Have a safe and fun Halloween…
Just wanted to share some Halloween fun with everyone! We made these gluten free, dairy free, nut free cookie cutouts today in preparation for the fun tomorrow. I was able to use the dough from our Teff Graham Cracker recipe to make these great shapes. They have a “speckled” look due to the coconut sugar that I used. It worked best to roll the dough out onto parchment paper that fit our baking pan and just stamp out the cookie cutter shapes. Than, I used a small knife to remove the dough around the shapes rather than trying to put each shape onto the cookie sheet. We also substituted the cinnamon in the recipe for a 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice which gives them a great “pumpkin” spice flavor. 
We hope your trick-or-treaters are safe and have a ton of fun! Our menu for the night is as follows:
Happy Haunting Halloween Dinner (Gluten Free of course!)
- Blood Soup (tomato soup to warm up the little ones)
- Bones (Gluten Free Bread sticks fashioned into “bone” shapes)
- Worms (Hot Dogs cut length wise into strips and fried – the curl up when fried!)
- Green Gook with Crunchies (Guacamole with veggies to dip)
Two versions of Gluten Free Cider Donut Holes… Happy Fall!
After such a hot summer, it is so nice to have cooler weather! This weekend, our family made the annual trip to our favorite orchard for apples, cider and pumpkins. We cannot leave without ample supply of apple cider as the first thing everyone asks for is cider donuts! We spend the entire time enjoying the wonderful smells of fall and wandering past the cider donut stand over and over again. So, by the time we get home, freshly made donuts are on everyone’s mind. By the end of the night, we managed to make up a double batch, about 40 donut holes, of these wonderful fall treats!
I do not have a fryer… just a high sided small pot and a candy thermometer with plenty of canola oil. This year, I made our traditional gluten free donuts and a teff version. Here’s the recipe and the teff variation below… Enjoy!
Gluten Free Cider Donuts
GF Cider Donuts using traditional GF Flours
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 Tbls baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 3 tsp Ener-G Egg replacer mixed with 4 oz. warm water (or 2 large eggs, room temperature)
- 6 oz. apple cider
- 2 Tbls grapeseed oil or coconut oil
- Canola oil for frying
- Extra sugar and cinnamon, or powdered sugar for dusting the donuts
Method:
- Mix the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a heavy 3 qt pot, heat two inches of canola to 340-350 degrees. Note: Make sure to use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. If the oil is hotter than 350 degrees, the donuts will brown too quickly and the centers will non fully cook.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg replacer with the warm water until foamy. Add the dry ingredients, cider and 2 Tbls oil. Mix for one minute on low. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop (around 1 to 1.5 oz size), scoop out dough and drop carefully into the hot oil. You can generally fry two to three donut holes at a time. Donuts will rise to the surface of the oil on their own. Once this happens let them fry for one minute, then gently turn them and fry one minute more. Transfer donuts with a slotted spoon to a wire rack lined with paper towel to drain and cool.
- Once cool, place two donuts into a small paper bag with the extra cinnamon sugar, seal and gently shake the bag to coat the donuts. Repeat with remaining donuts.
Note: You can freeze these donut holes and rewarm in a toaster oven. Do not coat with the extra cinnamon sugar before freezing. Once you rewarm the donuts in the toaster, toss with extra cinnamon sugar and they will be perfect!
Teff Variation:
GF Teff Flour Donut Holes!
Follow the method above using the following ingredients list for a gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free version of the cider donuts using teff flour:
- 1 3/4 cups Gluten Free Teff Flour Blend (3/4 cup Teff Flour, 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour, 1/2 cup Tapioca Starch Flour)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- scant 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 Tbls baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- 3 tsp Ener-G Egg replacer mixed with 4 oz. warm water OR 1 Tbls flax seeds mixed with 2 oz. warm water and 4 Tbls applesauce
- 6 oz. apple cider
- 2 Tbls grapeseed oil or coconut oil
- Canola oil for frying
- Extra coconut sugar and cinnamon for dusting the donuts
Note: this recipe also works well with 1 cup Teff flour and 3/4 cup Tapioca Starch Flour if the Sorghum flour is a problem.
