Have a Blog, Never Post. Fail.

My apologies. I have been on a hiatus not of my own choosing.

Life just gets busy that way, doesn’t it?

Well, I will be returning shortly with all kinds of yummy recipes, such as Cheesy Chicken and Ham Rolls made with Daiya and an amazing Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

But for now, I’ll just leave you with a shout out for Glutenfreeda Foods Instant Oatmeal!

 

These tasty, filling oatmeal packets only contain about five ingredients.

So unlike most pre-packaged oatmeal, not only is Glutenfreea gluten and dairy free, it is healthy!

And they taste delicious!

 

Happy Quick and Yummy Breakfasts!

 

Good Bacteria in a Cup

Forgive me, my two faithful readers, for my long absence.

I’ve been busy with strep throat, basketball games for the kiddos (four thousand and fifty four games, I’m sure of it), and a fun weekend away helping at our church’s College and Career camp.

Suffice it to say, I’ve been a leeeetle busy.

But not so busy that I didn’t discover a new yummy almond milk yogurt (hence the gross title to this post):

 

I have tried other brands of almond milk yogurt, but so far, this one is my favorite.

Made by Almond Dream, it hosts a variety of good bacteria and also leaves out some ingredients that never agree with me, such as chicory root.

For breakfast, I love to combine the yogurt in a bowl with this:

 

Lifestyle Granolas are the perfect compliment to yogurt. While not all of the varieties are gluten free, several of them are. And they are sweetened with only honey (with the exception of some of the added ingredients, such as cranberries, which are sweetened with sugar), making it just right.

This yogurt/granola combination has become my new favorite breakfast.

Along with bacon and coffee, of course.

Fine. My second favorite breakfast.

But yogurt and granola are easier to prepare. And healthier.

 

Happy Getting Friendly Bacteria!

Thursday Things

Basketball season….. can we have the kids’ end of season tournaments NOW please?

As fun as it is watching my big babies stuff, foul, box out and slam dunk, I am ready to get back to my routines.

Like baking and taking last minute cell phone pictures of the results to share with all two of you who read my posts.

But for now, I’ll just share a few neato mosquito products I’ve run across – literally run, as in running through the store on my way to the next game – at the market.

Van’s Snack Bars

These little guys are just….YUM! The cranberry variety tastes like gingerbread with generous servings of dried cranberries in each bite.

Click on the link above to view all flavors, ingredients and other nutrition information.

Van’s Crackers

They may be small, but, boy howdy! These are some GOOD crackers!

To view and read more about these delightful little bites, click on the link above.

Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups *

If I ever want to feel like all is right with the world, I buy myself a package of these glorious dairy free, gluten free cups of happiness.

Seriously. They boost your endorphins or something like that.

Forget runner’s high. Eat peanut butter cups instead. WAY more euphoric, I guarantee.

*I have found that ONLY the DARK chocolate variety is dairy free. When you click on the link, it will take you to the milk chocolate ingredients. If you cannot partake of dairy, be sure to click on the little ‘dark chocolate’ guy to see his ingredients. That sounded weird. Sorry. Just….you know what I mean.

Bakery on Main Granola

I will admit, this stuff is a little more spendy than I would like it to be.

But, man! Is it GOOD!

I especially like the Cranberry Maple kind. Deeeeeelicious!

And, honestly, a 1/2 cup serving with your choice of milk will fill your stomach cavity and keep you going until lunch time. It’s that hearty!

Click on the link above to see other varieties and nutrition information.

So there you have it! Some helpful little hints to help you eat well and wise (Don’t diss my peanut butter cups. Peanut butter is full of protein….and dark chocolate has antioxidants!).

Happy Busy Days!

Simply Snacks

If you’re out and about and suddenly find your tummy grumbling, allow me to suggest a few yummy snacks to keep you going until the next meal time.

I call these ‘Little Squares of Happiness’. Betty Lou’s Fruit Bars are very similar to Newton style cookies. But healthier and allergy free. And they are delightfully tasty.

Nana’s allergy free cookies are excellent paired with an almond milk latte. They come in the big cookie size as well as packages of little cookie ‘bites’. A variety of flavors make these a fun little snack to indulge in.

If you want something a little healthier than a cookie but with the same sweet satisfaction, go for a Lara Bar! These little packages are super satisfying. They even come in a decadent ‘Jocolat’ collection, offering flavors such as mint chocolate and chocolate coffee. Don’t forget to try their ‘Uber’ style bars as well, which are made from whole nuts and fruits.

It goes without saying that anything from Enjoy Life is a sure to satisfy snack. They offer everything from snack bars to cookies to lip smacking chocolate bars, all free of the major allergens.

