KY Mom Cooking Allergy Free

Meatball Mayhem...

2012-04-19T19:05:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love Meatballs? I mean, seriously, how creative are they.... Asian, Southwestern, Italian..you name it! Not too mention the variety of meats you can use for your meatballs; ground turkey, chicken, pork, beef, venison, lamb, and even salmon. I have been in a meatball making mood (say that 3 times fast, Lol) in our kitchen. They freeze so well and are so flexible as being anything from appetizers, lunch, or dinner. I love making up a large batch of meatballs and storing them in the freezer for a rainy or super busy day. I can serve them on an Udi's hot dog bun for a sandwich, toss into a fresh salad, serve over rice, or the quintessential pasta.. The other day, I surprised my daughter by making an asian-style sandwich for her lunch box, topped with a quick asian salad. It looked so good that my son wanted one as well.

Asian-Style Meatballs
I used 1 lb of organic ground turkey
1 healthy tbs of my garlic-ginger paste (recipe idea I got from Aarti's Party on Food Network)
3 dashes or to taste of Try Me Tiger Sauce (available at WalMart)
1 egg
1/4 cup Glutino Bread Crumbs
2 dashes or to taste of Coconut Secret Soy-Free Soy Sauce
1 green onion minced
Millet flour - as needed to make mixture dry enough to handle...

Place all ingredients in a large bowl, remove rings, push up sleeves, and get to mixing with those hands! When mixture is just combined, add Millet flour as needed to allow mixture to be dry enough to roll into the ball size of your choice. I place all on a platter and put in refrigerator at least 20 minutes to firm-up. To my large skillet I drizzle my roasted garlic oil and turn to medium heat. When skillet is hot, I add my meatballs. Brown on both sides, turn skillet to low heat (almost off), and cover with lid. Let the meatballs finish their cooking process by steaming to maintain their tenderness. They steam for 10-15 minutes or so, and then you're ready to serve however you would like. I used my Udi's hot dog buns for a sandwich, topped with a quick asian slaw of daikon, carrots, cilantro, a touch of sesame oil, fresh sesame seeds, and a little rice wine vinegar. Toss really well and serve on top.

I also love experimenting with different sausages to make meatballs. There are a lot of allergy-friendly options out there, you just gotta search for them! How about a jalapeno cheddar chicken sausage for southwestern style meatballs served with rice and black beans? Or a greek-style lamb meatball tossed into your favorite greek salad; the family really enjoys this. I'm getting them to eat salad for dinner and the meatballs add a bit of fun and fullness to their meal.

Farm to Lunch Table... Lunch Options

2012-04-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm always getting asked about what our daughter takes to school for lunch, so I thought I would share some of our favorites..

What she ALWAYS has in her Lunchbox...
yogurt (always a healthy option, especially for sensitive tummies)
fruit (bananas, cuties, blueberries, apples...she always has 1 or 2 of these..)
fresh veggies (cherry/grape tomatoes, celery, bell pepper slices..these are great with a dip or hummus.)

What she SOMETIMES has in her Lunchbox...
hummus (there are a lot of premade allergy-friendly varieties or it's just as simple to make your own..)
suntella (my recipe to come.... a homemade version using sunflower seed butter)
chicken ( I change it up by making a batch of nuggets and also grill chicken legs, this way she's getting options.)
pizza (either udi's crust or homemade... I'll make a buffalo chix or veggie pizza every couple of weeks or so..)
baba ganoush (it's a roasted eggplant dip... I buy premade at Whole Foods and also make. Lots of FLAVOR
go picnic (an allergy-friendly lunchable..LOVE these, just wish there were more to choose from...)
LEFTOVERS...(if we have taco night, I automatically set aside 2 shells for her to make for school. Leftover fried rice is a winner as well!)

Our elementary school is WONDERFUL about allowing us to have a microwave for her use only. They understand that she can't just bring a ham sandwich and a bag of chips to school (as if I'd let her...)! My son is 2 years older and in Middle School, I love his responses when I ask him what he had for lunch. He often says he didn't eat any vegetables because they looked as if they came out of a can. He cracks me up! It's amazing at what kids get used to.... I am so lucky to have kiddos that look forward to what we're bringing to the table, literally. They have grown up working in gardens, milking our goats (yes, really), and gathering eggs in the evening. I am blessed to be able to provide them with a true farm to table lifestyle....

It's a Contest....

2012-03-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Come on over to Facebook and "Like" my FB Page..Kentucky Mom Cooking Allergy Free.

I want to see just how many followers I can get... The person who sends me the most followers will receive a free batch of allergy-friendly goodies...AND I SHIP! Come on over and check it out....

I can't wait to see how this turns out...Deadline is this Friday the 16th!

Feeling Lucky....

2012-03-16T10:44:00.001-07:00

It's almost St. Patrick's Day! This day was always celebrated on my Father's side of the family as our name is O'Donnell. My grandfather was a "Southie" growing up in Boston where his parents immigrated from Ireland to. He joined the Air Force out of school and ended up meeting my Grandmother when he was transferred to a base in her hometown. He brought all of his traditions into the family as well. My Grandmother always prepares her infamous corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots, so yummy! I am carrying on a bit of that tradition in my own household, but with my spin on it in the form of cabbage rolls...

St. Patty's Day Cabbage Rolls with Beer Cheese Sauce

1 Head of Cabbage

Corned Beef from the Deli cut thick (1 lb)

Shredded Red Potatoes (4-5)

Shredded Carrots (2 medium)

1 small onion

1 small green pepper

1 good size stalk of celery

salt and pepper to taste

Gluten Free Beer (1 bottle)

Favorite Irish Cheddar

Corn Starch (4-5 tbs)

Butter (4 tbs)

To a food processor combine onion, green pepper, and celery. Place in skillet on medium and saute until transparent. When mixture is cooled; add shredded potatoes, carrots, and chop corned beef to desired size. Add salt and pepper to taste. Clean head of cabbage and carefully remove leaves to allow for maximum usage. When leaves are seperated, add desired amount of filling and wrap. You can wrap burrito style easiest; folding long side first, closing ends next, and continue until wrapped tight. Place seam-side down in large casserole dish. In saucepan-melt butter and corn starch one tablespoon at a time and whisking until a roux is made. Pour in 1/2 bottle of your favorite gluten free ale continuing to stir. Shred your favorite Irish Cheddar into sauce (about 2 cups) continuing to mix until cheese is melted. You may have to use the rest of the gluten free ale to thin out sauce as needed. Don't forget the salt and pepper to taste! Pour Sauce over cabbage rolls in casserole dish, place in pre-heated oven at 325-350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!

It's Been Awhile....

