Recipes for Dr. Approved Autoimmune-Friendly Halloween Treats

Recipes for special diet treats are always welcome in my mailbox!  How about yours? If you said, yes, you may want to follow this link to Dr. Amy Myer's post, "My Top 5 Treats for an Autoimmune-Friendly Halloween".

Stop the Cravings Chia Biscuits-(free of gluten, grain, dairy, egg, nut, soy, and sugar)

I love biscuits!  Do you?  If you are like me, a girl who loves biscuits, but must adhere to a rather strict healing diet, I believe you will be pleased to have this recipe in your repertoire.  I created this recipe to accommodate my "free of" requirements  (free of: grains, gluten, nuts, eggs, soy, sugar, dairy)  and to stop my cravings for biscuits.

Before traveling, I am usually baking these biscuits to take along to keep my hunger at bay.  They have seen me through many road trips.  When not traveling, they are my favorite snack eaten hot from the oven or topped with pear butter spread for a delicious treat.  I even like to squeeze my juicy grass-fed burger in these for a moment where I feel complete bliss with nothing missing or lacking!  Until they fall apart as the hot burger melts the coconut oil, but that doesn't bother me at all. (Grain-free and egg-free baking does have its ups and downs!)

So you see, this recipe I created just for myself and I happily enjoy them!  

In my opinion, these biscuits are full of super nutrients.  The healthy, delicious and nourishing foods like coconut oil and chia seeds make this biscuit healthy like no other biscuit I know of.

In case you are wondering... What is the big deal about chia seeds? Chia seeds are a wonderful super food that I became acquainted with while looking for a great egg replacer. I think you will be delighted to learn that chia seeds contain eight times more essential omega 3's than salmon.  Omega 3's in chia seeds have been clinically shown to be effective in preventing and reversing high cholesterol and heart disease.  I think you get the idea that chia seeds are a healthy choice. There is much more to learn about them, but if I tried to tell you much more this post would get quite lengthy. 

It is enough for me that "Chia" is the  Mayan word that means "strength". I am all about adding food that gives me strength!

The coconut oil is a marvelous source of medium chain fatty acids which is the closest thing in nature to human breast milk.  Researchers have concluded that 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil a day is equal to the MCFA that a breastfeeding infant would consume in a day.

I will let you in on a little secret.  These biscuits make me feel really satisfied and calm.  Thus the name "Stop the Cravings Chia Biscuits":  I often wondered why when I ate my biscuits in the morning and was busy making breakfast for the boys, cleaning the kitchen  (many times dishes from the night before :() I felt as if I had eaten a big breakfast.  My energy was good and all I ate was my biscuit.  Really, I would have a brief moment trying to remember did I eat breakfast?

As usual, my curious nature had to find out "Why?" 

What is the magic inside these biscuits? 

The chia seeds? 

I had to do a little researching to figure this out.  That is when I found a video segment  from the Dr. Oz Show, which I believe reveals a little "secret" about chia seeds. Dr. Oz's video, Try Chia Seeds to Stop Snacking,  explains the wonders of chia seeds. After watching this video, my theory is that the addition of the chia seeds to the recipe is making me feel full.  Dr. Oz illustrates this extremely well in the video.  Plus, I am adding the healthy fats from the coconut oil which is keeping me full and feeling satisfied for a while. Anyway, I believe it's a winner.  I like his tip, especially if you need assistance in feeling satisfied and overcoming cravings.

What do you think? Would you drink your chia seeds?   Personally, I would rather eat my biscuits than drink chia seeds, but I will leave that decision to you.  I love my biscuits and I share them just in case you are like me.

Stop the Cravings Chia Biscuits

Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free*, Soy-free, Sugar-free

Ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons (1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon) coconut oil (I use Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller-pressed. It does not have a strong coconut flavor - See blog sidebar for affiliate link.)
• 3 Tablespoons ground chia seeds (I use Navitas Naturals chia seeds, ground in a dedicated coffee grinder) or Navitas Naturals Sprouted Chia Powder (easiest to digest)
• 3/4 cup full fat, canned coconut milk, - (Natural Value is BPA-Free and guar gum-free) (or 2 heaping tablespoons of coconut creme concentrate and 3/4 cup water) or sparkling water (See my notes at the bottom of this post)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed or organic apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Kime's Pear Butter Spread
• 9 drops stevia liquid (I use Body Ecology brand)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (I like Tropical Traditions - see blog sidebar)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

