Fresh Guacamole

3 ripe avocados

1/2 large red onion, diced

1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

3/4 lime, juiced

1- 2 jalapenos, de-seeded and diced

salt to taste

mix it all together and enjoy

Crispy Oven Chicken

In a large bowl, prepare a brine with

• Salt
• honey
• paprika
• onion flakes
• ginger
• water

(Sorry, no measurements this time)

Add chicken pieces (skin on) to the brine and let sit for at least 3 hours.

Drain. Pat chicken dry. 

In a bowl, mix the dry, brined chicken with

• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

(This changes the pH of the chicken so it will crisp up more.)

Place chicken on a rack that allows for air circulation. Bake at 250 for 30 minutes.

Flip chicken. Raise temp to 425 and cook for an additional 40 minutes. 

DF NF SF Hot Chocolate... Kid Approved!

So, my first attempt at hot chocolate was not approved by my food-allergy kiddo (even though I liked it very much!). This time I changed the "milk" and combined two together.  I really like vanilla hemp milk; it has a nutty taste and is fairly thick.  Witt likes rice milk even though it's kinda bland and thin. So I combined the two.

Here's what I came up with and it was approved by ALL THREE of my boys!!! WOOO HOO!

1 cup rice milk, original
1 cup hemp milk, vanilla
4 tsp cocao powder
2 Tbsp sucanat
dash sea salt
1 tsp GF vanilla extract

Warm the milks over medium heat. Stir in cocao powder, sucanat, and salt until well combined.  Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Stir. Pour. Add marshmallows and enjoy!

Hot Cacao (DF SF NF GF)

Normally, I would make hot cocoa with almond milk, but until we evaluate almonds in Witt's diet again, they are out.  And I always try to avoid soy.  He's tried chocolate rice milk and doesn't like it. So that leads me to coconut milk.

This recipe is thick, rich and delicious... a real treat! Unfortunately only one of my three boys agreed, and it wasn't the food-allergy kid. :(

However, I really enjoyed it so I'm keeping the recipe for me. :)

*A few notes first:

• I would not recommend substituting 1:1 on the sugar. To me, sucanat has a completely different flavor and isn't as "sweet" as regular white sugar. If you are going to use plain, white sugar, add slowly and taste as you go. 
• Cacao powder and cocoa powder taste different to me as well.  Cacao has more of a dark chocolate taste. I don't know if a regular cocoa powder (like Hershey's) would substitute exactly.

Ingredients

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (I use Thai organic)
1 can water
3 Tbsp cacao powder (I use Navitas organic)
4 Tbsp sucanat
1/8 tsp sea salt (I use pink Himalayan)
1 tsp vanilla extract, gluten free


Directions

Combine entire can of coconut milk and can of water in a pot. Warm over medium heat.

Whisk in cacao powder, sucanat, and sea salt. (Remember to taste as you go with the sugar!)

Once well combined and warm, remove from heat and add vanilla extract.

Serve warm.  Makes approximately 3 1/3 cups.



Recipe linked on Allergy-Free Wednesday

Chocolate Chip Cookie (GF DF SF)

Cookies

This recipe is altered from a previous one (DF, EF) now that Witt cannot have wheat, but can have eggs.  The following recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and soy free.  I made about 24 cookies, 24 mini-muffins, and one 9" cookie cake to see how the recipe handled different forms.

These may not be the most perfect looking desserts, but everyone loved them! Even the non-allergy folks.  YUM!

Mini-Muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c GF flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Mix)
1/4 tsp Xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 c coconut oil
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp GF vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 - 2 cups Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

To get your eggs to room temperature more quickly, cover them with warm water.

In a bowl, combine flour and xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.

In a mixer, cream the coconut oil and sugars together.  Then add vanilla and eggs.  Mix well.

Slowly add flour blend to the oil blend. Stir until just combined. (Small chunks of coconut oil are fine.)

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Cookie Cake

For cookies:  

Drop SMALL amounts of dough onto cookie sheet. These spread and flatten. Bake 9 - 11 minutes.  Allow to cool on sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Yield: approximately 60 cookies

(Note to self: Try refrigerating dough before cooking to see if it helps lesson spreading.)


For mini-muffins: 

Fill muffin tin with cup holders. Do not grease. Fill cup 3/4 full.  Bake 9 - 11 minutes.  These sunk in the middle which made a perfect place for frosting! Turned out great! Yield: approximately 60 mini-muffins


For cookie cake:

Use a non-greased 9" round pan. Use 1/4 - 1/5 of the dough per 9" round pan. Bake 10-13 minutes. Yield: 4-5 9" cookie cakes.  Allow to cool in pan.  Recommend serving from the round pan; do not transfer.

(Note to self: I was very pleased with the cookie cake. The sides of the pan helped contain the spreading.  Will try with a pizza pan to see if the recipe can handle a larger size.)