2012-03-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! It has truly been awhile since you have heard from me. I have been under the weather for quite some time and am currently recovering from a super strong sinus infection that went to my teeth. yes, really. Unfortunately, Kentucky decided to skip winter altogether and move ahead through a quick spring and starting into summer. Ahhh, Kentucky weather! Note the sarcasm. Anyway, I have been working on my book and quite a few new recipes. If you don't already, I encourage you to like my Facebook page "Kentucky Mom Cooking Allergy Free". It has a lot of great info on it! I am leaving you now with an excerpt from my upcoming book... Feedback appreciated! Thanks so much!

“Mrs. Hill? This is the pediatrician’s office. Your daughters’ blood work came back with results of multiple food allergies. We need you to come in right away for us to test her for Celiac’s Disease, and we need to make an appointment with an allergist. Mrs. Hill, are you still there?”

That telephone call changed our lives. I remember hanging up and calling my husband to tell him the news. We sat together on the phone and cried; in part because we finally had an answer and also because of the answer. It was mid-July 2010 and we knew our lives would never be the same. The lab results for the Celiac’s Disease were negative, and she tested positive for allergies to wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. We had no idea what to feed her. For days and days we went to the store each day to provide food in small quantities. We ate grilled chicken and steak with rice and fresh vegetables. The dinners were healthy and good, but they were also becoming boring. After three days of being away from her food allergies, we saw a dramatic change in our daughter. That change motivated us to realize the positive outcomes of the restricted diet. Two weeks after that initial phone call; I purged our kitchen. I gave away what I could and threw away the rest. We had decided, as a family, to make this change together. There would not be any segregated meals in our home. The chance for contamination was too great. We had agreed the only food that would be staying was the pizza rolls our son and his friends enjoyed. Our first trip grocery shopping was daunting yet liberating. Our journey to reach this place in our lives had been long and frustrating. Finally having an answer was a blessing, but to the unprepared also felt like a curse. That first trip lasted hours and I remember becoming teary only once. We kept those first trips pretty simple with lots of rice, rice pastas, and beans. Anything we could find ready-made was great; especially for lunch. We were able to provide her classroom with a microwave for her use only. She took lots of allergy-friendly frozen dinners in the beginning as I was not confident in my cooking skills. I explained to people that it felt as if I had had a stroke and was having to learn how to re-do everything. I had prided myself on being able to prepare organic, home-cooked meals with fresh pastas and desserts. All of a sudden everything I had learned was obsolete.

Healthy and Comforting Meals...

2012-01-31T09:17:00.000-08:00

When I think of comfort food I think of Macaroni and Cheese, Meatloaf, or Giant Stuffed Green Peppers. I'm also reminded of the calorie and fat content, and how it's not exactly of any health benefit to my family; or is it? Has anyone else noticed all of the recipes and/or pictures of food shown on people's Facebook updates? It's always..this is what I'm cooking, this is what our dinner looks like, and wouldn't this be a treat? I've been guilty of it myself in the past. What really made them stick out to me was when they are also listing how they're going to go exercise or how they need to start. Seriously? Props to you for getting off your booties and doing some exercise; just realize that going home and eating homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac 'n cheese, and cheesecake isn't going to benefit your exercise regimen. I have started the new year with a commitment to yoga three times a week and I love it. I haven't really seen a "change" in my body, but I have certainly noticed how much stronger I feel. I sleep better and just generally feel better minus the sinus infection I am currently fighting. There are some great yoga instructors who have made me feel super comfortable and are ready to assist with the "correct" way of the poses. Hey, I'm trying. I realized that there was no way I could be all about exercising and feeling great with my family and go home and cook a humongous calorie-loaded meal. Yes, I'm a proud southern woman who loves her homestyle meals; but I have three other people looking to me to also set an example for a healthy lifestyle. I decided that I could still make those down-home meals, but I could also make them healthier. Here's the first recipe with more to come....

Crock-Pot Stuffed Green Peppers

4 large bell peppers with top and insides removed.
2 1/2 lbs of ground turkey
1 medium carrot or parsnip
1 small onion
2 small pieces of bread slightly stale (I used 2 slices of Udi's)
1 tbs salt
1 tbs pepper
1 tbs tarragon
1 can crushed tomatoes

The night before... to food processor I combined the parsnip or carrot, onion, and bread; processed together to form binding ingredients. Combined with ground turkey, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Load inside the green peppers and place in fridge till morning. The next morning; place peppers inside crock pot and pour can of crushed tomatoes over top. Turn crock pot on warm or low setting and you'll come home to that great homemade comforting meal without all the work and fat.
Unless it's a holiday or I'm entertaining I don't make super large dinners and I've discovered that if the only sweets/desserts that we have are the ones I make... no one is consistently eating sweets. There's nothing better than coming home to a comforting homemade meal without a ton of fuss; just fix a great side salad!

Do You Waffle?

2012-01-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

Isn't it great when you find that one recipe that you know by heart and can manipulate to suit your needs no matter how sweet or savory you want to go? That recipe for me is in the form of waffles. Maybe it's because I have two active kiddos, but waffles are great vessel for me. I can make them sweet or savory; they can be served breakfast, lunch, or dinner; and they can be eaten by themselves or as a sandwich. They are also a great way to get plenty of protein, energy carbs, fiber, fruit, veggies, and whatever else your body may be needing. I have been known to add 1 - 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice to my waffle batter to use as sandwiches. Last night I added lemon zest and juice from half a lemon along with 1/4 cup poppyseeds for a version of waffles; top with yogurt and a drizzle of honey this morning for an energy packed breakfast. Do you remember my post-Thanksgiving post? I added left-over smoked turkey and dressing and made a cranberry maple syrup; I get hungry just thinking about it. Sure, everyone knows to add your favorite fruits or nuts (if non-allergic); but have you ever tried adding a little cardamom along with those blueberries? They won't disappoint. For a sweet treat try adding 1 cup melted chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Brand at my house) and top with your favorite berries; it's make a great happy birthday treat in the morning! You'd be amazed at what your imagination will come up with by thinking outside the box a little bit. We top our morning waffles with some yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, and I always add fresh berries when available. Lemon Poppyseed waffles with fresh blueberries or mulberries can't be beat! Go ahead and try one or all of these recipes and let your imagination take off from there. Don't let plain old blueberry waffles or Fried chicken and waffles rule your recipes....

Here's my basic waffle recipe:

2 cups of your favorite A.P. allergy-friendly flour
1 1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
*Mix dry ingredients well to make sure xantham gum is distributed well.
Add 4 tbs melted butter
3 eggs
2 cups plain yogurt
1 tbs honey.

