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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.

Fruit On The Bottom Yogurt

This fruit on the bottom yogurt only requires a few simple ingredients but is full of flavor and nutrients. It’s perfect for summer when fresh fruits are everywhere and you want something cold for breakfast.Fruit On The Bottom Yogurt | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Growing up we only got one kind of yogurt – fruit on the bottom.  As kids sometimes we would eat the plain yogurt first and then eat the fruit part last. It was fun.

These days most yogurts are blended and overly sweet. Many of them also contain artificial flavors and colors. Then there is one of my biggest critiques…low fat or worse, no fat. Why would I want yogurt that has had the healthy fat taken out and artificial ingredients added in?

My solution is always homemade.  We eat yogurt a lot for breakfast. I usually just add whatever fruit we have fresh or frozen to plain, whole milk yogurt (kids need lots of healthy fat!!).

But I came up with a fun, fruit on the bottom yogurt so my kids could enjoy it just like I did when I was little. Even if they don’t have to my kids always stir their yogurt before eating it. So when I set a fruit on the bottom yogurt in front of them for breakfast they were very excited! My son enjoyed helping me make it too.Fruit On The Bottom Yogurt | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

I like using a see through container to serve this so the kids can see the bright fruit at the bottom. Or you could use something opaque and tell them the flavor is a surprise. Then as they stir kids see the yogurt change color.

I keep the sweetness level pretty low in our yogurt. My husband and kids enjoyed this as is. But if you are used to store bought flavored yogurts you might want to add a little extra sweetener.  I divided one batch of fruit among three containers of yogurt. You can split it between two to boost the flavor.

One thing I love about making my own fruit-filled yogurt is no addition of thickeners, particularly corn starch! My son is allergic to corn, so we have to avoid it.

As fresh fruit comes in season (strawberries are here!!!) just use whatever is available. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches – they all work well.  If using blueberries you’ll have to mash them a little to get the juices flowing.Fruit On The Bottom Yogurt | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Fruit on the bottom yogurt is simple to make, uses quality ingredients and is fun for kids.  It takes three minutes to cut up a few pieces of fruit and add honey. Then in the morning top it with plain, whole milk yogurt. Serve it with homemade granola, granola bars, quinoa bars or cereal.

This also makes a great addition to a picnic lunch.

Fresh fruit works well in this yogurt, but you can just as easily use frozen. Simply let it thaw a bit before cutting up the fruit.

Did you grow up eating fruit on the bottom yogurt? Now you can serve it to your kids – but in a much healthier way.Fruit On The Bottom Yogurt | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt
Serves 3
A fun, fruit on the bottom yogurt made with real ingredients.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries or peaches
  2. 2 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup (add more if you like it sweeter)
  3. 1 1/2 - 2 cups plain, whole milk yogurt or coconut yogurt
Instructions
  1. Cut up the fruit into small pieces or mash the blueberries.
  2. Add the honey/syrup.
  3. Refrigerator for 1 hour or over night.
  4. Divide the fruit into two or three cups.
  5. Top with 1/2 - 3/4 cups yogurt.
  6. Stir when serving.
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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 Plans Week of 6-7-15

This week’s allergen friendly meal plans and updates are all about kicking off summer break and keeping things simple.

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

School is out for summer!  It’s time to kick off a new season. You’d think we’d take a week to just lounge and have fun. Instead cheerleading camp starts Monday morning for my oldest. In fact we have a pretty busy week with orthodontist, farmer’s market, library, groceries and my mom visiting. I don’t have any intentions to keep our whole summer this busy.

Last week our big event was trying dairy.  I tried about a teaspoon of ghee one day. Then I gave about a half teaspoon of ghee to my little one the next day. Unfortunately it did not go well. It seems she is still extremely sensitive to even tiny amounts of any kind of dairy.  So we’ll stick to dairy free for now. Maybe in a few months we’ll try again.

In other health news I had my hair tissue mineral analysis consult.  It was so fascinating to read through all of the information and talk about what everything means. Now I need to re-read everything and get a few supplements to get started building up my mineral stores and improving digestion. I will be doing a post on HTMA once I get a little farther along in my healing. I have a lot to share already!