*Optional additions: 1/4 cup freshly shelled pecans, or finely chopped apple (my favorite)

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Melt coconut oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium low heat.
4. Add to the saucepan the ground chia seeds, coconut milk, lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, pear butter spread, and stevia.  Stir with a spoon.
5. Add the dry ingredients - coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt to the saucepan and stir until mixed well.
6. Shape into biscuits with a spoon and your hands. Place biscuits on the parchment lined baking pan.  Makes 10-12 biscuits.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes. 
8. Store in the refrigerator unless on the road!

Notes:  .

Why is important to seek out BPA-Free products? 
In a nutshell, BPA blocks the methylation cycle which is crucial for the body to detoxify and make glutatathione, the master antioxidant.  For each toxic molecule, we need a molecule of glutathione to remove the toxin from our body.  That is vitally important for good health!

If you are healing your gastrointestinal system then you most likely want to avoid guar gum. Avoiding this additive makes a noticeable difference in my digestive system. 

If I was unable to find BPA-free and guar gum-free canned coconut milk I would experiment and figure out how to make my own with shredded coconut and water. That is on my "to learn someday" list.  

Over time, I have decided I love using the sprouted chia seed powder in this recipe.  The sprouted version is highly digestible and my body likes it best. It is higher priced, so I leave that choice up to you.

Blogger Disclosure:  I am an affiliate with Tropical Traditions, because I love and use their products in my recipes.  Just so you know, if you are a new customer and purchase Tropical Traditions products through my blog links I earn a gift certificate of $25.00 for the referral. .   
  

Paleo Banana Pancakes

This recipe is a "first" for my blog.  The first recipe that I have not tasted  that I am sharing with you.  It feels weird and that is part of my hesitation to post lately.  But, I trusted my finicky taste testers to guide me as I created this recipe just for them.  Yep, the boys gave me feedback and this is the recipe that they love. I am told "Mom, you have to post this recipe, because people need this!"  So enough explanation...let's get cooking!

PALEO BANANA PANCAKES

4 pastured eggs (see note where to buy at the bottom of this post)*
1 organic banana - approximately 1/2 cup 
1 tablespoon real organic maple syrup - Grade B
1/2 teaspoon organic cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons organic coconut flour (Tropical Traditions)
2 tablespoons organic coconut oil, liquify (plus extra for oiling the pan) (Tropical Traditions)

I begin preheating my 12-inch skillet while I mix my pancake ingredients together.  It takes awhile for my heavy stainless steel skillet to heat up, but you be the judge of your own skillet.  

1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together very well.
2. Peel and mash a banana into a small bowl and add to the egg mixture.
3. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, baking soda, coconut flour and coconut oil to the egg/banana mixture
4. Stir well with a fork until mixed well.
5. To determine if your skillet is hot and ready for the batter, add a drop of water to the skillet and if it skittles around the pan it should be just right.  Add the coconut oil to the pan.. My skillet works well with 3 tablespoons coconut oil at the start and then I use less as I cook more batches.
6. Using a spoon drop the batter onto the hot skillet spreading it a little with the back of the spoon to make 3 " pancakes.
7. Cook on the first side until browned on the bottom. You may see a few bubbles on the top side when ready, but not always, so keep checking for the bottom to brown. I use a flexible spatula for turning the pancakes gently to the other side.  Brown and remove from the pan and enjoy!

Debbie's Notes::

• Do not use extra virgin olive oil for oiling the skillet, because the pancakes will cook to fast on the outside and burn.  Coconut oil and stainless steel work great. 
• Where to buy pastured eggs -See Local Harvest*

Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookies - Free of: Grains, Gluten, Eggs, Casein, Sugar*

Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookies

A grain-free and sugar free diet may not be the easiest diet to follow, but you know I am absolutely grateful that the diet I eat is a health and life giving diet.  I am looking back with eyes that see how I was being led in the right direction for the best health.  My thoughts lately have been a lot about sugar and how detrimental sugar is to health. Specifically, I am pondering the recommendations of drastically reducing sugar for cancer prevention.. (I find all nutrition studies very interesting.)  It makes sense to me because sugar weakens the immune system.  My studies have taught me that the body turns grains into sugar. It is after reading these studies that I am totally grateful I have eaten sugar-free for the past 11 years or longer and grain-free for 2 years.  Grain-free was my missing puzzle piece.