Follow directions on your waffle maker; This recipe makes 12-14 waffles for my cheapie WM. I place in freezer bag and heat-up as needed for those busy school and/or soccer mornings!

Change It Up!!

2012-01-23T08:58:00.001-08:00

Hello Readers! I have to admit that I have gotten into a cooking rut; you know how it is when you feel like you're making the same thing over and over. It is destined to happen to those with allergy/intolerance diets. I found myself doing what was easiest with pastas and sandwiches. Easy? yes, Healthy? no. I knew I could do better, so I cleaned out the fridge and took to the stores. Two and a half hours later I returned with a much healthier take on our meals. Although I appreciate Gluten free Rice Krispies, it is not what I want my kiddos eating on a daily basis. I also put to use a Christmas gift I received. A family member gave me a clay pot roaster that she bought at an auction. I had never used one before so I got online to http://www.romertopfonline.us/ to check out my new gift and learn how to take care of it. After cleaning it up, we decided to put it to use. I decided to make braised rabbit for our introduction to it. The rabbits (2) had already been cut up into sections; I drizzled light olive oil, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, and added salt and pepper. Placed in pre-heated 250 degree oven on roasting convection setting and left alone for 2 1/2 hours. I have to say that I was very impressed. I'm hoping to play around with a chicken enchilada-type dish for dinner tonight. I'll let you know how it plays out. Changing it up helps so much with a food allergy diet. It's easy to fall into a routine using the same things over and over. That's also an easy way to gain weight. Don't believe the stereotypical gluten-free fad. Most gluten free items are made with rice flour that turn into sugar in your body. It's easy to fall in love with all of the gluten free bakery items out there, but make sure you're balancing it out. As you know, our entire family made the change to an allergy-friendly diet when my daughter was diagnosed. I try to make it a point to serve at least one vegetarian dish a week. It's usually a super simple dish such as roasted veggies over wild rice; veggies depend on the season. In the summer it's much easier for us to eat healthy as we have veggie and herb gardens and a fruit orchard. The difficulty is not eating those warm, comfort foods like macaroni and cheese every night. In order to maintain enough fat and protein for an active family; don't forget the beans! I cook a pot of beans every week and use them as much as possible. Boil them simply with water or vegetable stock until done. When cooled; place in freezer container or baggie and take out as much as you need on any given night. You can add spices and/or veggies to make a great side or main dish. You can mash them just enough to mix with eggs, flour, and spices to make bean patties to cook on your griddle; my family likes these with a dipping sauce. You can even place in food processor to make your favorite hummus. A lot of these recipes are already on my blog; so check them out. Just remember that doing something as simple as changing your cooking method can open your eyes to entirely new recipes. Get cooking!

Bring On 2012!

2012-01-03T16:59:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and I wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year! Have you started your New Year's Resolutions yet? I have already started on mine! My New Year's Resolutions are to make more time for myself; no really. I've already started that in the way of Yoga.....and I am thoroughly enjoying it and look forward to every class. I'm also making a commitment to my writing. I've been doing a lot of interviews lately and getting a lot of encouragement for the book; it's great to here and I am really going to try to commit to it. Even if I have to wait and do my writing after the kids are in bed or change my schedule to allow more "me" time in the morning. Probably not going to be the latter, but you never know. Make sure you all check out the upcoming issue of Kiwi Magazine..growing families the natural way. The next issue has an article featuring food allergies, and even includes a little about our family. I even have a New Year's Resolution regarding food allergies; to make more time for baking. I love to bake and have felt disconnected from it for long enough! Our family has been food allergy friendly for over a year now and there really is not an excuse to be had. When people ask me how I do it; How do I not? You just make the time, and it's time I make the time for all that bread making! This is where I plan to start.....

Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

2 Tb. butter
1/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tb. instant yeast
1/4 c. sorghum flour
1/2 c. millet flour
3/4 c. corn starch
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling

2/3 – 1 c. brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 pieces bacon cooked & crumbled (optional)

Glaze

3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
about 2 Tb. maple syrup

Warm milk and add yeast; leave to activate. Combine dry ingredients; make sure to sift well. Stir in wet ingredients and yeast mixture; do not over mix. Place dough mixture between two pieces of buttered wax paper and roll into rectangle, remove top piece of wax paper and sprinkle filling evenly throughout. Using bottom piece of wax paper to assist; begin initiating "the roll". It should roll pretty easily. Cut into slices and place in baking dish at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Pour glaze over top when cinnamon rolls are done.

You should end up with at least 8 cinnamon rolls. Try to go ahead and make the time to make multiple batches, It's worth it.

It's Not Easy Being Super Mom....

2011-12-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and all that comes with it. I was excited for this holiday season as this would be our second since starting the food allergy diagnosis "newbie no longer". And everything was going great for the beginning, and then she got a hold of the baked beans, that story was told in my last post. Since the baked bean incident- we have dealt with two more food allergy reactions and numerous invites to parties (hers not ours). With invitations come the B.Y.O. concept for her (food that is). No worries, none at all. Our local Wal-Mart and Kroger have come a long way in stocking food allergy options. So, it was no big deal when I go to Wal-Mart the day before her party to pick up a few supplies for food options. No big deal at all as I'm standing in the small section of her allergy-friendly options. No big deal at all as I'm continuously staring at zero availability for her food allergy options. Yep, that was me in the middle of the aisle with my hands on hips staring at the fact of zero cookies and zero baking supplies. As fellow customers passed by and stared at my continuing pissed off stance, one woman took one look at me and asked what my kiddo was allergic to. Yes, it was that obvious. I mean, how dare they? How dare they not have the ingredients I needed to make my last minute cookies. Who do they think they are by not allowing me to procrastinate like everyone else? Finally, I come to the conclusion that I would not be baking cookies for her party that afternoon. Instead, I would go to the cereal aisle and luckily grab the last box (yes, last box) of gluten free rice chex and put a new plan in action. Across the street is Kroger and they would surely have what I needed. Yeah, right. I left town and headed out to our farm in tears the entire drive. I called my husband on speaker phone and told him of the betrayal of the grocery stores. His suggestion? Just bake something else. Just bake something else? Did he forget that we had a date night scheduled? I want my date night, I want to not cook or worry about not cooking. I wanted a Margarita, darn it!! Well, forget him. I instead call a dear friend whose daughter is gluten intolerant and gets how exhausting and frustrating it can be. We laughed and made fun of our predicament. We talked about how tired of cooking we were, telling our beloved children to just get an orange or whatever was leftover in the fridge. There was not a mom of the week award awaiting me, for sure. I can't help it. I admit that there are days that I do not don my apron; cooking from scratch sun-up til sun-down. In fact, there are some days that I want to say "Screw It", I wanna order a pizza. Do I do it? Nope. Instead, this Holiday season I have made friends with Captain Morgan (maybe you've heard of him?) He likes my apple cider. I get over it, I move on and make another plan. I laugh about it, because do you know what the funny part is? Usually, the food I end up "throwing together" is better than what I was planning originally. Instead of my cookies, I used my Gluten Free Rice Chex and followed their ingredients for Muddy Buddies. I substituted Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (I have an emergency bag) and Trader Joe's Sunflower Seed Butter. My daughter took a huge container to her party/sleepover and the kiddos loved it! You know what that means? Total Mom Award Recovery!!! So you see, sometimes it just sucks wearing that cape; but I would never, ever change a thing! Merry Christmas!