The other thing we’ve been experimenting with lately is sugar intake for my son. He tends to get hyper very easily. So I’ve been really limiting his sweets. The last couple days I have noticed a decrease in his meltdowns and hyperactivity. So I’m planning to keep this up.

Johanna 4

In the kitchen this week I have a few projects – homemade Mircale Whip, crackers, sourdough bread, muffins and breakfast cookies.  I’m also trying to figure out non-sweet snacks for my son. Fruit is such an easy option, but even too much of that isn’t good.

I have a LOT of writing to catch up on this week. My little one has been getting up at 5 am every day lately. So I may have to start doing some evening writing. I’ve got so many great recipes to share with you!!

I’m also plugging along with some deep cleaning in the house to get rid of some of the dust. I’ll keep at it this week.

Did you miss last week’s posts? I shared a recipe for cherry rhubarb jello and a cow spotted birthday cake. I also shared a recipe for pizza crackers at Super Healthy Kids. I’ve got a few more great recipes coming this week!

Since we have a busy week I’m keeping meals simple. I also have to work on making larger quantities…my little one sure can eat already!

One of our meals will be used as my big girl’s start to reaching one of her goals this summer – learning how to make pancakes by herself.  We’ll start with me demonstrating/her watching. Then the next time she gets to help out. Then she starts to try it on her own.

What’s on your menu this week? Any fun summer plans starting? Homemade Dutch Apple Pie Menu Sunday
B – yogurt, granola
L – grilled hamburgers, grilled asparagus, pear jello
D – leftover pizza, leftover roasted cabbage
*grind flour, soak flour for crackers

Monday
B – oat cups
D – pan seared salmon, roasted cauliflower, french fries
*soak flour for muffins, make crackers, make mayo

Tuesday
B – Russian custard, blueberries
D (prep ahead) – cp roast chicken legs, potatoes, carrots
*bake muffins, soak flour for pancakes

Wednesday
B – muffins, yogurt
D – pancakes, sausage, beans, fruit
*make sd bread

Thursday
B – granola w/ milk, fruit
D – chicken nuggets w/ honey mustard, peas, sweet potato fries
*

Friday
B – yogurt, fruit
D – hot dogs, broccoli, sweet potato fries
*feed sd for breakfast cookies

Saturday
B – sd breakfast cookies, cheese
D – scrambled eggs, toast, squash
*

Cherry Rhubarb Jello

Cherry rhubarb jello is the perfect kid-friendly way to use fresh produce and welcome summer weather.

Cherry rhubarb jello is a dye-free, allergy-friendly treat that all kids love. The perfect finger food.

We have two rhubarb plants in our garden. Most years we get a few decent stalks from them that I use to make a special dessert like crisp, ice cream, cake or even cheesecake!

This year our rhubarb plants were huge! After making three strawberry rhubarb crisps there was still plenty left. That means it is time to experiment with new ways to use rhubarb.

What Flavors Go Well With Rhubarb

I came up with cherry rhubarb jello. This is the perfect, nutritious way to use fresh, spring produce in combination with last year’s freezer stash (we still have a couple gallons of sweet cherries left!).

The cherries give sweetness and a deep maroon color while the rhubarb gives a hint of tartness. It’s the perfect combination.

Cherry rhubarb jello is a dye-free, allergy-friendly treat that all kids love. The perfect finger food.

Cherry rhubarb jello makes a great finger food lunch addition or snack for kids. The fruit provides vitamins while the gelatin provides easy-to-digest protein (Use the code TAKE10 for 10% off your gelatin purchase HERE).

Allergen-Free Cherry Rhubarb Jello

An added bonus is that cherry rhubarb jello is very allergy-friendly. Not to mention there is no food coloring or artificial flavor (food dyes are connected with behavioral issues). So it makes a unique and healthy treat for everyone.

Are you looking for a dish to pass at your next potluck or picnic? Cherry rhubarb jello is just the thing. You can make it in advance and both kids and adults will enjoy it.

Sometimes I even serve this for breakfast. My oldest can take her time eating in the morning. If we need to get out the door on time jello is great. It is soft and easy to chew.

