One of the things busy food allergy families often lament is how hard it is to find safe desserts for their allergic family. Desserts are especially prone to cross contamination with nuts, and of course almost always have dairy or eggs present.
Enter Melanie, owner of Courtney's Confections. Melanie has a daughter with a life threatening allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. She understands the frustration of searching for safe birthday cakes. She also understands what needs to be done to make a safe birthday cake.
This combination drove Melanie to open her own bakery in Columbus, Ohio, catering to those with allergies. She offers not only peanut/tree nut free cakes and cookies, but can provide egg and dairy free treats as well! And they are GOOD. Really, really good.
Next time you want to bring a scrumptious, and safe, cake to an event... call Melanie. You'll be happy you did.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
A Non-Recipe for Non-Pesto
Summer is soooo here. My favorite thing about summer is that the sun wakes up before I do, and we have a lovely cup of coffee on the porch swing while the day is still peaceful and cool. Nothing beats a few minutes of solitude before the world, and the kids, wake up. Just me and the sun.
Last week was the first of the truly sunny, hazy, heat filled days. I was still using nature's air conditioning. You know, open the windows all night to catch the cool air, close up tight before the heat of the day sneaks in. Even at that we were sitting at a toasty 87 in the house by dinner time.
Who wants to cook in that? Not me. We had a lot of low fuss meals last week. It was my first time making pesto pasta, sans pine nuts. Just cook the pasta, the sauce requires no cooking. Light, fresh, good hot or cold, and no oven required. That is a very good thing.
Of course, the only things I measured were the basil and the garlic, as they came in neat little packages. The rest are estimates. Thus, it is more of an idea than an actual recipe.
Pasta Pesto Sauce
1 herb container of fresh basil (the little plastic box in the store, about 1 oz)
2-4 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic (It was a small clove)
2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 cup fresh baby spinach
Put basil, garlic, nutritional yeast and spinach into your food processor. Drizzle olive oil over top. Process until finely chopped but not quite long enough to make a paste. Add more olive oil if you need it. Add to warm or cold pasta and toss to coat. Light, fresh, and super easy. Perfect for summer.
This recipe is naturally free of: dairy, egg, nuts, and soy. With care it can be free of gluten, wheat, and the top 8. If you avoid garlic, substitute in your favorite spice to lend a bit of extra flavor.
Last week was the first of the truly sunny, hazy, heat filled days. I was still using nature's air conditioning. You know, open the windows all night to catch the cool air, close up tight before the heat of the day sneaks in. Even at that we were sitting at a toasty 87 in the house by dinner time.
Who wants to cook in that? Not me. We had a lot of low fuss meals last week. It was my first time making pesto pasta, sans pine nuts. Just cook the pasta, the sauce requires no cooking. Light, fresh, good hot or cold, and no oven required. That is a very good thing.
Of course, the only things I measured were the basil and the garlic, as they came in neat little packages. The rest are estimates. Thus, it is more of an idea than an actual recipe.
Pasta Pesto Sauce
1 herb container of fresh basil (the little plastic box in the store, about 1 oz)
2-4 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic (It was a small clove)
2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 cup fresh baby spinach
Put basil, garlic, nutritional yeast and spinach into your food processor. Drizzle olive oil over top. Process until finely chopped but not quite long enough to make a paste. Add more olive oil if you need it. Add to warm or cold pasta and toss to coat. Light, fresh, and super easy. Perfect for summer.
This recipe is naturally free of: dairy, egg, nuts, and soy. With care it can be free of gluten, wheat, and the top 8. If you avoid garlic, substitute in your favorite spice to lend a bit of extra flavor.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Annual Allergy Friendly Tasting Party
It is that time of year again, for me anyway. Time to start scouring the internet for new and unfamiliar foods that allergic consumers would appreciate. We food allergy families often find our comfort zone in safe and familiar foods, and settle in to a routine.
And who can blame us? With the research that needs to be done to determine if a product is safe, followed by the expense of buying unfamiliar foods. All to get it home to the ultimate test, your allergic kiddo. And allergic kiddos? Tastebuds like Vegas, baby. It's a crapshoot. (Hmmm. Come to think of it, even my non-allergic kiddos are a gamble.)
