Dang! Summer sure made a sneak attack on me.

My kids are officially on summer break. What? Yup. I know. Crazypants.

I really do love having the boys home for summer. And I really LOVE the un-structuredness of summer. No schedules. Sleeping in. Trips to the library to stock up on summer reading. Lots of pool time. And beach time. And lake time. And more pool time.

But, I’ll be honest…I have to try really hard to not think too much about some of my own work that is not getting done while the boys are home.

Like I said… I try. But, man, sometimes the anxiety of it hits me like a brick. Or one of those rogue footballs that can too-often be found flying through my house.  Anyway. Like I said…I’m working on it.

Unfortunately, letting go of my to-do list is not one of my finer talents. 

It can really stress me out. And make me no fun. And make my husband really really annoyed at me.

I promised myself that I’m going to be much better about that whole “letting-go” thing this summer. It is my main goal for the next couple of months. I guess you’ll have to ask my husband, come August, how well I really did.

With this lack of schedule in the summer though, I do tend to let go and get a bit lazy in the kitchen.  I end up focusing on meals that are super quick, light, healthy, and easy to prepare … because, really, when it is 115 degrees here most of summer, spending too much time over a hot stove is sooo not appealing.

This Gluten-Free Barbecue Chicken Pizza definitely ends up being a regular guest around here. It uses leftover chicken, a few fresh veggies and herbs, and prepared pizza crusts. We don’t do a ton of grains around here though, so when I’m feeling ambitious I will often put together an easy Almond Flour Pizza Crust for this.

It all comes together pretty fast and then a quick 10-15 minutes in the oven and you end up with super simple, quick, and light meal, ready to go -  and the oven is barely on long enough to heat up your house and kick on the AC…which is all my husband really cares about anyway.

I tend to serve this one most often with our favorite Pineapple and Bacon Arugula Salad. 

It is a huge favorite around here and the kiddos usually devour the salad as fast as the pizza. I just throw it together in the time the pizza is baking and then dinner is done.

Are your kids out for summer yet?

Okay. I am pretty sure you may have just rolled your eyes at me.

I only know this because I used to do the same if someone told me my kids would ever drink anything that shade of leprechaun green.

I also know that you rolled your eyes because I am the “Queen Bee” of eye-rolling. Ask my Mom. And my husband. They both will gladly defend my title on this one.

But…I promise…This mixture actually tastes really good. I happen to have two kiddos in my house who both agree, as do some of their friends even.

And yes… much to both of their horrors, I have actually served this up at play-dates. They have really nice friends who have willingly tried it … and whose parents have obviously taught them very well to be polite and try anything I serve up …

Ahhh…the sheer embarrassment that my poor boys must endure over having me as their Mom.

And just for the record, this is definitely more of a “juice” than a “smoothie”. I find my kids like it as a thinner juice far better than a thicker smoothie mixture.

Here’s the deal. It may not be an overnight process. It might take a week. It may take 3 months. In fact, I highly recommend the low and slow 3 month method on this one.

This is my little trick … just put one little sip in the glass the first time. That’s it. Just tell them to try one sip and no more.

The next time? Do the same. And the next time? Yup. Same again. And then again. You can gladly drink up any extras yourself. But, just one sip. Any kid can do one sip of something. Give them a funky fun straw and they won’t even notice they drank it.

After a few times, add a  little more. Then some more. Then some more. Before you know it? Their palates will be used to the new healthy flavors and they will soon be able to down a whole glass of this alkalizing detoxifying juice of health!

I know it is not always easy to incorporate enough greens into your day, so finding tips and tricks along the way ALWAYS helps…so I have another one for you in case you still aren’t sold on the fact your kids (or you) will drink my Virgin Kale Cocktail above. And no. It does not involve adding liquor to it…although that’s not such a bad idea.

Recently, my trainer, of Jeremy Scott Fitness fame, introduced me to a product called pHresh Greens. I absolutely love what this company stands for. I talked with the guys behind these greens recently because I was wanting to verify that their products and their lines were truly Gluten-Free Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free (great news…THEY ARE)… and the passion and excitement these guys have for health and their products is amazing.

This stuff is pretty incredible:

“pHresh greens® is made with 16 raw ingredients that were carefully selected for their high pH levels. It is a full spectrum alkalizing superfood blend of energy rich vegetables, and sea algae. pHresh greens® is highly bio-available and provides your body with a rich natural source of vitamins, trace minerals, chlorophyll and other phytonutrients beneficial to health.