Don’t forget the really important part – cherry rhubarb jello is so easy to make! Just cook, puree, add the gelatin and chill. It takes about five minutes of hands on time. Who doesn’t love that?!

Before rhubarb season ends grab a few stalks and make this fun treat to celebrate the end of the school year and welcome summer.

Cherry rhubarb jello is a dye-free, allergy-friendly treat that all kids love. The perfect finger food.

Cherry Rhubarb Jello
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups sweet cherries (fresh or frozen)
  2. 2 cups rhubarb, peeled and chopped
  3. 3/4 cups organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
  4. 1/4 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  5. 1/2 cup water
  6. 2 Tbsp. grass-fed gelatin
Instructions
  1. Combine the cherries, rhubarb, sugar and salt in a saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
  3. Pour the mixture into a blender. Blend until smooth.
  4. Return the mixture to the saucepan.
  5. Dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Let sit 1 minute.
  6. whisk the gelatin water into the hot puree until dissolved, about 1 minute.
  7. Pour the mixture into an 8" square pan or a bowl.
  8. Refrigerate until firm.
  9. Scoop or cut into squares to serve.
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Cow Spotted Birthday Cake {soaked gluten free chocolate cake}

Cow Spotted Birthday CakeI’m not quite sure how it happened, but my son recently turned four!  He was active in my belly and has not stopped moving since the day he was born. He keeps life interesting and exciting for sure!

One of the fun things about my son is that he is already very passionate and knows what he likes. His enthusiasm is a gift.  One of his passions is construction trucks and “worker men.” The other is farming. He is sure we are moving to a farm soon and will have every animal possible. He has even assigned the whole family their chores already! I love his enthusiasm and wouldn’t be surprised if he really does have a farm of his own some day (and mama would be very proud of him if he does!).Cow Spotted Birthday Cake | Soaked Gluten Free Chocolate Cake | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

My son’s favorite animal is a “baby calf.” So this year we decided to do a cow spotted birthday for him.  He loved the idea. I loved that it didn’t require any color for decorations. I think my only problem was that I kept thinking of more fun treats to go along with the theme!

My first priority was to make his cake have cow spots. I recently made a soaked gluten free vanilla cake for my daughter’s birthday (with really fun, colorful decorations!). That served as the starting point. Then I created this soaked gluten free chocolate cake to use for the spots.

The cake turned out so well! Every time we cut into the cake the spots changed. It was so fun. The other great thing was that we had lots of extra cake batter since the chocolate was only used for spots. So we made the rest into donuts.Cow Spotted Birthday Cake | Soaked Gluten Free Chocolate Cake | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

My son was so happy with his cow spotted cake and birthday celebration.  I made chocolate spots and chocolate frosting to decorate the cake. Then to really turn it into a cow spotted celebration I made inside out “Oreos”, chocolate suckers, chocolate/vanilla yogurt gummies, fudge swirl ice cream (like this without the caramel and cone) and chocolate milk (using this chocolate sauce).

I do try to limit the amount of chocolate my son eats since it tends to make him hyper. But this was a fun and special birthday treat for him. If you avoid cocoa you can substitute carob in this recipe.Cow Spotted Birthday Cake | Soaked Gluten Free Chocolate Cake | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

This cake is also quite allergen friendly since it is gluten, dairy, nut, corn, rice and soy free.  It does contain eggs whites. Side note – don’t get rid of those leftover yolks! They are packed with nutrition. Use them for Russian custard, pudding, ice cream or smoothies.

