Allergy Test Results 2009

Check out Witt's allergy test results on my personal blog, Boys Rule My Life! We have some AMAZING news!

Almond Breeze Coupon GIVEAWAY - AGAIN!

More Almond Breeze Coupons to giveaway on my personal blog, Boys Rule My Life!!! Hurry, quick!!! It's only a 24 hour giveaway!!!

Dairy Free Fudge

Speaking of fudge... we were speaking of fudge, right? Well, I was thinking about it anyway...

:)

I ran across this fudge when I was searching for a recipe to get more coconut oil in my boys because of their eczema AND wanting to get some local honey in them for their environmental allergies.

I found a perfect recipe for that!!! Original from amanda123ns at allrecipes.com.



HALF recipe:

1/2 c coconut oil (I used extra virgin)
1/2 c cocoa
1/4 c honey (local to you if possible)

Gently melt the coconut oil to liquid if it's in the solid state. Combine liquid coconut oil and cocoa until smooth. Mix in honey. Refrigerate for at least one hour (or until preferred hardness) in a lightly greased container. (I greased a stainless steel bowl with coconut oil.)

Add some almonds and you'll have a Mounds Bar! I'm also wondering if a little Sunbutter might be good mixed in? Maybe next time!

Forgot to take a picture as it was eaten too quickly. :)

Call for Allergy Cooks

UPDATE (12/08/2009): Thank you all who have volunteered to share your recipes!! I can't wait to see your additions to Must Follow Recipes! At this time, I am going to close "the call for cooks" as I have several interested. Thank you so much!!!

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I'd like to see the number of recipes grow on this site. It seems there is a real need for more allergy recipes, as I continue to get emails for suggestions; however, one person can only do so much and I would love to see some more variety on this site.

If you are interested, please email me at missbecky75 [at] gmail [dot] com or leave me a comment with information on how to reach you. Please list the food allergens that you don't include in your recipes and how long you have been dealing with food allergies. I would also be interested in including a vegan author.

Please know that this is not a paying gig. :)

I would like to have 2 - 3 additional authors to begin 2010. Here are the requirements:

• Recipes must be free of milk, eggs, and peanuts (at least)
  
• Recipes must have been tried by your family and liked
• If you borrow a recipe from somewhere, you must give credit to the original author
• You must post a new, tried and true recipe at least once a quarter
• You are willing to share your recipes for free
  

That's it! (Well, that's all I can think of right now, anyway.)

I'm not expecting this to blossom into anything huge, I'd just like to see more offered here at Must Follow Recipes. So if you are interested in including your recipes, please email me ASAP.

Looking forward to swapping and sharing recipes!!

White Cake RECIPE HELP NEEDED, PLEASE!!! :)

Nathan turns 4 this Friday! He wants a green cake with green frosting. My standard birthday cake is chocolate... which I can't turn green! Thankfully, I can handle the frosting.

I checked our local grocery store today for boxed mixes, but all the white cakes have milk and/or eggs listed as ingredients. None of the local stores sell Cherrybrook Kitchen mixes.

Do you have a DFEF WHITE cake recipe? I'm usually up for just substituting in a regular recipe, but I've heard that doing that with white cake mixes doesn't make for a good cake.

Maybe I should make a yellow cake and add blue?

Suggestions... PLEASE! :)
Thank you!!!

Dairy Free Chocolate Squares (S'mores!)

We are fortunate enough that Witt has not had any reaction to food that carries the warning of "Created on a line that process dairy, etc." That means we can use Ghirardelli Semi-sweet chocolate chips! Yummm....

To create chocolate squares, I melt the chips with a little bit of coconut oil (you could also use DF margarine). Then I pour the melted chocolate onto a wax paper lined tray. Smooth it out to the thickness I want and refrigerate.

Since coconut oil is solid above 77, it doesn't take long to harden. Then you can take it out and cut it into squares with a knife.


Then if you want, add some roasted marshmallows and a couple of graham crackers! :)

Chicken Nuggets

Ok, so this isn't really anything earth shattering, but my boys really liked these and I want to remember exactly how I made them. Nathan (age 3 1/2) ended up eating about 3 helpings of these. "Moe chikn, peez!" :)

My concoction for these originated from Heavenly Homemaker's Chicken Nuggets.