My readers may know that my boys have been riding along with me on my "sugar-free" diet for quite awhile.  My blog has a mixture of recipes...most that my boys like, but always low in sweeteners and most often use stevia.  Some of my blog posts share recipes that my boys are allowed to eat,  but I may not be able to eat due to the fact that I began slowly introducing small amounts of raw honey into their diet this past year.  I think they are doing well with it.  They are pretty happy with this diet change.

Most of the recipes I share are the recipes that I feel meet the needs of most readers or may be easily adapted.  I may be a bit shy sharing my candida-friendly recipes for fear that no one except me would eat them! Maybe that will change, but for certain I don't feel I can label my recipes as candida-friendly for everyone. After all, I am not a doctor, so I don't give medical advice! ;)  I just share what works for me and my family.

My boys are now 17 and 11 (for one more week). It is a balancing act to guide and teach our children, but yet at some point we need to let out the ropes, so to speak, and allow them to learn about food and their bodies.  We hope that our teachings will be past down to generations to come and that our firm stance against "bad" unfood will produce healthy eating habits and not rebellious eaters.

This week, I have had the pleasure of observing my teenage son while he has been studying the Real Food and Nutrition E-Course written by Kristen Michaelis. You may know Kristen as the writer of the popular blog Food Renegade.com.. The lessons in this E-Course reinforce the healthy lifestyle and  principles that I have adopted in our home. It excites me that my son is gaining knowledge about "real" food in this e-course.

I love that he wants to engage in conversation about the cool things he is learning about health and nutrition regarding whole unprocessed food.  Today he asked me, "What is buttermilk?" Then he decided to research for himself just how to make it with non-dairy milk and told me he wants to make pancakes next time with "buttermilk".  I am delighted to see this spark of interest in the food he eats and especially that he wants to cook for himself. 

Hopefully, my story will encourage you to keep on setting a healthy example for your family and one day you will see that they will understand.  It is all worth the effort to have a healthy family.

Okay, so here I share with you a healthy cookie to enjoy while I ponder more about sugar....
With our love to you!

 Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookies

Free of: Gluten, Grains, Casein, Eggs, & Sugar*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Equipment:

• electric mixer  
• "Measure-All" wet dry measuring cup -optional, but very helpful for measuring

First, mix the wet ingredients in the electric mixer bowl.

  Wet ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons chia seed meal
• 10 Tablespoons applesauce (1/2 cup + 2 T)
• 5 Tablespoons palm shortening
• 15 drops stevia 
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Add in dry ingredients and mix well.

  Dry ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup pecan meal
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Shape into small cookies with your hands.  They do not spread out on their own so they need a little help from you.

Press Enjoy Life Chocolate chips into the top of each cookie before baking

*To be truly "sugar-free" you will need to leave this brand of chocolate chips off.* 

(Today I saw a recipe for DIY homemade chocolate chips made with honey and I would love to make them for my boys.  If you have made them I would love to hear from you.)

Bake 10 minutes on parchment lined baking sheet.

In Loving Memory....Heavenly Cherry Cashew Bars

My dear readers, it has been a tough few weeks.  My heart has been heavy with grief at the loss of both of my parents only six days apart. We have been surrounded by love overflowing  from a community of wonderful people who love my parents.  I kept thinking how we were receiving this love as a gift from the love my parents had given out that kept on blessing us even when they were not here.  That is just how my parents would have planned it if they could.  I find comfort that my parents are together with our Lord, forever and I know one day we will be reunited.  What a glorious day that will be!

As believers we believe “in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began!” (Titus 1:2) 
 
I am thankful for the wonderful gift God gave me of loving parents.  Their love for God and family shaped me and I am who I am because of all they taught me.  If you met my parents they would have made you feel like family. Their door was always open.


It has been hard to believe.  I know our lives have changed in ways that I can not even begin to think about. My childhood youth minister described this time in our life as "wading through the deep waters."  Yes, at times I feel just like that.  Those deep waters are heavy on my limbs as I press through. I realize my world will never be the same without them.  I am told time can ease the pains.  I trust God to comfort me through all of this.

