GF Harvest Oats Review

GF Harvest Oats

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I found myself craving oatmeal.  I mean, the cravings were so bad that I started dreaming about it, too!  I had been to afraid to try oats once I was diagnosed with celiac disease.  I didn’t trust that they could really be safe.  So, I did a good deal of research and came across the GF Harvest Company.  Honestly, it sounded too good to be true.  Of course I called them up to legitimize my cravings.  Not only did they kindly sent me samples of Steel Cut Oats, Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats, and Oatmeal Cookie Crisp Granola, but they also provided lots of useful information.  (They also carry gluten-free groats and gluten-free oat flour.)  I was overjoyed to have satisfied my craving, with the knowledge that these were gluten-free right down to the ground.

It turned out that Seaton Smith, the owner of this small, Celiac disease-family run company, was tickled pink to talk and tell me all about their oats while assuaging my fears and anxieties.  And, in 2013 they were even awarded the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics.  I learned so much about the processing of their oats and the scrutiny his oats go through to make sure there is no cross-contamination.  Here are a few things I learned and why I am now GF Harvest’s biggest fan:

To read more, click here . . .

This article can also be found on the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness’s Gluten-Free Hot Products Page

A Special Thanks goes out to my friend, Jessica Schaefer, who used these oats to make me special gf oatmeal cookies!

Apple Crumble with GF Harvest Oats on top

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Crunchmaster Cheezy Crisps and Grammy Crisps Review

Cheezy Crisps & Grammy Crisps

Are you always on the hunt for the perfect gluten-free cracker?  Finding them too bland, tasting like cardboard, or flimsy?  Well, I definitely am!  Every time I go to the grocery store, I’m always scanning the cracker aisle, looking for a suitable gluten-free cracker to replace all those buttery, flaky, gluten ones, and yet, I’ve been hard pressed to find a replacement . . . until today!

So, you can imagine my surprise when I ventured to try Crunchmaster’s certified gluten-free Cheezy Crisps and Grammy Crisps and was wowed to the max!

To read more, click here . . .

This article can also be found on the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness’s Gluten-Free Hot Products Page

A special thanks goes out to Stephanie Gill, Pam Vassilikos, and of course my daughter who were instrumental in the reviewing of the crackers!

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Gluten-Free Vidalia Onion Sweet Surprise

The Finished Product

A Quick History of the Vidalia Onion
Growing up in Georgia, Vidalia onions were apart of the spring/summer.  Did you know that they are Georgia’s state vegetable!!??  They are ONLY grown in Vidalia, Georgia, which we southerners call them Vi-day-l-yuhs, NOT Vi-dahl-yahs.   They really came as an accident.  During the depression, farmers in GA were trying to find the cash crop.  When their onions were harvested, they realized they were sweet!  With the birth of the sweet Vidalia onion, the newly built farmers market in Southern GA, and the owner of Piggly Wiggly grocery store helping to market them, they soon became a success around the country.   Though sweet onions are grown in other places, the distinct flavor comes from the sandy soils and milder climate.

Storage Tip:
They don’t tend to last on the shelf very long, but in order to preserve their life, stick them in the leg of a panty hose and put a knot at the end of each onion.  Hang them from the ceiling and when ready to use one, just cut above the knot.

So, this delicious dish came to me by way of my mom.  I can’t say that she really spent a whole lot of time in the kitchen, but this is one of the best dishes she ever made.  I have doctored it a bit and adapted it to the GF life-style, but the truth be told, I can’t really say I notice a huge difference.  When I asked her where it came from, thinking she’d tell me who passed it down to her, she told me she invented it.  My respect for her grew right then and there!!  Thanks mom for one of my favorite dishes!!

This makes a great side dish when invited to a party or hosting your own.  Even if you don’t like onions, you’ll love this dish!!

Vidalia Onion Sweet Surprise

Serving Size: 6 full onions, feeds 6-8 people

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Ingredients

• 6 Vidalia Onions, peeled and half cored; (sweet onions will work, too)
• 1 cup of brown sugar + 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• (you can substitute the 1/4 cup of sugar for 1/4 cup black strap molasses)
• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup of corn flake crumbs or cracker/cereal substitute
  (I usually buy them from Whole Foods or Amazon in bulk – 6 containers.  I freeze what I’m not using.)
• 1/2 – 1 cup of parmesean cheese
• 1 tsp of salt (I prefer himalayan salt)
• 1 tsp of pepper
• pinch of dry mustard

Supplies:

• large pyrex dish
• coring knife
• sauce pan
• stirring spoon
• measuring cups and spoons

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425*F.
2. Core onions from the top so that the root part is at the bottom.  Create a well, so make sure to leave the bottom in tact.  You’re going to put a filling in it later.
3. Place onions in a pyrex dish.
4. Chop the onions pieces you cored out and place them in the dish around the onions.
   

   Hollowed Out Onions

5. Fill the dish about an 1/8″ full of water so that the onions won’t burn in the oven.
6. Meanwhile, on the stove top over low heat (or microwave), melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring constantly (about 1-2 minutes).  You can always add more of anything.  If you want the sauce thinner, add more butter.  If you want it sweeter, add more brown sugar.  I happen to have run out of brown sugar tonight, so I poured in some black strap molasses, too, and it worked perfectly.  Then we also got the iron benefits of the molasses.
   

   Melting Butter & Brown Sugar

7. Remove from saucepan from heat and add remaining ingredients.  Stir to evenly combine.
   

   Stirring all Ingredients together until Combined

8. Pour the sauce into the wells of each onion, and then pour the rest of the sauce over the chopped onion bits surrounding the onions.
   

   Sauce Application

9. Bake for about 45 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the onions are softened.

The Finished Onion Product

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Gluten-Free Broiled Polenta with Spinach and Mushroom Ragout

Polenta topped with Ragout

I decided it was time to use a different grain tonight.  I was thinking of rice, but then I realized we should try something else.  Polenta is considered the Italian version of grits.  It’s a super fast cooking grain.  I even took a quicker fix than just using the grain and making a paste with water, I used the tube!!

This dish makes an excellent side dish or hors d’oeuvre for a dinner party.

