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Category: Food allergies

Does one (or all!) of your children have food allergies? Sadly this is no longer a rare thing. More and more kids struggle with food allergies now than ever before.

I’ve been there too. Skin testing, blood work, epi-pens…the works. It can be challenging or down right scary.

But you don’t have to live in fear. And you don’t have to just accept food allergies as a life sentence. There is help!

My son went from over twenty food allergies and an epi-pen to being able to eat just about anything. Even nuts!

There are ways to heal the gut and nourish the body so your child can get back to a normal life. Food allergies have so many underlying causes. Once you figure out the root problem and treat it the body will begin to heal.

Don’t let food allergies define your life. I’m here to help you and your child heal.

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on starting home school and getting back into routines. Definitely lots of easy meals and planning involved.

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 7/3/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on the holiday, spending time with family and all things cherry!This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on the holiday, spending time with family and all things cherry! Head over to Just Take A Bite for meal time inspiration.

Happy 4th of July! Is it really July? I thought summer break just started.

We’ve been enjoying time with extended family out in the country. It’s beautiful! It makes me want to find our own little farm even more.

Cherries are here!

Cherry season has started in Michigan. I love this time of year. Cherries, followed closely by blueberries and peaches. I may be biased, but this really is an amazing place to live. Nothing beats fresh Michigan cherries, blueberries and peaches.

We’ll be cherry picking and then working on freezing most of our haul.

In the kitchen.

That will take up some of my time in the kitchen. My other projects include:

Since my husband is on vacation we’ve got a few fun outings planned. Plus my oldest is seeing a new doctor. I’m really excited about it.

On the menu.

Meals are simple as always and as much prep ahead as possible. Hopefully I can get my kids in the kitchen with me for some of it. Here is this week’s real food meal plan.

What’s on your menu? Any fun holiday foods?

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on the holiday, spending time with family and all things cherry! Head over to Just Take A Bite for meal time inspiration.

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 2
B – yogurt, fruit, granola 
L – roast beef, mashed potatoes, roasted cauliflower
D – grilled brats and hot dogs, roasted purple cabbage, pearsauce
prep:
notes: 

Monday 3
B – oatmeal bake, smoothies
D – grilled cheese, sauteed zucchini, blueberries
prep: prep smoothies
notes:

Tuesday 4
B – toast w/ sunbutter and peach jam, spinach blueberry smoothies
D – grilled burgers, salad w/ cherry honey mustard, cherry rhubarb jello, roasted potatoes
prep: make jello, soak millet
notes:

Wednesday 1
B – cereal, fruit | millet porridge, jello | salad
D – squash chicken soup, muffins, salad
prep: bake muffins, prep smoothies
notes:

Thursday 2
B – yogurt, granola bar | squash cherry smoothies, muffins
D – roast chicken legs, roasted cauliflower, seasoned rice
prep: soak flour for pancakes, soak teff, freeze cherries
notes: clean

Friday 3
B – cereal, fruit | teff porridge, fruit | avocado, chicken, rice
D – pancakes w/ cherry topping, sausage, beans, spinach
prep: bake cherry cobbler, make cherry jam
notes:

Saturday 4
B – pancakes, sausage, fruit
D – grilled steak, grilled zucchini, salad, rolls w/ peach and cherry jam
prep: bake rolls
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, strawberry (pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado (amaranth, tomato, orange, raspberry)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, sorghum, quinoa
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, split peas, rice (millet, egg, dairy)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet (egg)

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on starting home school and getting back into routines. Definitely lots of easy meals and planning involved.

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 6/26/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on having fun and eating well. All while trying to stay cool!

This week's real food meal plan focuses on easy, prep ahead meals that keep you nourished while giving you lots of time to enjoy summer fun.

I really can’t believe this is the last week of June already. Why does summer always go so quickly? We’re trying to make the most of it with lots of nature walks, trips to the library and farmer’s market and of course ice cream.