2 - 3 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c unbleached AP flour
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/8 c nutritional yeast
fine sea salt

1/2 c palm oil (or other oil of your choosing)


Combine flours and nutritional yeast in a bowl. Cut breasts into bite-sized pieces and coat in flour mixture. Heat oil over Medium heat in a small pot. (My stove-top tends to run hot, so you may need to use your's on Med-High.) Place chicken in hot oil in a single layer. Cook 7 minutes on each side. Salt while frying.

Using a slotted spoon, remove to a plate with paper towels on top to absorb excess oil. Allow to cool to an appropriate eating temperature.


(For those of you wondering... yes, palm oil is red. :) )

Enjoy!

Yet ANOTHER Giveaway!

On my personal blog from Ecostore USA!

Giveaway #2 and a Personal Note

Francesca will be recieving The Milk Free Kitchen! Please email your address to me.

My family is in the process of moving and I don't know exactly when I'll be online again after today. Just yesterday the movers were secured for this Sunday so we have a lot of work to do before then! (This is about two weeks sooner than expected, but I'm ready to get this done!)

A note to my cook book winners: Please be patient with me! I promise you will get your books, it just might take a little longer than expected. :)

Winner and a Giveaway

The winner of my No Moo cookbook is Kathleen! I've already sent the email to let her know and she has two days to claim her prize (or I will choose another winner).

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Now, don't be sad because you didn't win. I found another dairy free cookbook in my stash that I am willing to part with! The Milk Free Kitchen!

Same rules as the last giveaway:

1) Must have a US mailing address.

2) One entry per person. Entries are made through the comments.

3) In your comment, you must include why you would like this book. (Basically, I want to make sure it goes to a person dealing with a dairy-free diet in some way and not to someone that just wants a free book.) If you don't include your "why" your comment will be deleted. If you posted your "why" in the previous giveaway, just write that in the comments, you don't need to "rewhy". :)

4) You do not have to be a blogger to win, but you must leave some way for me to contact you in your comments. I will not hunt you down to tell you that you won... sorry.

5) Once the winner is announced and I email you, you will have two days to claim the cookbook before I choose another winner.

6) You have until NOON CST, Wednesday, July 22, 2009 to enter.

Good luck!

Cookbook Giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!


We are in the process of moving and I need to part with some of my cookbooks. The majority of them I will be posting on PaperBackSwap, but I thought I would pass this one on to one of my readers.

The No Moo Cookbook was written in 1976 by a mother of a dairy allergic son. It was originally started as a wedding present for her son's future wife. I purchased this when we first learned of our son's anaphylactic reaction to dairy. I have gleaned what I needed to from this cookbook and thought I would pass it along in the form of a giveaway.

Here are the "rules":

1) Must have a US mailing address.

2) One entry per person. Entries are made through the comments.

3) In your comment, you must include why you would like this book. (Basically, I want to make sure it goes to a person dealing with a dairy-free diet in some way and not to someone that just wants a free book.) If you don't include your "why" your comment will be deleted.

4) You do not have to be a blogger to win, but you must leave some way for me to contact you in your comments. I will not hunt you down to tell you that you won... sorry.

5) Once the winner is announced and I email you, you will have two days to claim the cookbook before I choose another winner.

6) You have until NOON CST, Wednesday, July 15, 2009 to enter.

Good luck!

Jeff's Favorite Cobbler

I think I've only actually made this a couple of times, but Jeff has made it many times over. He's used fresh peaches, fresh blueberries, and for his last creation shown here, a combination of fresh cherries and blueberries. YUMMMmmmmm.....

Cook time will vary depending on how you like your breading. I personally like my cobbler a little gooey, so I take it out a little sooner than most. These pictures show it completely cooked, almost like a cake, but it was still oh. so. good! Let me say it again: YUMMMMmmmmm...... :)



2 large peaches, peeled and sliced (or equivalent amount of other fruit)
1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup DF margarine, melted
1 cup AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
dash ground nutmeg
3/4 c up almond milk (or other milk substitute)

In a bowl, combine peaches and 3/4 cup sugar; set aside. Pour margarine into an 8" square baking pan. In a bowl, combine flour, baking poser, salt, nutmeg and remaining sugar. Stir in milk until just combined. Pour over the butter. Top with peaches.

Bake 375 for 45 - 50 minutes until golden brown.