When you win, you win BIG. Product loyalty comes easily to us when a product is safe and enjoyed by the family. Having more options for dinner in the house? Major win.
But when you lose? Let's be honest, allergy friendly products aren't cheap. It's no fun to bring home a parade of foods that your child refuses to eat. Wouldn't it be great to try it before you buy it?
Enter: Me. Once a year I round up samples of the hottest allergy friendly foods on the market and offer them in a safe and expense free at a meeting of parents with food allergic kiddos. So parents can taste it and decide if they think it's worth serving to the little ones. And sometimes we even send samples home! And coupons! It. Is. Wonderful.
Says me.
So, if you can think of an allergy friendly item that you would share, please tell me. Friendly for any allergy, we have all of them represented. Thanks for helping me out!
And who can blame us? With the research that needs to be done to determine if a product is safe, followed by the expense of buying unfamiliar foods. All to get it home to the ultimate test, your allergic kiddo. And allergic kiddos? Tastebuds like Vegas, baby. It's a crapshoot. (Hmmm. Come to think of it, even my non-allergic kiddos are a gamble.)
When you win, you win BIG. Product loyalty comes easily to us when a product is safe and enjoyed by the family. Having more options for dinner in the house? Major win.
But when you lose? Let's be honest, allergy friendly products aren't cheap. It's no fun to bring home a parade of foods that your child refuses to eat. Wouldn't it be great to try it before you buy it?
Enter: Me. Once a year I round up samples of the hottest allergy friendly foods on the market and offer them in a safe and expense free at a meeting of parents with food allergic kiddos. So parents can taste it and decide if they think it's worth serving to the little ones. And sometimes we even send samples home! And coupons! It. Is. Wonderful.
Says me.
So, if you can think of an allergy friendly item that you would share, please tell me. Friendly for any allergy, we have all of them represented. Thanks for helping me out!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saying Goodbye to Winter
I am so in love with the longer, sunnier days that have come with the arrival of spring. Waking up to beautiful sunrises. Enjoying a stolen moment of afternoon sunshine with a few pages of a good book while the children take a (rare) nap. Oh! And increasing likelihood of naps, due to the abundance of opportunity for playing in the open spaces and fresh air! Yes!
Good bye winter blues, goodbye cold nose and cold toes. Goodbye crazy heating bill. And goodbye to soul warming winter soups. You I will miss.
So, on this rainy, blustery spring day, one last hurrah for a fabulous winter meal. White bean turkey chili and honey corn muffins. Mmmm. One more perfect evening together before we tuck you away for another cool day. Because, really, no one wants chili during the dog days of summer.
Many thanks to my inspirations for this meal. White Bean Turkey Chili is a happy marriage of the recipe found here and here. The Honey Corn Muffins are an allergy friendly take on this delicious post.
White Bean Turkey Chili
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chpd
1 lb ground turkey
1 stalk celery (with leaves), chpd
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 Tbsp Cumin (for intense smokey flavor, I dial it back to 1/2 Tbsp for the kids tastes)
1/2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp cilantro
2 cans canelli beans- one drained (or any white beans, I often use navy and canelli together)
2-4 c vegetable broth
Heat oil in large pot, add onion and saute until brown. Add onion and garlic and cook one minute more. Add ground turkey and spices and brown the turkey. Add beans and broth enough to cover, bring to a simmer. Simmer 30-45 minutes. (I use my spoon to mash some of the beans about 30 minutes in, to help thicken the chili, then simmer an additional 15 minutes.)
Serve hot, with your choice of side. We like them with:
Honey Corn Muffins
1 c flour
1 c cornmeal
1/3 c sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp safflower oil
2 Tbsp margarine, melted and cooled
1 c buttermilk (use your favorite milk substitute + 1 tsp white vinegar, I use coconut milk)
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp fax meal+5 Tbsp warm water, combined and allowed to stand 10 min.)