Back to waiting.

One thing we are not doing this summer now is moving. We were very saddened and shocked last week when our house deal fell through. We’ve been waiting to close for TWO MONTHS now. But at the last minute the sellers backed out. Now we’re left with a basement full of packed boxes.

On the bright side the house has less clutter and we’ve been able to relax more.

We will wait on God’s perfect timing and just the right house. For now we’ll stay put because this is where He wants us. I’m not sure why, but I trust God has great plans.

In the kitchen.

I’m not doing too much extra work in the kitchen this week as we have a lot of errands to run. My projects include:

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On the menu.

Here is this week’s real food meal plan. Lots of easy, prep ahead meals. Then I have lots of time for summer fun with the kids.

What’s on your menu this week?

This week's real food meal plan focuses on easy, prep ahead meals that keep you nourished while giving you lots of time to enjoy summer fun.

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 3
B – cereal/granola, fruit | muffins, avocado, fruit
L – crockpot roast chicken, brussels sprouts, rice
D – grilled brats and hot dogs, grilled asparagus, chips
prep: prep smoothies, render lard, make lunch meat
notes: 

Monday 4
B – yogurt, granola bar | spinach blueberry smoothies
D – pumpkin sausage soup, crackers w/ cheese
prep: make pumpkin yogurt, soak oats, soak flour for graham crackers
notes:

Tuesday 1
B – oatmeal | pumpkin yogurt
D – pan fried cod, roasted purple cabbage, baked sweet potatoes
prep: prep smoothies, make graham crackers
notes:

Wednesday 2
B –  toast w/ sunbutter | squash cherry smoothies
D – chicken rice broccoli casserole, home canned peaches
prep:
notes:

Thursday 3
B – peach yogurt, granola | avocado, muffin, peaches, beef jerky
D – egg and sausage casserole, spinach, toast w/ strawberry jam
prep: prep smoothies
notes:

Friday 4
B – egg casserole | spinach blueberry smoothies
D – roast chicken, mashed potatoes, squash, salad
prep: 
notes:

Saturday 1
B – pancakes, bacon
D – crockpot pork chops, roasted zucchini, seasoned rice
prep: 
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, strawberry (pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado (amaranth, tomato, orange, raspberry)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, sorghum, quinoa
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, split peas, rice (millet, egg, dairy)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet (egg)

The weekly Real Food Meal Plan with lots of allergen friendly meals from Just Take A Bite

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 6/19/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on packing, cleaning, having fun and not spending too much time in the kitchen!

The weekly Real Food Meal Plan with lots of allergen friendly meals from Just Take A Bite

Happy Father’s Day! I’m thankful for my wonderful husband, father and father-in-law. Such a blessing to be able to celebrate three God-fearing men.

We’re getting down to crunch time on packing and cleaning. I think we’ve got most of the major stuff done. But there is always more. Now we just need a closing date!! (don’t ask…we’re getting pretty annoyed by the whole thing).

Strawberries!!

Last week I let my youngest try strawberries for the first time. I had cut them out when she was very little because she reacted when I ate them. Amazingly she did just fine with them!! One more food to add to her rotation. I love it!

I also love that my husband picked 30 lbs. of fresh strawberries. Now we have a freezer full for the year ahead. I also made five jars of strawberry jam and a batch of strawberry fruit leather.

In the kitchen.

I’m going to do my best to keep us well fed and stay out of the kitchen this week. I really want to have as much time as possible to spend with my kids. I do have a few kitchen projects. They include: 

Great stuff for you!

If you haven’t entered the prAna pants giveaway yet, click here. Today is the last day to enter!

I have another great deal for you. One of my absolute favorite books on health and healing is The Nourished Metabolism. And it’s on sale right now. Grab a copy. I think I read it cover to cover the first time I sat down with it. And it changed my life.

On the menu.

Here is our real food meal plan for the week. I’m trying a couple new recipes (one my own creation, one not mine). I’m trying to get a little more variety in our diets. But it’s not easy with so many food restrictions.