Gluten-Free Broiled Polenta with Spinach and

Mushroom Ragout

Serving Size: about 20 polenta rounds

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp evol (used for polenta)
• 1 tube of polenta precooked
• 2 tbsp evol (used for sautéing)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 package mushrooms, chopped
• 2-3 cups of fresh spinach
• generous amount of salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp of crushed dried rosemary
• 4 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2-1 cup water
• *optional – parmesan cheese (do not use if vegan)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to broil and arrange the top rack about 4″ from the top.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Slice the tube of polenta into 1/4″ thick rounds and lay them out on the baking sheet.
4. Using the TBSP of olive oil, lightly brush the tops of each round and then broil them until the begin to brown about 10-15 minutes.
5. While they are cooking, put olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
6. When the oil is warm, put in the diced onions and as they begin to brown, add the garlic, sauteing for another 30 seconds or so.
7. To the onion mixture, add the mushrooms and cook on a high heat (or medium-high) until they release their juices.
8. Continue stirring for another few minutes until all the juices have been reabsorbed.  Then all the handfuls of spinach and toss until wilted.
9. Add salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Cook for another 30 seconds.
10. Then add in the tomato paste and 1/2 cup of the water.  (I actually used 4 previously frozen ice cubes of tomato paste.)  Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Continue adding water little by little if the mixture is drying out.
11. Once water is absorbed (about 10 minutes), remove from heat and add the balsamic vinegar.
    

    Mushroom Spinach Ragout

12. Top the broiled polenta with the mushroom mixture and if desired, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
    

    The Simplicity of Polenta

     

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Glow-in-the-dark Necklace made from $.25 machine

My Daughter with her New Glow-in-the-Dark Necklace

Glow-in-the-dark Necklace

made from the $.25 Machine

inspired by a project in the magazine Family Fun

Tools:

• an awl or nail to piece a hole
• 2 feet of kite string or some other type of yarn
• at least 4 glow-in-the-dark beads, to make it glow-in-the-dark, but any kind of bead or button will do.  We used perler beads
• $.25 machine plastic container

Directions:

1. Take purchase a little toy for $.25 at the grocery store, but make sure it comes in one of those little plastic containers.
2. Remove the toy.
3. Using an awl or some other sharp tool like a nail, pierce a whole through the top of the container.
4. Cut a piece of string about 2 feet long.  You can always trim it when you’re done.
5. Thread a bead or a button into the middle of the string.  Knot the string several times just above the bead.
6. Put one end of the string next to the otherand thread it through the underside of the hole.  This way, the bead will keep the string in place.
   

   Strung Bottom Bead

7. Place charms or other beads along each side of the string.
8. When you’re ready, tie the two ends of the string together in a knot.
9. Fill the container with whatever excites your child, i.e. glow-in-the-dark beads, bugs, snack, etc.  We filled our with glow-in-the-dark beads, so that the necklace will glow-in-the-dark!
10. Place the necklace around your child’s neck.

Our Glow-in-the-Dark Necklace

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Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Banana Squash Bread

Loaf Cooked to Perfection!

After being gone for 10 days, I had these very sorry black bananas staring at me. Out of guilt for not wanting to waste them, I decided it was time to make banana bread. Then, I remember all my squash I roasted and froze in the freezer. I took it out to thaw, and decided to add it. These always come out amazing every time!! No one even knows they’re GF or DF for that matter.

There are TWO secrets to gluten-free cooking:

1. Weigh your flour!! I like to use the conversion chart to convert regular recipes to those gluten-free.
2. Always add extra moist ingredients to breads, whether it be more bananas or (cooked) winter squash or applesauce. It gives it the moisture that’s often lacking in gluten-free baking.

Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Banana Squash Bread

(this recipe can also make muffins as well)

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 1996’s Banana Bread Recipe

Serving Size: 3 small loaf pans or 1 8x4x2-inch loaf pan

Preheat Oven to 350*F

Finished Loaf

Ingredients:

• about 1 1/4 gluten-free flour blend = 187.5 grams
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• 4 brown to black bananas (or about 1 cup. You can’t go wrong if you throw in more.)
• 1 cup of roasted squash or pumpkin
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar (with super ripe bananas, I find that 1/2 cup is perfect)
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 tsp vanilla *optional* – use Frontier Vanilla Flavor which has no alcohol
• 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (Enjoy Life are free of top 8 allergens) or nuts *optional*

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F
2. Put parchment paper in the inside of the loaf or grease the loaf. If using muffin tins, grease the muffin tins or use muffin cups.
   

   Combined Dry Ingredients

3. In a medium mixing bowl combine and mix together
   all the dry ingredients:
   • GF flour blend
   • baking powder (GF)
   • baking soda
   • cinnamon
   • salt
4. In another bowl, combine and whisk until blended:
   • egg
   • bananas
   • squash, pumpkin
   • sugar
   • cooking oil (I use safflower, because I prefer non-genetically modified oils).
   • vanilla
5. Add moist mixture to the dry one and stir until just moistened and blended. Batter should be lumpy.
6. Fold in optional ingredients.
7. Divide batter equally among loaves and bake at 350*F for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. If using different sized pans, then see note at bottom of recipe.*
   

   Bread Divided Between 3 Loaves

8. Cool and eat. Store in refrigerator in airtight container.
   

   3 Loaves Ready to Eat!

* Pan Size Baking Time

One 9x5x3-inch loaf pan 1-1 1/4 hours
One 8x4x2-inch loaf pan 50-60 minutes
Two 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2-inch loaf pan 40-45 minutes
Six 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/2-inch loaf pan 30-35 minutes
Twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups 15-20 minutes

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Fridgigears

Playing with Newly Acquired Fridgigear!

It was one of the first beautiful, warm, and sunny days outside, so why I ventured to the basement to find this newly acquired toy from a swap, I have NO idea!!  We still did make it outside to play.  I guess I was super excited about this toy myself.  (A good sign in my opinion).

Nevertheless, this fridgigear toy is made up of magnetic gears that double as a puzzle.  It also comes with one gear that’s a motor to operate the gears.  It was a good hour of GLUTEN-FREE entertainment!  Not only did we experiment with the gears, but the next level of fun was rearranging the puzzle pieces to form newly colored gears.

