Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom
Gluten and Allergen Friendly Recipes that the Whole Family will Love
Translation Since going dairy-free earlier this year there have been few things I actually miss (I’m not vegan but we don’t eat dairy and my son is allergic to eggs). Which is really quite surprising to me seeing that it wasn’t too long ago that I could put back nearly a gallon of milk a day. [...]
TranslationA couple weeks ago I struck gold when I found a recipe for homemade vegan butter on veganbaking.net. The recipe’s creator, Mattie, is brilliance personified. So brilliant in fact, I think he deserves a Nobel prize (make that a moobel prize). In typical fashion, I had my unsuspecting taste testers try the butter (without telling [...]
Translation Monday: Quick Meatball Salad and Fresh Fruit Tuesday: Roasted King Salmon with Apple Butter Sauce (I will use Eden Food’s Apple Butter, canned coconut milk for the heavy cream and casein-free Ghee for the butter), Roasted Butternut Squash with Herbes de Provence, Steamed Broccoli Wednesday: Garlicky Chicken Thighs in Red Pepper Sauce and [...]
TranslationCan you believe it’s already October? Seriously, where did the time go? I’ve always heard people say that the older you get, the faster time flies by. Is that physical age or mental age? Because I’ve been trying very hard to stay 16 mentally (I’ve recently added hot pink to my repertoire of hair colors) [...]
Translation Monday: Minestrone (I’ll set aside some of the soup for myself before I add the gluten-free pasta for my guys) and salad with dairy-free Ranch dressing Tuesday: Sea Bass with Mediterranean Sauce Wednesday: Pork with Apples, Calvados and Apple Cider (I will use coconut oil instead of the butter and canned coconut milk in [...]
TranslationI was the recent recipient of 4 complimentary packages of Enjoy Life Foods New Crunchy Cookies and while I did not personally sample them (I avoid all grains and cane sugar), my guys had a lot of fun “working” on my behalf…it’s a tough job, ya know! I really like Enjoy Life Foods, they are [...]
TranslationWell, I survived my camping trip this weekend, albeit a little worn and tattered (but that which does not kill you, right?). Just as I had suspected, “Heidi” and “Camping” are two words that do not belong in the same sentence! Here are just a few words/phases that highlight my weekend: wolves, animal bones, dead [...]
Translation I’ve never been a huge fan of trail mixes, especially those of the store-bought variety because there’s usually too many things going on in them that don’t appeal to my taste buds. Nor do I care for protein bars. I know a lot of folks like them (my boys love LÄRABARS) and they are [...]
Translation I must confess that I’m not much of a camper, it’s not something we did when I was growing up in a family of 4 females and one token male. I’m really not sure why we didn’t go camping either. Afterall, my parents met when they spent their college summers working at Roosevelt Lodge [...]
Translation Gluten and allergen free moms, REJOICE! The day has finally arrived that our kiddos can make the dreaded Fruit Loop necklace along side their classmates and no longer feel left out! It was precisely the above situation that led me to Freedom Foods in the land down under a couple weeks ago. When Luke [...]
Translation Monday: Labor Day BBQ Tuesday: Shrimp Scampi and Green Goddess Green Bean and Tomato Salad (recipe to come) Wednesday: Crockpot Smothered Round Steak my mom made this recipe often while I was growing up and it’s delicious! I’ve obviously had to make a few tweaks since then but it still tastes exactly as I [...]
Translation Do you remember Green Goddess Salad Dressing? I sure do, I used to love that bottled green stuff from Seven Seas when I was a kid. My mom used to make a delicious taco salad with it and I even used it to top my baked potato in lieu of sour cream. And it’s [...]
Translation Ranch Dressing Take 2. Last January I shared my first attempt at a dairy-free, corn-free, egg-free and soy-free Ranch dressing and while it’s very good, there are two problems with the recipe. 1). It contains cashews so it’s no good for my friends out there with tree nut allergies. 2). It’s entirely too involved [...]
TranslationFor this week’s menu plan, I’m taking back Italian. For the most part, I have steered clear of one of my favorite cuisines since going dairy-free (and mostly grain-free) earlier this year. But now I’m ready to re-define my definition of Italian goodness. With the exception of lasagna, I think most Italian recipes can taste [...]