Dairy Free Egg Free Waffles

Although the original recipe (Naked Vegan Waffle), was already DF and EF, I adjusted a few other ingredients to suit our dietary desires. Here's the resulting recipe for a great basic waffle:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups almond milk (plain or vanilla)
  
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
  
• 1/4 cup sucanat
  
• 2 tsp vanilla
  

Sift or whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix the almond milk, coconut oil, sucanat, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Cook on a waffle iron for 3 to 5 minutes, generously spraying both grills with oil before each waffle. Makes 4 (7-inch) round Belgian waffles.

*Healthier* Yellow Squash Muffins

I'm still working toward converting my recipes to healthier ingredients (ie more whole wheat flour, less refined sugar, less trans-fat margarine, etc.) I'm sure this recipe would taste just fine with all whole wheat flour, but for now I'm happy with the progress to half WW and half AP. For my original version with "normal" ingredients, click here.

2 lbs. yellow squash (about 8)
1/2 c applesauce (unsweetened)
3/4 c coconut oil
1 c sucanat
1 1/2 c AP unbleached flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 Tbs + 2 tsp baking powder (non-aluminum)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Boil squash until tender. Drain well. Return to pot and mash.

Measure 2 cups mashed squash into a large bowl. Add applesauce and coconut oil. Mix. (Much of the coconut oil will melt from the heat of the squash.)

Mix remaining ingredients in another bowl. Then mix both the dry ingredients and the squash mixture together.

Fill non-greased muffin cups 3/4 c full. Bake 350 until lightly golden brown, about 18-23 minutes.


Note: The coconut flavor will increase as the muffins sit, so if they happen to last a few days, you may begin to notice more hints of coconut.

Fried Zucchini

I love this recipe because the batter doesn't require egg or milk. Allowing the dry ingredients to settle into the sliced zucchini is the key to a good "batter". The lard not only adds flavor, but some vitamin D, too!


2 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp paprika (I used smoked paprika)
2 tsp nutritional yeast
3/4 - 1 cup lard for frying (of course you could also use vegetable oil if you prefer)

Place zucchini in a medium sized bowl. Mix all dry ingredients together in another bowl and then pour over the zucchini. Toss zucchini to cover well with dry ingredients. Let sit for 30 minutes to allow the dry mixture to "cling" to the zucchini slices.

In a large skillet, heat lard over medium heat. When hot, add slices in a single layer. Cook 3 - 5 minutes on each side to brown evenly.

Sorry... no picture. They were gone too quickly. {big grin}

Vegan Rella - Natural Cheese Alternative

I cannot for the life of me find a website about Vegan Rella, but I've read about it on some of the various food allergy blogs. Some reviews were good and some not so good, but as usual, I wanted to formulate my own decision. :)

I found it at a Whole Foods Market (either in Birmingham or Nashville... can't remember which... it might have even been both). The picture below is high resolution, so you should be able to click on it to enlarge if you can't read the ingredients well enough.

Please note that Vegan Rella is made in a facility that uses milk and soy products. If you can only use products that are made in dedicated facilities, I wanted to make this statement clear. Although Witt is anaphylactic to dairy, we have fortunatly had no reactions to parts per million/billion.


Anyway, I wanted to share my review.

We tried the Mozzarella brand on pizza. No good. The taste was as good as any other cheese alternative, but the texture was not right for pizza. When this brand melts, it MELTS! It stays creamy and it slid right off the pizza dough taking the toppings with it. The kids had a really hard time eating it and my picky eater wouldn't touch it.

I still had a block of cheddar flavor left and decided to try mac-n-cheese because of the creamy texture. I made some elbow noodles according to the package directions. Drained them and added the shredded Vegan Rella, some milk alternative, and a lot of salt.



The verdict? My middle son gobbled it up and asked for more. My youngest son ate what was on his plate and was done. Me? Well, I ate some, but it certainly isn't like the "real" mac-n-cheese I grew up with. I will probably make it again on rare occasions as my middle son really did like it.

Another option would be grilled cheese sandwiches. Go Dairy Free has a review of that here:

Vegan Rella Natural Cheese Alternative - Cheddar Style (Vegan, Soy-Free)
Go Dairy Free - Saturday, 13 June 2009

© Go Dairy Free

Food Allergy Labeling

Find Safe Foods is putting together a detailed description of what people with food allergies really need to safely eat manufactured and restaurant food. Please head over and read her draft. She's looking for input from allergy folks and so far I think she's really done a spectacular job!!!

Follow Your Heart - Vegan Gourmet Cheese

Since I have tried so many dairy free products, I thought I'd start offering a review of them. "Cheese" is a good place to start, don't you think? :)



This brand of cheese is available in Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterrey jack, and Nacho.