If something salty is what you’re craving, Glutino brand offers a variety of crackers, pretzles and bagel chips. While primarily gluten free, I have found some of their products are free of dairy and eggs as well.

I’ll just bet that some of you are now coming up with an excuse to be ‘out and about’ today, just so you can get your hands on one of these snacks!

Well, at least I am anyway! Now where are my keys…..?

 

Happy Snacking!

Fabulous Franz Shout Out!

It’s your lucky day!

Because our good friends over at Franz have created a delicious (and I do mean DELICIOUS!) gluten free, dairy free bread!

There are two varieties:

Seven Grain

and Mountain White.

And there is a little rumor going around their store that within the month they will also be offering hamburger and hot dog buns.

I love you, Franz.

The only drawback for some may be the fact that this bread does contain chicken eggs. But if you do not have a chicken egg allergy, or are fortunate enough to be able to eat this bread without a reaction (a curiosity, I can sometimes eat things that contain chicken eggs. Go figure.), you are going to love it.

I mean it. This bread is fabulous. I don’t even have to toast it. It’s just good all by its lonesome.

And if you are fortunate to live by a local Franz Bakery Outlet, you’ll find the bread for around four dollars a loaf.

That’s a real steal for gluten free bread.

Happy Sandwiching! 

Last Minute Christmas Dinner Preparations

It can happen just like *that*!

“I need one more dish! Aunt Gertie asked me to bring one more covered dish! Aaaaauuuggghhh!!!”

*wrings hands furiously*

Never fear. Here are a few ideas:

Green Bean Casserole: No gluten, dairy, egg or yeast (recipe created by my daughter, Courtney)

• 1 box Imagine Foods Creamy Portobello Mushroom (the ingredients on the internet sometimes say this is made with soy milk. However, the boxes I purchase at my local grocer never have any soy. So if you are allergic to soy, go check it out at the store. I think Imagine may be a little behind the times on their ingredients update)
  
• 1/4 cup corn or tapioca starch plus enough water to thin starch
• 1 – 16 oz bag of frozen, french cut green beans, thawed
• 1/4 cup shredded Daiya mozerella
• 4 green onions, chopped finely
• 2 Tbs sunflower (or your favorite) oil
• Dash salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Grease a medium casserole dish. Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, blend with whisk the soup and starch until smooth. Add Daiya and green beans.

Transfer soup and green bean mixture to casserole dish. Place in oven and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat oil. Add garlic, salt and chopped onion. Saute until onion begins to caramelize. 

Top casserole with green onions after the 15 minutes are up. Then bake for an additional 10 minutes or until casserole is bubbly.

• And if you simply want to bring a dip along with some veggies, never fear!

Simply click on this link to see my recipe for a quick, easy ranch dressing and dip.

• And if you are dying for a cheese and cracker tray, EASY!

Get on down to the natural grocer and buy a package of allergy free lunch meat, such as Hormel Naturals, this Daiya cheese and a box of allergy free crackers, such as Mary’s Gone Crackers. Arrange on a cute little plate and hoard it all to yourself at the family gathering. Unless there are other food challenged people there. Then share, and you’ll be the star of the night.

Happy Christmas Eve!

I Love Amy!!!!!

LOOK! Just LOOK at what she has made now!

I haven’t actually tasted it yet, but I almost ran my tongue over the computer monitor.

I am not making this up.

In fact, I’m looking for my car keys so I can go to the local freak food store in search of this tasty treat.

Sure, I can make my own. But it’s too much fun to buy a box of frozen something, like I’m perfectly normal in the area of food toleration like the other folks at the store. Sauntering with my cart, as I casually throw a frozen dinner into my basket, like I haven’t a care in the world what the ingredients say.

It’s like a little secret, held between Amy and me.

I will say that the one drawback to this lasagna is that it does contain tofu. Why they had to add that pesky little critter in there, I’ll never know. But if a small amount of soybean doesn’t bother you, you can be in on the ‘Amy and Me Secret’ too, with our clandestine grocery cart contents.

Thank you, Amy. And thank you Daiya. You have just brought a smile to this cold, blustery, winter’s day.

Happy Instant Gratification!  

Schar Rolls Shout Out!

Today’s post is dedicated to delicious Schar Rolls.

Free of most of the major allergens, they make hamburger night a snap!

And I don’t know about you, but if I don’t have to make hamburger buns, I really don’t want to.

But some brands sold at stores are sometimes just so…. so….dry.

But not these babies! In fact, I sometimes love to toast them and spread them with Earth Balance.

They are so very yummy! And soft!

I have purchased them locally at Walmart, Fred Meyer, Rosauers, Whole Foods, Natural Grocers and Jake’s Gluten Free.

And I also got to thinking: I wonder if The Shropshire Slasher eats Schar rolls?

Say that ten times fast.

Happy Hamburgering!