A Sustainable Holiday Season...

2011-12-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

I have to tell you... If you are looking for a great Dressing recipe, you should definitely try mine. It's a newbie to the recipe book, I tried it for Thanksgiving and it was a HIT! It was sooo much better than the baked squares that I've had in the past. Also, I came up with a yummy alternative to the typical turkey and dressing leftovers. I made our favorite waffle recipe (Paula Deen's substituting our flour and adding xantham gum) and added some chopped leftover smoked turkey (my brother-in-law's recipe) and dressing. The turkey and dressing baked into the waffles with that added texture from the waffle iron. It was made even better with the addition of leftover cranberry sauce added to our maple syrup and heated through. It was so good that I can easily see it becoming a family tradition for a Black Friday Brunch. I hope you'll consider trying it. As we started taking down the Thanksgiving Decorations to make room for the Christmas Decorations, I decided not to let a perfectly good pumpkin go to waste. While the kiddos took the seeds out, my husband began cutting the pumpkin into easier to handle chunks. We cleaned the seeds and roasted the seeds and flesh of the pumpkin in a 300 degree convection. When pumpkin flesh was fork tender; I added to the food processor and pureed until smooth. From this point- so many things can be done with pureed pumpkin. You can add stock to make a soup, add to your favorite muffin, cookie, or bread batter, or you can add to your favorite pasta dough recipe. If you're not sure, pour into your muffin tin and freeze; when frozen remove from muffin tin and place in freezer container for future use. I do this with soup; when I want my favorite soup I can place in mug and heat up. I refuse to let anything go to waste, and given our diet I always prepare food in bulk. Sometimes I get so frustrated with our freezers, we have three. Everytime I open our freezer, ziploc freezer bags and containers are everywhere and it can be difficult finding what I need at times. One of my resolutions for the upcoming year is to find an easier way to store everything. Any ideas would be appreciated... Happy Christmas to Everyone! I hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season. If you are running short on christmas present ideas, I would suggest some homemade goodies. I enjoy sharing my homemade extract recipes with friends and family as special gifts. You can find my vanilla extract listed here. This year, as presents, I also made a Bourbon Vanilla Extract as well as Orange Extract. They are super easy to make and make great gifts.

My Thanksgiving Menu...It Doesn't Have To Get Complicated...

2011-11-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

Busy never seems to quite cut it this time of year. With all of the hustle and bustle of the Holidays, you can't help but overextend yourself for the fear of missing something great. For a few weeks now I've had our itienerary's made for the coming weeks; so much to enjoy and participate in. This year is already so much better than the last due to the fact that I am now a Food Allergy Holiday Veteran. Last year was my first, and I knew going in to it that I was in for it; I didn't disappoint. This year, however, I am still cooking but with a much happier attitude. Our menu plan is for a group of 12 at my In-Law's. I share the duties with my Mother-in-law. My responsibilities this year:

My Thanksgiving Menu
Green Bean Casserole
Dressing
Macaroni and Cheese
Cheesecake
Thumbprint Cookies

She will have prepared a baked ham, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and corn. My father-in-law's cousin makes the baked beans, and my brother-in-law smokes a turkey and a deer shoulder. I know it will all be great. This year I am attempting to make the old-school Green Bean casserole from the TV commercials, only my way. I plan to make my own onion rings with thin slices of onion battered with cornmeal and deep fried until crispy; set aside. Steamed green beans from the garden; set aside. A basic cream sauce beschamel with thin sliced portabello mushrooms. When cream sauce is correct consistencey- add green beans and pour into baking dish; top with onion rings. I'll set aside and warm through before sharing with the family. I was so excited to find gluten free cream of mushroom soup, but it unfortunately had soy listed. A great dairy free option would be with almond milk, and sliced almonds included in the topping. If we weren't tree nut free I would be all over that one. The dressing is super simple for us. I save all of our end pieces from our loaves of bread, I use for bread crumbs, croutons, and starting in August I save for Dressing. I add it to crumbled Bob's Red Mill Cornbread that I pre-made. Stir in chopped celery and onions that I sauteed until translucent, along with 2-3 eggs whisked. I place all ingredients in crock-pot and add 4 cups of chicken stock to start. Place crock-pot on low and leave for a few hours (5-6), adding chicken stock later if needed. I know it's a bit "out of the box", but this is the way my uncle makes his and it's always super delicious. I may even add chopped turkey cutlets for an even yummier addition. My Macaroni and Cheese is my super yummy infamous Kentucky Hot Brown Mac n Cheese! The recipe is listed here! This year I am changing up my Vanilla Bean Cheesecake recipe just a bit. Instead of using my vanilla wafer crust, I bought Bob's Red Mill Brownie Mix. I plan to follow the directions for the brownie mix and then spread batter thinly on the bottom and up the sides of my spring form pan; and using my traditional vanilla bean cheesecake recipe for the filling. My husband is super excited about that one and even suggested I make it in the first place. As for the thumbprint cookies- a shortbread cookie recipe I'm working on with a bit of jam in the "print". I'm not sure where I'm going with the flavors of this one yet... I'm thinking possibly cranberry? maybe. Anyway, there is a definite theme here....Easeness. So what if I'm using the crock-pot and prepackaged mixes! This year is about spending time with my family and the joy of the holidays, I missed that last year. Last year I was so worried about everything with the food allergies that I forgot about the fun of everything and seeing everyone. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving as well! If it's your first with facing these challenges I would like to remind you that It really will be okay. Don't let the stress of it takeover, and if you feel that happening-take a step back. Don't forget about those great moments of just enjoying homemade hot chocolate whether yours is with dairy, almond, soy, or even coconut... That's a great way to step back and remind yourself that this beautiful time of year only happens once... So make it count!!
Don't worry, I do plan on taking notes for all of these recipes so that I may tweak and/or share with all of you. Lots of recipes are out there for food allergies, the key is to not get overwhelmed by the ingredients. Sometimes they are intimidating on their own. Remind yourself that cooking is supposed to be a little fun as well...
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I Hope It's Wonderful!