In my grief and sorrow I took to the kitchen and used the little energy I could muster to create these bars.  I found healing in the midst of this creative moment. I didn't plan these, but just started mixing as the spirit lead me. Out of my grief these delicious bars came to birth.

I share these Heavenly Cherry Cashew Bars in loving memory of my dear and precious Moma and Daddy. 

Heavenly Cherry Cashew Bars

Mix all ingredients in a food processor:

1 1/2 cup raw cashews
1- 2.2 oz. bag of Bare Fruit 100% Organic Baked-Dried Cherries (about 1/2 cup) (optional)
1/4 cup dried & unsulphured Made in Nature Apricots
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shredded
1/2 cup coconut creme concentrate
1/4 cup organic coconut oil expeller pressed
1 or 2 Tablespoons raw organic honey

Spread into a 8 x 8-inch square glass dish and refrigerate until ready to eat.  

Coconut Shortbread - (Free of: gluten, grains, casein, eggs, corn, sugar)

The doorbell rang and there she stood, a cute young girl from the neighborhood holding a bag in her hand.  At that point I knew she had some pretty important goods in her bag. You see, she was delivering Girl Scout cookies to my husband. I accepted the bag of cookies, but dared not peek inside the bag or lay my sugar-free eyes on them.  The memories of shortbread cookies and Thin Mints I ate pre-gluten-free are somehow etched in my mind.  When I was a Girl Scout I sold cookies, but truthfully, I probably bought more for myself to eat.  After all, a year was a long time to wait for those cookies....

I suppose my tactics of looking the other way has come in handy over the years in turning my health in the right direction.  I know myself and that means I know my weaknesses all very well.  Cookies and sugar were my weakness.  Notice I said "were," okay?  But like any reformed sugar addict I know I must be careful to avoid thoughts of cookies with sugar. So as I walk past the bakery case in the grocery store, or accept goodies at my front door,  I direct my eyes elsewhere.  Why tempt myself? 

 

Sugar is fuel to the fire.

A few months ago the test came back.  The test that meant I had high levels of yeast overgrowth still going on in my body...yes, after all these years of treatment and adhering to my sugar-free diet.  What a bummer for sure.  But then it was a good thing, at least, to have a medical doctor who believed my story and could test yeast and therefore guide me in a more rigorous treatment plan.

I started this stronger anti-yeast plan and complications temporarily put a stop to my treatment.  The toxins released from the yeast die-off were overwhelming my body.  I've been through this numerous times, but this time was different.   After consulting with my doctor, now I have a revised plan that will address the nutrient detoxification needs, as well as killing off the bad level of yeast overgrowth, restoring the good bacteria, and gut repair.

I'm a bit nervous, but I am gaining my confidence by increasing the detox nutrients and noting as I write this post that my brain is clearer already. 

Since diet is extremely important to good health and especially crucial when treating yeast overgrowth, I knew if I wanted anything that resembled a Girl Scout cookie, I would have to create my own cookie to be stevia-sweetened with no starches or grains. Clearly, my favorite Girl Scout cookie was the shortbread.  Plain shortbread.  I know, a bit boring, but that is what I liked.  I'm happy now that a simple shortbread was my favorite cookie, so now it's very easy to create something that satisfies the shortbread desires for this once upon a time Girl Scout...

Thank you to the Girl Scout Shortbread cookie for inspiring me to make this healthier cookie for myself and anyone else wanting to eat grain-free and sugar-free along with me. 

Coconut Shortbread

I use my electric mixer for this recipe.

In the mixing bowl add and mix well:

• 1 tablespoon chia seed meal
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened organic applesauce

Then add the following ingredients and continue to mix together:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil or organic palm shortening
• 20 drops stevia 
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup organic coconut flour

Press out the shortbread dough with hands onto parchment paper into a 9" circle on your baking pan. I use my round pizza pan. 

Bake 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  

The coconut oil version browned slightly on the edges, but the palm shortening version did not.

Allow to cool a little before cutting and handle carefully to avoid breaking.  Refrigerating the shortbread will help it hold together but we like it hot even if it does crumble. 
My boys like to eat this "bread," as they call it, and slather butter all over the top. Sometimes jelly, too.   There are ways to make everyone happy in this household.