Rearranging the Puzzle Pieces to form New Gears

After much searching, I have been unable to find the puzzle gears.  I have found fridgigears that glow in the dark and double as a picture frame, but no puzzle pieces.  I still highly recommend this toy as great entertainment in the kitchen while you’re cooking!

I just bought some extra sets for presents.  I found an AMAZING deal at www.scientificsonline.com for $19, and you can get another 12% off if you use the code TY2.  It’s also free shipping if you choose the slower route.

Let me know if you’ve come across other types of refrigerator fun that you love!

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Matzah Brittle (gluten-free and dairy-free)

Finished Matzah Brittle

When I was growing up, my mom always made us this delicious Matzah Brittle on Passover.  Ok, so now that I’m gluten-free and dairy-free, I begged her to make it for me again.  And my amazing mom did!!  It’s like heaven, melting in your mouth with a crunchy, sweet taste.  My only critique is that after a few days, the GF matzah doesn’t hold its crispness, but the taste is still there.  It can be used year-round on other kinds of crackers.  However, may family thinks there’s no better cracker on the market than using GF Matzah and/or GF Matzah Crackers from Yehudah.  The recipe I’m giving is a rough one since my mom never measures anything out.

The nice thing about Passover, is that anything that is certified Kosher for Passover (gebrocht), cannot contain any grain in it, which means soy is out, too.  This is a good time to stock up.

Matzah Brittle Recipe (GF/DF)

Serving Size: about 9 whole matzah, serving about 12 people
Prep/Cook Time: it takes about 10 minutes to make from start to finish

Ingredients:

Only 3 Ingredients

• Yehudah GF Matzah (about 9 squares)
• about 1 cup of brown sugar (or more if you’d like)
• about 1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup of butter (I used Earth’s Balance, Soy-free spread)
• Optional Toppings: Chocolate Chips (I use Enjoy Life), Coconut Flakes, Crushed Nuts

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350*F.
2. Using 2 baking sheets, spray with grease or rub your butter/butter substitute on them.  I prefer to put down parchment paper instead.
   

   Mom Putting Brown Sugar & Butter in Microwave

3. Melt the butter and brown sugar together in the microwave for about 30 sec – 1 min (depending on the power of your microwave), or over a double boiler at a medium heat.
4. While mixture is melting, lay out matzah squares on baking sheets.
5. When mixture is melted, stir it together very well.  (Melted, it shows about 2 cups on the liquid measurer).  The Earth’s Balance doesn’t blend as well as butter, so you really have to stir it to keep it from settling.
   

   Melted Butter (or substitute) and Brown Sugar

6. Using a spoon or ladle, pour mixture over matzah so that it is coating it.
   

   Pouring Mixture Over Matzah

   Brittle Ready for the Oven

   
   

7. If adding toppings, add the toppings of your choice on top of the matzah and mixture.
8. Bake in over for 6 minutes at 350*F.
9. Let cool, and then break into piece.
10. Store in airtight container.

Matzah Brittle

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Gluten-free Bagel Chips

Gluten-Free Bagel Chips Recipe

I was inspired the other day when I was given a free sample of Udi’s Bagels.  I find them kind of dry and really not worth eating.  I do however think Sweet Note Bakery makes some of the best bagels I’ve tasted!!

Ok, so back to my story . . . I thought to myself, what better way to use these bagels than to make bagel chips. . .

Serving Size: 1 large bagel makes 6-8 large chips depending on how thinly you slice them.

Ingredients:

• gluten-free bagels
• olive oil
• garlic salt
• pepper
• paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250*F.  Since we only used 1 bagel, we chose the toaster oven to bake it in.
2. Slice the bagel as evenly as possible so that they bake evenly.  I recommend a mandolin, but since I didn’t have one, hand slicing did the trick.
3. Using a brush, lightly brush olive oil over the bagel slice.
   
   

   Brushing the Olive Oil on

4. Sprinkle garlic salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika over them.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until crisp.
   

   Baking in the Toaster Oven

I apologize for no finished pictures!!  We were so excited to eat them that we forgot to take a picture until it was too late!

Let me know what kinds of delicious variations you have come up with!

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Swiss Chard and Artichoke Pie (Gluten-Free)

A Slice of the Swiss Chard Artichoke Pie

I was trying to think of something clever to do with my swiss chard, because I’m trying to eat up everything in my refrigerator before heading to visit family for Passover.  So, I came up with this Gluten-Free Swiss Chard and Artichoke Pie using the Chebe dough.

Swiss Chard and Artichoke Pie

adapted from Martha Stewart’s Swiss Chard Pie

Serving Size: 6-8 people, assuming no one is having seconds

Ingredients for the Pie Filling:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (any kind will do)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, stems cut into small dice and leaves torn (I just used one bunch)
• 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• dash of red-pepper flakes (or more to taste.  I was afraid my daughter wouldn’t eat it if it was spicier.)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup grated hard cheese (I used a blend of parmeasan and romano)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I just squeezed in half a lemon and since I have a bunch of Meyer lemons, I used one of those.)
• 1 large separated into yolk and white

Ingredients for Pie Crust using Chebe All-Purpose Bread Mix:

• 1 box of chebe all-purpose bread mix
• 2 eggs, scrambled
• 2 TBSP of olive oil
• 3 TBSP water (and a little extra if dry)
• NOTE: I DO NOT use cheese in the crust.

Supplies:

• Rolling pin
• pot for boiling
• pan for sauteing
• wooden spoon for stirring
• parchment paper

Directions for Filling:

1. Preheat over to 375*F.
2. Over high heat, bring chard leaves and stems to a boil in a pot of water.  When it reaches a boil, simmer for just a few minutes until they’re wilted.
3. While the chard is boiling, in another pan, saute onions and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat until onions soften.  About 2 minutes or so.  I like to cook mine a little longer so some caramelize.
4. Remove chard from water and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  Add to saute pan along with the artichokes and chili pepper flakes.
5. Saute until everything is warmed through, about 3 minutes or so.
6. Remove from heat and add to pan cheese, egg yolk, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  (You could do this separately in another bowl, but I thought, why dirty another dish!!)
   