Do you have a farmer-in-training? Or maybe you need a special way to celebrate an older farmer in your life? This cow spotted cake is so fun and delicious!  Plus the grains are properly prepared. It’s the perfect treat for kids and adults. You can make it simple with just the cake. Or go all out with cow spots everywhere! Happy farming and happy birthday!Cow Spotted Birthday Cake

Soaked Gluten Free Chocolate Cake {Cow Spotted Cake}
A soaked gluten free chocolate cake that can be used as is or in a vanilla, spotted cake.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup sorghum flour (or white rice)
  2. 1/2 cup amaranth flour (or brown rice)
  3. 1/4 tapioca flour (or arrowroot)
  4. 1/2 cup cocoa powder (or carob)
  5. 3/4 cups water, milk or milk substitute
  6. 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, yogurt, whey or kefir
  7. 1 1/4 cups organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
  8. 2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, palm shortening or butter
  9. 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  10. 3 egg whites
  11. 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
  12. 1 tsp. baking soda
  13. 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Soak the flour
  1. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, water/milk and lemon juice/yogurt.
  2. Cover and let sit 7-24 hours.
Bake the cake
  1. Grease and line with parchment paper two 8" or 9" round cake pans or one 9x13 pan.
  2. Heat the oven to 350*F.
  3. Beat the egg whites and 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  4. Add the sugar, butter and salt to the soaked mixture. Beat well (it will be thick).
  5. Fold in the egg whites.
  6. Stir in the baking soda and 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar.
  7. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pans.
  8. Bake for 35 minutes for 8/9" rounds, 40 minutes for 9x13 or 25 minutes for cupcakes.
Notes
  1. This batter can be used for donuts. Simply grease and fill the donut pans with the batter. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
  2. To make the cow spotted cake prepare the vanilla batter at the same time as the chocolate batter. Fill the pans with all of the vanilla batter. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter into the vanilla batter. You will use about 1/4 - 1/3 of the chocolate batter for the spots. Bake 35 minutes.
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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 Plans Week of 5-31-15

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans | Homemade Dutch Apple PieWow, tomorrow is the start of June already! This is also the last week of school.  Last night my oldest had her dance recital. Everything is coming to a close as we prepare for summer.

That certainly doesn’t mean life will be boring around here. Last week my little one had allergy testing done. Just two allergies…that are causing major lifestyle changes.  She is very allergic to dust mites. That means I need to start cleaning better! I already did an overhaul on her room. But I will also be setting a new cleaning schedule for myself to make sure dusting and washing get done much more frequently.

The other allergy is coconut/palm. No big deal, right? Actually palm products are in just about every health and beauty and cleaning product you can find.  Even recipes to make your own contain palm. So I’ve been doing a lot of research already to try to overhaul our cleaning supplies. So far I’ve got a bar soap that is safe and have made hand soap. Today I’m hoping to make laundry detergent. I just need to figure out what to do for dish soap.

Being that my little one is in my arms/leaning on my all day I need to be sure palm is not on my skin. So I’m finally going to start trying the “no poo” (no shampoo) method of hair washing.  But since my hair gets so oily so quickly I’m going to start very gradually with every other day and see how it goes.

Adjusting to these new allergies will definitely keep me busy!! I am also trying to start a rotational diet again to prevent more allergies. It’s not about strict rotation, but just focusing on variety. I will do my best to plan our meals rotationally.dance

I’m still working on trial and error with foods. It seems that sweet potatoes bother my little one. So we’ll avoid those for now. I tried eggs on Friday. She seemed to do ok. I’m very excited about that (I LOVE eggs)!. I’m also excited that she enjoyed eating scrambled egg yolks.

The other big thing is that we get to try dairy!!  I’m waiting until her body is settled (she’s had a cold and had sweet potatoes that she’s working through) before I try it. I will start with a small amount of ghee and go from there.

The other unknown is whether or not she has asthma. She’s been doing a lot of wheezing with her cold. So that is something we’ll have to keep an eye on.

That’s the latest update. I’m sure I’ll be doing some separate posts on it when we get some things figured out. For now I’m back to more experimenting.

Thankfully there isn’t too much going on this week. Our local farmer’s market starts!!!  Hopefully the weather will be nice enough for us to walk. My son is so excited. I think he’s mostly excited because that means we can also go to the library.

We are also gearing up for some other big changes that I’ll share more about in the future. For now we’re in the decision making process. The next couple months will be kind of crazy.

Now on to the stuff you came for…the food! So far my kitchen agenda includes ghee, pudding or yogurt (we have some extra milk), crackers, sourdough bread, ice cream, noodles and laundry detergent.