Gluten Free Cupcakes… make a lot and freeze them for fast gluten free goodies!
Last Sunday, September 16th, WildFlours Gluten Free Group met to share ideas and tips for Gluten Free On the Go. I know first hand how hard it can be to successfully maneuver life on a gluten and allergy free diet. When our days are busy, that is when we tend to want to throw in the towel and eat like the rest of the world. For many of us, that is a dangerous decision. Our health is at stake when we choose to allow gluten and/or other intolerances to creep back into our diet for the sake of convenience. There are many new products at the market that make following gluten and allergy free living a whole lot easier. I hope you find these ideas helpful!
Tips for success:
1. A little Planning goes a long way: Have you ever heard the statement “Failing to Plan is like Planning to Fail”? When work, school, sports, and activities with friends and family get in the way, your ability to succeed at following a gluten and allergy free diet depends on how much you have planned. Block off some time on your calendar once a week to make sure you are organized for all the busy times ahead.
2. Baking Days: Organize one or two days a month dedicated to baking (or cooking) gluten and allergy free goods that are easy to freeze. This means bulk! Like the GF cupcakes featured above, if you have a recipe for treats or breakfast items that everyone in your family loves, make enough for the month and freeze what you will not eat in a week. The whole day can be set aside for these types of things. Here are some other ideas for gluten and allergy free foods that can be made on a baking day that will make your life a whole lot easier when you need to grab a meal or snack on the run: Pizza Crusts, Chili or other freezable soup, Lasagna, Breakfast bars, scones, english muffins, sandwich bread, rolls, wraps, banana bread, cookies, etc.
3. Mix It Up: Do you miss boxed mixes that you used to have for pancakes, muffins, cakes and cookies? There are many on the grocery shelves these days that are gluten and allergy free. In some cases though, cost may be a factor. Find a recipe you like and create your own gluten and allergy free “mix”. You can even portion the dry ingredient amounts into zip-lock style bags and label with liquid ingredients that need to be added. So easy even a teenager could figure out how to make pancakes on a Saturday morning when you are away!
4. Learn to Wrap: Okay, I’m not talking music here… but the sandwich kind. Find a gluten and allergy free wrap (or wrap/flatbread recipe) you like and make a few sandwiches ahead of time for easy grab and go. Fill them with traditional deli meats, cheeses, lettuce with mayo or dressing of your choice. Or, a favorite chicken salad, tuna salad or egg salad. Cut and wrap individually and keep in the refrigerator for up to three days typically.
5. Tools for Travel: Make sure you have what you need to keep a snack or meal handy while you are on the go. A good, insulating lunch box/bag is essential. Be sure to have a few frozen ice packs in the freezer as well. For really hot weather, you may even find a mini cooler is important. Don’t forget the utensils. If you keep a few plastic forks and spoons with your lunch bag or cooler you won’t have to worry about how you will eat when away from home.
Eating Out:
Restaurants are much more savvy these days about gluten and allergy free service to their customers. Steer clear of establishments that would be very difficult for them to serve you a safe meal, such as pizza restaurants or places where they allow peanut shells to adorn the floors. So, when friends or the team wants to head out to eat, know your options and speak up on where to go. Some of the best restaurants in our area that are happy to help customers eat safely are:
- PF Chang’s China Bistro
- Biaggi’s Restorante Italiano
- Wok ‘n Fire
- Gabby’s Kitchen
- Chipotle
- Prasino (Chicago and La Grange, IL)
- Ben Pao (Chicago)
- Village Squire (S. Elgin) – GF menu is separate
- Aurelio’s – has a gluten free pizza crust
- Most Mexican restaurants – make sure to order corn tortillas and ask if the beans or sauces are gluten free
- Too Toot’s Whistle Stop Café (Bartlett & Glen Ellyn)
- Fast Food Options: Burger King, Culver’s, Fresh D’Lite, Red Robin
Gluten Free Avocado Sandwich made easy with Udi’s GF Hot Dog Buns!