2 Tbsp honey
1 c fresh or frozen corn kernels
Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl combine flax meal and warm water and set aside. In a medium bowl add milk substitute and vinegar and allow to sit while you melt 2 Tbsp of butter in another small bowl. (You like doing dishes, right?) Put your wet ingredients on pause.
Now, in a large bowl combine your dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Go back to those lonely wet ingredients and introduce them. Add the now cooled butter to the bowl of buttermilk. Add the oil, flax eggs, and honey. Whisk to combine.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir well. Fold in corn kernels. Spoon into greased muffin cups and bake 18-20 minutes.
With care, this meal is dairy free, egg free, tomato free, nut free, treenut free, chicken free, and soy free. With a bit of creativity it could be adapted to be gluten free. Let me know if you try it, I'd love to hear your results. I think I would use garfava bean flour, sorghum and tapioca starch in equal parts, and add 3/4 tsp of xanthan gum. I think.
Good bye winter blues, goodbye cold nose and cold toes. Goodbye crazy heating bill. And goodbye to soul warming winter soups. You I will miss.
So, on this rainy, blustery spring day, one last hurrah for a fabulous winter meal. White bean turkey chili and honey corn muffins. Mmmm. One more perfect evening together before we tuck you away for another cool day. Because, really, no one wants chili during the dog days of summer.
Many thanks to my inspirations for this meal. White Bean Turkey Chili is a happy marriage of the recipe found here and here. The Honey Corn Muffins are an allergy friendly take on this delicious post.
White Bean Turkey Chili
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chpd
1 lb ground turkey
1 stalk celery (with leaves), chpd
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 Tbsp Cumin (for intense smokey flavor, I dial it back to 1/2 Tbsp for the kids tastes)
1/2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp cilantro
2 cans canelli beans- one drained (or any white beans, I often use navy and canelli together)
2-4 c vegetable broth
Heat oil in large pot, add onion and saute until brown. Add onion and garlic and cook one minute more. Add ground turkey and spices and brown the turkey. Add beans and broth enough to cover, bring to a simmer. Simmer 30-45 minutes. (I use my spoon to mash some of the beans about 30 minutes in, to help thicken the chili, then simmer an additional 15 minutes.)
Serve hot, with your choice of side. We like them with:
Honey Corn Muffins
1 c flour
1 c cornmeal
1/3 c sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp safflower oil
2 Tbsp margarine, melted and cooled
1 c buttermilk (use your favorite milk substitute + 1 tsp white vinegar, I use coconut milk)
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp fax meal+5 Tbsp warm water, combined and allowed to stand 10 min.)
2 Tbsp honey
1 c fresh or frozen corn kernels
Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl combine flax meal and warm water and set aside. In a medium bowl add milk substitute and vinegar and allow to sit while you melt 2 Tbsp of butter in another small bowl. (You like doing dishes, right?) Put your wet ingredients on pause.
Now, in a large bowl combine your dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Go back to those lonely wet ingredients and introduce them. Add the now cooled butter to the bowl of buttermilk. Add the oil, flax eggs, and honey. Whisk to combine.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir well. Fold in corn kernels. Spoon into greased muffin cups and bake 18-20 minutes.
With care, this meal is dairy free, egg free, tomato free, nut free, treenut free, chicken free, and soy free. With a bit of creativity it could be adapted to be gluten free. Let me know if you try it, I'd love to hear your results. I think I would use garfava bean flour, sorghum and tapioca starch in equal parts, and add 3/4 tsp of xanthan gum. I think.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Powdered (Not)Milk
Awhile ago, I wrote about how to replace milk in any recipe. Silly me, I only listed liquid milk replacements.
I don't often use powdered milk, even in my dairy consuming days it was rare. It occurred to me a few days ago that sometimes powdered milk is a necessary part of a recipe, and not once did I shine my beam of product enlightenment upon those options. Sorry for the oversight.
So. Here is a quick and dirty list of options for replacing powdered milk in recipes.
If I've missed an option, let me know. I'm always looking to expand my knowledge of allergy friendly products.