A Great Halloween and Looking Forward to November..

2011-11-03T08:22:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween; I know we did. We did things a little differently this year and ended up with a great result. We opted to participate in our Church's Trunk or Treat this year. My husband and son decorated our "trunk" while I visited every other "trunk" with a food allergy goodie bag for my daughter in a very Kristina from Parenthood kind of way. Though I did run the risk of appearing as the "crazy lady", it went pretty well. I took her and our neighbor's trunk or treating while the Husband and son passed out food-allergy friendly candy. No, she didn't just get her goodie bags; but that was okay. She did get mostly her goodie bags and passed the other candy onto her friends. We also participated in the chili supper with my chili staying in the truck as to not risk contamination or none left when we got there. We had a blast "tailgating it", there were no tears and lots of smiles; therefore I would say it was a huge success. We did also participate in the traditional trick or treating, it was a request from my son. We discussed it as a family (yes, we discussed trick or treating; we discuss everything) and decided it would be fun in the traditional sense of dressing up and running through the streets (not literally). We went with neighbors and drove into town and had a great time and divvied up all the candy to friends. It wasn't nearly as scary as she was thinking it would be and that was the point. She needed the confidence to know that it really wasn't a big deal; that she could still participate and have fun with just choosing to not eat the candy. That simple. I guess that's the point of discussing everything as a family; we never want our kids to feel overwhelmed with decisions we make for them. Don't get me wrong, it's still a dictatorship over a democracy; only we choose to lay everything out ahead of time for questions/discussion. While Halloween was very successful, it was only two days later that we headed to the Allergist for our tree nut challenge. Yep, it had been over a year since her initial diagnosis and her bloodwork showed levels appropriate for a challenge. She was so excited, my husband was super excited, my son was happy for his sister, and I was an absolute nervous wreck. What would happen? So many questions and scenarios were in my mind. We were told to bring 30-40 grams of each tree nut to challenge along with enough for her to do for the many hours we would be there. She couldn't eat breakfast that morning because her stomach was supposed to be empty and her appointment was at 8:30 in the morning. We gathered school work, her dvd player, and some toys and headed off. We chose pistachios, walnuts, and almonds for her challenge. The only reasoning for my choice was her initial diagnosis lab work showed specific allergy to walnuts and the pistachios and almonds because I couldn't find anything else. No really, we only have a Wal-Mart and Kroger here and all of the other nuts were flavored and included wheat and soy. Kinda sucks. The MD office crushed all of the nuts together and gave them to her in 3 different doses starting small and ending with a larger dose. I brought vanilla yogurt for her to mix nuts with to make it easier to eat texture-wise. By the end of the third dose it was going on 11 o'clock and she started with the itching. By 11:40am her back was breaking out and she was getting pretty uncomfortable, antihistamines were given along with a small dose of steroids. The good thing? It was not an anaphylactic reaction, but we are going to continue to stay away from tree nuts and opted to not do a peanut challenge for now. Besides, this is going to be a fabulous, busy time of year. I love, love, love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. It starts the most wonderful time of the year. It's the first time everyone comes together and shares a wonderful allergy-friendly meal. When I say everyone, I mean everyone on my Husband's side of the family as my family isn't with the whole food allergy thing. Sad for them as they are missing out on a yummy meal and two fantastic kids' lives. Is this your first food allergy Thanksgiving? If so, it's not as hard as it seems. Yes, it's a bit overwhelming when you thing of the grand scheme of things, but it's really not hard. This is my second, and I am ready for it. Next week's post will be a bit more inclusive on the easiness of it. For now, I'll just include a fabulous fall recipe to help get you in the mood....

Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Chutney

Preheated oven to 350 degrees

Cranberry Chutney

1 can whole cranberry sauce

¼ cup maple syrup

Dash of cinnamon

Over low heat to reduce and thicken.

Pork Tenderloin

Baking dish

Place pork tenderloin in baking dish. Cover top with ½ cranberry chutney. Pour 1-1/2 cups apple cider around tenderloin. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Take out and leave alone for at least 10 minutes to allow meat to rest. Serve other ½ of cranberry chutney

alongside pork tenderloin.

How the Hill Family Does It.....

2011-10-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since my last post; my apologies. Unfortunately, things have been a bit busy around here. I know I should be used to it, but I still feel overwhelmed at times. A lot of people ask how we do things around here, so I thought I would share. We are a busy, one income household family of four; therefore things are often scheduled (especially the food). I make a lot of freezer meals for during the week. I usually plan one day during the week to make the bases for our meals. I start with the ever favorite chicken; If I don't use one from our farm I buy only the organic, free range whole chickens (they come in a two-pack). I rough chop two medium onions, two celery stalks, two carrots, add chicken, and cover with water in a crock pot and let it go. At the end of the day I pull out the chickens to cool and strain stock. I freeze the stock in ice cube trays and the rest in freezer containers. The ice cube trays make easy seasoning for potatoes, vegetables, or whatever. The freezer containers are great for soups, casseroles; you get the idea. I do it this way because many store-bought stocks contain allergens and everything just tastes better when it's homemade. The chickens (2)- I pull the meat off and shred; this is enough for four casseroles. If you're not going to go ahead and make the casseroles; go ahead and separate anyway and freeze for later use. While my chickens are in the crock pot I'm usually going ahead and preparing the pasta, rice, and/or biscuit batter for my casseroles. I buy the aluminum pans with the tops for the casseroles to be stored in and place them in any one of our freezers. I usually go with a Poppyseed Chicken Casserole over rice, A Mexican Style over rice, an Easy Baked Pasta Version or two, and it's always a hit with Chicken Pot Pie. Keep in mind that our family loves our Farm-style Sustainable Lifestyle. Therefore, I'm usually setting out deer meat to be ground up for Chili, and I make a lot of meatballs to be used in Baked Pastas for the freezer or I freeze the meatballs to be used for sandwiches or spaghetti. We also have the pigs processed in the winter and the pork sausage can be used in practically anything. My son's favorite is when I cook crumbled sausage till done and combine with waffle batter along with shredded cheese; I always make a country gravy to spoon over waffles in lieu of syrup. Make these waffles in two batches and you've got a great quick breakfast during the school week. Needless to say; I cook as much as I can when I can and store in the freezers. It makes the busy school days so much easier and allows us the time to spend as a family instead of rushing around. Don't get me wrong; we eat healthy. Everything we eat is as fresh as possible and I include a ton of veggies with everything I can and even when I shouldn't (love the food processor). It's great making a homemade spaghetti sauce or chili and adding pureed steamed veggies for that boost of flavor and health benefits; I've even added pureed spinach to brownie batter (it doesn't change the taste). Puree your extra veggies before they have a chance to go bad and freeze in ice cube trays and then place them in a freezer bag for later use. Yep, I'm full of all kinds of tricks. I actually find it hard to eat out at chain restaurants now; my food is just better and all of that processing tends to upset my tummy nowadays. Anyway, now you have a small taste of our daily life in the kitchen! I've included some pics of our backyard buddies!

