes (grain free, dairy free, nut free)

One meal that I know my kids will always devour is salmon cakes. It’s kind of an odd meal for small children to love. But they do. And it makes me so happy.

Recently I decided to change things up a bit and make zucchini salmon cakes since zucchini is in season. I wondered if my kids (one with texture issues and one that is very picky with vegetables) would still enjoy them.

To my great surprise and delight they did!! Both kids loved them!

These zucchini salmon cakes still have the flavor of a salmon cake. But there is actually way more zucchini than salmon in them. So you get the benefits of salmon combined with vegetables. And even if your kids won’t eat another vegetable with the meal you know they are at least getting some. That is my kind of meal!

Zucchini salmon cakes are very easy to make. They also work well for a lot of special diets since they are grain, dairy and nut free.

We had these as our main dish for dinner. But they were also great cold the next day for lunch. I honestly think my kids liked them better that way. I even love them cold for breakfast. It’s a great way to start my day with fish, eggs and vegetables. Plus it’s already prepared, so breakfast is easy.

I serve them with homemade mayonnaise. They would also be good with pesto. These zucchini salmon cakes are even meaty enough to be used as burgers! Put one on a bun with your favorite toppings for a change of pace.

If you’re looking for a delicious and nourishing summer meal this is it. There is no need to turn on the oven. Just fry up some zucchini salmon cakes. They are great for the whole family.

Zucchini Salmon Cakes

2014-07-11 05:38:06

Yields 8

A salmon cake packed with zucchini and lots of flavor.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups finely grated zucchini, drained (about 3 medium zucchinis)
1 6 oz. can of boneless skinless salmon
3 eggs
1/3 cup coconut flour
seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder)
Lard, coconut oil or palm shortening for frying

Instructions

Grate the zucchini. Place in a strainer to drain for about one hour. Squeeze out excess liquid.
Combine the zucchini, salmon, eggs, flour and seasoning.
Cover the bottom of a large pan with fat. Heat over medium heat.
Scoop balls of zucchini mixture and form into patties. Place in hot pan.
Cook until browned on bottom, about 7 minutes. Flip. Cook until the other side is browned.
Serve warm.

Notes

If you like the cakes to be really firm add 1/2 cup coconut flour instead of 1/3 cup.
The zucchini salmon cakes can be used as burgers and served on buns.
The zucchini salmon cakes can be served warm or cold, as breakfast. lunch or dinner.
Homemade mayonnaise or pesto make great dipping sauces for the zucchini salmon cakes.
The salmon can be replaced with tuna.

By Mary - homemadedutchapplepie.com

Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

July 24, 2014

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Winner

Today I’m excited to announce the winner of the Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

The winner is:

Emer M.

Thanks to all those that entered. Even if you didn’t win, be sure to get your hands on some coconut oil. Tropical Traditions offers sales very frequently. Visit the Tropical Traditions website for more information.

If you order by clicking on any of my Tropical Traditions links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

July 23, 2014

Simple Strawberry Slush (egg free, dairy free, nut free, gluten free)

This simple strawberry slush is a fun, fruity, allergen-friendly drink for kids and adults. It contains no eggs, dairy, nuts, grains, soy or coconut.Do you want to treat your kids to a really fun drink? Try a simple strawberry slush! It is a perfect way to cool down in the summer and consume fresh, nutritious produce.

I grew up drinking Slushies® all the time. We would bike to the local drug store all summer to get them. Of course they were made of food coloring, high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor.

This simple strawberry slush is a much-improved version. It only uses a few simple ingredients. It is also very allergen-friendly.

My kids LOVE these. I’ll be honest – my husband and I do too!

As always, the best part for me is that it only takes about 60 seconds to make a simple strawberry slush. Plus I can add collagen for a nutrition boost.

Strawberries work very well in this drink – even frozen! But if you don’t have any or want a different flavor you can try blueberries, raspberries or even cherries. You really can’t go wrong.

This summer the whole family can cool down with a nourishing simple strawberry slush.