Well, summer is coming to a close and we are back to school and our regular work routines. Summer was busy this year with time together for our family. We capped it off with a trip to Cave of the Mounds in Blue Mound, WI. It was a good break away from home before school started.
I always miss our “togetherness” once the school year settles in. The lazy summer days with my kids are replaced with fast paced moments together between school and the next activity/homework. Summer allows me to let go of the schedule and do things on a whim. Speaking of the routine… As I plan for the week ahead, I thought I would share lunchtime favorites in our house. I usually keep a list handy so I am able to focus on a few ideas and get things packed quickly the night before. Some of our favorite Gluten Free On the Go lunches are:
- Sub-style sandwiches on Udi’s Hot Dog Buns – such as the Avocado-Romaine-Rice Cheese sandwich pictured above. Another favorite combination is Pastrami or Salami and cheese. Our cheese of choice (due to dairy sensitivites) is Galaxy Foods Rice Slices – cheddar style – or Daiya’s wedge cheeses.
- Personal size pizza. Pizza is always a hit! If you don’t have a recipe for gluten free pizza crust you make from scratch, not to worry… there are a few good pre-made gluten free pizzas in the freezer section of many grocery stores these days. Our favorites are Against the Grain’s Three Cheese or Pesto Pizza and Udi’s Three Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza.
- Asian noodle salad. It’s easy to take any gluten free long noodle and add leftover roasted chicken or tofu, chopped napa cabbage and toss with some GF soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Wraps made with chicken salad or leftover mexican beef/beans/rice, these are also great just rolled with deli meats/cheese/lettuce. Our favorite gluten free wrap/flat bread is a recipe from Kate Chan at www.glutenfreegobsmacked.com. They are easy to make in a sheet pan and then roll and fill once cool. One sheet pan makes about five wraps for my crew.
- Spaghetti with meatballs using gf noodles of course. Make sure to use a thermos to keep the spaghetti warm until lunchtime.
- Quesadillas made with corn tortillas and shredded chicken. A side of salsa makes these especially delicious!
- Grilled Cheese sandwiches. We make our own bread, so these are extra special! Add a thermos of hot tomato soup and this is a great winter time lunch.
- Deconstructed salad. By separating all the components of a salad, adding toothpicks and dressing on the side, our kids are more eager to eat their veggies while away from home. I always make sure to add some homemade croutons or breadsticks for an added treat.
- Macaroni and Cheese – if you have a Trader Joe’s close by, they sell a good boxed gluten free version.
- GF Pancakes with a side of syrup and bacon or turkey. The added protein helps with this “breakfast” lunch, so be sure to add some. Even a hard boiled egg would do!
- Homemade GF “lunch-able”. My version of this kid friendly lunch is made with Glutino’s GF crackers, diced cheese, dill pickle slices, diced ham or chicken, and a few Kinnitoo’s GF Chocolate Sandwich cream filled cookies.
Make sure to have the following essentials to pack your On the Go Gluten Free meals:
- Sturdy, insulating lunch box and cold packs
- Hand wipes and a placemat. We find a placemat helps provide another barrier for safe eating, especially in a cafeteria/school lunchroom setting. Crate and Barrel has many great designs to choose from, just pick something that will fold up and fit neatly in the chosen lunch box. A cotton placemat is great as you can wash and reuse!
- Travel “ware”… plastic forks/spoons are helpful. You can also find bamboo flatware that packs neatly with everything in the lunch box. That way, no matter where you are or what you have packed for lunch, you always have the utensils necessary to eat in style!
- Leak proof drink containers and condiment cups. Nothing is more disappointing than a soggy meal! Make sure the drink you pack is in a leak proof container. For kids, condiments often help them enjoy crunchy veggi’s, salads or cut up fruits. Make sure to find portion size containers for condiments such as those sold by Tupperware or Gladware.
