Spread Some Valentine's Love

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Valentine's Day is almost here and maybe it's got you wondering what  you can do for that special someone who can't eat the usual Valentine's treats.  After all, we can't let a little thing like a gluten, dairy or egg allergy get in the way of celebrating love.

Baking and decorating heart-shaped sugar cookies is a great family activity to do with kids.  Heart cookies are also fun to bring in to share with classmates or co-workers.  And never overlook a plateful of hearts as a sweet gift for your heart throb.  Just grab some cutsie heart-shaped cookie cutters and pop on over to my recipe for Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies.  My husband and I just made these with our kids last night and had a great family fun evening.

Another very easy idea is to make your own dairy-free heart chocolates.  You'll need a set of  heart-shaped chocolate molds, a bag of dairy-free chocolate chips and this tutorial.

If you'd like to skip the kitchen in favor of the store, you can make up a little Valentine's treat bag.  Always read labels for yourself, but here's a short list of candies that are gluten, dairy and egg-free.
Necco Conversation Hearts, Valentine's Peeps, Skittles, Dum-Dum lollipops, Starburst and whatever else you might be able to turn up at the store.  Just read those labels carefully and have fun assembling your treat bag!

Happy celebrating LOVE with your LOVE-lys!

This post is being shared at Better Mom Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Gluten Free Weekly, Motivation Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Thriving on Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Food on Friday, Potluck Party, Show and Tell Saturday

Dairy-Free Holiday Chocolates

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Sometimes its the little things that make a kid (or grown-up) with food allergies feel normal.  Its always nice to be able to enjoy the same treats that everyone else is having.  Take those little Santa-shaped chocolates, for instance.  You know the ones wrapped in foil that often end up in stockings or as treats at Christmas parties.  Of course they are off limits for those sensitive to dairy, but there is an easy - and just as tasty - alternative.  Are you ready to make the easiest treat in the world?  Good.

All you'll need is some dairy-free chocolate (I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, but there are other good choices including Enjoy Life and Chocolate Dream chips) and some Christmas-themed chocolate molds.  The chocolate molds will only run you about $5 and can sometimes be found at craft stores and on amazon.com.

Here's what you do.  Are you ready? - this is a really complicated recipe (not!).

Melt about 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips.  You can do this in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove.  I use the microwave, putting the chips in for about 30 seconds; remove and stir, then another 30 seconds and stir, repeating until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Using a regular teaspoon or other convenient utensil, scoop out a little chocolate and drizzle it into the molds, making sure to completely fill the shape (and try not to lick your fingers!).  Once you've filled all the shapes, tap the mold on the counter a bit to make sure you don't have any air bubbles trapped in the chocolate.  Then let the tray sit on the counter (or in the fridge for those of us with less patience) until the chocolate hardens.  Gently pop out the chocolates and voila! - you now have pretty little Christmas-shaped chocolates that are safe for those with dairy allergies to enjoy.

One cup of chocolate chips yielded 17 little snowmen, candy canes, trees, etc. using the mold I have.  And by the way, if you get interrupted while making these, or if you end up with more melted chocolate in your bowl than can fit in your mold, you can re-heat your melted chocolate and continue with no problem.

This recipe is being shared at Gluten Free Monday, Better Mom Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Musings of a Housewife, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Gluten Free Fridays, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday, Food on Friday, Potluck Party, Allergy Friendly Friday

Apple Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Apple pie and holidays just seem to go together.  Of course, apple pie is good pretty much any time - even breakfast if you ask me!  So I thought I'd share my easy apple pie recipe for those of you who must avoid gluten, dairy and eggs.  

Now before you run out and grab yourself any old apples, consider your choices carefully because different apples can really change the outcome for good or for evil.  I was always taught that Granny Smith apples were the apple of choice for pie making, but I have never had success with using them.  They start out all crisp and tart, but after baking turn into mush.  So I did a little research and discovered I'm not the only one with mushy Granny Smith pie.  According to this article from Oregon Live, the pre-sale storage is the problem.  Apparently, before being sent to your local grocery store, the apples are often stored for up to 10 months in "controlled atmosphere storage" to prevent ripening.  Unfortunately, once out of this controlled atmosphere, the apples ripen and break-down much faster, causing mushy apple pie.  My solution this year has been to use Honey Crisp apples instead of Granny Smith, and my pies have had much better texture.  There ya have it.  