Simple Strawberry Slush

2014-07-03 06:04:50

Serves 2

A fun, refreshing and healthy summer drink that is free of allergens.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Ingredients

6 ice cubes
3/4 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen) (or other fruit)
1 - 2 Tbsp. sweetener (honey, syrup, sucanat) (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
1/4 tsp. sea salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. collagen (optional)

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a high powered blender.
Blend until desired consistency.
Serve immediately.

Notes

This makes enough for two children or one adult.
You can blend it completely smooth (for small children) or leave a bit of slushiness from the ice.
Blueberries, raspberries and cherries can be combined with or substituted for the strawberries.

By Mary - homemadedutchapplepie.com

Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

July 21, 2014

Soaked Gluten Free Cereal

Breakfast takes on so many forms in my house. One day it might be soup. The next day it might be muffins and fruit. Another day it might be eggs and vegetables. It just depends what we have on hand and what we are in the mood for.

But when it is HOT and I don’t feel like baking or cooking it is so nice to be able to grab a bowl of cereal. I’ve mentioned before why we don’t buy cereal. That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a bowl as a special treat once in a while.

Not buying cereal doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the flavors you love. I’ve made gluten free “Golden Grahams,” gluten free peanut butter cocoa puffs, grain free granola, grain free muesli, whole wheat cocoa puffs, whole wheat “Golden Grahams,” homemade “Frosted Mini Wheats,” homemade oat squares and soaked granola.

This is another one of my solutions for the cereal dilemma. It is soaked and gluten free. It is great topped with fresh, raw milk.

It also makes a great granola substitute for people like me that don’t tolerate oats. Use it as is or mix nuts, dried fruit and/or coconut into the container of cereal. What a treat for a granola-lover like myself! I love mixing it into whole milk yogurt.

I recommend making a double or triple batch. I don’t think the single batch I made is going to last long. It’s just too good!

I made it with dairy, but this cereal can easily be made dairy free. It is naturally free of eggs, gluten, corn, soy and nuts.

What does your typical breakfast look like? If you’ve already ditched the cereal, now you can treat yourself to a bowl once in a while.

Soaked Gluten Free Cereal

2014-06-29 06:15:26

A simple cold cereal for busy mornings or a special treat.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups any combination of gluten free flours (i.e. white rice, sorghum, amaranth, tapioca)
1 cup of soaking liquid - buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, milk + vinegar or water + lemon juice
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup organic cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. organic vanilla

Soak The Flour

Combine the flour and soaking liquid. Cover and let sit 7 - 24 hours.

Bake The Cereal

Add the remaining ingredients to the soaked flour.
Mix well with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Pour the batter into a greased 8x11 or 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350*F for 25 minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Dry The Cereal

Crumble the cereal into large chunks and place on a baking sheet or dehydrator tray.
Dry at 150*F in an oven or dehydrator for about 3 hours, until cereal is dry and crunchy.
Crumble the cereal into desired sized pieces.
Store in an airtight container in the cupboard or the freezer.
Serve topped with milk or mixed into yogurt.

Notes

This is a very portable snack for kids.
The cereal can be turned into muesli/granola by adding chopped nuts, dried fruit and/or coconut.

By Mary - homemadedutchapplepie.com

Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

July 20, 2014

Meal Plans Week of 7-20-14

July is over half way done! Today I have reached 35 weeks. That means less than five weeks to go (32 days to be exact). Time sure is flying.

Even though things seem to be moving quickly I sure seem to be slowing down. But I’m still doing my best to get the last few odds and ends done and keep up with things in the kitchen. I have a pretty ambitious agenda this week. I may end up scrapping half of it. We’ll see how I’m feeling.

My daughter has swimming lessons all week. So that will fill some of our time. We also have a playdate to look forward to.

We are already done with cherry season in our house. It always goes so quickly. I did manage to make two cherry pies last week (one “regular” and one gluten/dairy/rice free). Now it’s time to start freezing beans! Blueberries will be coming soon. I might even try to can a batch of salsa this week since our pantry stash is almost gone. Zucchini is starting as well. I’m trying my best to keep up with the produce preservation.