Strawberry Frosting DFSFGF

Looking for some kind of cupcake container for my son to bring to school, led me to the Push-Pop Dessert Maker. Cute, huh? :)

Ingredients

2 large strawberries
1 tsp sucanat (or plain sugar)
1/2 cup earth balance natural buttery spread (soy free), room temp
1/2 cup Spectrum organic vegetable shortening, room temp
1 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract
2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Directions

Cut each strawberries in to 8 pieces and place in a small bowl. Sprinkle sucanat over the strawberries. Set aside for 5-10 minutes. When most of the sugar has been dissolved, mash or puree the strawberries until there are few to no chunks (unless you like the chunks... then you can leave them) :)

In a large mixing bowl (I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer), combine the buttery spread, the shortening, and the vanilla. I mix it on high until well combined.

Add the mashed strawberries and combine again.  You may need to scrape down the sides of your bowl to help the strawberries combine.

Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Mixing completely before adding the next cup.  (I liked the sweetness of 2 cups, but I wanted it a little stiffer so I added an extra 1/2 cup.)

If you need a thinner frosting, add a tsp of water or milk-alternative.

Refrigeration is recommended to maintain best consistency.

Rice Treats

This is an oldie from back in 2008, but I've updated the ingredients a bit to fit our new needs. These  treats were individually wrapped and labeled for my boys' Fall Festival at school. Now the allergy kids can have a treat, too! :)

 

I made a batch with Earth Balance and another with coconut oil. I, personally, like the coconut oil batch better. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients
10.5 oz GF miniature marshmallows (eg. Kraft)
1/4 cup coconut oil (preferred) or DF/SF margarine (eg. Earth Balance buttery spread)
5-6 cups GF crispy rice cereal (eg. GF Rice Krispies)

Directions
Line a 13x9 pan with wax paper and grease with coconut oil.

Melt coconut oil in a large bowl in the microwave (If you have time, you really should do this over low heat on the stove top to preserve the benefits of coconut oil. But... I was in a hurry and this is what I did.)

Add marshmallows to melted oil and mix to coat.

Microwave marshmallows and coconut oil until melted, stirring after each 1 minute. (Or if using the stove, just stir continuously until everything is melted and well combined.)

Add cereal to melted marshmallows slowly, stirring to combine well. Pour mixture into pan and press down with greased fingers.

Cool in the refrigerator. Cut into squares.

***************
Side note: I didn't realize until after I had stuck my labels on that I forgot to add soy-free. And to make these Top 8-Free, these are of course fish and shellfish-free, too. ;)

Must Follow Recipes on Facebook

So, I've finally created a FB page for all my allergy recipes and posts. I hope you'll head over there and "like" my page: https://www.facebook.com/MustFollowRecipes :)

Must Follow Recipes

Promote Your Page Too

GF DF SF Baked Oatmeal

I tweaked this recipe from Urban Nester who tweaked it from someone else. :) After reading the many, many comments on Urban Nester's post, I realized this is a great adaptable recipe because so many people have made it to fit their own dietary needs and it worked! So, I tweaked it a bit for us and this is what 2 out of 3 of my boys ate and ate and ate. And then asked that I make again next week. (One boy doesn't like oatmeal...period. Even with chocolate.)


Ingredients

Dry:
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 cup sucanat
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup walnut (or pecan, flax, etc), ground (optional)

Wet:
1 cup strawberries (any berries work)
2 cups rice milk, original (or other DF milk alternative)
1 large egg (or egg replacement. We can do eggs now.)
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled

 Fold in:
1/3 - 1/2 cup EnjoyLife chocolate chips

Side Note: If you have time, let the milk, egg, and fruit come to room temperature first so that the coconut oil doesn't clump too much when you mix them all together.

Another Side Note: My kids don't like crunchy stuff in their oatmeal, so I ground the walnuts first, but you can leave them in pieces if you prefer... or leave them out all together.  Easy peasy. :)

****************
DIRECTIONS


Lightly grease 11x7 pan with coconut oil.

In a bowl combine oats, sucanat, baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt, and walnuts (if using).

In a food processor, combine strawberries, rice milk, egg, coconut oil, vanilla, and banana until well combined. The coconut oil may clump back up into solid form a little, but that should be ok.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and pour into greased pan.


To bake immediately:
Fold in chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.

To bake later (Preferred method for a thicker oatmeal):
Cover the dish and place in the refrigerator overnight.

(Mine was in a glass baking dish, so I removed it from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. I placed it on the counter to allow it to come closer to room temperature first.)

Fold in chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.


Store covered in the refrigerator. Reheated nicely in the microwave. Serves at least 6.


****************


Notes to self for next time:

• Reduce to 1/3 chocolate chips (we preferred it this way)
• Compare reheat in microwave vs. toaster oven.

Looking for allergy recipes

I have been out of the allergy loop for a few years.... thankfully! However, my son's dairy allergy has returned in the form of severe stomach pain.  Although, he can tolerate baked-in and most yogurt/kefir. 

We, as a family, are also headed toward GF by choice.

I just found out last night that his kindergarten classroom is peanut free and treenut free.

So, I'm here looking for suggestions on lunches and snacks that are DFGFPFTF (and nutritious!). 

Please feel free to just direct me to another allergy blog or a certain recipe or even just general ideas. At this point, I'll take anything.