What’s on your menu? Are you trying anything new this week?

The weekly Real Food Meal Plan with lots of allergen friendly meals from Just Take A Bite

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day.

Sunday 4
B – scrambled eggs, toast w/ strawberry jam | banana, muffin, molasses tonic | crackers, sunbutter, blueberries
L – crockpot roast beef, roasted asparagus, spinach, seasoned rice
D – bbq beef on buns, salad w/ cucumbers, jello
prep: make pumpkin yogurt, freeze bananas
notes: 

Monday 1
B – yogurt, granola, strawberries | pumpkin yogurt w/ bananas and graham crackers
D – sloppy joes, squash, french fries
prep: roast squash, prep smoothies, make banana ice cream, soak oats, soak amaranth
notes:

Tuesday 2
B –  oatmeal| amaranth porridge, squash cherry smoothies
D – creamy broccoli chicken soup, crackers w/ cheese
prep: make squash cheese, soak flour for bread
notes:

Wednesday 3
B – cereal, fruit | leftover soup
D – crockpot ribs, roased zucchini, crockpot mashed potatoes
prep: bake bread, prep smoothies
notes:

Thursday 4
B – toast w/ sunbutter, fruit | spinach blueberry smoothies
D – crockpot hobo dinners, salad
prep:
notes:

Friday 1
B – yogurt, granola | pumpkin yogurt w/ graham crackers
D – stuffed cabbage “un-rolls” (tomato free adaptation)
prep: soak flour for crackers, soak flour for muffins
notes:

Saturday 2
B – fried egg, toast w/ strawberry jam | leftovers
D – grilled chicken burgers on lettuce leaves, roasted cauliflower and brussels sprouts, chips
prep: bake teff crackers, bake muffins
notes:

Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, strawberry (pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado (amaranth, tomato, orange, raspberry)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, sorghum, quinoa
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, split peas, rice (millet, egg, dairy)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet (egg)

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on kicking off summer break, having fun and getting the kids in the kitchen!

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 6/12/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on kicking off summer break, having fun and getting the kids in the kitchen!

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on kicking off summer break, having fun and getting the kids in the kitchen!

It’s finally here!! Summer break. We’ve all been waiting for it.

The kids are excited to start our “home school summer school” with a trip to the park to play and explore nature, a walk to the library to stock up on books (my oldest goes through about two 200 page chapter books a day!) and a walk to the farmer’s market for some fresh produce.

Soon we’ll have to do our annual strawberry picking. Then let the produce preservation begin!

We’ll start the Kids Cook Real Food course too. My goal is to have my oldest start helping with dinner most nights. It will be so fun!

What’s not so fun is two year molars. Just ask my toddler. I’m praying that the last one breaks through the gums today. Yesterday was pretty brutal with no nap, no nursing, very little eating and lots of screaming.

In the kitchen.

Last week I focused on house packing. Which means this week our cupboards are bare again. Time to do some baking! Here are my kitchen projects for the week:

Need some summer style?

Have you entered the prAna giveaway yet? I’d love to hear about your summer cravings!

Here is our real food meal plan for the week. My goal in the summer is to plan dinners that are prepared in advance so we have lots of time to play and explore. I also plan foods that my kids can help prepare.

What’s on your menu this week? Any grilling or exciting summer treats?

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on kicking off summer break, having fun and getting the kids in the kitchen!