A few notes:

1. The 58% fiber content of coconut flour puts it at the top of the fiber chart compared to other flours.  Wheat bran, while known for high fiber, is much lower at 28% fiber.   This increase in fiber goes along with my new plan to combat yeast overgrowth. So one more reason that this "cookie" is a winner for me or anyone wanting to increase their dietary fiber.   Just remember with the high fiber content it is important to drink lots of fluids.  Be sure to have your favorite hot tea or glass of water with your shortbread cookie. 

Thank me in the morning.  :)

2.  Do you have an overgrowth of yeast? If you think you might have a yeast problem contributing to illness, Dr. Crook's questionnaire may you help to find out.

3.  FAQ - The benefits of coconut oil at Tropical Traditions.


More Girl Scout Cookie recipes on the web:
If shortbread isn't your thing, my friend, Jules Shepherd, compiled a list of Gluten-free Girl Scout Cookie recipes on the blogosphere here.

Carrot Cake - Free of grains, gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, soy, sugar, starch, gums

 

My sweet husband, Scott,  has been my inspiration to create this yummy allergy-friendly carrot cake. His favorite cake of all time is carrot cake and this week was his birthday.

A few years ago I designed a gluten-free sugar-free carrot cake, but now that we are eating grain-free it was time to create a new recipe. I asked him what he specifically liked about carrot cake and he described a chunky cake with nuts and raisins.

My first thought was to make a cake for him, but that I would just not eat it. That would be good - he would be happy... When I mentioned this, Scott encouraged me to make a cake that all of us could eat, even me.  That is what he wanted (I really wanted this too.)

I decided to use my biscuit recipe as a starting point, and played with it a bit. Since the batter is grain-free, sugar-free, starch-free and (amazingly) egg-free, it looked very different than traditional cake batter.  I had to smooth it into the shape I wanted. At first look, I didn't think it would work, but I knew I had to start somewhere. Instead of making full, 9-inch cakes, I baked two cupcakes to see how it would work.

When I removed the test cakes from the oven I had low expectations... until I tasted it.  I was amazed at the wonderful moist cake.  It was a winner!  I could have just danced! But instead of dancing, we cooked the rest of the batter, and ate and ate and ate....all were gone in a blink of an eye. 

Except this one.  No one dared to eat the "pretty one".  Mom needed to get a picture!

The cake by itself was really wonderful to me.  No icing was needed, but since this was for my "special guy" I wanted to make it look like a "special day" cake.  I made the frosting hoping for something to mimic cream cheese. It doesn't taste as close to cream cheese as I would want, but my family liked it all the same. There was no way I could keep testing more icing and not risk getting sick.  I would love to keep working on more icing, but for now I will be happy with the way it is. My family reassured me that it was great and proceeded to eat all the icing leftover in the fridge. To give more options for different diets,  I am including two other recipes for whipped cream and coconut creme icing at the end of this post.

And Happy Birthday to my sweet husband, Scott!  A cake just for you! ;)

 
Grain-Free Carrot Cake
 ~created by The Gluten-Free 'Dish'

Free of:  Grains,  Gluten,  Dairy,  Eggs, Corn, Soy, Sugar, Starch, Gums, Cinnamon, Vanilla, and  Almond

I use my electric mixer to make this cake.

Add to the mixing bowl:
5 Tablespoons chia seed ground
6 Tablespoons water 

Mix well.

Add:
1/2 cup unsweetened organic applesauce +2 Tablespoons
18 drops stevia liquid
3 Tablespoons raw organic honey
5 Tablespoons organic palm shortening
1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar

Mix well.

Add:
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup pecan meal
1/2 cup coconut flour

Mix well.

Add:

1 1/2 cups shredded organic carrots, approximately 3 carrots, shredded (I use the food processor with the disk attachment.) 
1/2 cup pecans, chopped small
1/2 cup organic raisins

 Mix well.  
 The batter looks like this:

Line a muffin pan with natural paper baking liners. Use a medium size cookie scoop to make balls and shape and smooth with your hands.  Drop them into the muffin pan.

 Bake cupcakes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for 12 minutes. 
This recipe makes approximately 15 cupcakes.

Or a 9" round layer cake,  Be sure to grease cake pan and line with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the cake pan. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes before flipping the layer cake onto a flat surface to cool. 

Cashew Creme Frosting  (pictured above)

1 cup raw organic cashews, soaked in water 2-3 hours rinsed and drained.