It is also made with TRUE INTENTION ensuring that you will get all the ingredients’ nutritional benefits without any harmful chemicals, additives, preservatives or fillers. Its all natural organic ingredients have been carefully slow dried to help retain its life energy. pHresh greens® is made from the natural produce itself, thus ensuring you are getting the vital nutrients of the ingredients from a natural state, it’s just like harvesting produce from your own organic vegetable garden.”

**Please note that I have absolutely NO financial affiliation with this company. I just truly love this product and the stamp of health that they stand for.

And, if you decide you just can’t get your kids to drink my little concoction I mentioned above, then this is a GREAT alternative for you. Just 1 tsp, added to any smoothie, will give them (and you) a COMPLETE daily serving of RAW GREENS!

And since I mentioned it…IF you are anywhere in the Phoenix metro area, you have to come and work out at Jeremy Scott Fitness and join in on his Express 30 minute boot camps. 30 minutes of an awesome FAT BURNING workout and you are DONE FOR THE DAY! His workouts rock and they will get your buns in shape!

That is my type of workout. Short and Sweet.  Jeremy knows how to speak my language…AND deliver awesome results! Oh, and if you are not in Phoenix, he also has an awesome fitness program for you to do on your own time at home.

Summer is just about here – time to get FIT and HEALTHY!!

Here is a printable version of the Green Juice Recipe, by the way:

A Gluten-Free Mother’s Day: Recipes By Moms For Moms

I have a surprise for all of the Mommas out there today. A beautiful FREE ebook from Attune Foods featuring Gluten-Free (and often free of many other things as well) Recipes from some amazingly talented Gluten-Free Moms.

Within the pages of A Gluten-Free Mother’s Day: Recipes for Moms by Moms, you’ll find gluten-free dishes with simple ingredients for breakfast in bed, brunch, recipes designed specifically for cooking with kids, and those you can make ahead of time.

And there is something for every type of dietary restriction, too. Mom can choose her favorite and hand the recipe off to Dad, or she can bring her kids into the kitchen and let them help prepare a meal to celebrate her.

The recipes include:

• Blueberry Breakfast Pudding with Granola Topping from Kim Lutz (vegan, tree nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free)
• Turkey Strata Muffins with Orange Slices and Balsamic Glaze from Beth Hillson (tree nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free)
• Corn Flake Quiche Lorraine from Karen Morgan (tree nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free)
• Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Tart from Kelli Bronski (vegetarian, tree nut-free, peanut-free)
• Blueberry Scones with Vanilla Lemon Sweet Cashew Cream and Homemade Blueberry Chia Seed Jam from Maggie Savage (vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, peanut-free)
• Peanut Butter Crunch French Toast with Maple-Peanut Butter Syrup from Alta Mantsch (vegetarian, dairy-free, tree nut-free)
• Chocolate or Carob Tart with Dairy-Free Whipped Topping from Adrienne Urban (vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free)
• Strawberry Streusel Oatmeal Breakfast Cake from Kim Maes (vegetarian, dairy-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free)

And as a special treat for you…EVERYONE gets a copy. Why? Because as a gift for all of those hard-working Moms out there, this gorgeous book is FREE. Yes. FREE….

SO… if you have a Mom, are a Mom, know a Mom, or know someone that is like a Mom… share this book with them.

Shout it from the rooftops. Pin it. Share it. Tweet it… and then… go download yourself a copy pronto. You will be thrilled you did.

Your Mother’s Day meals will be delightful because of it!

And I even have one of my family’s favorite brunch recipes included in the book….

My Make-Ahead Strawberry Streusel Oatmeal Breakfast Cake.

When I asked the boys which recipe I should include for the cookbook, this was the one they both immediately agreed on.

And if you know my boys…this was a big deal. They don’t agree on much very often… so I knew I had to go with this one.

You’ll find my recipe and so many other wonderful ones in the ebook. So go ahead and download your FREE copy of A Gluten-Free Mother’s Day: Recipes for Moms by Moms. You’ll be so happy you did. I promise.

And leave a comment here telling me what you are doing for your Mother’s Day – hopefully it will include cooking something incredible from this book!

Dinner Time and Food Allergies. Two phrases that, when paired together on a busy weeknight, probably invoke stress in even the most Zen of minds.

While I love spending hours coming up with fun new meals that the family might love…I will tell you right now that on the nights where we have to run to 2 different practices, do pick ups or drop offs for carpool, get homework done, and eat a healthy dinner that will tide us through it all … standing over my bubbling pot on the stove while I’m singing away is just NOT in the cards …

In fact, promise me you will not ask my husband or my children what I am really like on those nights. You might not like me very much if they told you the truth.