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 1
B – strawberry yogurt, banana bread | pumpkin yogurt, blueberry muffins
L – crockpot meatloaf, baked potatoes, carrots
D – grilled steak, squash, lettuce salad, fruit salad
prep: grind flour, soak flour for teff crackers and sorghum crackers, prep smoothies
notes: 

Monday 2
B – cereal, fruit | squash cherry smoothies, banana bread
D – crockpot pork chops, roasted cauliflower, seasoned rice
prep: prep smoothies, bake teff crackers, bake sorghum crackers, soak flour for breakfast cookies
notes:

Tuesday 3
B – toast w/ sunbutter, fruit | muffins, gummies
D – crockpot roast chicken, roasted asparagus, roasted potato wedges
prep: bake breakfast cookies, prep smoothies
notes:

Wednesday 4
B – breakfast cookies, spinach blueberry smoothies
D – macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, salad
prep: soak flour for muffins
notes:

Thursday 1
B – yogurt, granola bar | pumpkin porridge
D – chicken vegetable soup, muffins
prep: bake muffins, soak flour for pancakes
notes:

Friday 2
B – cereal, fruit | muffins, fruit
D – pancakes, bacon, roasted cauliflower and brussels sprouts
prep: 
notes:

Saturday 3
B – fried eggs, toast | pancakes, bacon
D – chicken, broccoli, rice bake, jello
prep: make jello
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana (strawberry, pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado (amaranth, tomato, orange, raspberry)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, sorghum, quinoa
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, split peas, rice (millet, egg, dairy)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet (egg)

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on kicking off summer break, having fun and getting the kids in the kitchen!

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 6/5/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on finishing the school year, packing and having some fun!

See what's cook from Just Take A Bite as we head into summer!

It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for.

The last week of school!! The end of activities! And Lord willing we will finally be closing on our new house by the end of this week or early next week.

Summer fun.

It will really feel like summer because our local farmer’s market opens this week. So we can take our weekly walks there to get fresh produce and stop in the library to stock up on new books for the week. Such fun.

I was busy, busy in the kitchen last week. Hopefully that means this week won’t be so busy. So far I only have a few kitchen projects. I just might even get to take a nice break today and get my Sunday rest. Here is what’s on the agenda.

Last call for KCRF.

I’m super excited for school to be out so we can jump back into the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse! I really want to teach my kids to cook this summer to empower them to take control of their own health and food choices.

Tomorrow is the LAST day to register for the course. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to teach your kids a life skill and spend quality time together.

Be on the lookout for a fun post and giveaway on the blog this week!

On the menu.

Here is our real food meal plan for the week. I’m trying as always to keep it simple so I can spend lots of time with my kids and keep working on packing! What’s on your menu this week?

See what's cooking on this week's real food meal plan from Just Take A Bite as we head into summer break.

 

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 2
B – quiche, scones, fruit, yogurt | scones, fruit
L – crockpot beef roast, mashed potatoes, broccoli, applesauce
D – leftovers
prep: soak amaranth
notes: family over

Monday 3
B – yogurt, granola bar | amaranth porridge
D – cp ribs, roasted asparagus, rice
prep: prep smoothies, make beef jerky
notes: early dinner

Tuesday 4
B – toast w/ sunbutter, fruit | spinach blueberry smoothies
D –  pan fried cod, salad w/ cucumbers, french fries
prep: make pumpkin yogurt, make gummies
notes:

Wednesday 1
B – yogurt, granola | pumpkin yogurt
D – roasted chicken legs, roasted cabbage, baked potatoes
prep: make tortillas, prep smoothies
notes:

Thursday 2
B – cereal, fruit | squash cherry smoothies
D – tacos, broccoli, fruit
prep: boil eggs
notes: early dinner

Friday 3
B – hard boiled egg, toast |gummies, graham crackers w/ sunbutter
D – out to eat | zucchini noodles in pumpkin sauce, sausage
prep: soak teff, prep smoothies
notes: 

Saturday 4
B – fried eggs, toast | teff porridge, spinach blueberry smoothies
D – party
prep: 
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana (strawberry, pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado (amaranth, tomato, orange, raspberry)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, sorghum, quinoa
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, split peas, rice (millet, egg, dairy)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet (egg)

Spoil the birthday boy or girl with this allergen friendly vanilla cake. Simple, safe and delicious.