8 drops stevia

4 tablespoons coconut milk

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2-3 tablespoons raw organic honey

Place ingredients in a high powered blender like a Vita-Mix and blend well until smooth.  Spoon on top of the cakes and top with chopped pecans if desired.

Other delicious options to replace the Cashew Cream Icing:


1. Coconut Creme Whipped Topping   (Pictured on my blog here)

1 can of coconut milk, full fat, chilled in the refrigerator (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
a few drops of stevia to your taste or honey

Chill the full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator. When ready to serve remove the canned coconut milk from the refrigerator. Do not shake.  With a spoon remove the fat or solid part of the coconut milk, leaving the liquid behind. Add sweetener to your taste. Whip with a hand mixer until creamy.

2. Coconut Creme Icing  (pictured on my blog here)

Inspired and adapted from Elana's Pantry

1/2 cup coconut milk, full fat, cream from the top, refrigerated ahead to chill (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
1 1/2 tablespoons Lakanto
pinch of sea salt
2 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 cup coconut oil

In a medium saucepan on low heat combine the coconut milk creme from the top of the can with the Lakanto and salt until the dry ingredients dissolve.

In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water to form a smooth paste and add to the saucepan.

Using a hand mixer combine the ingredients in the saucepan and bring to a boil for a second (BRIEFLY because this will thicken quickly).

Remove saucepan from the heat and blend in the coconut oil with the hand mixer.

Put the saucepan into the freezer for 20-25 minutes until the icing is solid and turns white (set a timer so you don't forget).

Remove from the freezer and mix again with the hand mixer until fluffy.
Spread on a cooled cake and enjoy. 

Debbie's Notes: 

1. Since this cake is egg-free and made without guar gum or xanthan gum to hold it together, it is more delicate and doesn't hold together as well as it would with those ingredients. We think it is best to eat this cake with a fork in order to avoid sharing this with your favorite four-legged friends!  We don't mind using a fork, if it means we get to eat cake.  Of course you get to decide how your eat your cake, but just be sure to enjoy every bite!

2 .Just so you know when I refer to "allergy-friendly." I mean that all my families allergies are accounted for.  This cake uses pecan meal, so if you are truly nut allergic this may not work for you.

Energy Bars - Grain-free, Dairy-free

Grain-free Energy Bars 

 For thanksgiving this year we were planning to travel so I made these energy bars to take along on our trip.  We enjoyed them so much that they didn't make it to Thanksgiving.

If you are looking for a quick and easy recipe to energize you for the upcoming holidays ahead of us, I believe you will love this recipe.

 Most of all, today,  I wanted to take time to thank you for being here with me through the year. I am grateful for you, each and every one who visits here. May you be blessed.

 

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace. 

Numbers 6:24-26 

 

Grain-free Energy Bars

 2 cups pecans

1/2 cup organic "raw" cashews

3/4 cup organic raisins
2 cups unsweetened coconut, shredded

3 Tablespoons raw honey

8 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Add ingredients to food processor and blend well.  Spread the mixture into an ungreased glass 9 X 13 inch baking dish.  Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 15 minutes and allow to cool.  Cut them into squares. Then refrigerate to harden.

To learn more about buying honey please check out this article at Food Safety News  explaining the results of their study of honey.  Tests show most store honey isn't really honey. 

   

The Spunky Coconut Red Rock Rolls

This past year we have given up grains to assist healing and that meant we were basically starting over in our search for bread.   As you can probably imagine It was a wonderful moment when I saw Kelly's recipe for grain-free and egg-free sandwich rolls in her cookbook, Grain-Free Baked Goods & Desserts. When I first opened the book It was a no-brainer for me to decide what I would make first

I don't think I can adequately describe what it was like to be able to have a sandwich.  I expect it would be hard for someone who doesn't eat like we do to even fathom life without a sandwich. There is life without a sandwich, but really life is much better with them.  Trust me on this.

On the afternoon I decided to make them, they turned out so well I was anxiously awaiting dinnertime.  At first bite, I felt the stillness and peace inside of me as I tasted my sandwich. It was quiet at the table as everyone was focused on their sandwich creation.  We each made sandwiches filled with our choice of roast beef, turkey, bacon and veggies.  My husband paused long enough from his sandwich to say.  "These are really good!"  I could tell by the tone of his voice that his thoughts were the same as mine. These ARE really good!  There was a feeling of peace inside me knowing that this moment was the one moment we had been waiting for. 