   Chard Mixture with all Ingredients Mixed In

7. Grease pie plate well.  I just rubbed olive oil on the bottom of it.
8. With your pie dough, split it in half and roll out 1/2 between 2 pieces of parchment paper.  (See instructions below).  Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and place pie plate upside down over the crust.  Together, flip the pie plate and the crust over.  Then slowly remove the parchment paper.
   

   Rolled out Dough

9. Place the chard mixture on top of the pie crust.
10. Then, roll out the other 1/2 of the pie crust.  Remove the top parchment sheet, and carefully turn it over and place it on top of the pie.
11. Pinch the top and bottom crust together as best as you can.
12. Use the egg white mixed with 1 tsp of water.  Brush on top of the pie.  (I forgot to do this, but it’s why mine is not shiny).
13. Cut at least 4 vent holes in the top of the pie.
    

    Sides Pinched, Holes Made

14. Bake for about 30 minutes.  (Confession. . . I wasn’t really paying attention to how long I cooked it.  I just kept checking on it.  So, if you make this, let me know how long you cooked it for.  I just needed the crust to be cooked through.)
    

    Cooked Swiss Chard – Artichoke Pie

Directions for Pie Crust:

1. Mix all wet items in bowl – eggs, oil, and water.  I use a fork for the whole crust until I “knead” my hands 🙂
2. Add the dry mixture, and continue to use the fork, pushing it down and scraping it across the liquid until it gets clumpy.
3. At this clumpy point, I stick my hands in and keep kneading it until it is super smooth.  If done right, it should not be sticky at all.  It only gets sticky when too much water is added, so err on the side of caution.  If after about 2-3 minutes of kneading, it is not coming together, add just a tiny bit more water, but do no use as much as a tablespoon.
4. Split the dough in half, and put one half between 2 pieces of parchment paper.  Roll out until it is a bit wider in diameter than your pie plate, because you want it to come up the sides.
5. Slowly removed the top parchment paper and put the greased pie plate upside down, over it.  Together, flip them over.
6. Do the same process in #4 for your 2nd half of the dough.

Inside of DELICIOUS Chard and Artichoke Pie

It was truly amazing, and my daughter ate the whole thing!!!  You can also try to make this as little appetizers, by making it in individual muffin tins.

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DIY Jute Growth Chart

Finished Growth Chart

I LOVE to craft and especially for my friends who have just had babies.

My criteria for making things:

1. It needs to be useful
2. It needs to be something that will be used for more than just a few months
3. It needs to be personal

I decided that I wanted to make something I’d never made before.  So, after doing lots of research, I came across this amazing growth chart from Whipperberry.com, in which the height is pinned on by tags (not featured in the picture above).

The instructions were not as clear as I would have likes, and finding the supplies definitely proved more challenging.  This is what I did and what I’ve learned:

Supplies:

– *Jute (burlap) webbing (it’s about 3.5″ wide), at least 6.5 ft long = 78″ long = about 2.5 – 3 yds if wanting to make the numbers up to 6 ft (.85/yd)
– tape measure (or ruler)
– tape (if using tape measuring to hold it next to chart
– *black shower curtain grommet (1″ in diameter for pack of 8) – from Hobby Lobby 6.99

3 1/4″ Round Glass Jar with Flip Lid

1″ Matte Black Curtain Grommets

– hammer (to secure grommet)
– sharp scissors (to cut hole for grommet)
– 1 fine point black sharpie (came in 2 pack for about 2.99)
– 1 ultra fine point black sharpie (came in pack of 2 for 3.99)
– *1 set of stencils with letters and numbers (mine were 2″ sized by C-Thru Better Letter in the “Marker” font) – I got mine at Michael’s, but can’t find them online.  I also recommend getting a smaller size as well.  Hobby Lobby has some fun ones and you can sort by size of the stencil.
– *key tags (from hardware or office supply store) – I used 1/2 the box (7.79 for 50 tags)

Book Box

– *extra large safety pins (from craft supply store, the brand I got was care & repair) – about 2.99 for 50
– *3 1/4″ Round Glass Jar with Flip Lid – from Hobby Lobby 1.99
– *box to put finished chart in – I found these cute book boxes at Michael’s (8.99, which I got for 6.29 on sale)

Total Cost*: $34.25 (the items are an investment, but once you have them, then you don’t have to purchase many of them again.

Price of items per chart (dividing everything into individual items): $22.75

Directions:

1. Layout jute and use measuring tape to cut to length you want.  My first one was too short at just 6′, so I would cute it to 6.5 ft or  about 78 inches.

2. Put your grommet in next by lining it up in the center at the top and tracing around it.  I found that I kept having to make my whole a bit wider than I thought.

3. Cut out the hole with your scissors.

4.  Place front and back of grommet around hole.  I tried to use a hammer to get them to snap into place, but I actually found that I had to stand on it with my heel.

Measuring Tape Taped to Chart

5. Line up your measuring tape along the side of the jute.  I used clear tape to tape it into place.

6. With my ultra fine point marker, I started by marking all the feet first (i.e. at 12″, 24″, 36″, etc.).  I made about an inch long horizontal line across and it’s about 1/8″ thick.  I did an outline of the rectangle and went back later to fill it in.

7. Then, I used my ultra fine point marker to make small (about 1/4 inch long)  horizontal lines at all the odd numbered inches, starting at 1,3,5, etc., and I made about 1/2 inch long lines at the even numbers.  The even numbered line with all the way to the red stripes.  Again, about 1/8″ thick.

8.  I went back to shade in all the marks with the thicker of the sharpies.

9. Then, I used my stencils and lined them up at the foot marks.  I used my ultra fine sharpie to trace it and the thicker one to fill them in.

10.  Finally, I chose to put the family’s last name on the chart so that both boys could use it.  That was a bit trickier, because I realized I was running out of room between the 6th and 5th foot.  Another reason to make your chart longer so the grommet doesn’t interfere.  I used my stencils with the ultra fine marker to trace the letters and then I filled them in with the thicker one.  I also noticed that I couldn’t use large letters the whole way down, because I was running out of room.  I had to use smaller stencils. 

Completed Chart Package

11.  When I was done, I flipped it over on the back to write a personal message.

Personal Message on Back of Chart

Please tell me what kinds of creative additions you made to your chart or anything you learned while making it!