When packing lunches for kids, remember to include them in the process. As they get older, it is important that they learn how to pick foods that will be safe for them to eat as well as balanced and fun. I try and add something silly or extra special every so often as well. Like an encouraging note with a roll of Smarties, S’mores for dessert, a favorite drink every once in a while. Be creative… they may not tell you but kids look forward to the way moms and dads show they are thinking about them throughout the day.
If you are looking for more ideas, check out Kate Chan’s “Gluten Free Lunch: To go!” ideas. Sometimes when I get stuck and want something new, I review her list and usually find something that will liven things up for lunches. I also recently found a web-site with some much needed new ideas… Check out Nancy’s blog, Glutenfreeville.com, for a list of “100 ideas” to give your lunchbox an update. While Nancy’s list is not completely allergy free, it will give you some great ideas. Just think about the ingredients you can use and I am sure many of these ideas will come to life in creative ways. Thank you Kate and Nancy, for a bounty of lunches to come!
With a little planning before the start of your week, you will be looking forward to lunch again! Please let us know what your favorite lunch box ideas are.
Grain Free, Gluten Free Graham Crackers and “Free From” a whole lot more!
I promised my recipe for Teff flour graham crackers in my last article. These have been a recent result of tweaking my original recipe for GF Graham Crackers. Since our youngest is challenged with typical grains, rice being one of them… I decided to test out teff flour with this recipe to see if it would work. Graham crackers seem to be a staple in the diet of American kids today and this child has sorely been missing out! If you have been reading any of my articles, you should not be surprised that I would turn to Teff flour as an alternative. But I was challenged to keep this cracker dairy free, egg free, nut free and refined sugar free. In the above picture, you see the final results of my last trial. On the far left is the original rice flour based recipe graham cracker, in the middle is the teff and quinoa with brown sugar graham cracker, and on the right is the teff and quinoa with coconut sugar graham cracker. We all really enjoy each one. My favorite is the graham cracker on the right. Maybe it is because I am used to a less-sweet treat these days… however, we cannot stop eating either version! Try for yourself if you need to be free of grains.
These are also great to have for VBS! If you are in the Fox Valley area and send your kids to Christ Community Church’s HotU, these will come in handy. (If you need this years Snack List for campers follow the link to HotU Snacks). Here’s the recipe…
GF Teff and Quinoa Graham Crackers
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Teff flour (I used dark Teff here, but if you can find light Teff that would work just as well and yield a lighter cracker)
- 1/4 cup Quinoa flour (or Sorghum flour works just as well)
- 1/4 cup Tapioca Starch flour
- 1/8 cup Arrowroot
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (OR 1/4 cup Brown Sugar)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (if you need to avoid corn as well, try using guar gum in equal amounts)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1.5 oz coconut oil
- 1 Tbls + 2 tsp cold water
- 1 Tbls + 2 tsp agave nectar or honey
- 1/2 tsp GF vanilla, unsweetened
Method:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and set a baking sheet aside. Prepare two sheets of parchment paper and a rolling pin.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed.
- With the mixer running, add the melted coconut oil and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients resemble wet sand.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients with the mixer running. Increase speed to medium and mix until a ball begins to form. If the dough will not come together into a ball, add a little more cold water, 1 tsp at a time until a dough ball begins to form.
- Remove dough from mixer and roll out between the two sheets of parchment paper using the rolling pin until the dough is about 1/8 inch in thickness, evenly.
- Transfer the rolled dough to the prepared baking sheet, score with a pizza cutter into cracker rectangle shapes and prick the dough all over with a fork.
- Bake in the preheated 325 degree oven for 8 minutes on the middle rack. After 8 minutes, rotate the pan and bake again for another 8 minutes. Be careful not to let the crackers burn as Teff flours burn easily.
- Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and cool. The graham crackers will harden as they cool. You may want to re-score the crackers with the pizza cutter when they are hot out of the oven to make it easier to break apart.
- Store in an airtight container.
Update: I ran out of quinoa flour and wanted to make these graham crackers the other day… so, I substituted Sorghum Flour for the Quinoa Flour in equal amounts. The recipe turned out just a good!
We are so glad to have our camper back from Silver Birch Ranch this week. It has been fun hearing all the camp events and stories of the week away… horseback riding (I was very surprised this was a chosen activity!), archery and shooting range, swimming in the lake and passing the “swim test”, tubing and kayaking, team games, “gaga” ball (from which our camper received a sprained wrist), and many more. Then, of course, there was talk about the food, campfires, and camp songs… it was truly a great time. We felt blessed to have had such a wonderful team of people involved in the life of our camper! From our youth pastor and his staff, the young man and father who volunteered to be the cabin counselors, to the food director at SBR who planned how to feed our child along the camp’s menu for the week… our family is so grateful for all of their efforts!
I did learn a few things as the mom of a camper who has significant food and environmental allergies:
- Spend plenty of time in prayer… before camp begins. That was so helpful to have fully given the week over to God and His plans before it even began. On top of that, I recruited several close friends and family members to pray with me during the week of camp. I was so at peace with my camper being a way and it was directly related to all the prayer. I am sure of that!
- Prepare ahead by calling and asking questions. Sending allergy free food was a must. So, the planning that went into figuring out what to send was very helpful.
- No need to send the allergy free “munch-y” snacks. This is about the only thing that came back to me unopened! After hearing about the canteen that offered snacks, I will forgo sending chips and snack bars next year. There was plenty of that to choose from and much of it was allergy free.
- It was okay to “let go”… camp was just one of many “letting go” experiences in the life of my child. I will do it all over again next year!
Finally, where there are marshmallows and campfire… there are graham crackers. I knew this ahead of time, so I made sure to pack my homemade gluten free graham crackers. At campfire time, these were a welcome addition to the roasted marshmallows from what I was told! I have been making these graham’s for a long time and one batch just never lasts long enough in our house. When I have made them for farmers markets, these gluten free grahams are a sure sellout with customers saying how great they are. There are good stand-in’s at the grocery today for those who have to avoid gluten. But I encourage you to try making a batch from scratch… you will not be disappointed!
GF Graham Crackers… 3 versions!
In the picture, you see three variations of my GF graham’s… to the left are the rice flour based grahams (they are lighter in color) that I have provided the recipe for below. In the middle and to the right are GF graham crackers made with a dark Teff and Quinoa flour blend, making them grain free. I will provide the recipe for these crackers in an article to follow!
GF Graham Crackers
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups GF Flour Mix (specifically use the following mix: 2 cups Brown Rice Flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup millet flour, 3/4 cup tapioca starch flour, 3/4 cup sweet rice flour, and 2 tsp xanthan gum)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp + 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 oz. coconut oil (melted)
- 3 Tbls cold water
- 3 Tbls honey or agave syrup
- 1 tsp GF vanilla
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix up the GF Flour Mix using the whisk attachment so that the flours are thoroughly mixed together. Pour into a storage container and then portion out the 2 1/4 cups of GF Flour Mix for the recipe back into the mixing bowl.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Change to the paddle attachment and add the melted coconut oil. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients resemble wet sand.
- Add the rest of the liquid ingredients with the mixer running on low speed. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until well combined. The dough might come together in a ball. If not, stop the mixer and make sure you can form a ball that stays together in your hand with the dough. If not, mix in some more cold water until this happens.
- Remove the dough and separate into three or four equal balls, wrap in saran wrap, press down into a flattened disk and place in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours or overnight.
- While dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- When dough is chilled, remove one dough disk from the refrigerator and roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/8 inch thickness.
- You can transfer this directly to the prepared baking sheet by lifting the parchment paper; or, using a pizza cutter and a ruler, cut the dough into equal rectangles. Then transfer each rectangle to the prepared baking sheet by hand.