I have a motto I live by on those hectic days in order to prevent a loss of my sanity.

(...although, those who know me well may say that I may already be too late for that though).

My motto? Cook Once. Eat Twice.

I have gotten darn good (if I may say so) at the art of cooking extra servings of one meal to create something new with the extras for the next one.

Oh. And they are only called leftovers if the meal looks the exact same as it did the night before. When you switch a few things up and add a twist… it is a brand new meal. You can then call it anything. Just do not call it leftovers. People get funny about leftovers. Trust me. I know this.

This is the simple way I can make sure my family is still eating healthy on nights when I have anything but time to spend concocting up grand meals in the kitchen.

Since I am pretty sure that there are a lot of you out there that are like me and just want to be able to get a healthy and simple ALLERGY-FREE meal on the table for your family, I thought I would share some of my ideas with you.

I have put together an easy 7-Day Allergy-Friendly Meal Plan AND the corresponding shopping list to make your week just a bit less hectic! It even works with our craziest of schedules!

SO…If you want your free copy of it, just enter your name and email into the box at the top right. It will be in your inbox shortly and you can run to the grocery store with your list and get everything you need to make your busy dinner hour a bit easier this week!

Then pop over to my Food Allergy Coaching Website – Allergy Free Food Coach – and discover more ways to feel less overwhelmed about your food allergies!

How do you get your kids to eat kale?

This is the age old question.

Okay. I completely understand that there are far more pressing concerns in the whole scheme of life. But this is one that I seem to get asked over and over…so I thought I would devote a post to a sneaky little secret.

Somehow I have managed to convince my kids that kale and other greens are actually pretty cool. It could be some stroke of insane luck, or it could have just been the repeated efforts of shoving it in front of their faces over the years.

Either way, they no longer look at me like I have a third eye or a wart growing on my nose now when I serve them up a hearty kale salad…or when a pile of kale chips shows up on their plates…or when a bright green smoothie happens to accompany their breakfast.

And now that I no longer have to plead my case in order to get them to down those hearty greens, I can look back in retrospect to see how this little miracle came to be.

Of course, I did consistently make batch after batch of Kale chips before I found a version they liked. And I did consistently make pitcher after pitcher of Kale-based smoothies until I finally found a concoction they would drink.

BUT… I came up with an even better idea! Because my husband seems to have a love-affair with my Excalibur 9-tray Dehydrator and because it tends to make an appearance on our counter more often than I would like (and if you ever have seen how much space on a counter these things can take up, you understand my feelings), I happened to one day decide that I could just dehydrate all of my Kale and Chard from the garden, crumble it up, and use it on…well, just about darn-tootin’ everything.

So that’s just what I did.

And then? I sprinkled it here. And I sprinkled it there. I started to sprinkle it everywhere. In eggs, and on pizzas. In pastas and soups. In chicken and tacos. And in any old goop.

{Okay. I will stop channeling my inner Dr. Seuss now and get back to the subject at hand}.

The best part was that no one even thought about what it was. The kids never questioned those tiny green flakes. And as the subtle hint of kale flavor spiked most of their meals, I also noticed that when I served up the actual fresh stuff, they were not so quick to turn their noses at it.

AND…because all of those greens shrink down FROM THIS…

TO THIS….

…that teaspoon of green flakes that you sprinkle on that food will be JAMMED PACKED WITH NUTRITION!!! A little bit goes a looong way.

This powder works awesome in smoothies and is especially perfect for those without a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix or a Blendtech! NO chunky greens left over! You basically have made your OWN Supergreens Nutrition Powder!!

So…I thought I would share my little secret with you here today just so that you, too, can channel your inner Dr. Seuss.

The perfect way to get your kids to EAT KALE (or any greens for that matter). Make your OWN Green Powder!!

Okay. So now that you know how to get your kids to eat that kale, I have a surprise for you.

My friend, and ultimate Kale lover, Hallie Klecker of Daily Bites, has created an E-book for you dedicated to all things Kale. Crazy for Kale has over 40 Kale Recipes in it and I want to make sure to let you all know about it.

• Crazy for Kale is available for $5.99.
• It contains 40 recipes – 33 are Paleo/Grain-Free and 31 of them are Vegan or have Vegan Alternatives
• It is absolutely beautiful and the perfect way to give you ideas to add more Kale in your diet!