Apple Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

Double Pie Crust
1 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold non-dairy butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light)
4 TBSP water

Apple Pie Filling (based on Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)
6 cups (about 4 large apples) thinly sliced, peeled apples (Honey Crisp works well)
1/2 cup sugar
3 TBSP sorghum flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice

Step 1- Make your pie crust.  Don't worry - this is going to be easier than you think.  Whisk together dry ingredients (millet, sorghum, potato starch, xanthan gum, and salt).  Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives.  Add in water and work the dough, first with pastry cutter, then with hands, till everything is combined and sticks together, forming a ball.  Take your dough ball and divide it in half. Flatten each ball into a disk on a silicone baking mat, pastry mat, or plastic wrap.  Lay a second mat or piece of plastic wrap over the dough and roll out your crust (using a rolling pin on top of the plastic wrap) into a circle to fit into an 8 or 9 inch round pie plate.  To transfer crust into pie plate, flip over into your hand so you are holding the plastic wrap and the pie crust.  Peel off bottom plastic wrap/silicone mat and flip the dough into the pie plate.  Peel off top plastic wrap and trim edges as needed.  This crust is relatively easy to work with, but if it doesn't cooperate, refrigerate it for about an hour, then try again. See the original post on making pie crust for step-by-step pictures.

Step 2 - Make your filling.  Peel, core and slice your apples.  Toss your sliced apples into a mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon and allspice.  Pour your sugar mixture over apples and toss to coat evenly.  Transfer apples into your crust-lined pie plate.

Step 3 - Roll out your second ball of dough and place it on top of the apples.  Pinch edges and cut a few slits into top crust for ventilation (make a pretty pattern).  Cover edges with strips of aluminum foil or pie crust shield.

Step 4 - Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.  Remove edge protectors and bake for another 30-35 minutes, or until crust begins to brown and filling is bubbly.

This recipe is being shared at Better Mom Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Monday Mania, Inspire Me Monday, Musings of a Housewife, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Full Plate Thursday, Tasty Traditions, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Food on Fridays, Potluck Party

Pumpkin Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Thanksgiving is coming and with it the varied traditional foods of the feast day.  Do you have to miss out on all these lovely offerings just because you have food allergies?  Certainly not!  Just as the blog's name implies, those with food allergies aren't missing a thing.  You can have your pie and eat it too, as long as its gluten free.  And dairy free.  And egg free.  I know this can be daunting sometimes, but it can be done.  So today I'm sharing this recipe for a tasty pumpkin pie that has no gluten, no dairy and no eggs!   And its no more trouble to make than a "regular" pumpkin pie. 

You may notice as you look at the ingredient list that it contains coconut milk.  If you're not a fan of coconut, fear not.  The flavor doesn't come through in this pie (at least not that I notice).  Another thing you may wonder about is why there is sorghum flour in the pie filling.  Its there to help the filling thicken and set.  Some recipes call for cornstarch, but I really prefer the sorghum.  

So if you are longing for a good old fashioned pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving (or any other day), I hope you'll give this recipe a try.  I'm sure you will enjoy it.  

Pumpkin Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

Single Pie Crust

½ cup millet flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
½ cup potato starch or tapioca starch
½ tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp salt
½ cup cold non-dairy butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light)
2 TBSP water
            

Pumpkin Pie Filling

15 oz can pumpkin puree (or about 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree)

13.5 oz can coconut milk

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

Step 1- Make your pie crust.  Take courage - this is going to be easier than you think.  Whisk together dry ingredients (millet, sorghum, potato starch, xanthan gum, and salt).  Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives.  Add in water and work the dough, first with pastry cutter, then with hands, till everything is combined and sticks together, forming a ball.  Take your dough ball and flatten it into a disk on a silicone baking mat, pastry mat, or plastic wrap.  Lay a second mat or piece of plastic wrap over the dough and roll out your crust (using a rolling pin on top of the plastic wrap) into a circle to fit into an 8 or 9 inch round pie plate.  To transfer crust into pie plate, flip over into your hand so you are holding the plastic wrap and the pie crust.  Peel off bottom plastic wrap/silicone mat and flip the dough into the pie plate.  Peel off top plastic wrap and trim edges as needed.  This crust is relatively easy to work with, but if it doesn't cooperate, refrigerate it for about an hour, then try again. Pre-bake crust at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes.