Frankly, it is a rare treat to find a recipe that I can eat without making changes. Alright, I did make a change and left out the xanthan gum. But that is no big deal.  That is why I am excited to share this "jewel" with you!  I am delighted to tell you that you can find this recipe on Kelly's blog under the title of Sandwich Rolls.  Hopefully, this will make up for my last post that tempted you with Kelly's Divine Vegan Fudge Cakes posted with a link to her cookbook, but without a recipe. 

Although the recipe doesn't suggest this, but as you see in the pictures above, I have made this recipe shaped into hot dog buns.  I was able to leave out the xanthan gum. However, the last time I tried to stretch the recipe into 4 hot dog buns instead of 3, the buns fell apart when we cut them open.   I expect it would work if you left in the xanthan gum.   This is purely my own doing and not a fault of the recipe in any way.  It was fun for the boys to have a hot dog bun again.  

You really have to see Kelly's photograph of these SANWICH ROLLS aka RED ROCK ROLLS and give this recipe a try for yourself.   It seems we are always too hungry to get a good picture.  Who could blame us? 

The Spunky Coconut's Divine Vegan Fudge Cake

 

 

I love it when my ten year old son wants to bake. A new baking pan was all he needed to stimulate his imagination.  He began describing to me the many ways he wanted to use this new pan.  He created these Vegan Fudge cupcakes with only a little help from me! 

Each cupcake was baked in two parts which allowed for a filling to be added into the hollow center and then the second decorative cake was added to the top for a stunning dessert.

For the cake, I made a few suggestions and he made an excellent choice to follow  The Spunky Coconut's Divine Vegan Fudge Cake recipe with just a few modifications.  He omitted the guar/xanthan gums and lowered the coconut sugar by half, because we were not accustomed to the effects of coconut sugar on our sugar-sensitive bodies.   He chose to use peppermint flavoring instead of the suggested vanilla. 

We created the creme filling by mixing 4 tablespoons organic palm shortening with 2 tablespoons organic honey.  For the icing, he melted allergy-friendly Enjoy Life Foods Chocolate chips and placed a dollop of his extra creme filling on the top of each cupcake. Of course, they were delightful!   

This delicious grain-free, gluten-free and egg-free recipe comes from Grain-Free Baked Goods & Desserts and may be purchased from  amazon.com and $4 OFF with code APYTME6C on the Spunky Coconut eStore.  

Just so you know, I purchased my own copy of this wonderful cookbook and it comes with my highest recommendations!   For more recipes like this see Kelly's blog, The Spunky Coconut.

 

Grain-Free, Nut-Free Pizza Crust and Stevia-Sweetened Pumpkin Sauce

Quite often when I ask my boys, "What would you like for dinner?"  the reply is "pizza or pot pie."  They love their pizza and for that reason I have really worked on this recipe for years and years making adjustments as knowledge, time and food sensitivities evolved. After all the years, we believe this pizza crust is best in its grain-free state.

I was delighted when my youngest son announced, after eating one of the commercial test-market gluten-free pizzas, that he liked my crust better than theirs.  But then he said, he liked their sauce better than mine. Well, with the sugar content and tomatoes in the competition, I didn't stand a chance, now did I? 

It's a good feeling to make those you love happy and nourish them all at the same time.

(This recipe is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays Blog Carnival hosted by Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker.)

Grain-Free, Nut-Free Pizza Crust - Allergy-friendly -No Gluten, Grains, Dairy, Nuts, Yeast, Eggs, Corn or Sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.  Set aside.

1 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flour

3/4 cup Ener-G Tapioca Flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons Hain Featherweight Baking Powder 

Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk together..

1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon coconut milk

1 Tablespoon Navita's Naturals chia seed  ground into meal.(I grind chia seed into meal with a  coffee grinder or you may purchase already ground)  Or: 1 large egg
1 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

11 drops of stevia liquid

Combine the wet and dry ingredients with a large spoon and stir well.

 I find if the dough is sticky when I first start spreading, after a while, the dough magically behaves. 

Place pizza dough onto a baking
sheet  that has been lined with parchment paper. Spread out the dough onto the paper with a spoon.