I use this cheese to top our pizzas as it really does melt and have a good mozzarella taste. However, after the cheese begins to cool, it starts to return to its more solid state, but I like that quality for a pizza because it "holds" the toppings in place instead of sliding them off.



I would not recommend this brand of cheese alternative for a creamy dish like macaroni and cheese. Although the cheddar has a good taste and the texture is good when served and eaten immediately, after it starts cooling the texture is just really off. My boys wouldn't touch it. :(


Price: $4.50 - $5.50 for a 10 oz. block


This brand of cheese freezes well. After opening, I shred the entire package immediately and freeze in a bag.

On a side note, I have one son that will eat this brand of cheese alternative straight from the package. It's not something I would do, but, hey... it's got protien, iron, calcium, and fiber! :)

Pizza Dough

This is a quick, no-rise pizza dough. I altered the original so much, I think I'm going to call it mine. :) I would like to continue increasing the whole wheat flour in this recipe, but I think for now it's at a good starting point.

(If you want a crust that is completely whole wheat, I recommend this one... although I decreased the wheat germ content when I made it. The kids weren't too fond of that dough, so I came up with this one below which they really liked.)

2 cups AP unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (I used the white wheat)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 package)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 - 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp melted lard or olive oil
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey
1 cup warm water (110 F)

Combine flours, yeasts, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Min the remaining ingredients. Knead dough until all flour is mixed in thoroughly (about 3 - 5 minutes, I suppose).

Roll out crust onto a large pizza pan. Top as desired.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. If using dairy-free cheese topping, you'll need to turn the broiler on HI after the 20 minutes for about 2 - 4 minutes longer to get the cheese to melt.

Pizza Sauce here (substitute nutritional yeast for Parmesan cheese)

Try It Tuesday: Rendering Lard

Yes, you read that correctly, I rendered LARD.

Why would I do such a thing? Well, I want to cut out shortening and vegetable oils. And since I don't believe in re-inventing the wheel, I'll just point you in the direction to an article that explains why lard is better than the "normal" options.

I've already replaced vegetable oil with coconut oil for baking, but many times that coconut taste just isn't appropriate for sauteing meats or veggies. And, since we can't use real butter due to our youngest's dairy allergy, I am hoping that home-rendered lard will give us the non-hydrogenated and non-transfat option I want, while boosting flavor for meats and veggies... all while giving us a much needed healthy dose of Vitamin D! Wow, sounds like lard is going to do a lot of good things for my family! :)

So on to my experiment of rendering lard at home:

1) I used fat back and cut it into small pieces (about 1" square). This particular slab of lard was salted (and not preserved with nitrates as far as I could tell). Next time, I will remove more of the salt than I did this time.

2) After about 2 - 3 hours on low, it had mostly melted except for the "cracklins". You know it's done when the cracklins fall to the bottom instead of float. I strained it with some cheesecloth inside a collander.

Here are the cracklins (which can be eaten this way, btw, or ground up with onions and peppers into a spread, or crushed and fed to birds, etc) :

And the hot, clear liquid part - it was reddish brown:

3) I let it cool for about 20 minutes and then put it in the fridge for a more rapid cooling. By morning, it was a yellowish-white.

There is more information on rendering lard at The Nourishing Gourmet. She discusses the difference between wet and dry rendering. In her example, she uses leaf lard instead of fat back (as I used).

I haven't actually done a taste test, yet. I'll save that for another "Try It Tuesday". {grin} One last note I should make for myslef, is to not make this right before company comes over. The house does fill with the smell of pork.

All in all, I am quite please with my little experiment and look forward to trying it out!

To check out what other new things people are trying, head over to Naturally Knocked Up:

Healthier Breakfast Cookies

Although we've enjoyed the previous breakfast cookie recipe I've posted, I wanted to make it a little healthier. I had already reduced the sugar amount from the original, but now I've changed a few more things. I may even try to reduce the sugar further the next time I make them.

Here's our current recipe:

1 cup margarine or coconut oil
1 cup sucanat
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce (not sweetened)
1/2 cup peanut butter substitute
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup dry cereal (your choice)
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
2 Tablespoons hemp seed
2 Tablespoons milled flax
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit
1/2 cup nuts


Directions

Melt together the margarine or coconut oil. Add sugars and cream thoroughly.

Mix remaining ingredient and stir in any or all of the optional ingredients.