Translation Thousand Island dressing has always been one of my favorites, a full bodied, creamy dressing with just the right amount of sweetness and tang. The name presumably comes from the Thousand Islands, which lie between the United States and Canada, in the St. Lawrence river and there is some debate as to when and [...]
TranslationOf all the many successful ingredient tweaks I’ve made over the years, this is one I am especially proud of, an egg-free version of King Arthur Flour’s Gluten Free Bread Mix. While I no longer buy very many gluten-free prepackaged products, this bread mix is one occasional exception I will make for my kiddos (even [...]
Translation I have never had a better blueberry muffin in my life. Not with dairy, not with eggs and certainly not with gluten. Now, the fact that I was on the modified elimination diet when I made them may have had a teeny tiny influence on my lust for these beauties, but I really don’t [...]
Translation I’ve been thinking a lot about my 96 year old grandma lately. She and I have always been really close but sadly, we live over 1,000 miles apart and I haven’t been able to see her in nearly 3 years. I’ve always been compared to my grandma, mostly by our similarly strong personalities but [...]
Translation I can not stress the importance of gluten-free art supplies enough, especially for the preschool set. Little ones are notorious for putting anything that is not intended to be eaten straight into their mouth (see exhibit A, below). And don’t think you’re off the hook if you have older children. Kids are funny little people, [...]
TranslationI love this time of year, when all the blood, sweat and tears that go into a beginners’ garden start to pay off…or at least give you the glimmer of hope that yes, you can in fact grow your own fruits and vegetables! Of all the countless punctures (blackberries are thorny suckers!), many days smelling [...]
Translation Meatless Monday: Blackened Black Bean Burgers (I will use a chia egg), Zucchini Fries, Salad Tuesday: Chicken Souvlaki (instead of the yogurt, I will make a dairy free buttermilk: 1 1/2 tsp. of fresh squeezed lemon juice plus enough unsweetened (So Delicious) coconut milk to make 1/4 cup; set aside until milk curdles, about [...]
TranslationI have quite a busy week ahead of me, my little one is getting ready to turn 4 (sniff) at the end of this month and I have some gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free (and synthetic dye-free) Batman cupcakes to try and figure out how to make! Where’s that magic wand when I need it?? [...]
Translation This year is quickly becoming my year of all things marinades, rubs, sauces and dressings. Growing up, we relied on salt and condensed soup “gravy” to add flavor and moisture to our meats and veggies (which were often dry and/or mushy and therefore required something to help them go down). Sadly, I was fine [...]
TranslationBefore I get to my menu plan for the week, I want to share some rather exciting news from Sam’s appointment with his pediatric GI on Friday. We got the first “real” evidence that everything we’ve been doing over the past 5 months (since going to see Dr. Vikki Petersen and the amazing team at [...]
TranslationI am so happy that last week is finally over, I’m just not used to being THAT busy anymore! Typically, we are much more laid back with our schedule, I don’t put my boys in too many activities, simply because the commute can interfere with making dinner (not to mention all the snacks that are [...]
TranslationI love Greek salads, the salt from the creamy Feta cheese and the Kalamata olives, balanced by the pungent aroma of oregano. Yum. My all time favorite Greek salad is the one offered at Pappadeaux, have you ever had their Greek Salad, the one with the shrimp? My oldest son Sam and I would always [...]
Translation At least that’s what both of my sisters said last week when I had them sample it. I first whipped up this interesting little gem of a recipe back in February, when we had just begun the modified elimination diet before going to see Dr. Vikki Petersen. I think the hardest foods to give [...]
TranslationPhoto Credit (I forgot to take a picture last week, but will update with my own photo soon) Growing up, I loved the summer time, and not for the reason you may be thinking (no school!). I loved the hot and humid Ohio summer months for the beautiful green grass and booming maple trees that [...]
TranslationI just love the first week of summer vacation, don’t you? No more of the hectic morning rush out the door to get to school and no more packing gluten free, allergen free lunchboxes! Instead, I’m now quietly sipping green smoothies on the patio, listening to the birds chirp their little songs and tending to [...]
TranslationSorry I’m posting my menu plan so late, it’s been a long weekend of yard work and gardening. I am determined to grow SOMETHING this year and break the curse of my dad’s black thumb, LOL! Mike and I have been working hard, building raised beds around the perimeter of our yard and amending our [...]