Pictured here is a 15 inch round pan.  Usually, I use a heavy 11 x 14 inch  stainless steel baking sheet to avoid non-stick finishes.  (See note at the bottom of the page.)

Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove crust from the oven and spoon sauce and add your favorite toppings on top of the crust.

Return pizza to the oven and bake again for 15-20 minutes.


Enjoy!

My favorite Meatball pizza!

Stevia-Sweetened Pumpkin Pizza Sauce

I am sharing my recipe for Pumpkin sauce along with a substitution for tomato sauce. One evening I quickly mixed this together and everyone liked it. Ah, and I wrote it down!  I share it with you, not because I have a special talent with making sauce, (Oh, dear, my Italian friends please look away!)  I share, because I know there are many who need to avoid tomatoes.  Hope this will get you started on creating a safe pizza.  Enjoy!

approximately 7 oz. of Libby's pumpkin puree (about 1/2 can)*

1/2 cup water

pinch of sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon pizza seasoning

1/2 teaspoon oregano

7 drops liquid stevia 

*May substitute with 1/2 jar of Bionature Tomato Paste (7 ounce size)

Note:  I do not advocate using non-stick bakeware due to the chemicals that are released when the pans are heated. I threw out or gave away all of my suspicious pans except this one.  I have been using a stainless steel baking sheet for making this pizza to avoid the non-stick finish. Recently when I cleaned out my kitchen, I found this round non-stick pizza pan lurking in the oven drawer.  I decided to test my pizza recipe with it to see how it would work in a round pan just in case  my readers wanted to know. 

It was much easier to fit in a photo, so I decided to post them anyway.   Well, the crust was perfect.  Now I don't know if it is because of the holes in the bottom of the pan that allow air to reach the crust or if it  might be from the darker surface that make the crunchy crust. I would love to have your comments about how you solve these issues in your kitchen.

In case you want to learn more about the dangers of non-stick bakeware you may read more here.

Honey Sweetened Marshmallows - Allergy-free

Each year my boys look forward to spending  time with their cousins and grandparents at Lake Gaston. This year is the first year for both boys to go at the same time.The weeks beforehand I  plan and prepare allergen-friendly meals for them to take along. The menu changes each year, but one thing for sure to be on the list is Smores. 

 
 In the early days, I special-ordered allergy-safe marshmallows, made gluten-free graham crackers and melted Enjoy Life Chocolate chips to make chocolate bars.

This year I decided to send my adapted version of Kelly's grain-free chocolate chip cookies instead of graham crackers and fill them with the new Enjoy Life Foods Mega Chunks in place of messy chocolate bars.  It was much easier for the boys to handle while sitting near the hot fire.

In the  past, when I made homemade marshmallows, I sweetened them with agave nectar, but they didn't hold up well in the fire.  This year I wanted to re-make them with honey.  We don't use agave nectar anymore.for health reasons. I did a little searching in hopes I would find someone who had already forged this path.  I was thrilled to find  that  Zoe of Z's Cup of Tea had successfully tested her marshmallow recipe with honey. The only change I needed to make was leave out the vanilla.  I would recommend using the candy thermometer to be sure you get the correct temperature. 

This week the real test came when my campers put these marshmallows in the fire.  I am hearing good reports that these turned brown with only a little bit of melting.  Overall a success!  

We think  these marshmallows are really delicious and not too sweet.  They were super easy to make with my KitchenAid Stand mixer, the wire whisk attachment and my favorite 10 year-old assistant.  We had SO much fun. They whipped up really fast! Much faster than my previous recipes. This is absolutely a kid-friendly recipe.  Your kids will love watching the liquid transform into these fluffy delicious mouthfuls just as mine did.

I believe that these homemade marshmallows will not be just an annual treat in the future. ;)

Thank you for a great recipe, Zoe!

The hands of my "Favorite Ten Year Old Assistant" with photo setup to make them just like Zoe's!

Click here to leave my site and see  Zoe's Honey Sweetened Marshmallows recipe.

Other related recipes to see on the web.

Liz of Eat the Cookie Before it Eats You -(Grain-free) Honey Graham Crackers  

Elizabeth Barbone of Serious Eats- Smores

Rebecca Reilly's Gluten-free Graham Crackers 

Brittany of Real Sustenance's Gingerbread Graham Crackers