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Gluten-free Edible Play Dough

Klehr Dough and Supplies

It was another cold and blustery day here in Philly.  Terribly bone chilling, that I just couldn’t force myself to take my daughter outside.  We called over a friend, and I decided to make some gluten-free play dough.  Well, of course, I was somehow out of rice flour, but found Pamela’s gf flour blend that was past its prime, and decided to try it out.  (Normally I would never use an expensive gf flour blend, but this seemed totally worth not wasting!)  The best part was that my daughter asked if she could eat it, and I made food-grade play dough, so yes, it’s totally edible!

*BIRTHDAY IDEA*:  We made this as give-aways for my daughter’s 3rd birthday.  We bought little containers at the dollar store, and each child got to add colored glitter of choice to his/her container.

When playing with our play dough, we bring out all sorts of utensils from both her kitchen and mine, along with cookie cutters, and b-day candles.  It really adds to the fun!  Tell me what you like to use with your play dough.

Gluten-Free Play Dough Recipe

The Recipe is adapted from Kids with Food Allergies Foundation

Serving Size: 1 batch = will fill a 16 oz container. A double batch will fill a 32 oz yogurt container.

Ingredients:

India Tree All-Natural Food Dye

– 1+1/4 cup of rice flour or gf flour blend (I have done both and come out great!)
– 1/2 cup of salt (I used Himalayan salt, and it turned the dough a light pink)
– 2 tsp cream of tartar
– 1 cup water
– 1 tbsp oil
– 1/4 tsp gf vanilla (I use frontier vanilla flavor, so there’s no alcohol involved)
– glitter or sparkles (optional)
– food coloring (optional) – I like to use all natural (GF) food coloring from India Tree

Supplies:

– large pot
– mixing spoon or spatula
– measuring cups and spoons
– airtight container to put play dough in
– cookie cutters (optional)
– b-day candles (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients in large pot first: flour, salt, cream of tartar
2. Add water and oil and mix
3. Heat over the stove top at a medium heat.
4. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until mixture pulls away from sides.
5. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly.*
6. When cool, place in air tight container. (We like to reuse old yogurt containers.)

*Options:
1. You can add food coloring to the water before you stir it in.  You can always add it after you’ve made the dough, but it will stain your hands.
2. You can add sparkles or glitter to the batch once its made.

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Gluten-Free Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls with homemade duck sauce and sweet and sour sauce

I was having take out dinner with a few friends, where I of course brought my own food.  They had some kind of Asian cuisine, which made me crave spring rolls.  So, I figured out how to make delicious spring rolls.

Serving Size: 12 Spring Rolls

Ingredients for Spring Rolls:

– 1 package of rice wrappers
any vegetables on hands:
– 1 carrot, julienned
– 1 zucchini, julienned
– 1 squash, julienned
– 1 package of  mushrooms, thinly sliced
– 1/2 cabbage, shredded (I used purple)
– 1/2 – 1 onion, thinly sliced
– oil for frying (peanut, canola, safflower, soy)

Supplies for Spring Rolls:

– shallow pan (for wetting wrappers)
– saute pan
– deep pot for frying (so to avoid splatter)
– tongs

Directions:

1. Chop all of the vegetables.
2. Over medium-high heat, saute the onions first for about a minute, then add in the rest of the vegetables and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes.
3. In another shallow pan, fill about an inch full of room temperature water.  One at a time, place the rice wrapper in the water (following directions on package) for about 30 seconds or so, until it softens.
4. After each wrapper is soft, place it on a clean surface (like a cutting board), and fill the center with about 1/4 cup of vegetable mixture.  Be careful, because the wrapper are a bit sticky and can tear.  However, it’s pretty easy to roll over the tear because the wrapper will stick to itself.

Roller Rice Wrappers before Frying

5. Fold each wrapper by folding over one long side first, then folding in both the shorter sides, then rolling it to wrap the rest of the longer side.
6. With a couple of wrappers left to fill, add about 1/2 in of oil your tall frying pot and heat over medium-high to high heat.  You should see it begins to smoke, which tells you it’s ready.  I chose not to put more oil in for a super deep fry.  I never want to end up with too much!
7. Depending on how wide your pot is, ONLY put 1-2 rolls in at a time.  They will stick to each other and fall apart.  I started with 1 at a time.  I fried it for about 2 minutes, rolling it about every 30 seconds so the other sides could brown.

Spring Roll Frying

8. Remove from frying pot and place on a baking sheet covered in brown paper bags for oil absorption and cooling.

Duck Sauce on Left and Sweet and Sour on Right

9. When all are cooked, serve with dipping sauces.  (Recipes below).

Spring Roll with Dipping Sauces

Recipes for Sauces

These sauces are taken verbatim from cooks.com and will also provide the links below.

Duck Sauce on Left, Sweet and Sour on Right

Ingredients for Duck Sauce:

Serving Size: about 1.5 pints (it filled up 1 1/2 small jam jars)

Bragg Cider Vinegar

Duck Sauce

1 c. plum preserves (I had made my own from the summer!!)
1/2 c. apricot preserves
2 tbsp. honey (I like to use local honey)
2/3 c. cider vinegar (I used braggs apple cider vinegar)
1 clove garlic, minced

Mix ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Store in sterilized jar in refrigerated.

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Sauce:

Serving Size: 1/2 pint (it filled 1/2 a small jam jar)

Sweet and Sour Sauce

3 tbsp. vinegar (I used white vinegar)
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp. water

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Turn down and simmer 5 minutes or until thick. Add a dash of red food coloring for color (optional). Cool and serve. May want to double the recipe.

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Spinach Muffins (GF)

Spinach Muffins

I was inspired by a friend, Elana, several years ago to find more creative ways to make vegetables for my little eater who was probably about 1.5 then. The name makes it sound a good deal more playful and interesting to a toddler. This recipe has inspired me to create others similar and for no other reason than it is soo simple and literally takes less than 5 minutes to mix all the ingredients.  I have used it as an appetizer.  It tastes just like a crustless Spanikopita.