TranslationThis is my boy’s final week of school before summer break and there are a lot of fun activities going on at school (all involving food of course…which means I’m going to be pooped come dinner time). Simple and fast, yet healthy and homemade is the name of the game for my allergy-friendly dinner menu [...]
TranslationBefore sharing my menu plan for the week, I would like to share a few items that I highlighted on my Facebook Page this week: There is a wonderful website called The Gluten File which is a collection of articles and research pertaining to gluten sensitivity. I really encourage you to check it out because [...]
Translation Welcome back to another week of my gluten-free, grain-free, dairy/casein-free and refined sugar-free menu planning attempts, I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day! Before I share my menu plan, there are a couple of things I would like to share with you. First, I took the plunge this week and launched my [...]
Translation I know what you are probably thinking, “Raw sweet potato chips, Heidi? Did your oven break?” Notice I didn’t say raw sweet potato slices. Although, those are quite tasty too! Allergic to carrots? Cut raw sweet potatoes in the shape of carrot sticks and dunk in your favorite veggie dip, you just might be [...]
Translation Homemade Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Beef Jerky. Easy to make, challenging to photograph (in an appealing fashion anyway)! I love beef jerky, but all too often the prepackaged variety contains wheat so therefore it is off limits to me and my brood. I’m actually kinda thankful for that because it is not only easy to make, [...]
Translation I should have titled this post “WOO-HOOcestershire Sauce” because according to everyone I had taste it for me, it’s that good. In fact, I pulled out my aging bottle of Lea & Perrins (which is gluten-free) for a side by side comparison, and my husband said the homemade Worcestershire sauce was much better all [...]
Translation I recently received some thrilling news that I am very excited to be sharing with you today. And I do mean thrilling! A couple of days ago, I received an email from Hilary over at So Delicious Dairy-Free, with a few details of their brand new products slated for 2011. I just about fell [...]
Translation It doesn’t matter how you eat on a regular basis, one bite into one of these bad boys and I promise, you will be asking for more. I think these are without a doubt the best gluten-free pancakes I’ve made in the past 5 years and the most devilishly satisfying aspect of all? The [...]
Translation I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Ranch dressing! I love it on my salads, I love it as a veggie dipping sauce (okay, the veggies are really more of a Ranch delivery vehicle), I love to dip pizza in it and…(close your eyes)…I LOVE to dip my medium-rare grass fed beef tenderloin [...]
Translation Homemade corn-free, egg-free, soy-free mayonnaise. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but for this food allergic foodie…it was nothing short of a Christmas miracle! Having this little gem of a recipe allowed me to make a corn-free, dairy/casein-free, egg-free and soy-free Ranch dressing on Christmas day to go along with [...]
Translation It only took me close to a year to attempt making homemade marshmallows again, but there is no better motivation than being thrust onto the food allergy playground! I first attempted to make corn-free, gelatin-free marshmallows last January (you can read that post here), but there were egg whites in it. I also used [...]
Translation I will be sharing the recipe for the Orzo Stuffed Delicata Squash in a guest post I that will be doing on Thursday, November 11th over at The Gluten Free Homemaker, for Linda’s awesome Squash Fest series. In order to make it though, you will first need to know how to make homemade gluten-free [...]
Translation I have a little secret to share with you. I am a bonafide silicone ice cube tray-aholic! I have so many of these brilliant little gadgets that I am running out of places to store them. I should probably look into renting a storage unit for them…although, I think my husband would shove me [...]
Translation Have you ever tried to make a Lego birthday cake without gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and artificial colorings? Let’s just say it’s challenging. The gluten, dairy, soy and artificial colorings are actually a breeze to replace, but eggs are an entirely different matter, they play a very important part in baking! I made 17 [...]
Translation Disclaimer: The actual French Toast that you see in the picture is NOT dairy-free and egg-free. I began this impromptu project late in the evening and I was too tired to make up some homemade dairy-free pancake mix and bake a fresh loaf of vegan bread (especially since I have never made it before)…but [...]