Food Allergy Food Drive

2011-10-07T09:15:00.001-07:00

Food Allergy Food Drive

by Hope O'Donnell-Hill on Friday, October 7, 2011 at 10:10am

It has been brought to my attention over the past year the amount of families and individuals facing daily food allergy challenges; and the number is continually growing. A lot of these families are in need of financial assistance due to the specialized state of these foods. For this reason I have acquired a list of allergy-friendly foods and am requesting your assistance to help the many people in our area faced with these challenges. Just the other day was there a young mother with two small children newly overwhelmed with her 20 month old's diagnosis of multiple food allergies, and terrified of not having the means necessary to feed her child. Until personally faced with the struggle; many do not understand the fear food allergies can hold over the individual and/or family. It is extremely overwhelming and absolutely frightening to realize that you may not be able to safely feed your child. I am requesting your help for these families and individuals that preside in our area. We will be hosting a food drive for October requesting these specialized ingredients for these very special people. Please consider donating to our cause, just one allergy-friendly food item can make a difference. We are excited that Peach Blossom Health Food Store here in Murray, KY has agreed to be our Drop-Off for these donations. Thanks so much...

Bags of Dry Rice
Bags of Dry Beans
Corn Meal
Masa (Corn Flour)
Nutella
Sunbutter
Tree Nut Butters (Almond, Cashew, etc.)
Soy Butter
GF Bisquick
Rice Pastas
Corn Pastas
GF Baking Mixes (Betty Crocker, Bob's Red Mill, Pamela's, Hodgson Mill, etc.)
Brianna's brand salad dressings (they are GF)
Maple Grove Farms Syrups and Salad Dressings
Bread (Udi's, Rudi's, GF Bakehouse, Katz)
Gluten Free Oats
Canned Tomatoes
Cooking Oil (Canola, Corn, Olive, Sunflower, Coconut)
Milk Replacements (Soy, Coconut, Rice, Almond)
Egg Replacements
Kitchen Basics brand Stocks/Broths
Flour/Starches (Potato, Tapioca, Corn, Garbanzo Bean, Rice, Almond, Sorghum)
Gift Cards - when in doubt a simple donation can go a long way.

Please Drop-off at Peach Blossom Health Foods in Murray, KY during the month of October

KY mom cooking allergy free: Soup's On....

2011-09-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

KY mom cooking allergy free: Soup's On....: Recently, our family had a scare as our daughter had an emergency appendectomy. It definitely was not planned as she came home from schoo...

Soup's On....

2011-09-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

Recently, our family had a scare as our daughter had an emergency appendectomy. It definitely was not planned as she came home from school with a tummy ache that only got worse through the night with us in the ER at dawn. What made it worse was her liquid diet. I was super nervous and made sure I checked and rechecked with all of her nurses in regards to her food allergies possibly being in medications and her food tray. All of the nurses were awesome and very helpful; they made a neurotic mother feel at ease. However, the dietary services dropped the ball BIG TIME! Once she received her food tray the following morning after her surgery, she started getting itchy with more stomach pain. I called dietary services to check on her food and low and behold wheat and soy were on her tray. I am not gonna lie, I had a moment. It was not pretty and I did not handle it well, however in my defense I was nearly 48 hours without sleep and the coffee was horrid. I did apologize to the nursing staff repeatedly because it was not their fault and they truly felt sorry for our situation. However, it is a scary situation when a person cannot even rely on their healthcare system, their local hospital, to provide the proper care. The Doctor was called and they decided to hurry up and get us out of there before the hospital tried to feed her again. My husband had to actually leave and go to the grocery store to get her something to eat. I was so proud of the emergency care and the nursing care that she received, but that is the end of it. I cannot imagine what would have happened to the uneducated individual or the single parent trying to do it all. However, with all of that being said the important thing is that she is home, healthy, and appendix free. When we got home she requested a bowl of soup for her dinner that evening, and I got started asap as her meds took her to dreamland. Her request? French Onion Soup! Okay, kinda sweet and easy to eat, so I got started. Luckily, our onion crop was fantastic this year and I have a ton of red and white onions to choose from with her favorite being the red. I'm not just saying this, that girl loves her onions. She loves to go through the gardens in the summer and pull up onions to wash off and eat like apples. I thought I would share my French Onion Soup recipe with all of you.....

French Onion Soup

4 tbs butter
2 tbs canola oil
5 medium onions sliced thinly
1 box of Kitchen Basics Beef Broth
2 tsp tarragon
salt and pepper to taste.
Your favorite Allergy-friendly bread
Gruyere Cheese

To saucepan add butter and oil. When melted add onions and tarragon. Stir often until onions reach that beautiful carmelized appearance (about 40 minutes or so). Add beef broth and cover until heated through. Salt and Pepper to taste. Ladle soup in crocks or mugs. I made garlic toast out of our Rudi's Multi-Grain bread and place on top, shred gruyere cheese to cover toast and place under broiler until melted and bubbly. If that's not a post-surgical treat, I don't know what is.

The Food Allergy Family

2011-09-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised the other day when grocery shopping at the amount of allergy-friendly salad dressings I saw. They even had pretty green "gluten free" tags as aisle markers, making it easier to recognize. Of course, not all were soy-free, but plenty were. As soccer season is in full-swing, I am relying plenty on my crock-pot for those go-to meals. I found some Maple Grove Farm Aged Asiago and peppercorn salad dressing the other day and thought they would go fantastically poured over some country-style ribs in my crock-pot. Boy was I right and happy to say so. Us food allergy families can sometimes find a hard time coming up with ideas for a crock-pot meal that doesn't involve chili, soup, or barbecue. I love the idea of trying something a little outside the box, this dressing allowed the ribs to be super-tender but not stringy with a tangy kick to them, partly due to the dressing and partly due to the 5 cloves of garlic I chopped and added. You can't go wrong with garlic, that's for sure. It's like cheese, bacon, or butter- adding it just makes your food better (or at least it does in the south). I do enjoy the idea of using salad dressings as marinades and/or sauces. After it's prepared you have a meal for the night or you can be like me and freeze it for later. I'm extremely blessed to be able to be home for my family as my full-time job, therefore I'm always cooking. I used to work as a nurse part-time until my daughter was diagnosed with food allergies. I remember being so depressed and not even getting out of bed except to cook meals or go to work, and that was it. I would go to work crying and come home from work crying. People started realizing something was definitely going on and I was not one for publicizing anything in my life; that's when I knew something had to change. I'm a pretty strong chica and when I sat down with my husband to discuss everything we knew what had to be done. I couldn't nor wouldn't change my family, but I could most definitely change our circumstances; I quit my job to stay home until normalcy could be obtained. I made my mind up and so began mine and my family's journey of re-invention. It's nice to change it up a bit sometimes. Whether you paint a room, try an ethnic food, or decide to change your lifestyle to accomodate your present circumstances. We chose to change as a family as we choose to do everything. I didn't have the luxury to grow up in a stable family and continue to bear those scars, but I am truly blessed to have married a man who truly is my strength when I am weak. "The Evolution of a Food Allergy Family" is the title of a book I'm currently working on for food allergy families. It's getting closer and closer to being done. I can't wait to share it with all of you...