Last week I shared a recipe for sticky toffee pudding. This week I have a bunch of great recipes for you! You don’t want to miss them. Be sure to check back here and on my facebook page.

Our garden is well under way…and our spinach is just about ready! I’m so excited for salads. Hopefully we have enough spinach later this week so I can have it on the menu. Other than that it’s simple, rotational, palm free meals. What’s on your menu this week?

Homemade Dutch Apple Pie Menu

Sunday
B – breakfast cookies, bananas and grapes
L – Italian sausage, broccoli, chips w/ dip
D – sloppy joes, squash, pear slices
*make laundry detergent, make sd bread, make pudding/yogurt?

Monday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D – cp roast chicken, roasted potatoes, onions and carrots
*make noodles, make ghee, skim cream

Tuesday
B – cereal, banana
D – spaghetti, sd garlic toast, peas
*boil eggs, make ice cream

Wednesday
B – hard boiled egg, toast
D – chicken noodle soup, crackers with cheese
*make crackers

Thursday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D (prep ahead) – cp pork chops, rice, beans
*

Friday (LAST day of school!)
B – cereal, fruit
D – sd pizza, spinach salad, jello
*make jello, make sd crust

Saturday
B – banana custard, granola bars
D – pan seared salmon, roasted cabbage, french fries
*clean

Sticky Toffee Pudding {grain free, dairy free, nut free, corn free}

Sticky Toffee Pudding | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

A while back I was browsing some of my cookbooks for inspiration. I rarely look at cookbooks. With all of our allergies, etc. there is usually so much modification that needs to be done on a recipe that it’s not worth it.

But when I came across a recipe for sticky toffee pudding in Earth To Table I realized it was something we could eat! With a few slight modifications of course.

Earth To Table by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann is a neat cookbook about seasonal foods and organic farming.  Everything in it looks delicious! Though I’m pretty sure this is the first recipe from it that I’ve ever made (I’ve had the cookbook for over five years).

Sticky toffee pudding is a British dessert. I’m not sure why it’s called pudding since it’s cake. But I don’t know much about anything British. Either way it tastes great!

I happened to have some caramel sauce and crispy pecans on hand when I made it. What a great combination.

The cake is slightly sweet and chewy. The dates/plums really give a unique flavor. Everyone in our family really enjoyed this sticky toffee pudding.

This cake would be perfect for a birthday or special event. It is quite allergen friendly since it is grain, dairy, nut, soy and corn free. It does have eggs, though.

Now I’m sharing the recipe with you!  I will post it the way I made it. If you want the original be sure to check out Earth To Table.Sticky Toffee Pudding | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Sticky Toffee Pudding {Grain Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Corn Free}
Yields 6
A delicious chocolate cake sweetened with dates.
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups pitted dates or a combination of dates and dried plums
  2. 2 cups water
  3. 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  4. 1/2 cup coconut sugar or cane sugar
  5. 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, palm shortening or butter, at room temp
  6. 3 eggs
  7. 1/4 cup molasses
  8. 2 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
  9. 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  10. 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  11. 1 tsp. cream of tartar (or baking soda)
  12. 1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan combine the dates (plums) and water.
  2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until dates are tender and the water is mostly evaporated, about 30 minutes.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda.
  4. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender or regular blender, leaving dates slightly chunky.
  5. Heat oven to 325*F. Grease a muffin pan.
  6. In a medium bowl cream the sugar and fat.
  7. Beat in eggs, molasses, honey and vanilla until combined.
  8. Stir in flour, cream of tartar and salt. Stir in date mixture.
  9. Pour the mixture into the prepared muffin cups.
  10. Bake about 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
  1. This will make about six large cakes or nine smaller cakes.
Adapted from Earth To Table
Adapted from Earth To Table
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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 Plans | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans Week of 5-24-15

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans | Homemade Dutch Apple PieGood morning! I hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend.  We enjoyed a nice day at home yesterday. My husband got the garden planted, I was busy in the kitchen and we visited with my parents for a bit.

This is an important week. On Tuesday my baby is getting tested for allergies.  Although I’m not looking forward to the actual test I am looking forward to having answers! Then I’ll know for sure what things have to be out of our diet and what things I can try adding in.