- Repeat with all the remaining chilled dough. Then prick the crackers all over with a fork to keep them from puffing up too much when baking.
- Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated 325 degree oven on the middle rack. You can bake two sheets at a time as well. Rotate the pan after 8 minutes, and bake an additional 8 minutes more. You want the crackers to be golden brown. They will harden as they cool, so remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets on a wire rack.
Note: In these pictures, I went to great lengths to shape them into rectangles resembling those from a grocery store box… but you don’t have to do that. Admittedly, it is a lot of work to get them to look like that! So, you can save time and just bake them off as one giant cookie, cool to harden and then break into pieces. They are just as good!
We sent our oldest child to youth camp this week. It is hard to believe that it is already Saturday as we wait for the buses to return from White Lake, WI… home of Silver Birch Ranch (SBR). At first thought of sending our child off to camp many months ago, my mind shuddered at the thought… all that we would need to do for this child to go, let alone what might be endured during the week. Our oldest is allergic to Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Gluten (wheat, barley, rye and oats), Eggs and Cows milk. We have also noticed a strong sensitivity to outdoor molds… not great for campers! So, just to think about going to camp was daunting. But this is youth camp… with our church. A week of middle schoolers coming together and learning more about Christ. We had to try to find a way to make it possible. So, I decided to spend time praying about it. During that time, I remembered my own really awesome travels to camp at the age of 12. Every memory that I recalled was surrounded by the food I ate a camp. I remembered the PB&j’s, Mac ‘n Cheese, Hamburgers, Chicken Nuggets, Pizza, Pizza, Pizza, Ice Cream bars, Graham Crackers… S’mores! None of which was gluten, dairy or nut free. Through all those memories and prayer time, fear began to vanish and I felt God saying He would work out the details, just try…
So, with that motivation, I placed a few calls to our church middle school staff. They were very encouraging and thought that the food and allergy issues could be addressed. A few weeks later, I was able to connect with the food service director at SBR and with that phone call I was blown away! I had not expected much and they were so knowledgeable about allergy issues and cross contamination in the kitchen without me doing any training. She guaranteed me that they could safely provide gluten and dairy free meals with a few things sent from home… it was the nut allergy that would be the greatest issue. We say it all the time… with a Peanut/Tree Nut allergy the “Nuts make us nuts”! I approached them about using Sunbutter in place of their typical Peanut Butter for the week… but this was not possible for them. Nonetheless, the food service director felt things would work out with a lot of planning ahead of time. So, we decided to send our child to camp. Yes, even though there would be free roaming peanut butter in the cafeteria and on breakfast outings during the week. I did my best to leave the fear of an anaphylactic reaction in God’s hands and just spent the month before camp baking and freezing and coaching my child in the routines of safety already well known. It was an intense month.
The morning of, we packed a cooler with all the goods that I had frozen and grabbed the suitcase/sleeping bag and were off for the bus. I was very peaceful and excited for this child. This week is what we have worked for all these years. After being diagnosed at the age of 4 with multiple food allergies, raising our child in a world (school, sports, anyplace away from home) of peanuts and tree nuts was difficult at first. We adapted and learned the tricks to keeping reactions at bay. We have also been adamant that our child not be separated from the “norm” due to allergies. It has been all about training for safety… even if that meant sitting at a lunch table elbow to elbow with other kids eating PB&J’s. For our child, the number one safety measure that we employ is frequent hand washing. Every time we pass a sink away from home, we take the opportunity to wash hands. Hand sanitizer won’t due, just running water and a little soap does the trick. So, we talked about this a lot the month before heading off to camp!
What did we send? With some menu planning conversations with the SBR food director, our cooler was packed with:
- Udi’s frozen pizza and hot dog buns
- homemade GF scones (oat and cranberry)
- homemade GF frozen pancakes (lots of these!)