Allergen Friendly Vanilla Cake {free of gluten, eggs, dairy, nuts, coconut, rice, corn and soy}

Everyone deserves cake on their birthday. Even if you have allergies! This allergen friendly vanilla cake is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, corn, soy, rice and coconut. Plus it’s super easy to make!

Spoil the birthday boy or girl with this allergen friendly vanilla cake. Simple, safe and delicious.

A couple months ago my son had another round of allergy testing, revealing more allergies and more severe allergies. It’s definitely not what we had hoped for.

But when his birthday approached I did not let his allergies stop me from making him a super fun (and safe) birthday cake!

He was determined to have a Paw Patrol cake. And I wanted to make that happen.

Together we came up with the idea of turning the cake into a dog dish. I added homemade carob puff cereal on top for the dog food. It was a huge success.

Spoil the birthday boy or girl with this allergen friendly vanilla cake. Simple, safe and delicious.

We found a winner.

My kids gave it two big thumbs up!

This cake does not rise as much as a regular cake (did I mention it was free of everything? Even gums as those often contain allergens too). So I made a double batch and turned it into a four layer cake. It was mostly for effect to create a big dog dish. Just a single batch would be just fine for enjoying the cake.

Then top it with your favorite frosting. I used a “buttercream” made with palm shortening and homemade powdered sugar. Really, just two ingredients. My kids go crazy for the frosting.

I did also make a regular cake for the other party guests. That cake was the water dish, topped with blueberries.

Spoil the birthday boy or girl with this allergen friendly vanilla cake. Simple, safe and delicious.

Everyone join the fun.

It was wonderful to see my five year old enjoy his special day and not feel left out. To top it off my niece and nephew with allergies were able to eat cake too! It sure made my day to see everyone included in the celebration.

I really don’t have much else to say about this cake. I’ll let the pictures and the smiles speak for themselves.

Are you in need of a cake that is truly allergen friendly? This vanilla cake is the perfect solution!

Spoil the birthday boy or girl with this allergen friendly vanilla cake. Simple, safe and delicious.

Allergen Friendly Vanilla Cake
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
  2. 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  3. 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
  4. 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  5. 1 tsp. baking soda
  6. 1 tsp. cream of tartar
  7. 1/4 cup honey
  8. 1/2 cup palm shortening, melted
  9. 3 tsp. grass-fed gelatin
  10. 1/4 cup cold water
  11. 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. boiling water
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease and line with parchment paper two 8" round cake pans.
  2. In a small bowl combine the gelatin and 1/4 cup cold water. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl combine the sorghum, tapioca, sugar, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, honey and shortening. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the boiling water to the gelatin mixture and stir until the gelatin is dissolved (about 10 seconds).
  5. Add the hot gelatin mixture to the cake batter.
  6. Stir until well mixed.
  7. Pour half of the batter into each of the prepared pans.
  8. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until golden.
  9. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.
  10. Remove parchment paper.
  11. Frost and serve.
Notes
  1. Cream of tartar is made from grapes. Replace it with an extra 1/2 tsp. baking soda if you have a grape allergy.
  2. Palm shortening is in the same family as coconut and may not be safe for those with a coconut allergy. The palm shortening can be replaced with lard, olive oil or avocado oil.
  3. Store the cake in a sealed container in a cool spot.
  4. The cake can be frozen with or without frosting.
  5. Make a double batch for a 4 layer cake.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/
These chocolate filled frozen banana bites make the perfect allergen friendly cold summer treat.

Chocolate Filled Frozen Banana Bites

Sweet, creamy and a little taste of chocolate added in. These chocolate filled frozen banana bites are allergen friendly, easy to make and even great for teething toddlers!

These chocolate filled frozen banana bites make the perfect allergen friendly cold summer treat.

With summer in full swing it’s nice to be able to give the kids a cold treat without loading them up on sugar. I do my best to make sure we have lots of time outside instead of spending a bunch of time inside the kitchen preparing food!