If you want to discover some fun new ways to incorporate Kale into your diet, then this is the book for you.

Check it out and get your copy today!

The season has officially shifted and it is time for a little Spring baking….and these Gluten-free, Dairy-free Lemon-Berry Muffins fit the bill perfectly and are just right for an Allergy-Free Easter Brunch.

I promise I won’t brag about our weather here the last couple of weeks considering I know a lot of you are still shivering in other parts of the country (and world)…

I’ll just mention that I may have already pulled out the flip flop collection from the back of my closet…although I probably have NO business doing so considering I have not done anything pretty with my toes in months.

Anyway, with this warmer weather (that I promise am not talking about), I’m craving some flavors of Spring right now after our long winter…and since citrus and berries go perfectly with the warmer weather, I am all about using them in my baking these days.

These Lemon-Berry Muffins are a hit in this house and my boys can put quite a few of these down at one time. The bonus is that they are full of healthy ingredients and will not give that sugar spike that a lot of baked goods can give.

And with Easter sneaking up on us, these muffins would be a great treat for your Allergy-Free Easter brunch!

I will probably be serving them up along with one of our other favorite brunch treats:

• Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Apple Puff Pancake
• Gluten-Free Kringle Danish Pastry
• Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
• Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Waffles

NOW. Let’s add some Spring in your step and make some muffins!

Have you pulled out YOUR Flip Flops Yet?

The Everything Guide to Living Gluten-Free:

The Ultimate Cooking, Diet, and Lifestyle Guide for Gluten-Free Families

This is one of the newest cookbooks on the gluten-free scene! The Everything Guide to Living Gluten-Free is written by Jeanine Friesen, of The Baking Beauties, and it is the perfect book to help you transition to a gluten-free lifestyle!

”The Everything Guide to Living Gluten-Free covers a variety of topics for those looking at starting the gluten-free diet,” Friesen said. “Whether it be due to Celiac Disease, a gluten intolerance, or to help alleviate a number of other symptoms, like ADHD, migraines, and rheumatoid arthritis.”

Inside this Ultimate Cooking, Diet, and Lifestyle Guide for Gluten-Free Families, you will find guidance on making a stress-free switch to a gluten-free life, with valuable information on:

• Setting up a pantry to avoid cross-contamination
• Finding gluten-free options when traveling
• Selecting gluten-free health and personal care products
• Enjoying restaurant dinners and parties
• Helping children acclimate to the gluten-free lifestyle

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Sneak Preview of this amazing book and was so impressed with how thorough it is. It covers everything you need to get started on a gluten-free lifestyle. It is full of tips, tricks, and tools to keep you on track and not feeling overwhelmed.

Plus, it has 100 tried, true, and tested Gluten-free Recipes ranging from Breakfast, to Kid-Friendly Lunch and Snacks, Main Dishes, Sides and Salads, Slow Cooker, and Dessert Recipes! And coming from someone who has tested MANY of Jeanine’s recipes over the years, I can assure you that all of her recipes are amazing!

If you are new to the gluten-free lifestyle, have been on this journey for a little while now, or know someone else who is just starting out living this way, this book is an invaluable resource for you. This is a wonderful tool and one that should be in every gluten-free kitchen.

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

THE WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN AND HAS BEEN NOTIFIED BY EMAIL!

Jeanine Friesen, the author of this book, is graciously giving away a copy of her wonderful book to one of YOU, my loyal followers!

To enter to win a copy of The Everything Guide to Living Gluten Free, by Jeanine Friesen, just simply do One, Two, or all Three of the following. Just leave A SEPARATE COMMENT for each one that you do so that you can earn an entry for each.

1. Tell me what intrigues you about this cookbook!

2. Follow Cook It Allergy Free and/or The Baking Beauties on Facebook, or tell me if you already do.

3. Share this post with your friends on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook or other social media and leave an additional comment saying you did so. Help spread the word about this great new cookbook!

The contest will end on Wednesday, March 20th at 9am PST. The winners will be announced then. You must be at least 18 years old to enter.

GOOD LUCK!

Time for a Spring Picnic and a Recipe for Allergy-Friendly Lemon Herb Rice Salad

You may (or, quite possibly, may not) have noticed that it has been a while since I posted last.

I do have a couple of reasons why … one is because of a little surprise I have been busy working on. I’m just about ready to share it with you in a couple of weeks (and with it will come one HECK of a cool giveaway)…but you’ll have to be patient until then.