Drop by rounded Tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.


***Just a few notes:

These cookies do NOT turn a golden brown, but they continue to crisp up after cooking. I have found that I get best results when they are still just a little gooey coming out of the oven and leave them on the cookie sheet to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then I transfer them to a cooling rack.

However, if I do over cook and they are just too crispy to enjoyably eat, they are WONDERFUL broken up into a bowl of almond milk and eaten like cereal in the morning for breakfast! They are practically oatmeal and cereal after all!

For the cereal, we use Lucky charms or Fruit Loops to add some color, but I'm sure something healthier would work, too. :)

For the peanut butter substitute, both almond butter and sunbutter gave good results, but I prefer Sunbutter for it's stronger taste.

When using this much coconut oil, it will be necessary to refrigerate these cookies or they will fall apart easily.

Almond Milk Coupons

***** closed *****



Giveaway going on over at my personal blog... thought you might be interested!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

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This month's Daring Baker's Challenge was a bit of a stretch for me. The original flourless cake recipe they gave us had 5 eggs in it! I almost opted out, until a recipe link was posted for a flourless chocolate cake that used black eyed peas and tofu!


I used her recipe, and received similar results... an extremely moist cake with a sunken middle.


Granted this isn't a recipe I would normally choose and probably won't make again, but it was a challenge and I worked with some ingredients I wouldn't normally pair together. As for taste, I could certainly taste the black eyed peas and although I do like BEP's, I'd rather have them as a side dish than a dessert. :)

Now, my BEP-loving son (who will drink the BEP juice!) enjoyed the crusty outside of the cake; he didn't like the moist inside.

As a secondary part of the challenge, we were to pair it with homemade whipped topping, ice cream, or a fruit puree. I chose a berry fruit sorbet... YUM!

Dairy Free Sorbet

I adapted this recipe from The Minimalist.


1 cup frozen fruit (I used a combo of black berry, blue berry, and raspberry)
2 Tbsp white sugar
3 Tbsp Silk vanilla creamer
4 - 5 Tbsp water

Put the first three ingredients in your food processor and pulse to break up the frozen fruit. Add water slowly so it stays in a sorbet consistency and doesn't turn into a smoothie.

The boys and I ate this immediately, so I haven't experimented with putting it back in the freezer for a later time... if you try to, let me know how it goes!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

I have tried many ways of cooking these and finally decided on one I like... crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and oh so yummy! :)

Ingredients

sweet potatoes (scrubbed or peeled)
coconut oil, melted
salt
pepper


Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges about 2 -3 inches long. Place on a cookie sheet.

You'll need just enough melted coconut oil to coat the potatoes. Pour the coconut oil over the potatoes and toss to coat. Generously salt & pepper; toss again.

Arrange wedges on the cookie sheet so that they are not touching and that one of the cut edges is face down.

Bake until cut side of the sweet potatoes touching the baking sheet is crusty and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and carefully turn sweet potatoes with a thin metal spatula. Bake until the second cut side of the wedge now touching the pan is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Use the metal spatula to transfer the sweet potatoes to a platter and serve the oven-fried potatoes immediately.

adapted from Perfect Vegetables

Daring Bakers: Tuiles

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Baking Soda and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf.
They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

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This is my first month as a Daring Baker! I've seen this around the blogosphere and thought this would be so much fun! Once I qualify, I'll be listed as an Alternative Baker as all my recipes will be Dairy-free, Egg-free and Peanut-free due to my son's allergies.

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The original recipe was taken from a book called “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck.

I halved the recipe and converted it to Dairy-Free and Egg-free. My final recipe follows:

1/8 c dairy free margarine, softened
1/4 c confectioner's sugar, sifted
slightly less than 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c all purposed, unbleached flour

I also sprinkled blue sugar crystals on one prior to baking, just to see how it would turn out.



We were also instructed to pair these cookies with something light. I sprinkled on some powdered sugar and added a thin slice of lemon including the rind. Then I made some coconut "whip-cream" (recipe from GO DAIRY FREE). I think a raspberry on top would have finished it off nicely, but I'm to cheap to buy them just for presentation! LOL!


My husband and boys LOVED these! In fact, Nathan requested "star cookies" just the other day!

I'm not much of a photographer, but these cookies were good and I'll certainly be making them again!

Amish Baked Oatmeal

Original Recipe here.

So good on a cold morning! This serves about 6.