This week my oldest has her dance recital. Then one more activity is done. I just can’t believe school will be done next week!Johanna 3

Yesterday I sent in my hair tissue mineral analysis. I can’t wait for the results!!!  Then I’ll know where my body is lacking and how to supplement. I’ll be sure to fill you in once I get it all figured out. I also rendered both lard and tallow last week. Now I’m set with healthy fats for a while.

On the blogging front I’m thinking about renaming my site. I’d LOVE your input!!! What comes to mind when you read my posts?

I was very busy in the kitchen all weekend creating lots of new recipes. And I’ve got more coming this week. So far on my kitchen to do list: sourdough hamburger buns (creating new recipe), cookies (creating new recipe), pesto, fruit salad (creating new recipe), jello (creating new recipe), gluten free bagels, cream cheese, ice cream, possibly rice milk and possibly rice milk ice cream (creating new recipe).

Last week I posted a recipe for dairy free grilled “cheese.”  Have you tried it? I could go for one right now!

Meals this week are simple and nourishing as always. My newest challenge is making sure there are foods in our meal that my little one can eat. She is loving solids these days!  Hopefully allergy test results don’t require me to make any adjustments to our meals. But if so, we’ll figure it out. What are you up to this week? What’s on your menu?

Homemade Dutch Apple Pie Menu

Sunday
B – sd pancakes with strawberry topping, yogurt
L – pan seared cod, broccoli, cinnamon sugar rice
D – balogna sandwiches, carrots w/ hummus, rhubarb jello
*make cookies, make sd hamburger buns

Monday
B – yogurt, scones
D – pesto topped sweet potato salmon burgers on sd buns, roasted potato wedges and carrots, fruit salad out to eat
*make pesto, make rice milk

Tuesday
B – granola bars, yogurt
D – cp ham, scalloped potatoes, beans
*allergy test day…keeping my work to a minimum in case little one doesn’t feel good

Wednesday
B – oat cups
D – pesto topped sweet potato salmon burgers on sd buns, french fries, applesauce
*soak/sprout beans, skim cream, make ice cream, make ghee

Thursday
B – cereal, fruit
D – cp pork and beans over rice, jello
*make jello, soak flour for bagels, make rm ice cream

Friday
B – muffins, fruit
D – gf bagels with cream cheese, broth scrambled eggs, roasted asparagus
*make bagels, make cream cheese, soak flour for breakfast cookies

Saturday
B – kids’ choice – breakfast cookies, cheese
D (prep ahead/late meal) – salmon salad sandwiches, chips and veggies with dip
*make breakfast cookies, prepare salad, prepare dip

Dairy Free Grilled Cheese

Dairy Free Grilled “Cheese”

Dairy free grilled “cheese” is a simple sandwich made without fake cheese alternatives. It is perfect for a quick lunch or a side with nourishing soup.Dairy Free Grilled CheeseI L.O.V.E grilled cheese.  Really love it. When I’m pregnant it’s one of the only foods that sounds good in the first trimester. When I’m getting over sickness it always appeals to me. I could eat grilled cheese just about any time.

Salty + gooey = love.

No Dairy, No Problem

Being dairy free for seven months now I haven’t eaten grilled cheese in a while. I actually rarely miss cheese. If I could indulge in dairy it would probably just be a big glass of raw milk.

That being said I do miss grilled cheese.

The other day I was making tomato soup…and of course that means grilled cheese. Instead of just making myself something else like usual I decided to make a dairy free grilled “cheese” that I could eat.Dairy Free Grilled Cheese | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

To my great surprise this turned out so well! I think I could have eaten two or three of these.  My four year old (that can’t have cheese either) thought it was great too! I made it with sourdough bread (I love that sour and salty combination). Any bread you tolerate will work. Soaked gluten free bread would be great too.

Make It Gooey

The “cheese” is made from a combination of pumpkin or squash with gelatin (I love both this brand and this one!), cane sugar and salt.  Then coconut oil + a sprinkle of sea salt gives you a buttery flavor for grilling.