The other is because I was on the committee for the Silent Auction at my son’s school and it consumed most of my waking hours these last couple of weeks. I do just have to share though (okay, maybe even brag a little) that we ROCKED the auction and brought in an amazing amount of money for the school!

Now that I have a couple of my biggest projects behind me, and now that we are starting to see some first hints of Spring around here, I am ready to relax and enjoy some much needed play-time with my family.

Weirdly enough, I have been dreaming of having a picnic lately. I don’t even know why. Probably because we have been bundled up all winter long. And now that it is finally warming up, the thought of spending a sunny afternoon napping on a big fluffy blanket in the grass while the kids frolick around sounds heavenly about now.

Okay, so my kids don’t really ever just frolick. They are two active boys. Wrestle is a much better term to describe what they do. And all of that wrestling usually leads to someone in tears.  Which then leads to mom having to get involved. Which then means that that nap on that big fluffy blanket probably won’t happen. But…a mom can dream, right?

Aside from the lack of nap in this daydream, that picnic still sounds wonderful.

And my favorite thing to do for picnics is to pack up a meal that is sort of an all-in-one main-dish recipe so that we do not need to tote along a gazillion different food containers.

This Allergy-Friendly Lemon-Herb Rice Salad with Roasted Shrimp is just the perfect recipe for something like this. It has such a refreshing flavor from the Lemon-Citrus Vinaigrette. And it is so simple to throw together and pack up for a picnic. The best part is that it can be made a day in advance to make picnic prep easy and is a hit with the kids and adults.

What are your favorite things to pack up for a picnic? Any good ideas for me?

Preventing the Stomach Flu Naturally…

This is the thought that is consuming me right now. I will do anything to avoid getting it.

Give me a respiratory virus over the stomach flu any day.

I hate to puke. Yes. I said Hate…I know. I always tell my kids not to use that word. Normally, I think it is such an ugly word (oh, I hate the word ugly too, by the way…).

Except, of course, when it comes to vomiting. I really do hate it. And really, it is ugly, coincidentally.

When I hear or see someone throw up around me, I start to get heart-palpitations and anxiety. And when I have to throw up myself? Oye.

So…needless to say, over the years of having two school-aged children who get exposed to their fair share of stomach bugs, I have spent lots of hours researching and obsessing (and yes, I literally have obsessed about this) over how to prevent it from taking down our home.

On the news the other night, the headline that popped up was the dreaded one that puts me into a full-blown state of anxiety:

Health Advisors Warn of  a New-Strain of Norovirus Outbreak.

“Operation Vomit-Phobe” has officially gone in to full effect in my house now. Because here’s the thing: if my kids come down with it, I will literally spend the next week sleepless, fearing that every twinge, stomach gurgle, or gas pain is leading to my own slippery slope into vomit-ville.

After spending years studying and learning about out how the stomach virus actually works in our bodies, and collecting a variety of natural home-remedy ideas for prevention, I thought I would share a few of the most successful tips that many people (myself included) SWEAR will work to either prevent, or at least lessen the severity of, that dreaded Stomach Virus. 

So here you go…

6 Ways to try and Prevent the Stomach Flu Naturally…

OR… at least lessen the severity of it if you DO get hit with it!

1. Sip that Apple-Cider Vinegar (with the “Mother”) in a little bit of apple juice on a regular basis. This actually helps to keep your stomach and intestines in a much more alkaline state (contrary to what you may think, I know. But trust me on this, friends). The intestinal virus does NOT like an alkaline environment. It thrives in an acid state.

When you get a stomach virus, it actually isn’t in your stomach, it’s all in your large and small intestines. The effects of what it’s doing to those makes you sick to your stomach (changing the acidity in your stomach). Keeping the pH of the intestines slightly more alkaline is supposed to stop the virus from taking hold. Apple Cider Vinegar works by changing the pH in your intestinal tract to one that doesn’t let the virus multiply. Plus it also has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties so it can assist in killing off the bug if you are exposed.

And, if you have been following me for a while, you KNOW how much I love the Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. Plus, many people, including myself, say Diluted Apple Cider Vinegar can help alleviate nausea if you do end up sick.

We all sip a version of this Apple Cider Vinegar Concoction in my house when we are trying to prevent the flu.

2. Maximize your intake of probiotics - whether through quality supplements or through natural food sources such as homemade fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, fermented veggies, etc. A build-up of the good bacteria in your intestines will help keep your immune system stronger to try and ward off the virus if you do get exposed.

They are currently doing many studies on probiotics that are showing great promise in their treatment AND prevention of bacterial AND viral gastroenteritis (aka the Stomach Bug).