- Trader Joes frozen GF waffles
- homemade GF / DF croissant pockets (ham & cheese, pizza, and cream cheese & cinnamon)
- homemade GF chocolate chip cookies
- homemade GF graham crackers
- Enjoy Life’s GF / DF & nut free chocolate bars
- Chex’s GF Apple Cinnamon Chex cereal
- Rice Milk
- Beanito’s, Frito’s, Snyder’s GF Pretzels, and Pirate’s Booty
That cooler was packed! I also sent along LOTS of hand wipes… enough for our child and everyone in the cabin!! I did have the ability to touch base with the counselor ahead of time and give them some pointers for allergy issues, what to watch out for and signs of a reaction. I was really trying hard not to be alarming, but for someone who doesn’t live life regularly with a life threatening allergy, I had to make sure the counselor at least had a handle on basic stuff. Along with the cooler and suitcase, we packed the epi-pens and Benadryl. Plus, several quick reference laminated cards for what to do in case of a reaction. It was all very manageable as I had begun the preparations well in advance. So, the morning of departure was not stressful.
Over the last week, I prayed a lot every morning and felt at peace that our child was at camp with a crowd of peanut butter eating middle schoolers! I had friends and family praying as well which I know was a big help. Every chance I got, I browsed the SBR website for photos… hoping to get a glimpse of that familiar smile. I feel so blessed that we have a church that would care for kids and teens the way they do. My prayer every morning has been that our child has the best time ever… SAFELY! In a few short hours we will be reunited and I cannot wait to hear all the stories! I know it will be the best, life transforming decision we have made for this child so far!
Sending allergic children to camp can be almost unthinkable for their parents. But I believe that with due diligence, the experience of managing their days through a week at camp is one of the best training grounds we can give these kids. After all, in a few short years, they will be off to college and living life on their own. They don’t get to leave their allergies at home when they begin their own lives… allergies will go with them everywhere. I’ll update you with how things went in a few days!
Okay, schools out here in the Fox Valley and one of the end of year favorite things my kids love to do is visit Graham’s in Geneva, IL for ice cream. Let’s just say it is our tradition… after lunch on the last (partial) day of school, we head to get the best ice cream in the area. Graham’s has always been great about the allergy thing. While they serve ice cream with nuts, they are always very accommodating by using clean spoons and letting us know about allergy ingredients. Their newer establishment, Graham’s 318, just down the street also has a few dairy free sorbet options from time to time. On this occasion though, we were going for the real stuff! To our surprise we noticed on the menu board that Graham’s now has gluten free ice cream cones! It was like magic at the moment of this already greatly anticipated treat! The nominal addition in price of $0.35 was well worth it to us.
So, for those of you in the Fox Valley area, we highly recommend the gluten free ice cream cones at Graham’s. You will have to be diligent if you have other allergies or intolerances. Ice Cream made from cow’s milk is a special treat for us as dairy is a huge sensitivity for all the members of our family. However, we are able to have it on occasion since our sensitivities are not a full allergy. Graham’s is another great example of how communities and businesses are trying to help those with gluten intolerance. I am truly grateful that we have such an establishment in our community! 
Tomatillo Salsa and chips! GF Memorial Day fare...
Here is to all the veterans and those who are currently called to protect our country on this Memorial Day. We are forever grateful for your service and your sacrifice, without your dedication we would have no freedom. I think of a friend of my husbands every year on the Memorial Day weekend who gave up the comfort of his family to fly Apache helicopters for the Army early on in this most recent conflict overseas. It was such a sacrifice he made to be away… not only the danger of his missions, but the longing for his wife, children, family and friends so far away. I am sure he remembers those days vividly now that he is back in civilian life. Simply, Thank you!