These frozen banana bites are fun to make and fun to eat. But so, so easy.

Knife skills.

Let your kids practice their knife skills by slicing the bananas. Then use a straw to make holes. Add a sucker stick or popsicle stick if you like and you’re halfway done with the preparation…and a three-year-old can be in charge!

These chocolate filled frozen banana bites make the perfect allergen friendly cold summer treat.

A Safe Sweet.

My favorite part about chocolate filled frozen banana bites is that they are allergen friendly. Well…mostly. My son is allergic to both bananas and cocoa. But those allergies aren’t as common. Just be sure to use dairy free chocolate chips if you have dairy allergies (this is the brand I use).

Also use caution if you have a latex allergy as bananas can be cross-reactive.

Ready to get your kids in the kitchen and make a delicious, healthy treat? Check out the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse where your kids will have so much fun learning knife skills (among many other skills!). And whip up a batch of chocolate filled frozen banana bites together.

Now click here to head over to Kitchen Stewardship where I’m sharing the recipe!

These chocolate filled frozen banana bites make the perfect allergen friendly cold summer treat.

Looking for more cool summer treats? Try one of these:

Black Forest Popsicles

Blueberry Cheesecake Pops

Nectarine Squash Pops

Grain Free Peach Cobbler Creamsicles

Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

Dairy Free Thin Mint Cookie Ice Cream

The weekly Real Food Meal Plan with lots of allergen friendly meals from Just Take A Bite

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 5/29/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on the end of year activities, family visiting and more packing.

The weekly Real Food Meal Plan from Just Take A Bite

This is it. The final push before the end of the school year and end of activities. I’m trying to prepare myself mentally today for one last crazy week before we can relax a little. We have dance class, dance rehearsal and dance recital, piano, t-ball and family visiting. Plus orthodontist, grocery shopping and cleaning. Did I mention our cupboards are bare and I need to restock just about all of our homemade snacks, etc.?

It’s going to be one of “those” weeks.

In the kitchen.

So I have to be organized. Here is what I have planned for kitchen projects.

Cooking with kids.

One thing I’m looking forward to after all the busyness is over is having time to get my kids in the kitchen (this is NOT the week for that). We have been going through the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse (so fun!!), and my kids are anxious to practice more skills.

You can get in on this fun too!! Check out the free knife skills videos today. Then tomorrow the one week window for sign up begins. It is the perfect summer project. By fall your kids will be packing their own lunches and helping make dinner.

Holiday treats.

If you need a quick, allergen friendly treat for your holiday check out these simple fruit slushies!! My kids go crazy for them.

Here is our real food meal plan for the week. We need dinner early almost every single night. And I don’t have a lot of time for prep or clean up. So I did my best to keep things super simple. Then hosting on the weekend.

What’s on your menu this week?

See what's cooking on this week's real food meal plan from Just Take A Bite

 

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 3
B – cereal, fruit | muffin, sausage | toast w/ sunbutter | leftovers
L – crockpot roast chicken, rice, broccoli
D – sandwiches, grilled asparagus, spinach, blueberries
prep: bake bread, make lunch meat, grind flour, soak flour, prep smoothies
notes: 

Monday 4
B – yogurt, granola bar | blueberry spinach smoothies
D – grilled burgers, roasted potato wedges, roasted purple cabbage
prep: bake teff crackers, soaked graham crackers, make pumpkin yogurt
notes:

Tuesday 1
B – english muffin w/ sunbutter | pumpkin yogurt
D – squash and sausage soup, muffins
prep: bake muffins, roast squash
notes: ready any time

Wednesday 2
B – parfaits | leftovers
D – sloppy joes, brussels sprouts, pearsauce
prep: make pie crust, make scones, make beef jerky
notes: early dinner

Thursday 3
B – cereal, fruit | fruit, molasses tonic
D – pork meatballs, roasted zucchini, quinoa or noodles
prep: soak teff
notes: early dinner