The right balance of healthy bacteria in the intestines can help to overpower invading bugs that might have the potential to make you very sick.

3. Drink tons of Bone Broth. Seriously. Throw it in a mug and chug away. The minerals and health benefits of true bone broth will also keep your immune system strong and help your body fight off any exposure. The broth acts as a fuel to help strengthen the intestinal walls and will help repair the disruptions that may be caused if you do come down with gastroenteritis. The minerals in broth are easily absorbed by the body.  It supplies the amino acids that help the body detoxify.  The gelatin in it helps to coat the digestive tract.

Although, here is a word to the wise. Stock up on it now. Because if the stomach bug IS traveling through your house, you will not, I repeat, will not want to be dealing with the bones and the smells that come from whipping up a fresh batch while you are in the throes of nausea. I learned this the hard way long ago.

4.  Enhance the mucosal lining of the intestinal walls. Supplements such as: betain and pepsin, glutamic acid, stomach bitters, apple cider vinegar, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow Root, and amino acids – L-glutamine, and N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG) are all very helpful in creating a healthy environment that would be inhospitable to welcoming forms of gastroenteritis.

5.  Support that immune system. Focus on natural sources and whole-food supplements that are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Selenium, and B-Vitamins. All of these will increase your chances of your body fighting off the invading bugs if you do get exposed.

6. This one is not brain science, but perhaps the most important of all…WASH. YOUR. HANDS. And often. And abstain from rubbing your eyes, touching your mouth, or picking your nose. Those are all the lovely ways those nasty germs can enter your beautiful body.

But, if after all of this you do happen to come down with it, hopefully it will be a much milder case for you.

If you get it, at first do not do too much other than take small sips of water. It is good to let your digestive system rest while it is trying to fight off the bug. But, once you are not heaving into your garbage can or toilet any longer, you can try and still  do the above to lessen symptoms and help your recovery.

Other things to try if you do get it:

1. Take activated charcoal pills to help stop vomiting and nausea.

2. Make some fresh peppermint tea or ginger tea to help calm the nausea. Peppermint is very easy to grow in the garden and keep on hand. Just lightly simmer some fresh peppermint leaves in water, strain, then sip slowly. This can help settle the queasiness. Or you can do the same process with some slices of fresh ginger.

3.  Take a sniff of an alcohol swab. I know it sounds weird, but people swear on this one, this way to Sunday. Please Note: I do not endorse this for children. I do not encourage teaching children any forms of early sniffing habits.

But, apparently smelling alcohol has truly been proven to have an anti-emetic effect. In fact, this method has actually been practiced in hospitals to prevent post-operative vomiting.

4.  After a bout of the stomach bug, once you are feeling better, you should also take massive amounts of probiotics. This will help to restore balance to your depleted intestinal tract.

Sadly…so sadly…I have passed on my emetophobic tendencies to my eight-year-old. If he hears or sees someone throw up, it literally puts him into a tailspin of anxiety. My totally relaxed-anxiety-free kid-when-it comes-to-any-other-issue-in-his-life, goes into a heart-palpitation induced sweat when faced with vomit.

Can you see now why we go through every length to avoid it in our house?

This Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Recipe was begging to be made.

Why?

Because we had our first official cold snap that lasted longer than 3 days last weekend. And isn’t that just as good a reason as any?

We are seriously wimps here in Scottsdale, AZ. And while it was in the low 20′s for quite a few days, I do have to remind myself to quit complaining when I think about the rest of you who are enduring below zero temps.

But like I said…we admit it. We. Are. Wimps. And apparently so are my tomato and pepper plants. While I tucked all of my veggies in the garden in like little babies to try and protect them, those beautiful peppers and all  of my tomatoes took a beating and just could not hang with those below freezing temps. Boo.

Anyway, to pass the time while I was mourning their loss, I decided to do some baking and indulge the boys.

Because, after all, if we can’t eat our veggies we might as well eat cinnamon rolls. That must be a saying somewhere. Right?

Plus, like I mentioned before…these babies were begging to be made.

And because I made my Gluten-Free Kringle Recipe this year for Christmas morning instead of my usual Best Ever Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls (okay, perhaps I am slightly biased), I thought it would be fun to whip up a batch of those sweet rolls.


And just for the record, it shocks me every time how quickly a treat like this can disappear from my boy’s plates.

However, the day that their brussel sprouts get devoured just as quickly as these Cinnamon Rolls is when I will know I have done my job right.