Converted to fit our needs below... ;)


1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk alternative (I've used both soy and almond with good results)
2 tablespoons milk alternative
3 cups oatmeal (regular or quick)


Melt coconut oil.

Grease 1 1/2 quart baking dish and add applesauce. Add brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well, no lumps.

Whisk in coconut oil and both measures of milk alternative, then add oats. (The coconut oil will start solidifying again and that's fine.)

Stir well, and refrigerate OVERNIGHT.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-45 min, or until set in the middle.

Serve hot with warm milk alternative poured over. (My boys also like a little extra brown sugar sprinkled on top.)

To reheat, just put in the oven again at 350 until desired warmth.

Dairy Fee Egg Free Apple Muffins

I love these muffins! The original recipe came from Mama of Boys, but I have changed it quite a bit to fit our needs and make it a little healthier. I'm also going to experiment with more chopped apple because it's just so good when I get a bite with apple chunks! :)

1 1/2 c AP flour
1/2 c Whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c dairy free margarine or coconut oil, softened
1 c white sugar
3/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 c apple, peeled and chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg


Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, beat margarine (or coconut oil), sugar, applesauce and vanilla. (If using coconut oil, the mixture will be "grainy" looking from the oil solidifying again.)


Mix flours, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to applesauce mixture. Stir until just moistened.

Fold in apple chunks. Mixture will be thick.

Spoon into muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

Bake 30 - 35 minutes.


Makes about 18 muffins.




ICING

3/4 c confectioner's sugar
1 Tbsp dairy free margarine
3/4 tsp vanilla
2 tsp warm water

Mix together and pour over warm muffins. If the icing hardens before you have finished pouring, can be reheated in the microwave to return to glaze consistency.

Chap Chee Noodles

This recipe was taken directly from allrecipes.com. I didn't have to make any substitutions as it was already DFEFPF. Jeff and I loved the dish, but the boys were not really interested... granted it does look a little strange with the clear brown noodles! I will be making this again - probably more along the lines of a lunch for Jeff and I to enjoy together.

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Remaining Ingredients:

• 1/3 pound beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/4 pound napa cabbage, sliced
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 3 ounces cellophane noodles, soaked in warm water for about 10 - 15 minutes
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, garlic, sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in sliced beef, and marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, then drizzle with oil. Cook beef until evenly brown. Stir in carrots, bamboo shoots, napa cabbage, and spinach. Add cellophane noodles, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until heated through.

I'll take a picture next time... :)

Allergy Friends BLOGROLL

If you are a blogger that deals with food allergies, please leave your blog address and which allergens you deal with below. I'd just like to offer a place where we can find other allergy families and build a support system through an allergy blogroll. Thanks!





For an exclusively Dairy-free blogroll click here:

GO DAIRY FREE for FREE!

I was a little leery of purchasing another dairy-free cookbook. I've got several, but find that I just like to convert standard recipes to dairy free instead of finding strange ingredients.

NoWhey,Mama wrote a positive review about this book and I began to think about it. Then I emailed her and asked her is she really liked it or "was she just sayin' she did". Isn't that just awful of me!?! I can't believe I did that!

Anyway, she reconfirmed that she liked it, so I ordered it for myself for Christmas (that another whole post in itself).

Let me just say, "I AM IMPRESSED WITH THIS BOOK!" I love it. I really, really do. The first part of the book is about making the transition to DF, the health benefits, etc. Then she goes into different substitutions and how to make your own at home - sometimes for pennies!

It's not all about DF, though. She takes into consideration some other allergies and of vegans. It is truly a comprehensive book that anyone could use. She discusses different oils, how they should be used... which "milks" taste best in different recipes... being frugal... and she does it with a sense of humor as a real person who's been there... done that.

We've been DF for a little over a year now and I have learned SO MUCH from this book in the last month. I truly wish I had the book when we first made the switch.

Let me just say that I haven't even made it to the recipe section yet and I'm recommending this book! I've perused a few recipes and look forward to trying them out, but the information in this book has been so useful and opened my eyes to other options.

If you are thinking about getting this book, I HIGHLY recommend it!

And right now you might be able to get it for FREE!! NoWhey,Mama is hosting a giveaway at her place this week for a free copy! If you don't win, however, you can always get it from the GoDairyFree site (among other places).


P.S. I wrote this review by my own free-will... I get nothing in return for it except knowing that I'm suggesting a really useful book to those on the path of Dairy-free living. Enjoy!