To Top it Off….

Since my last post was about pumpkin pie, I thought it would only be right that the next post be about what to top that delicious pie with!

Before I post my suggestions for delectable whipped topping alternatives, I want to caution you about ‘non dairy’ whipped toppings, such as Cool Whip or the store brand version of the same.

Put simply: DON’T EAT THEM! RUN! RUN FAR AWAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!

Why? Because the package lies. They are not ‘non dairy’.

They contain the evil casein, a protein derived from milk!

And that, my friends, will make you sick.

But don’t be discouraged! Because we have some great alternatives!

Rich’s Whipped Topping – So it’s filled with all kinds of things that must be chemicals and just a little bit of soy lecithin. But it doesn’t contain any dairy, so it’s all good! Hey, once a year (or twice…..or multiple times if you get into the habit of topping your morning coffee with it. But. that. is. all. I swear!) though, you can justify chemical fillers. Right? You will, because this stuff is amazing.

Canned Coconut Milk – I only recommend this is you are a fan of coconut. If you are, this is your baby. And it’s quite easy to prepare! Simply place a can of coconut milk in the fridge for at least one hour. DO NOT SHAKE THE CAN! Open can with a can opener (not a can punch, but take the entire lid off). Next, scoop out the solid coconut, discarding the liquid. In a bowl, blend together a small splash of vanilla extract, your choice of sweetener in whatever amount you normally use for whipping cream and the solid coconut. Blend with an electric mixer until thickened, much like heavy whipping cream. A Magic Bullet works real well with this recipe, whipping it up in seconds.

Rice Whip – This product is much like your traditional canned whipped cream. While it is very tasty, it can also be very expensive. But, hey! It’s the holidays! Splurge! And while no one is looking, you can be a little kid again and spray the stuff right into your mouth. Go on. You know you want to.

Goat Milk – For real. For those of you fortunate enough to tolerate goat milk, you can prepare whipping cream from evaporated goat milk.

Cashew Whipped Cream (I am not making this up. I’ve had a similar recipe and it’s darn good!)

• 1 cup cashews, soaked 1 hour, drained
• 1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ to 1/3 cup water, as needed

Combine cashews, agave, vanilla and salt in a food processor; with blade running, puree and gradually add water to machine. Puree in spurts, stopping to scrape down sides with a spatula or long spoon. Add enough water to make a smooth cream consistency. If using as a piping cream, use only ¼ cup water, and chill before using.

So, there you have it! You can have your pie and your whipping cream too!

Ain’t life grand?

Happy Holidays!

Flu Season. Yuck.

I have been kidnapped by the flu. Really.

It all began three weeks ago, when I took my 90 pound dog, who should be 80 pounds (we’re working on it), to the vet. You see, he had torn his ACL (well, the dog version of his ACL) and he was not cooperating for the vet. So I had to hold him down. And promptly threw out my back.

THEN, just as my back was getting better, I came down with a stomach virus. Nice. Bad back plus stomach virus equals not very comfortable at all.

I had a few days of feeling pretty good after that and then about a week ago, I got slammed again! This time, the dreaded influenza.

It was seriously just like Grover’s Bad Awful Day. Only it was Jaime’s Bad Awful Three Weeks.

So that’s where I’ve been: Sick and huddled under my covers with Good Earth tea and library books.

But it did yield a nice surprise in the process! Allow me to explain. Because I’m explaining whether you allow me to or not.

My dear, sweet oldest daughter went to the store for me and came home with a package of this:

 

This Amy’s Rice Macaroni and ‘Cheeze’  was shamelessly displaying itself in the freezer section at our local health food store! So what could my daughter do but buy a few boxes?

And not only is it gluten free, it’s dairy and soy free, prepared with Daiya cheese! It does have a small amount of nutritional yeast, so do not partake if you cannot have yeast.

I usually prepare my own mac and cheese using Daiya, but isn’t it nice to sometimes have something quick on hand? Especially when you’ve been sick?

And, thankfully, this mac and cheese passed the critical taste tests of both my daughter and myself.

In fact, it kind of reminded me of the old fashioned (listen to me…’old fashioned’, sheesh!) mac and cheese that came in those foil tray T.V. dinners back in the seventies and early eighties. You know, the kind you actually baked in your oven and it usually came with that awesome apple dessert? And then you ate it along with a cup of nice, cold Kool-Aid? Remember?

Yeah…and I wonder why I have so many food allergies now. Hmmmm. It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact I loved Tab and Doritios. And TV dinner macaroni and cheese.

But now, thanks to Amy’s, I don’t have to feel guilty about eating their version of a true American delicacy.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some pretty intense housework to catch up on. And a kazillion doses of vitamin C to take, just in case.

 

Happy T.V. Tray Night!