I don't often use powdered milk, even in my dairy consuming days it was rare. It occurred to me a few days ago that sometimes powdered milk is a necessary part of a recipe, and not once did I shine my beam of product enlightenment upon those options. Sorry for the oversight.
So. Here is a quick and dirty list of options for replacing powdered milk in recipes.
- DariFree This is the one that I use in my kitchen. It is made from a potato base, and is free of all the allergens we avoid! No one in my house will drink it straight, but it blends well into recipes with fabulous results.
- Better Than Milk This is a powdered soymilk that is available online and in many grocery stores. (I found it at Giant Eagle.) I have not tried it, and I know there are many varieties of powdered soymilk online. Google is a girl's best friend.
- Better Than Milk No, that's not a mistake, I did actually list it twice. Guess what? It's available as powdered rice milk also. Again, I haven't tried it, and there are plenty of choices out there.
- EcoMil Almond If you can have nuts, powdered almond milk is out there. Feel free to give it a try.
- Powdered Coconut Milk Don't get all excited now, I haven't found one that is dairy free. Plenty are on the market, but they all use casein as a stabilizer for now. Bummer, because you know how I adore coconut milk.
If I've missed an option, let me know. I'm always looking to expand my knowledge of allergy friendly products.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Yellow Birthday Cake
Why is it that every allergy free birthday cake recipe I find that uses "normal" ingredients also has chocolate? We don't do chocolate here. So birthday cake recipes start to get a bit creative.
I personally do not mind creative so much. The end result is tasty. And healthy. But.
When people who have very big hearts and good intentions ask for a recipe they can use to make a treat that will be safe for my allergic kiddo...yep. I've got nothin'. Why? Because I have tremendous guilt asking some sweetheart of a mom to go spend mega bucks on specialty items that she is only going to use one time.
The other big drawback to using unique ingredients? Unique flavor. We love it, but we're used to eating this way. For the average person who has an unrestricted diet? Passable flavor, but still just off the mark.
No more. I have combined and tweaked several recipes to come up with a birthday cake that is The One. It uses only one ingredient that the average pantry would not have. Just one. The flavor is of mom-made goodness. The crumb is moist, bursting with flavor. It holds together like a cake should, none of the crumbly softness that cakes without eggs can have. Nor did it rise beautifully only to deflate upon cooling. This cake stood proudly, refusing to fall in the middle.
Can you tell how excited I am? To have a cake that I can serve to children and adults alike without ever offering a disclaimer about being allergy friendly. I love it.
Try it. Tell me what you think.
(This cake is dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free, apology free, and vegan.)
Yellow Birthday Cake
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c So Delicious coconut milk, or milk of your choice
1/2 c safflower oil
2 tsp vinegar
2 tsp bourbon vanilla
1/2 c water
Preheat oven to 350. (You might want to give it a head start, this will whip together before the oven is ready!) Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl and whisk to combine. In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry mix on medium speed to combine. Pour into a greased 9" pan and bake 40-45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost as desired.
*Note: If you increase the sugar by 1-2 tbsp, and decrease the water by almost 1/4 c the batter will be quite thick and the end result will be a moist cake with a delightfully crispy crunchy top. This is a bonus because you won't need frosting, just a quick dusting of powdered sugar for decoration and it's done. Yum.
Need allergy free frosting to go with this? I used this recipe and it was incredible! Of course, I replaced the butter with Earth Balance soy free margarine, used Spectrum palm shortening, and used SoDelicious coconut milk coffee creamer in place of the heavy cream. It was light and fluffy, like the whipped icings you would get from a bakery. Mmmm.
I personally do not mind creative so much. The end result is tasty. And healthy. But.
When people who have very big hearts and good intentions ask for a recipe they can use to make a treat that will be safe for my allergic kiddo...yep. I've got nothin'. Why? Because I have tremendous guilt asking some sweetheart of a mom to go spend mega bucks on specialty items that she is only going to use one time.
The other big drawback to using unique ingredients? Unique flavor. We love it, but we're used to eating this way. For the average person who has an unrestricted diet? Passable flavor, but still just off the mark.