Translation
Translation I am feeling pretty darn excited about this homemade vegan cashew cream cheese I recently made, thanks to the amazing Carrie over at Ginger Lemon Girl! Seriously, who’da thunk it?? Sure, vegans have known about the amazing powers of nuts for years, but, I am not a vegan. I’m not even dairy-free (yet), so [...]
Translation Okay, here it is! This is so exciting for me, I never imagined being able to enjoy toasted ravioli again. Not only is the toasted ravioli in the above photo gluten-free, but it is also allergy-friendly too! This post is now linked to a great series that the lovely Jenn (a chemist!) over at [...]
Translation First, I must apologize for the lack of noodles in the above picture. I’m sure you can imagine the many uses for a plate full of fresh noodles that a 6 and 3 year old boy’s imagination could muster up (I’m still not sure how one ended up in the fishbowl). I am also [...]
Translation I am SO EXCITED about this review and giveaway that I can hardly stand it!! To all my corn-free friends out there (especially the itty-bitty’s), it’s time to throw a popcorn Mini Pop party! What the heck is a “Mini Pop” you ask? Well, Mini Pops are an itty bitty corn-free version of popcorn [...]
Translation Okay, let’s just address this upfront. “Say whaaa?“ Well, there is a very big NEED for gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free cheese slices and I can’t seem find a commercial one anywhere! I got excited the other day when I found some “cheese” that looked like it would fit the bill perfectly BUT then (there’s always [...]
Translation I recently received several complimentary gluten-free products from Goldbaum’s to sample and review on my blog. I have been ordering Goldbaum’s gluten-free ice cream “cake-style” cones for a few years now, but that is all I had tried up until this point (and we love them!). GF mom tip: the cake-style cones are handy [...]
Translation For this chocolate pudding, I pretty much merged two recipes I found online: a recipe for Homemade Vanilla Pudding that I found on allrecipes.com and Tyler Florence’s recipe for Chocolate Pudding which I found on FoodNetwork.com. I then made my dairy-free substitutions and finished with MimicCreme Healthy Top Whipped Cream! Ingredients 2 cups Milk [...]
Translation NOTE: This recipe does contain tree nuts (almond and cashews). At the end of this post, I will tell you of a dry pudding mix that will setup with dairy-free milk (at least it does with So Delicious Original Coconut Milk). Okay, I am really excited about this recipe! My 3 year old LOVES [...]
Translation Maybe I should have called them “Eggless Meatball Wonders,” or “Guiltless Meatballs,” because there are several nutritious ingredients cleverly hidden inside, and you cannot even tell! Ever since I started experimenting with “flax eggs,” I have become increasingly impressed with the results in most of my experiments. So much so, I have found myself [...]
Translation So in case it hasn’t been made clear yet, I like trying new things. Especially when it comes to innovative food substitutions! I haven’t done a lot of dairy-free/vegan posts because I try to avoid straight-up soy when possible. My mom is a breast cancer survivor and I prefer to not eat plant estrogen, [...]
Translation Has anyone been to P.F. Chang’s yet to try their new gluten-free menu? I haven’t been yet, it’s a little tough during the school week but will be going soon! Sam and I are going to have a mommy/son “date” on Friday (no school) and go to P.F. Chang’s for lunch (then to see [...]
Translation Recently, while I was “tweeting” (on Twitter) about Sam going through some social “celiac growing pains,” I got a tweet back from @NoBiggieBunch about a book series for children called “The No Biggie Bunch.” Intrigued, I went to the website and checked it out. I got excited because it appeared as though the book [...]
Translation Gluten Free bagels that are naturally corn-free, dairy/casein-free, soy-free and can easily be made egg-free! This is one of those things that most people probably don’t think they will ever have to make in their lives, and why would you? Bagels are are very easy to obtain. Well, unless you are gluten-free or suffer [...]
Translation One of the soups I made for Sam’s birthday party was Green Chile Chicken Posole. I had it at a party once and I probably ate 20 bowls of it, well, not really but it was that good! I didn’t have a recipe to follow so I just tried to wing it on my [...]
And welcome to my blog!
Whether you're here looking for advice on how to go gluten free (with delicious kid-approved recipes of course!), or to read some of the latest medical research on celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity...or even to read about one woman's rise from the depths of gluten-free despair to a place of downright enthusiasm, it makes no matter. The point is, you are here now so let's have some fun!
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