Friday 4
B – yogurt, granola bar | teff porridge
D – sunbutter sandwiches, cucumbers w/ dip, chips/crackers
prep: clean, chop veggies
notes: early/easy clean up dinner

Saturday 1
B – fried eggs, toast | pumpkin yogurt
L – ham and cheese quiche, bacon, roasted cauliflower, scones, fresh fruit
D – chicken salad sandwiches, pasta salad, lettuce salad, veggies w/ dip, jello, chips
prep: make jello, make rhubarb crisp
notes: prep ahead dinner/family over

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana (strawberry, pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado (amaranth, tomato, raspberry)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, orange, amaranth, raspberry
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, sorghum, quinoa
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, split peas, rice (millet, egg, dairy)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet (egg)

No more boring fruit. This simple creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing transforms any combination of fruit into a special side dish.

Creamy Orange Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

Nothing says spring like a fresh fruit salad. Top it with this creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing for a treat the whole family will love.

No more boring fruit. This simple creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing transforms any combination of fruit into a special side dish.

It’s no secret. I LOVE salad. I could (and sometimes do) eat it every day (I’ll be sharing my secret super food dressing soon!).

But my family…not so much. For my husband a “big” salad is about ten pieces of lettuce. So when I was challenged by Stonyfield and The Cookful to create a new salad dressing it took some real thinking. What could I make that my family would actually like?

No more boring fruit. This simple creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing transforms any combination of fruit into a special side dish.

Skip the lettuce.

Instead of going the traditional lettuce salad route I opted to create a fun fruit salad! Use any fresh fruit you have on hand (especially what’s in season!). Add a burst of flavor with Stonyfield vanilla Greek yogurt (now available in full fat!!), freshly squeezed orange juice and poppy seeds.

I used what we had on hand in the house – Fat Free Vanilla Greek Yogurt. You could also use whole milk yogurt combined with a little maple syrup. But the Greek yogurt really adds a nice thickness.

This creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing is so easy to make. My big kids can make it by themselves (they are learning to do so much from The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse!!).

No more boring fruit. This simple creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing transforms any combination of fruit into a special side dish.

Great for oral sensitivities.

My oldest has a very sensitive mouth. Any hint of tartness or tough skin in her fruit and she won’t eat it. One fruit she usually does not like is grapes. She makes some pretty good pucker faces when she tries them.

But the other day all I had in the house was a bowl of grapes. I gave her a dish topped with creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing. Not a single complaint! She licked the bowl clean. It’s that good.

No more boring fruit. This simple creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing transforms any combination of fruit into a special side dish.

Spruce up your salad.

If you like sweet salad dressings (like me!) you could even use this on a lettuce salad. Add some crispy pecans, dried cherries and feta cheese. Delicious!

Looking for some other great salad dressing recipes? The Cookful has plenty to choose from . I think the No Egg Caesar Dressing would be great.

Ready to add some extra flavor to your fruit salad?

Try this super easy creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing. No more boring fruit.

No more boring fruit. This simple creamy orange poppy seed salad dressing transforms any combination of fruit into a special side dish.

Creamy Orange Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
A creamy fruit salad dressing with a pop of orange flavor.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup Stonyfield vanilla Greek yogurt (fat free or full fat)
  2. juice of 1/2 - 1 orange (depends how strong you want the orange flavor)
  3. 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
  4. pinch unrefined sea salt
Instructions
  1. Mix all of the ingredients.
  2. Chill for 10 minutes.
  3. Serve over fruit as a salad, on the side as a dip or on a lettuce salad.
  4. Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
  1. This makes enough for a large fruit salad.
  2. You can replace the vanilla yogurt with plain yogurt and 1 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

Have you heard of The Cookful?

It’s a great new site that really digs deep into specific food topics. They came up with some great salad dressing recipes!