No Recipes.... But Plenty To Say!

2011-08-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

I am without any new recipes this post as we continue to thrive on salads, sandwiches, and baked pasta freezer meals in this continuing HEAT! With the new school year going full speed ahead we have the added thrill of sports, class parties, birthday parties, and family reunions. I have to say that I am truly blessed with a phenomenal teacher for our food allergy child, she is fully aware and on-top of it! We had the common issue of a "friend" being very hands-on my daughter at the lunch table, and of course left her mark in the form of a rash from her wheat-y hands. I called the teacher to explain the situation and it was handled quickly. She is ready in her classroom with the Enjoy Life cookies we provided as well as some "reward" candy that is allergy-friendly that she happily provided. Our daughter continues to have her own microwave in the classroom to heat her lunch she brings daily. I am currently in correspondence with the nutritional director of our public school system as to the possibility of providing an allergy-friendly meal option once a week, fingers crossed! I feel confident that we are going to have a great school year, I truly feel that our school is much more open and tolerant of food allergies. Don't get me wrong, no one's perfect. I continually stay optimistic. My super-competitive daughter also tried out and made the competitive soccer team to represent our area. How excited are we?! We will begin a bit of traveling to play some different games/tournaments. I hosted a "class" for her coaches with directions of epi-pen use. They were ready to learn, which makes for a happy mommy. The other parents have been great about asking questions regarding snack options. I did tell them not to worry about bringing her anything, but they still want to do for the team as a whole. I cried on the way home from that practice. How great is it that more and more people are empathizing with the food allergy community. Maybe I'm just in my own little world and it's just me and our area that is becoming a little more open every day, but I doubt it. I read great articles and posts from so many in our food allergy community full of great information some happy/some sad. It's unfortunate and completely terrifying of the amount of food allergy deaths and the number is steadily rising. I encourage all of you to step out of your comfort zone and get involved in some way to promote food allergy advocacy in your area. A year ago this month I hosted my first food allergy support group with 3 people. Our group isn't Huge, but it is hosted by myself on a monthly basis with anywhere from 4 to 9 people that are constantly changing. One member stated that if everyone came to the same meeting, there wouldn't be enough chairs. I also turned that support group into a Facebook group called "Gluten & Allergy Free KY", we are currently 61 members strong and hoping to continue to grow. Talk to your friends and their friends....word of mouth is the best advertising and I have been introduced to so many people in the food allergy community through friends of friends. I also decided to start my own facebook page based on my blog with the option of having some of my homemade goodies shipped to your home, 1 and 2 day shipping available. Getting involved in these small ways of introducing food allergies make a huge difference. My family and I are members of a large church in our area and I can't express to you the gratitude towards them for being open to considering the small changes to the youth organization. I have met so many people who face the same challenges that I face. Some are more willing than others to talk about it and that's okay. I look forward to doing even more in the future. I am currently building a cookbook with a great story-line and yummy recipes (67 so far). I hope to share it with you soon!

Staying on Schedule.

2011-08-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

We are definitely getting back into the groove of things. One week into the new school year and we are back to being the average busy family. Our oldest started middle school with lots of tears (mine), and with that we have gained an ever-increasing social calendar. Our youngest is in 4th grade (the grade of homework), and is going full-force with her travel soccer team (Go Revolution!). These in addition to Work, Homework, Our Farm, Extended Family (my new nephew), Church, and not to mention my husband and I; yep, it's busy. I am now the proud owner of a Mom-Friendly Master Calendar that I have placed front and center on our refrigerator. It is wonderful with stickers and enough space to put all of our schedules. My husband no longer has any excuse of "not remembering". What is even better about the calendar is that I can see in plenty of time, the days that I need to have dinner practically ready when we get home. Often, we only have an hour or so before we have to leave again for activities. For the average american family it calls for a night of fast food, for the food allergy family it calls for planning. I am loving the make-ahead pasta dinners I blogged about before as well as my crock-pot. My family only eats free-range, organic chicken either from our farm or the grocery. It is a lot more expensive than the cheap stuff but it is so not worth the health risks. A way of cutting the costs of chicken is by buying a whole chicken, it is cheaper because you gotta do the work. An easy way for me is to cook the whole chicken, shred it, and use what I want when I want it. I've included my recipe for an asian-style chicken. I'll let it cook overnight, on a weekend, or whenever; the most tedious part is pulling all of the meat off (tip: let that baby cool down, don't burn those fingers).

Crock-Pot Asian Chicken

1 whole chicken; thawed and patted dry

8 cloves of garlic; crushed.

1 ½ - 2 inch fresh ginger crushed..

1 lemon

½ cup soy-free soy sauce

1 tbs crushed red pepper

1 ½ tbs sesame oil

½ cup water

Place chicken in crock-pot. To bowl combine lemon juice, soy-free soy sauce, crushed red pepper, sesame oil, and water. To crock pot add garlic, ginger, and lemon halves. Pour bowl mixture over the top of chicken. Turn on low and walk away.