No more. I have combined and tweaked several recipes to come up with a birthday cake that is The One. It uses only one ingredient that the average pantry would not have. Just one. The flavor is of mom-made goodness. The crumb is moist, bursting with flavor. It holds together like a cake should, none of the crumbly softness that cakes without eggs can have. Nor did it rise beautifully only to deflate upon cooling. This cake stood proudly, refusing to fall in the middle.
Can you tell how excited I am? To have a cake that I can serve to children and adults alike without ever offering a disclaimer about being allergy friendly. I love it.
Try it. Tell me what you think.
(This cake is dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free, apology free, and vegan.)
Yellow Birthday Cake
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c So Delicious coconut milk, or milk of your choice
1/2 c safflower oil
2 tsp vinegar
2 tsp bourbon vanilla
1/2 c water
Preheat oven to 350. (You might want to give it a head start, this will whip together before the oven is ready!) Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl and whisk to combine. In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry mix on medium speed to combine. Pour into a greased 9" pan and bake 40-45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost as desired.
*Note: If you increase the sugar by 1-2 tbsp, and decrease the water by almost 1/4 c the batter will be quite thick and the end result will be a moist cake with a delightfully crispy crunchy top. This is a bonus because you won't need frosting, just a quick dusting of powdered sugar for decoration and it's done. Yum.
Need allergy free frosting to go with this? I used this recipe and it was incredible! Of course, I replaced the butter with Earth Balance soy free margarine, used Spectrum palm shortening, and used SoDelicious coconut milk coffee creamer in place of the heavy cream. It was light and fluffy, like the whipped icings you would get from a bakery. Mmmm.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Lunchbox Tidbit
These little things occur to me while I am going through my day, and I always plan to compile them into an incredibly comprehensive list of sage wisdom. Ha! The truer wisdom would be me admitting that I tend to be scattered, and making (and keeping track of) notes to create such a superpost is not likely.
So here is a tidbit of wisdom, brought to you by the experience of my young student.
When purchasing a lunchbox for your allergic child, do not let the character on the front be the key decision maker. Look closely at the overall design. While my daughter loves her princess lunchbox with the functional design of a brown bag, she found it is not easy to use. You know the kind, with a velcro type faster along the top of the bag, and a bag design that really does look like, well, a brown paper lunch bag. My daughter found that it is not easy to get foods in and out of her lunch box. She can not eat over the lunch box, meaning if she drops a bite (or half her sandwich) on the table she needs to throw it away. Also, we do not use many plastic baggies, and we found that once we put in a drink bottle, a sandwich container, and a napkin...we run out of room for the other yummy parts of a healthy lunch.
Before buying, consider how much room packing a healthy lunch will take. Also, consider whether you will be sending a place mat, or if you like your child to eat over their open lunchbox to avoid accidental contamination. The ease of choosing what food they want to eat first and taking out just that food is also important. Lunchtime goes fast, these kiddos don't want to waste any time trying to struggle with their lunchbox.
So here is a tidbit of wisdom, brought to you by the experience of my young student.
When purchasing a lunchbox for your allergic child, do not let the character on the front be the key decision maker. Look closely at the overall design. While my daughter loves her princess lunchbox with the functional design of a brown bag, she found it is not easy to use. You know the kind, with a velcro type faster along the top of the bag, and a bag design that really does look like, well, a brown paper lunch bag. My daughter found that it is not easy to get foods in and out of her lunch box. She can not eat over the lunch box, meaning if she drops a bite (or half her sandwich) on the table she needs to throw it away. Also, we do not use many plastic baggies, and we found that once we put in a drink bottle, a sandwich container, and a napkin...we run out of room for the other yummy parts of a healthy lunch.
Before buying, consider how much room packing a healthy lunch will take. Also, consider whether you will be sending a place mat, or if you like your child to eat over their open lunchbox to avoid accidental contamination. The ease of choosing what food they want to eat first and taking out just that food is also important. Lunchtime goes fast, these kiddos don't want to waste any time trying to struggle with their lunchbox.
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