I am working with Stonyfield and The Cookful on this post. I have been compensated for my time commitment, but I have not been paid to post positive reviews. Opinions are my own.

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on kicking off summer break, having fun and getting the kids in the kitchen!

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 5/22/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on end-of-year activities, enjoying the nice weather and making more dietary adjustments.

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on packing, end of year activities and new allergies.

Two activities done for the year. Only about five more to go. I really love this time of year. When we go from busy, busy to lots of down time. The kids really enjoy it too.

We’re already anxious for trips to the park, library and farmer’s market. Lots of time outside and picnics on the deck. And packing, of course. That is a full time job right now…that I’ve hardly made a dent in. I just keep picking away at it.

We do have one exciting event that is (hopefully!!!) coming up this week…closing on our new house! Once we get through that this whole moving thing might actually feel real.

More allergies.

I think we made a big discovery for my son last week. I’m pretty sure he is allergic to latex. I’ve been suspicious for over six months now. But daily reactions when we had balloons in the house confirmed it for me.

Since then I’ve been doing lots of research (and feeling very overwhelmed!!) to figure out next steps to keep him safe. I still have to talk to the allergist as well. I’m trying to start simple with removing a food more cross-reactive foods (tomatoes, melons) and buy some latex free underwear. Lord willing that will help stop his constant itching.

As if we needed a new challenge when it comes to what we eat. Maybe I should create a meal planning service for people with allergies. I’m quite skilled at it. Any takers?

As always I’ll be busy in the kitchen keeping up with my kids’ ever-increasing (yay!!) appetites. Here are my projects for the week:

  • Miracle Whip
  • tartar sauce
  • grind flour
  • amaranth bars
  • muffins

And of course cleaning/packing every chance I get.

Kids in the kitchen.

The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse is opening again!! My kids and I started it back in January. It is so cool! They have learned so much and are so excited to help me in the kitchen whenever possible.

Check out these FREE knife skills videos to get a glimpse of what the course is like.

Stay tuned as I have a couple new blog posts coming this week. And don’t forget to read last week’s post about getting kids on board with a rotation diet so you can get your FREE download.

Now on to this week’s real food meal plan (with even more limitations). I’m still committed to serving my family real, nutrient dense food. No matter what allergies we have to deal with.

What is on your menu this week?

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on packing, end of year activities and new allergies.

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 4
B – yogurt, granola bar | spinach blueberry smoothie
L – cp pork chops, spinach, beans, quinoa
D – baked cod, chips, salad
prep: make mayo/tartar sauce, grind flour, boil eggs
notes: 

Monday 1
B – hard boiled egg, toast | pumpkin yogurt, fruit
D – honey herb chicken, roasted purple cabbage, baked potatoes
prep: soak oats, prep smoothies, soak amaranth
notes:

Tuesday 2
B – oatmeal | squash cherry smoothie
D – cp hobo dinners, applesauce
prep: soak quinoa, make bars
notes: ready any time

Wednesday 3
B – hard boiled egg, toast | clementine, amaranth bar | leftovers
D – zucchini noodles w/ pumpkin sauce, quinoa salad
prep: make quinoa salad, soak flour for muffins, soak teff for porridge, prep smoothie
notes: early dinner

Thursday 4
B – cereal, fruit | teff porridge | spinach blueberry smoothie
D – pumpkin sausage soup, muffins
prep: bake muffins, soak flour for pancakes, soak millet
notes: early dinner

Friday 1
B – yogurt, granola, fruit | millet porridge | leftover soup
D – pancakes, bacon, squash, peas, fresh fruit
prep: 
notes:

Saturday 2
B – pancakes, bacon
D – grilled hot dogs & brats, roasted cauliflower & brussels sprouts, chips
prep: 
notes: kids help prep dinner

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana (strawberry, pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado (amaranth, tomato, orange, raspberry)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, orange, amaranth, raspberry
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, sorghum, quinoa
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, split peas, rice (millet, egg, dairy)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet (egg)