Gluten-Free Spinach Muffins

Serving Size: about 24 mini-muffins

Ingredients:

Spinach Muffin Ingredients

– 1 egg
– 1 box of 10 oz frozen spinach (or more) or any other veggie.  (If using fresh veggies, make sure you steam them for about 3 minutes first).
– 1/2 16 oz. container of cottage cheese (can substitute ricotta)
– 1 cup of shredded cheese (I use cheddar, but any kind is fine)
– 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
– 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste

Supplies:

– mini-muffin tin (you can use a bigger one, but I don’t know how many it will make)
– cooking spray
– mixing spoon
– bowl
– spatula

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease muffin pan REALLY well.  Because there is cheese in this, it sticks.  I’ve tried using muffin liners, but the cheese sticks to those, too, and makes them difficult to eat.
3. Mix all the above ingredients together.  (I often don’t measure and just eyeball everything).
4. Spoon batter into muffin tins.
5. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the edges start to lightly brown.

Fresh Out-of-the-Oven Spinach Muffins

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Dutch Pancake (gf,df)

Blueberry Dutch Pancake

So, the way this recipe came about wast this . . . our friends were coming in town and we and another local couple decided we would host them for brunch.  My local friends decided to make frittatas, and I decided I would make some kind of baked good.   Then, our out-of-towner friends had a change of plans and couldn’t make it.  Our local friends and I decided we should still get together.

Since we weren’t going to be at my house and pancakes were way too time consuming, I came up with the dutch pancake and maple and brown sugar oatmeal using my oats from GF Harvest.  (If you want to see how I made blueberries and cream oatmeal, then click here.) I think I made everything in about 30 minutes.

This was indeed a great decision.  Since I’m dairy-free right now, I thought about making it full of dairy and just not eating it, afraid it would come out kind of gross, but that was NOT the case.  It was amazing and we had none left after feeding 4 adults and 3 kids!!

Berry Dutch Pancakes

gluten free, soy free, dairy free

Serving size: 8-10 (2 pie plates or 13×9 pyrex dish)

I doubled my recipe, so if you want to halve it, it will fit into 1 pyrex pie dish or cast iron skillet.

Ingredients:

Frontier Vanilla Flavor

1-2 tbsp butter – I used earth’s balance
2 cup milk – 1 cup rice milk & 1 cup coconut milk* (see directions for this below)
4 eggs
1 1/3 c. flour = 166.67 g of gf flour or less than 1 1/3 cup of flour
2 tbsp sweetener – 1 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp maple syrup (grade b)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (I make my own, but the safest GF kind is frontier vanilla flavor.)
1 tbsp of powdered sugar (I just put my sugar in the coffee grinder to get powdered sugar)
1 large handful of berries (Any kind will do.  I used blueberries, because that’s what I had on hand.)

Pancake Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400*F.
2. Place butter in pyrex dish and place in oven.
3. While butter is melting, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar/maple syrup, salt.  Then slowly add in flour.
4. Remove dish from oven and pour in batter.
5. Sprinkle batter with berries.  (So, I accidentally forgot this step and just threw them on after they came out of the oven.)
6. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. Remove and sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

GF Brunch with Friends

Coconut Milk Ingredients:

Coconut Milk

1 Can of coconut milk1/2 can of water

Coconut Milk Directions:

1. Pour coconut milk from can into container with lid (so that you can shake it).
2. Add 1/2 can of water to the canned milk.
3. Shake the 2 together.

If you want to make a drink out of it, add honey to taste.  It’s delicious and refreshing!

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Fast and Easy Gluten-free Taco Night

The GF Taco

GF, SF Taco Recipe

(Can be made DF, vegetarian, and vegan by leaving out meat and dairy products or substituting)

Serving Size: About 8-12 tacos with other filling

Taco Ingredients:

Taco Toppings

Garden of Eatin Corn Tacos

– 1 Box (12 tacos) of ONLY corn hard shell tortillas (We use either Bearitos Taco Shell or Garden of Eatin’

Bearitos Corn Tacos

Yellow Corn Taco Shells )
– 1 – 1.5 lbs of ground meat (we use ground breast turkey meat) or beans or other meat substitute
– 2-4 TBSP of gf taco seasoning (recipe below)
– 3 tomatoes chopped
– 1-2 handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
– 1 onion, thinly sliced
– 2 avocados, diced
– 1-2 handfuls of cilantro, chopped
– 1 cup of shredded cheese (optional)
– jar of salsa
– container of sour cream (optional)
– any other fun ingredients

Taco Directions:

1. Brown taco meat by placing it in a skillet and stirring every now and again. (This should only take 7-10 minutes). I like to use a non-stick so I don’t need to use any oil. Once the meat begins to brown, I add 2-4 TBSP of taco seasoning and 1/3 cup of water. I mix that together and then taste. Sometimes I might need to add more water, so just keep an eye on the meat.

2. While the meat is cooking you can warm taco shells by the directions on the package. I often use my toaster oven when not making more than 6.
3. Also while the meat is cooking, I prep all the veggies. Sometimes I even prep them ahead of time.

4. Assemble the taco. I tend to layer in the veggies first and then put on the meat so that the meat weighs down the veggies and keeps them from popping out.

5. The finale . . . toppings – I love to put salsa on top, but perhaps you might enjoy sour cream or something else!

6. Serve with salad or bed of rice or just by itself!

Taco Seasoning Ingredients

Servings: I would guestimate about 8-10 TBSP

(I have no idea where I originally got this recipe from, but it has been adapted.)

– 1/4 cup dried onions, minced (sometimes I use powdered)1/4 cup chili powder
– 1 TBSP salt
– 4 tsp cornstarch
– 1 TBSP dried garlic, minced (sometimes I use powdered)
– 1 TBSP cumin, ground
– 1 TBSP red pepper flakes, crushed
– 1+1/2 tsp dried oregano (either powdered or flakes)

Taco Seasoning Directions:

1. Mix all the seasonings together in an airtight container. (I like to use a glass jar with a tight fitting lid). It should keep 6 months – 1 year, but I always use mine up before then.

2. When ready to use, you need about 2-4 TBSP of seasoning (to taste) and 1/3-1/2 cup of water to 1 lb. of cooked meat. Spoon into the pan after you have begun to brown the meat.

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Quick Gluten-Free Fruit Juice Popsicles

My Daughter Posing with her Gluten-Free Jewel Pop

This is a quick and easy gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan snack.