So you get vegetables and healthy protein in your grilled cheese. Please note that gelatin is not a complete protein, so you should pair it with another protein in your meal.  Adding bacon to this grilled cheese would be perfect! (note to self…make bacon grilled cheese ASAP!)  Leftover chicken or canned tuna or salmon would be great too. Or simply pairing it with a soup with meat works well.

Easy Lunch

I love that this is a quick lunch component. Being dairy, egg, nut and bean free there is not much I can make that is quick and still has protein. So if I don’t have leftover meat I’m left with nothing. This sandwich works well for days when there is nothing on hand and I need an easy meal. I even put it in my kids’ lunch box. It’s great cold!

I have made this a few times now. One thing I noticed…if you let the grilled cheese sit for a bit the gelatin has more time to gel and the filling has even more of a cheese texture!  I actually think it tastes a bit like American cheese. It reminded me of my childhood.

I like to make grilled cheese when we have soup for dinner. But I rarely make it these days since only half of the family can eat it. But I’ll be adding it back to the menu now! The whole family can enjoy grilled cheese again.

Do you miss grilled cheese after removing dairy from your diet? You’re in luck. Now you can have it!Dairy Free Grilled Cheese | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Dairy Free Grilled "Cheese"
Serves 1
A simple dairy free version of grilled cheese without fake cheese alternatives.
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Ingredients
  1. Two slices of bread of choice.
  2. 3 Tbsp. pureed squash or pumpkin
  3. 2 tsp. grass-fed gelatin
  4. 1/2 tsp. cane sugar
  5. 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  6. coconut oil + sea salt for cooking
Instructions
  1. Mix the squash, gelatin, sugar and salt. Let sit two minutes.
  2. Heat a medium pan over low-medium heat.
  3. Spread the squash mixture on one slice of bread. Top with the other slice.
  4. Add coconut oil and a sprinkle of sea salt to the warm pan.
  5. Place the sandwich in the pan and cook until golden, 3-5 minutes.
  6. Flip sandwich, add extra coconut oil and salt to the pan. Cook another 3-5 minutes, until golden.
Notes
  1. This grilled cheese should be cooked slowly so the gelatin has time to warm and dissolve.
  2. This makes enough filling for two small or one large grilled cheese, it depends on the size of your bread.
  3. The longer the sandwich sits/cools after cooking the more the gelatin will firm up and feel like cheese.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/


*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.

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans Week of 5-17-15

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans | Homemade Dutch Apple PieMay sure is flying by. All of our activities are ending. Even school will be done in a few weeks!  I am looking forward to spending more time with my oldest…but I will miss my totally quiet afternoons.

Thankfully this week isn’t too busy. My daughter has her last dance class before her recital, and my son has his four year check up.

Last week my little one was sick and majorly teething (tooth #7 is now through…she’s only 8 months old!).  She had a fever for over three days straight and wanted to be held all day long. Needless to say I didn’t get a whole lot done. Hopefully this week will be a better one. But I’m still not planning too much so we can all rest and recover.Kindermusik

I finally got some lard last week. It sure was nice to get fat into my diet again!  This week we pick up our co-op order, so I’ll be getting both lard and tallow to render.

These are my potential kitchen projects this week: granola bars, crackers, scones, gluten free bread, sourdough bread, something with rhubarb, cookies, render tallow and lard.

I would also like to get some work done out of the kitchen. The house could use some serious cleaning and dusting.

As always simple is key when it comes to meals. But this week we don’t need our usual prep ahead Tuesday meal since our Tuesday activity is done! My big girl graduated from Kindermusik last week. In a couple weeks the farmers market will open and I can start incorporating seasonal fresh foods to our menu. Here is what we’re eating. How about you?