Every year, our family gathers around the table to honor those who have fought for our country. We usually grill up some really great food and enjoy the company of good friends. There is always juicy, ripe watermelon and ice cream bars for dessert. Though dishes may change from year to year, there is one thing we can never be without at the feast… salsa! My husband has been perfecting his Tomatillo Salsa recipe lately. Today, he came up with a version he really loves. Now, you have to know that he prefers his salsa with a kick… as in spicy! I, on the other hand, am a traditional tomato, onion, cilantro, salt and lime sorta girl. So, if you are that kind of salsa lover, this recipe is very different. Naturally, all these vegetables are gluten free, so just be concerned with the type of chip you are dipping with for allergen free and gluten free fare. Tomatillos impart a tart, lime flavor to the sauce. Grilling the vegetables to barely soften them gives the smokey flavor one is looking for in a tomatillo salsa. Please feel free to vary the amount of jalapenos to your liking. This version has quite a lot of heat with three jalapenos!
Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients:
- 6 tomatillos, whole with husks and stems removed
- 3 jalapenos, whole
- 3 large cloves garlic with skins on
- 1/2 small red onion, papery outer skin removed
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 roma tomatoes, cut in quarters
- cilantro, freshly chopped to equal about 3 Tbls (or 1 Tbls dried cilantro)
- 3-5 generous pinches of salt (basically salt to taste)
Method:
- Setup your food processor (could also be done in a blender) with the chopping blade and wash all your vegetables. Heat up a grill to high heat (you can also do this on a gas stove top).
- Place the tomatillos, jalapenos, garlic cloves and red onion half into a metal grilling basket. Set the grilling basket onto a hot grill or over the flame of a gas stove burner. You will need to watch over the vegetables and turn them with tongs frequently. As they begin to cook, their skins will blacken. Just keep turning them until they begin to soften a bit and the skins blister. They may pop a bit or catch fire. Just be careful not to completely char them so you will need to stay by the grill or stove for this step to keep flames to a minimum.
- Once the grilled vegetables are finished, remove them to a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the tomatillos and place them into the food processor. You may remove some of the char if you prefer or if they got excessively black; however, my husband left the char in tact so that it would add a smokey flavor to the salsa sauce. Remove the stems from the jalapenos (leave seeds in for a spicy kick or remove the seeds to lower the heat factor) and the skins from the garlic and add this to the blender as well with the red onion. Put the lid on the processor and process with short pulses until all vegetables are well chopped.
- Add the quartered tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro and 3 generous pinches of salt to the processor. Put the lid on and process again until well chopped and the salsa begins to take on a saucy consistency.
- Taste and adjust for seasonings. You may want more salt depending on the tartness of your tomatillos.
Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips! Currently, I am loving the Beanitos brand of tortilla chips… free of corn and gluten! My husband enjoys the El Milagro brand of tortilla chips as well as Trader Joes Quinoa and Black Bean infused Tortilla Chips (these are gluten free but not corn free).
Have a great Memorial Day!
GF Quinoa Popsicles
Okay… wish I would have come across this recipe before our meeting last weekend!! Anyway, we of course made them and have been enjoying them for frosty desserts this week. One half recipe made enough for my 8-pop mold. We even like the mix as a smoothie! The one thing I would say is that without a really powerful blender (such as VitaMix), you cannot get the mix super smooth. So, ours have a bit of texture due to the quinoa not being fully pureed. I bet if I had a VitaMix they would be super smooth without a trace of quinoa grains to be noticed. Now that the weather is getting warmer, give it a try! If anyone does use a VitaMix or equivalent blender for this recipe, please let me know if that helps.
Blueberry Quinoa Popsicles
Adapted from the recipe book “Ice Pop Joy”
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled – preferably the white variety (although colorful quinoa would be interesting…)
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 Tbls agave
- 1/8 – 1/4 cup coconut sugar (optional, depending on sweetness of your fruit)
- 2 Bananas, ripe
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
Method:
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until very smooth.
- Pour into Ice Pop molds and freeze overnight.
Also, I know these would work with any fruit. Try replacing the blueberries with mango or pineapple or pitted cherries. Enjoy!
Note: If you want them extra creamy, you could add a 1/2 cup to 1 cup yogurt of your choice.