Getting Ready for Back-to-School in the Kitchen

2011-08-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

What a summer it has been! I fell into a routine with my daughters' food allergies and started a catering business on the side. I, unfortunately, have to now begin the routine of back to school within the next week. But I am doing so with a well-prepared freezer. I have been making a number of make-ahead meals, snacks, and goodies to help make our days easier. We, like so many, have school, work, sports, homework, and family time on a daily basis. To assist our days I prepared a few freezer meals in the form of baked pastas. I prepare my pasta according to package instructions and set aside. I then can open an allergy-friendly bottle of marinara bought or homemade, add sliced pepperoni, and toss with pasta. Place in aluminum pan, top with cheese, and place in freezer for a quick dinner. Another version is that I combine leftover Sloppy Joe mixture from a different dinner and toss with pasta. Place in another aluminum pan and top with monterey jack cheese and freeze for the future. The sloppy joe pasta bake is my son's fave. For those fast-upon us breakfasts; make a ton of waffles and freeze, toss in toaster and you're set. I also buy and prepare a huge box of sausage links and place in freezer bag, microwave for 15 seconds and you've got a great, healthy side for your waffles. Something new for me are my mini-omelets. They are so cute and were super easy to make. I save my egg whites from all the ice cream I've been making. To my mini muffin tin; I butter the bottom of my tin and add whatever fillings I want such as cheese, veggies, ham, etc. I whip the egg whites with a little bit of milk and seasoning, fill my muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees until done (usually 20-25 minutes). I throw these into freezer bags as well; they go great as a side, on a sandwich, or as a snack. I never look forward to my kiddos starting back to school because I miss them so much, but I am blessed that they love school as much as they do. It makes it a little easier knowing that they look forward to their new routine, and I know I'm doing myself a favor getting all their goodies ready ahead of time. This way, I have more time to hang out with them. If you're new to all of these ideas, don't get overwhelmed. Pick something and just spend a morning preparing it for your freezer. As you get more acclimated you will be able to handle more meals, desserts, whatever. Good luck to you all!

Those Great Summer Salads!

2011-07-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

The best part of summer is the food!! For those on an allergy-friendly diet, it's a lot easier and much more common to chow down on the fresh fruits and veggies. It's a common farm-to-table menu for most households and restaurants, which makes it much easier for most of us to dine-out. Salads for everyone! You can do so much with salads; grilled, roasted over a campfire, raw, dressed or undressed, etc. The list goes on and on.. What's even better is that a salad doesn't have to be over greens necessarily. What about those favorite potato, bean, pasta, corn, fruit, and even veggie salads? I love, love potato salads; pierce their skins with a fork and place in microwave on the baked potato command. Set aside and let cool and then slice and finish on the grill to get that great char flavor. The fun part is that you can add anything you want to it from there. You can go greek with capers, red onions, a little feta, with salt, pepper, and olive oil. You can go traditional with chopped cooked bacon, shredded cheese, green onions, some fresh dill, salt, pepper, and a little sour cream-mayo combo. I, personally, love to fix a corn and tomato salad; it's a southern thing. Chopped fresh tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper. Super simple with tons of flavor and especially good on those summer days. Speaking of hot summer days; why not try a melon salad. Your favorite melon such as watermelon (my fave) chopped into bite size pieces or scooped with a melon baller for those pretty presentations. Add some fresh mint, lemon zest, and a very light amount of extra virgin olive oil; talk about a summertime treat. Who wants to cook on these lazy days of summer? I would much rather be outside with my kids playing, swimming, or reading a great book. You know what makes these even better? The fact that you can't get much healthier than these! These salads, some great sandwiches, and homemade ice cream. I am truly loving an allergy-friendly summer!

Allergy-Friendly Catering, Baking, and Sharing..

2011-06-16T19:46:00.003-07:00

Sooo much going on in my ‘neck of the woods’, gardening, baking, cooking, cleaning, referee, etc. You know, regular ‘ol mom stuff. To be perfectly honest with you, all the good food have been going to my clients interested in my allergy-friendly goodness. AND I LOVE IT!! I love to cook and create new recipes; I always have. I’m very excited and extremely nervous to have my creations available to other people. It’s one thing to have your family eat your food; they don’t really have a choice. It’s completely different to have other families eat your food; kind of intimidating to say the least. What if they don’t like it? Luckily, I didn’t overdo things and kept my menu small and to what I felt most comfortable making. So far, so good; I haven’t had anyone be disappointed. I recently catered a birthday party for a 13 year old gluten-free young lady. How scary is that? Mini corn dogs, pizza rolls, cake pops, and creamsicle cupcakes. My house smelled wonderful! I couldn’t wait for the day of delivery so my family would quit complaining that I didn’t make any extras for them. Luckily, her mom sent me a message on Facebook stating that everyone LOVED the food. I sooo hope she wasn’t just trying to be nice. Anyway, I hope everyone stops by my Facebook page, Kentucky Mom Cooking Allergy Free, to say hi and “Like” me. I have found an easy recipe, however, for our family in a pinch for lunch. I look forward to sharing it with you. It’s an easy one to change up and make it with whatever you have handy. The only change I would make would be to grill the slices of polenta to get that ‘crust’ on the bottom. Enjoy!!

Barbecue Chicken Polenta Pizza Bites

1 prepared polenta roll cut into thin slices
2 pieces left over barbecue chicken cut into bite-size pieces
2 green onions sliced thinly
Ranch Dressing
1 cup shredded cheese ( I like Monterey Jack)

Place polenta on greased cookie sheet, I like for them to be touching each other because it makes it easier to spread ingredients. Drizzle ranch dressing all over polenta, spread green onions all over polenta. The cheese is next, and then the chicken. Place in pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes. Use a fork to enjoy.

Family Updates and A Namaste Foods Cookbook

2011-06-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

A lot of things going on in our family recently, the oldest graduated from Elementary School (tears). The youngest has had a lot of tummy problems later, causing us to eliminate dairy for a while in our home. I hope this helps her and yet does not get permanently added to our "NO" list. Eliminating Soy, Wheat, Peanuts, and Tree Nuts feels like quite enough for now. Presently, we are trying coconut milk until her tummy problems can be solved. I'm finally getting a handle on all of our food options with a business opportunity to boot. The gardens are looking great right now, the rains have wrecked havoc on our home but been great for the farm. A lot going on in our family, but that doesn't get in the way of what I have to share with everyone..
Recently, I received a shipment from Namaste Foods, LLC of products for an upcoming charity health carnival for our group "Gluten & Allergy Free KY" is attending. How excited was I to see their first-ever cookbook? It's title is "Simple Pleasures Gluten-free Cookbook" and I was thoroughly thrilled to dive in and check out the recipes. I knew this cookbook was going to be great when the first recipe was apple fritters, the way to this KY mom's heart. The cookbook is separated into Breads & Breakfasts, Savory Soups & Salads, Main Dishes, and Desserts; all of which involve a Namaste Foods mix. You can definitely tell that a lot of creativity went into planning these recipes. From the Perfect Piroshkis to the Luscious Lemon Cake, these recipes sound like a lot of fun to start playing with. I highly recommend checking out this recipe book. I love the mixes and are ready to share with my support group all the goodies I have received.

KY mom cooking allergy free: Beautiful Weather and Tasty Sandwiches...

2011-05-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

KY mom cooking allergy free: Beautiful Weather and Tasty Sandwiches...: "'Tis the season for sandwiches. Everyone looks forward to the end of the school year; warm weather and lazy days. With those lazy days com..."