Lemonade Popsicles

Ingredients:

– Fruit juice of any kind – we used lemonade aid, (but you can also reconstitute the frozen kind,too)

Tovolo Jewel Pop Molds

Supplies:

– Popsicle molds or Dixie cups and Popsicle sticks
(We love our Tovolo Freezer Jewel Pop Molds, Set of 6, because they’re a perfect size and fit right on your finger!)

Directions:

1. Pour lemonade aid or fruit juice into molds*.
2. Put in freezer. The amount if time will depend on how large your Popsicles are.

*NOTE: If using Dixie cups and Popsicle sticks, you might want to place a piece of aluminum foil over the cup, make a small hole in the center for the stick, and put the stick through the hole. That way, the stick will not fall over.

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Blueberries and Cream GF Oatmeal

Mixing the Blueberries into the Oatmeal

So, as I decided to write my blog about the morning breakfast I cooked my daughter, I realized that I needed more information.  Of course I decided to go straight to the source . . . I called the GF Havest Company from whom I purchase my wonderful GF oats that don’t make me sick!  I had this wonderful talk with Seaton Smith, the owner of this small, Celiac-family run company.  I learned so much about the processing of oats and the scrutiny his oats go through to make sure there is no cross-contamination.  I wanted to share what I learned and why I’m in love with GF Harvest:

1. Owner & Operated by Celiac Family:  The GF Harvest company began when Forrest Smith, (son of Seaton Smith), as a teenager, became determined to develop uncontaminated gluten-free oat for him and his three generations of family diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  His desire led to an FFA entrepreneur project which became Gluten Free Oats, LLC.

2. Goes through Intense and Thorough Screening for Cross-Contamination: Seaton Smith, the owner and president, makes sure that there is mandatory family activity in the growing fields.  Since the fields rotate crops, all fields must lie fallow of any gluten grains for 2 full years before use.  Once the oats are grown, every field is walked by the GF Harvest inspection team, in addition to a QC (quality control) inspection by the University of Wyoming Seed Certification Service. By doing an inspection of the whole field it is not like some of the other GF oat milling companies that just test a small sample (2-3 pounds) from each field that can be from 100 to 1000 acre and statistically call it GF. Depending on the growing conditions, a 1000 acre field could produce over 5 million pounds of grain, so this is not a very good statistical sample of the field.  GF Harvest tests a much larger percentage of their oats in comparison.  After the field passes inspection by the University, the product can then only come in contact with grain bins, augers, and combines that are certified by the University to prevent cross-contamination as well.  When it is time to harvest the grain, the farm trucks harvest the raw oats, and each truck batch is tested before it is allowed to unload at the mill.  (Farm trucks are smaller than industrial size trucks, carrying only 16-25 thousand pounds of grain, which means a larger percentage of their grain is tested compared to larger operations).  Once the oats are rolled, they are tested again in GF Harvest’s own lab in addition to a preset regiment of 3^rd party inspections by the University of Nebraska and GFCO (which is the GF certifying organization under the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG)).  Needless to say, these oats are the safest you can find out on the market, and the highest quality!!

3.  A Quick Cook: Their oats are super fast to cook over the stove-top, which amounts to about 2 minutes.

What are Oats?

Oats are a type of grain grown in fields.  The oat seeds are harvested from the field and then chaffed to pull of the hull (an undigestible part of the grain).  Once the hull is off of the oat seed, it is now called a raw groat.  Raw groats are then processed in some way (read below to learn more), which are then made into the oats we buy on the shelves today.

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal vs. Instant Oatmeal

Instant Oatmeal is oats that are cut super fine, then pre-soaked and dried (according to Wikipedia).  Quaker Oats instant oatmeal, a typical example of instant oatmeal, has been “enhanced” with: SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, GUAR GUM, OAT FLOUR, CARAMEL COLOR, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN A PALMITATE.  Because the grain is smaller, the body digests it quicker, adding to glycemic (how quickly carbs convert to sugar) index.  To cook, all you do is add boiling water.

Old-Fashioned Oats fall into 2 categories: rolled oats and steel-cut oats, both of which have a lower glycemic index level than instant oats, because the grain isn’t cut as small.

Rolled Oats are raw groats that are steamed to stabilize* their shelf-life and then rolled (according to GF Harvest).  These just take all of 2-5 minutes to cook over the stove top.

Steel-Cut Oats are raw groats cut into 2-3 pieces and then steamed in the steam chest to stabilize.  They can take 20-30 minutes to cook.

*NOTE: If the raw groats are NOT steamed/stabilized, then they will go rancid within the week.

Benefits of Oatmeal

1. Reducing Cholesterol: According to the Mayo Clinic, Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad,” cholesterol. . . Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber.

2. Reducing Risk of Heart Disease: By adding fiber from sources rich in beta-glucan, once can reduce the risk of heart disease (Effect of beta-glucan from oats and yeast on serum lipids. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 1999 Mar;39(2):189-202.)

In a research study published in Nutrition Journal in 2007 (6:6 doi:10.1186/1475-2891-6-6) found that ” . . . a practical dose of β-glucan can significantly lower serum lipids in a high-risk population and may improve colon health.”

Blueberries and Cream GF Oatmeal

Blueberries and Cream Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 cup GF Harvest Oats
2 cups water
1/4 cup of cream, milk, or dairy substitute
1-2 TBSP Maple Syrup
1/8 – 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients except the maple syrup in the pot.  While constantly stirring, bring to a boil over medium/high heat. (I also smashed the blueberries as they warmed up).
2. As it begins to thicken up, add in your maple syrup to taste.
3. When it is the thickness of your liking, remove from heat and serve.

Voila! – oatmeal is served

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Stellar Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Hamantashan

Baked Hamantashan

So, when I picked up my daughter from school yesterday, they informed me that they would be eating Hamantashan.  I rushed home to see if I could replicate what I haven’t had in years.  I made gluten-free, dairy-free hamantashan and they were AMAZING!!  I got rave reviews.

Just as a note, lots of hamantashan are made with a citrus zest.  I really like mine just plain and simple, so I did not use any of that.