If you missed any of last week’s posts be sure to check them out! I shared my pre-baby house makeover, pectin-free strawberry jam and blueberry and cherry yogurt. Plus don’t forget that there are a few days left to enter the coconut oil giveaway!

Here is what’s on the menu for the week. I’m still trying to put whatever I can in the freezer. Hopefully it will be enough to get us through the first few weeks after baby arrives. What’s on your menu this week?

********************MENU********************

Sunday
L – cp roast chicken legs, potatoes, carrots
D – misc. leftovers, chips w/ salsa and guacamole, fruit salad, milkshakes
*freeze beans, make gummies, make/freeze breakfast cookies, make/freeze coconut flour squash scones

Monday
D – 7 layer dinner (make double batch), fruit
*freeze casserole, make zucchini scones

Tuesday
D – pork chops and apples over quinoa, broccoli
*soak flour, make blueberry cake, skim cream

Wednesday
D – (keep warm) – cp chicken, lentil and vegetable soup, zucchini bread
*make ice cream, freeze soup, make zucchini bread

Thursday
D – (prep ahead) – cp salsa chicken, fruit
*make crackers

Friday
D – pancakes (make double batch), sausage, broccoli, fruit
*freeze pancakes

Saturday
D – grilled chicken burgers, green beans, roasted potatoes
*make/can salsa, soak flour

July 18, 2014

Blueberry or Cherry Yogurt

No need to buy flavored yogurt. Make your own! Blueberry or cherry yogurt are a cinch with just a few simple ingredients and none of the bad stuff.

Yogurt is one of my favorite foods! But if you gave me a container of store-bought flavored yogurt I probably wouldn’t touch it.

Most yogurt contains artificial flavor and color in addition to fillers and chemical sweeteners. Regardless of the health status of most yogurts, I think they are just way too sweet. Anybody else?

My family’s palates have definitely changed when it comes to how sweet our food is. So I’ve been making yogurt at home for years. Sometimes I make it from our raw milk. When we don’t have enough milk to spare I just buy plain, whole milk yogurt and add our own flavor.

When flavoring your own yogurt the possibilities are endless! I come up with all sorts of creations, depending on what we have in the house. It’s fun to have variety.

I like to make cookies ‘n’ cream yogurt when we have homemade cocoa puffs, oreos® or brownies on hand. I’ve even been known to make caramel apple, strawberry swirl, cherry pie and a few other crazy flavors.

But two of our favorites (and two of the easiest) are blueberry and cherry. Just a few simple ingredients and you have the best yogurt you’ve ever tasted. No overpowering sweetness. No artificial flavor. Just pure, simple ingredients.

With blueberries and cherries in season this yogurt makes the perfect breakfast or snack any time of day. When the fresh fruit isn’t in season any more you can still enjoy delicious yogurt using frozen fruit.

If the flavor and health benefits aren’t enough, making your own flavored yogurt from large containers of plain yogurt really saves money. A single serving yogurt is about $1.00. You can buy a tub of plain yogurt for about $2.00 and make six servings out of it. That is a huge savings.

I like to take five minutes in the evening to prepare individual yogurts. Then breakfast is ready when we get up in the morning. You can even take it on the go.

If you like fruit on the bottom yogurt you’ll love my versions of blueberry and cherry yogurt. Stir in some homemade granola for a complete breakfast treat. What is your favorite yogurt flavor?

This post is linked to From The Archives Friday.

Blueberry or Cherry Yogurt

2014-07-10 06:19:18

Serves 1

A quick and flavorful variation of yogurt without any fillers.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk yogurt or coconut milk yogurt
2 Tbsp. pure blueberry juice or cherry juice
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries or cherries

Instructions

Combine the yogurt, juice, syrup and fruit.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Notes

If using frozen fruit it is best to let the yogurt sit for at least one hour to let the fruit thaw.

By Mary - homemadedutchapplepie.com

Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

July 14, 2014

My Pre-Baby House Makeover

Back in March I posted my 2014 goals. One of them was to simplify and de-clutter. I was slowly getting my energy back after a very long stretch of “morning” sickness.

I started doing little things here and there. Gradually I was able to tackle projects that took 2-3 hours (that’s what nap time is for, right?).