Step 2 - Make the pie filling.  Put all your ingredients (pumpkin puree, coconut milk, sugar, sorghum, and spices) into a large mixing bowl.  Combine ingredients using a stand mixer or hand-held electric beater.  After your pie crust as pre-baked, pour filling into the crust.  Cover the crust edges with strips of aluminum foil or pie crust shield and bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  Remove crust edge shield and bake for another 35 minutes.  If you insert a knife into the middle of the pie, it will NOT come out clean and you'll be tempted to bake it longer.  No need.  The pie will completely set after it has cooled, so no worries.

This recipe is being shared at Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Food on Friday, Better Mom Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods, Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan,  What's Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Potluck Party

Holiday Snacks and Sweets {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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How can you not enjoy your food
when it's sitting on this adorable plate!

Around here, the holidays have a lot to do with food.  For those with food allergies, being able to eat the same wonderful holiday treats as those around you can make a huge difference in how you feel about yourself, your friends and family, and the holidays in general.  To help get you started, or spark your own creativity, here are some no-compromise recipes our family enjoys around the holidays.

Cookies:
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies - Nothing says Christmas quite as well as cookies in the shape of candy canes and Christmas trees.  And don't forget the icing - that's the most fun part!

Ginger Snaps - Last year we had fun with Karina's ginger snap cookies from The Gluten Free Goddess!  We plan to make these with the kids, along with our sugar cookies next week.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - A must-have treat for any time of the year (am I right?)

Snacks:
Chex Party Mix - Now that General Mills is making their Corn Chex and Rice Chex gluten-free, it's easy to make a few substitutions and recreate a satisfying allergy-friendly version of this old standby party mix.  Follow the recipe on the box, making the following changes: 
1. replace the Wheat Chex in favor of corn or rice
2. use gluten-free pretzels such as Glutino Pretzel Twists , Ener-G Wylde pretzels, or Snyder's of Hanover gluten-free pretzels
3. replace bagel chips with broken corn chips or skip altogether
4. of course, use a dairy free butter such as Earth Balance

Chex Muddy Buddies - Again, follow the recipe on the box, but use only Corn or Rice Chex, use dairy-free chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life or Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, and of course, dairy-free butter.

Dips, Chips and Veggie Trays - A nice presentation of corn chips and salsa is always a winner.  I also recommend trying potato chips and this great Ranch Dressing Mix found at 5 Dollar Dinners.  For the ranch dressing, mix up the seasonings listed; then make the dressing using an egg-free mayo such as Follow Your Heart's Vegenaise and your choice of dairy-free milk.  The ranch dressing also makes a welcome addition to your veggie tray.

Beverages:
We have found some dairy-free holiday beverages at our local grocery store that my daughter really enjoys.  These can be ordered from amazon, but see if your local store carries Westsoy Chocolate Peppermint Stick soy beverage - served warm or Rice Dream Rice Nog.  Of course, good old fashioned apple cider is a great option as is any combo of gingerale and fruit juice mixed to make a yummy punch.

Breakfast:
Cinnamon Rolls - I made these last Christmas and they were great!  The recipe works well if you want to make them the night before, store in the fridge and bake in the morning.  Just substitute in dairy-free milk and use an egg replacer for the 1 egg it calls for (I used Ener-G egg replacer but I'm thinking I'll try it with 1/4 cup applesauce next time).

Muffins - This might be a great time to try out some of the muffin recipes offered on this blog such as Absolute Best Anything Muffins, Apple Cider Muffins, or Pumpkin Muffins.

One Dish Breakfast - Check out Oatmeal Breakfast Cake or Breakfast Fruit Crisp

Buckwheat Pancakes - Top with maple syrup, powdered sugar or fruit

Well, that should get you started thinking of some great snacks and treats to serve around the holidays, or anytime!  If you've got more ideas or recipes, please share them with us!