Homemade Dutch Apple Pie Menu

Sunday
B – strawberry raspberry rhubarb breakfast cake, yogurt
L – cp meatloaf, baked potatoes, carrots
D – grilled hot dogs, beans, chips, smoothies
*prep yogurt

Monday
B – granola bars, banana
D – cp roast chicken, roasted red potatoes, roasted cauliflower and Brussels sprouts
*make broth, soak oats, soak quinoa, feed sd

Tuesday
B – cinnamon raisin oatmeal
D – quinoa chicken and broccoli skillet, pear slices
*dry oats, make granola bars, cook oatmeal, bake sd bread, soak flour for scones

Wednesday
B – strawberry yogurt, granola
D (prep ahead) – split pea soup, scones
*boil eggs, bake scones

Thursday
B – hard boiled egg, toast
D – chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries, peas
*render tallow, soak flour for cookies

Friday
B – granola bars, fruit
D – sd pancakes, roasted aspragus, bacon, smoothies
*render lard, bake cookies, feed sd

Saturday
B (kids’ choice) – TBD
D – balogna sandwiches, veggies w/ dip, fruit salad
*make balogna, make fruit salad

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans Week of 5-10-15

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans | Homemade Dutch Apple PieHappy Mother’s Day! My treat for today – I get to take it easy.  We celebrated my son’s fourth birthday yesterday with some fun cow spotted treats (head over to my facebook page to see more photos!). Now birthday season is over and I can get back to normal cooking/baking.

All of our usual activities are winding down. This is our last week of Kindermusik and my mom’s group. Both are a lot of fun…but we are all ready for a break. It will be a bit bittersweet as my oldest will be done with Kindermusik forever.  She started when she was seventeen months old. Now at the age of seven she is graduating.

We also have an ortho appointment, grocery shopping and dance. I might be bringing a meal to friend as well.

We are starting to get some produce from our garden! So far we’ve been enjoying asparagus. Now we have a bunch of rhubarb.  So that will be on my baking list. I haven’t decided exactly what I’m making. Maybe crisp or pie.Abram Birthday

After so much baking last week I’m giving myself the day off today.  The only thing I’m doing in the kitchen is cooking meals. As for the rest of the week, I need to make some chocolates and possibly something else for our last mom’s group meeting. I need to use rhubarb in a dessert. I’m also planning to make noodles, tortillas, strawberry rhubarb muffins and gluten free hamburger buns (experimenting!). I will need to make a batch of sourdough bread as well.

Slowly but surely we are making progress with my little one. Yesterday there were no major nursing issues!  I’m learning how to feed her and what to eat to help the reflux. Hopefully we can keep this up and allow her to heal. She will also be tested for allergies in two weeks. Then we will know for sure what to avoid and if there are some things I can add back in.Mother's Day

Last week was a bit hard on me after cutting out coconut oil. My fat (and calorie!) intake was significantly reduced with that change.  But I have some lard on the way! Hopefully it will be here Monday or Tuesday and I can get back to eating normal amounts and start baking for myself again. I felt like I was hungry all week. I couldn’t make a pie for Mother’s Day since I don’t have any lard or tallow right now. But I’ll make something later this week I can enjoy. At least I got to have the blueberry muffins and pancakes I made for my son’s birthday.

I was also sick Thursday – Saturday. So my energy was very low. Hopefully this week I can get caught up on rest and house work.

Last week I posted a recipe for gluten free noodles. I’ve got a couple new recipes coming this week. Be sure to check back!

Here is what’s on the menu this week. What are you eating?

Homemade Dutch Apple Pie Menu

Sunday
B – sd blueberry pancakes, sausage
L – grilled chicken breasts, beans, chips w/ dip, home canned peaches
D – cp roast beef, roasted potatoes, carrots
*

Monday
B – yogurt, granola
D – spaghetti, peas, garlic toast
*make noodles, boil eggs

Tuesday
B – hard boiled egg, toast
D (prep ahead) – oxtail stew, bread
*prep oat cups

Wednesday
B – oat cups
D (prep ahead) – cp pork chops, seasoned rice, broccoli
*make tortillas

Thursday
B – cereal, fruit
D – tacos, home canned applesauce
*make chocolates, make rhubarb desserts, soak flour for muffins

Friday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D – strawberry rhubarb muffins, scrambled eggs, roasted cauliflower
*soak flour for buns

Saturday
B (kids’ choice) – strawberry blueberry parfaits, chocolate milk
D – grilled burgers, grilled asparagus, french fries
*make gf buns