After three months I think I’ve achieved my goal. Is there still more to be done? Absolutely (please don’t look in the “craft” room in our basement). But I have gotten all of the bedrooms organized. I moved all of my son’s things to my daughter’s room. I set up the nursery (including baby clothes, cloth diapers, etc.) I cleaned the office. I reorganized my daughter’s craft center and our living room. I got rid of some old stuff.

I also actually cleaned instead of just organizing. This is very helpful for all of the allergy sufferers in the house.

Was it a lot of work? You bet! Was it worth it? Totally.

Now I just have to keep up with things. When I see a mess it only takes a few minutes to get things back in order. I don’t feel overwhelmed with the clutter.

I actually can clean and dust now without feeling like I have a million things to move out of the way first.

One of the best parts is that my children love the change. When they don’t have too many toys out at once they play so nicely together and really use their imaginations. It’s so fun to watch.

We also now have room to set up the baby gear.

In the end it was a lot of work. But it is so worth it. Even if you only work for 15 minutes a day it can make an impact. De-cluttering the house has made life far less stressful. Plus I’m teaching my kids how to take care of their things and put them where they belong…now that they actually have a place for everything.

I’m not perfect. Neither is my house. There is always more to be done. But I’m excited about the change. Here are some before and after pictures. I think they speak for themselves. I didn’t remember to take all of the before pictures. But the after pictures are still great.

Is your house or your stuff feeling overwhelming? Taking just a few minutes a day to de-clutter will make a big difference.

A clean bedroom.

We can eat at the breakfast nook again.

My kids LOVE the setup of their craft center. They use it every day.

The nursery closet is ready for baby’s stuff.

I can see my desk again.

I feel calmer just looking at the after pictures! I didn’t even take pictures of some of the big rooms like the kitchen and living room. Organizing the house was a big task. But I’m glad it’s done. Now my goal is to just maintain and not let things get as bad as they were. If I can do the hard work while pregnant I should be able to maintain when my body is fully functional again.

July 13, 2014

Meal Plans Week of 7-13-14

I’m getting a late start to my menu posting today. Our power was out most of the night. It’s finally back and I’m getting on with my to-dos now.

Last week was insanely busy both at home and with all of our outings. I’m sure this week will be busy as well. But hopefully I don’t push myself too hard. This is the only week I have to go blueberry picking. I’m trying to decide if it fits in our schedule and if I’m physically up for it.

Yesterday was cherry picking day. We got almost 40 lbs. We’ve dealt with about half of them so far. The other half will be today.

I’m still working on stocking my freezer for while I’m in the hospital and after I come home. So I’m basing our meals around what I want in the freezer. It’s hard to do that in combination with preserving fresh produce (hopefully we’ll stock up on blueberries this week and our beans are just getting started!) and making time for baking and new kitchen projects.

Today I am at 34 weeks. Only 39 days to go! That’s not much. I better keep working.

If you missed it don’t forget to enter the coconut oil giveaway!!!

Here is our menu for the week and all of my extra projects so far. I’ll probably keep adding to the list. What’s on your menu?

***************MENU***************

Sunday
L – grill burgers, chips w/ dip, lettuce salads
D – cp ham roast, potatoes, carrots
*~~make suckers~~, freeze cherries, make cherry cobbler, make hot fudge

Monday
D – cp ham and pea soup, muffins
*freeze muffins, freeze soup, make/freeze granola bars, freeze cherries

Tuesday
D – chicken, broccoli and noodle casserole, fruit
*~~make/freeze breakfast cookies,~~ freeze casserole

Wednesday
D – (prep ahead) – cp tomato soup, grilled cheese, muffins
*freeze soup, skim cream, make cherry ice cream

Thursday
D – chicken nuggets with honey mustard, peas, french fries
*~~make/freeze scones, make chicken broth~~

Friday
D – leftovers
*~~strain/freeze broth, make chicken broth,~~ make cherry pie

Saturday
D – grilled salmon, chips w/ dip, grilled zucchini
*strain/freeze broth

Pin It on Pinterest