Stellar Hamantashan (GF/DF)

This recipe is adapted from the The Shiksa Blog:

Ingredients:

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla (I make my own, but the safest GF variety without alcohol is Frontier Vanilla Flavor)

• 281.25 grams of GF multipurpose flour or about 9.92 oz (the real recipe called for 2 1/4 cup flours, which would be too much for this recipe.  If doing cups, I’d try about 2 cups for starters and you can always add as you go)
• scant 1 tsp of Xanthan Gum
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 to 5 tsp water (if needed) – I did not need this
• Any kind filling: jam, nutella, chocolate chips, poppy seed, etc.

You will also need

• 1 baking sheets, 2 mixing bowls, wooden spoon, whisk,  parchment paper

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Servings: About 16 cookies

Kosher Key: Pareve (depending on filling)

Directions:

1.Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Weigh your flour and then add baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, canola oil, and vanilla.

4.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet.

Adding Dry Ingredients

Note:  this never formed the hard pastry dough I was thinking it would.  It was quite sticky.  I contemplated adding more flour, but decided it would be better to refrigerate.

Mixed Wet and Dry

6. Refrigerate dough for about 20 minutes.

7.  On a sheet of parchment paper, break dough off and roll into about 1″ balls.  I completed each Hamantashan at a time, because the dough was a bit sticky and I didn’t want it to sit and get too warm.  Flatten them out, put a dollop of jam in the middle, then pinch corners together to make a triangle.

Making the Hamantashan

8.  Place formed dough in a 350* oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes until edges just begin to brown.

Finished Hamantashan

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Soothing Breakfast Smoothie (GF, DF)

soothing smoothie supreme

So, if you read my previous post, you’ll understand why I’ve been so MIA.  In order to help re-boost my immune system and get foods in it that my stomach will tolerate, I came up with the Soothing Breakfast Smoothie, which can always be eaten at any time of day!

Since the antibiotics and stomach virus, dairy has been giving my stomach lots of trouble.  I was nervous a fruit smoothie would never have the right constitution and flavor without dairy, but had to give it a try any way.  I chose to add GROUND chia seeds to add to the mix as a thickener.  Chia seeds when wet become gelatinous, absorbing the water and creating almost a bubble around the seed.  This doesn’t actually happen in the smoothie, but it’s why when in your stomach, it helps you to feel full and allows the body to digest more slowly.

Below are several sections about the benefits of the ingredients I used.  Feel free to skip to the ingredient section below.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are also high in soluble and insoluble fiber.  The chia seeds I use from TruRoots have 6 grams of fiber for every tablespoon.  That’s almost 1/4 of your daily fiber intake since the recommended about is 25 grams!

I became obsessed with chia seeds after reading Born to Run by Chris McDougall.   In the book, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico would blend maize and chia seeds on their ultra runs (like 100+ miles) through the desert for sustained energy.  Chia seeds were first used by the Aztec and Maya cultures and ground into flour and also used as fuel for stamina and to help maintain energy.

According to Web MD:

“Chia seeds are an unprocessed, whole-grain food that can be absorbed by the body as seeds (unlike flaxseeds). One ounce (about 2 tablespoons) contains 139 calories, 4 grams of protein, 9 grams fat, 12 grams carbohydrates and 11 grams of fiber, plus vitamins and minerals.”

According to Andrew Weil, M.D.:

Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants (making them able to be stored for extended periods without becoming rancid), fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

For more nutritional information on Chia seeds, you can check here.

Berries

I also chose to use several different fruits, especially berries, which are high in fiber to help aid in a bit of constipation, which I’m sure we all get from time to time.  I swear, this DELICIOUS concoction has helped keep me quite regular.

Bee Pollen*

Ok, a bit of a correction on bee pollen.  My friend, Adam Schreiber, an urban bee keeper, who has just stepped down from being a 2 year president of the Philadelphia Bee Keepers Guild, explained to me what bee pollen really is.  Clearly, there seems to be a lot of misinformation out there on the web!  If you want to read more about Adam’s crazy soirees with the bees, check out his wonderful blog timebeeing.blogspot.com

According to Adam: The bees collect the pollen, mix it with a little nectar from the flower, [since] (they don’t typically have access to honey as they are out foraging), and pack it in their pollen baskets to carry back to the hive.  Once at the hive, they unload the pollen balls into cells and in those cells then mix a little honey in to make “bee bread” (GF of course!).  They don’t turn the pollen into honey; the nectar gets turned into honey in a separate process.  They keep the pollen separate in its own cells.  Basically the pollen is their protein source and the nectar/honey is their carbs.

It  extremely nutritive, and adds a delicious sweet crunch to the smoothies.

According to a chemical analysis from the Enviro Bee Products Distributors:
(below is taken almost verbatim directly from their website)

It is also high In B complex and vitamins C, D, E and Lecithin. Bee pollen contains over 50 % more protein than beef, yet its fat content is very low.

Vitamins: Provitamin A, B-1 Thiamin, B-2 Riboflavin, B-3 Nancin, B-5, B-6 Pyridoxine, B-12 (cyanocobalamine), Pantothenic acid, Vitamin C, F, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin H, Vitamin K, Vitamin PP, Folic Acid, Choline, Inositol, Rutin.

Minerals: Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Iron, Copper, Iodine, Zinc, Sulfur, Sodium, Chlorine, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Boron, Silica, and Titanium.

Other: Amino Acid, Carbohydrates, Fatty Acids, Enzymes & Co-Enzymes, Fats.

* Note that there seems to be mixed reviews about bee pollen in pregnancy, suggesting that you contact your doctor before ingesting.  It can also cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is suggested to eat a few pollen balls at a time and build up.

Soothing Breakfast Smoothie

Serving Size: about 1 cup blended

Ingredients:

Smoothie Ingredients

1/2 cup of pineapple juice (but any liquid will work)1/2 cup frozen fruit of choice (I used pineapple)
1/2 cup frozen fruit of choice (I used strawberry)
(sometimes I add another berry here like raspberry or blueberry and you can play with the amounts)
1/2 banana
1-2 TBSP raw honey
1-2 TBSP ground chia or flax seeds (I use chia)
1 TBSP bee pollen (optional)

Directions:

I first put in the liquid, then the fruit, then the honey, and chia seeds and blend together using my immersion blender.  Once it’s all blended together, I stir in the bee pollen for extra crunch and flavor.

Step 1: Laying Fruit

Step 2: Immersion Blending

Finished Soothing Breakfast Smoothie

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