Thanks so much!

Becky

Must Follow Recipes

Boys Rule My Life

PLEASE ADVISE: Milk Allergy Turned Lactose Intolerant?

I know it's been a long time since I've posted here and I'm sorry I don't have a recipe to share, but this is the first place I thought of to ask my question.

My youngest son, now almost 6, "outgrew" his life-threatening dairy allergy a few years ago.  Recently he has started having stomach pains after eating.  I have pretty much narrowed it down to gluten and dairy.

This morning, I gave him a glass of milk on an empty stomach and within 10 minutes he was complaining of a stomach ache. 

I don't know how lactose intolerance works since allergies behave differently.  Does this sound like lactose intolerance? If so, what are my next steps (besides removing milk)?

Thanks for any advice.  

Becky

Homemade Mint Chocolate/Carob Chips

Haven't tried this yet, but yummmm.... looks so good!

Homemade Mint Chocolate/Carob Chips

• soy-free
• dairy-free
• refined sugar-free option
• caffeine-free carob option

What's New In Our Food?

Check out these stats:

1. Today, 1 out 17 kids under the age of 3 has a food allergy.
2. From 1997 until 2002, peanut allergies DOUBLED.
3. 9 out of 10 of breast cancer cases in the US are not genetic; they are environmental.
Robin O'Brien is so smart! She is the Horton who heard a Who. I've got her book but haven't started it yet. Can't wait! Watch this video. She is so eloquent & passionate. You WILL be inspired! (copied from Cheeseslave)

 This video has some FABULOUS information and is well worth the time. PLEASE take the time to watch.

HOMEMADE Coconut Milk Yogurt

Funky Food writes that she has successfully made homemade coconut milk yogurt at home!  I LOVE coconut milk yogurt, but WOWSERS (!), it is expensive!

So Delicious

Check out her starting recipe (originally made with milk, but shows an update at the end of the post) and be sure to read the comments for further suggestions regarding thickening of the yogurt.  Then you should check out her updated recipe specific to the coconut milk.

Have you successfully made dairy free yogurt at home?  Add your link to the comments, please! Thanks!

Combating Allergies

Allergies Have You in a Fog? is a great article of 25 tips to help combat allergies (not just food allergies). The author uses a myriad of links to bloggers, commercial products, and medical professionals.

While some of it isn't new information to those of us that have dealt with allergies for a long time, it's certainly a good starting place for those being thrown into the allergy world against their will. :) I know there were a few articles I tagged to check out and we've been dealing with environmental allergies for at least 5 years now - thinking we've tried everything. (And if I were still a food allergy cook, there were a few new-to-me blogs that look like a fun place to check out.) I'm always thankful for new ideas, aren't you? :)

While the author of this article did contact me and asked me to read it, I was not compensated in any way for this review. These are my honest, unbiased opinions and thoughts. Thankyouverymuch and have a nice day. :)

What's Really In Your Food?

Foodfacts.com contacted me and asked if I would help spread the word about their site. With ingredients changing all the time, this looks like it could be a useful tool in the allergy world. Here's their commercial:

Homemade Almond Flour

This looks absolutely amazing! And what a savings, too! I haven't tried it yet, but can't wait to do so!


~ The Crazy Kitchen ~: Cooking 101: How to make your own high quality almond flour

Ask the Readers: Chocolate Fountain

I received this email from a reader and I don't have any experience with this, so I thought I'd throw the question out there to my readers. Please offer any suggestions in the comment section. Thanks so much!

****************

Have you ever come across an allergy-friendly recipe for a chocolate fountain or chocolate fondue? I have a 'turning-fifteen" year old daughter who is allergic to dairy, egg, and peanuts who really wants a chocolate something for her birthday party. If you have any ideas, I would really like to hear them.

****************

Dairy- Free Egg-Free Yellow Squash Muffins (repost)

I thought I'd repost this recipe as we've got a plethora of yellow squash about to come in and I figure you probably do to! :)
**************************************

This recipe is featured on Allergy Sense and


I found the original hand-written recipe on a piece of notebook paper in a cookbook that I purchased at a yard sale. Because Witt is allergic to eggs, I substituted 1/4 c applesauce for each egg and they turned out great! (and without apple flavor)

(For a healthier version of these muffins, click here.)



2 lb Yellow Squash (about 8)
1/2 c Applesauce
1 c melted DF Margarine
1 c White Sugar
3 c AP Flour
1 Tbs + 2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

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

Measure 2 cups of squash into another bowl. Add applesauce and margarine. Mix. Add remaining ingredients. Mix. Fill ungreased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 350 until lightly golden brown; about 15 - 20 minutes.

Cookbook Giveaway: What's to Eat?

*** Congrats to Spooky!! Giveaway is now closed***

This is my personal copy of What's to Eat? The Milk-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free Food Allergy Cookbook. Some pages are bent and the spine is broken, but all the pages are there and I'm certain it will be of use to somebody. :)

If you'd like to enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment on this post. I will draw a random winner on Thursday, May 6th. US mailing addresses only, please.

Good luck!