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!

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 perfect Gluten-Free Kringle Recipe for your Christmas Brunch! I mean it.

Do you know what a Kringle is? If not, you really should…

A Kringle is a hand-rolled Danish pastry dough that is then shaped, filled, baked, and finally… iced.

Every year, my in-laws receive a delectable Kringle from some of our family friends.  And every year no one in my immediate family can eat that gluten-filled treat. They just watch and drool as the rest of the non-gluten free members of our extended family devour the delicate Danish Pastry.

This year, I had an “Aha” moment. I could not think of why on earth I could not make my own gluten-free version of a Kringle.

So. Guess what? I did.

And the results literally shocked me. This thing is amazing. I have never seen my boys or my husband…or even my non-gluten-free father-in-law…love something so much. There was not a crumb left the first time I made this…or the next, or even the next four times I whipped it up again.

Here is the best part.

The dough only takes 5 minutes to put together. It is so stinking easy. Simply toss the ingredients together, then throw the dough in the fridge to firm up for about one hour…while the kiddos are opening the presents perhaps.  Roll out that dough and spread on that yummy filling. Roll it up. Throw it on your baking sheet and into the oven. Whisk up a quick icing right when it comes out and you have yourself a beautiful Gluten-Free Kringle Pastry for your Christmas brunch.

And by the way, this is all decadence and should not be confused with a healthy breakfast dish. The Holidays are a time for a little splurging, right?

2 perfect Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas: Homemade Organic Lip Gloss AND Homemade Coconut-Vanilla Sugar Scrub

It has been really interesting to watch my husband evolve through several different stages of appreciating my more holistic and natural ways of living. And in the beginning, “appreciation” would not be what it was at all.

Years ago, he would literally blush with embarrassment if I started any of my “hippie“ talk (his explanation of it back then) in public.

After a while, I noticed that his blush had died down to a barely noticeable tinge and he no longer went into immediate “change-the-topic-of- conversation” mode.

About a year ago, my jaw actually dropped in public and it was my turn to blush when he actually brought up some topics that were very important to me, on his own, and argued/discussed the points beautifully!

Fast forward to today when I caught him, at his own free will, making my special oven cleaner recipe, and then scrubbing my oven, and then his grill, and then his tools with it.

I said to him…”You know honey, this could just push you to the other side. Are you ready to join me in Hippie-ville?”

His answer? “Only if you don’t tell anyone.”

I replied…“Of course, honey. Your secret is safe with me.”

And just the other day, as I was making this very lip gloss, he said to me, “I used to make fun of people like you who would make their own deodorants… lip gloss… body scrubs… household cleaners. And now I am married to one. Who would have guessed?”

Karma. You know what they say about it.

And when I kissed him the other night, his lips did feel exceptionally smooth and had just a hint of that Citrus-Vanilla scent. Looks like someone has been dipping into the homemade gloss.

Speaking of that lip gloss… It really is the easiest little homemade holiday gift (although the Sugar Scrub below is even easier). It takes only about ten minutes to make and you can scent it however you choose.

I got my little tins at my local Hobby store and I ordered all of my products online. The Recipe below will fill about 6 containers.

And this Coconut-Vanilla Sugar Scrub is even easier. Trust me. And your friends will love it. It is one of my favorite products to keep in my shower all year long. It keeps your skin silky smooth and so hydrated. My feet love this stuff!

Apparently, so does my 5 year old. I caught him with a mouth full of it in the shower the other day. I would NOT recommend this.

Have fun with these recipes…and may you be kissable, soft, and chemical-free from your pretty lips down to your callous-free feet!

Oh. And for another holiday gift idea (this time an edible one), go check out my Maple Spice Cookie Recipe today over on The Balanced Platter!

Are you giving any Homemade Gifts this year?

Few Ingredients. Simple. Elegant.

Those are all of the things I look for when I am entertaining and need a good appetizer to serve up. I am not one to spend too much time on what comes before the big meal. So, over the years I have defaulted to a few favorite simple hors d’oeuvres that are simple to whip up but still look fairly fancy-shmancy.

These two Appetizers are a couple of my favorite to serve up and are perfect because you can make the bulk of them ahead of time:

• Pear and Arugula Stuffed Prosciutto Cups with a Balsamic Drizzle
• Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Chopped Pistachios and Chives

They are also naturally gluten-free AND dairy-free AND egg-free AND soy-free AND easily nut-free. So…basically perfect for any of those guests (or family members) with food sensitivities.

And…I just happen to be sharing these recipes today as part of our Gluten-Free Holiday Progressive Dinner hosted by Daily Bites.

Each day a different blogger is serving up a different course of a wonderful Gluten-free and Dairy-free Holiday Meal. Each day there will be a new GIVEAWAY hosted at each blog as well.

Hint: My giveaway is below. Do NOT miss out on your chance to win!

Here is the schedule (updated with links as the posts are up):

• Monday, December 10th – Edible Gift – Daily Bites
• Tuesday, December 11th – Appetizers – Me: Simple Gluten-Free Appetizers (Recipes Below)
• Wednesday, December 12th -Side Dishes: Garlic Roasted Mushrooms – Tasty Eats at Home
• Thursday, December 13th -Main Dishes:Vegan Veggie Pot Pie – She Let Them Eat Cake
• Friday, December 14th – Desserts – Diet, Desserts, and Dogs

And now for these 4-Ingredient Simple Gluten-Free Appetizers.

And now for Recipe Number 2:

UPDATE: The winner had been notified by email and this contest is now CLOSED.

And now for the GIVEAWAY!

I am giving away one copy of Small Plates & Sweet Treats, by Aran Goyoaga. To enter simply do one, two, or all three of the following. Just make sure to leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each one that you do so you earn a separate entry for each:

1. Tell me what intrigues you about this cookbook!

2. Follow Cook It Allergy Free on Facebook, or leave a comment telling 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 Tuesday, December 18th at 9am PST. The winners will be announced then. You must be at least 18 years old to enter.

GOOD LUCK!

Here are just some of my Favorite Allergy-Friendly Holiday Breakfast Recipes that I like to whip up during these cozy winter weekends.

And although it is not always cold or blustery during our Arizona winters here, we like to at least pretend it is on the weekends…even if we do have to crank down the Air Conditioning just to make it cool enough to justify that fire burning in the fireplace …

And hey. Those AC vents sure help to spread the yummy smells of these breakfast treats, as they are cooking, all through the house.

All of these recipes are Gluten-free and Dairy-free... but they are all easily made free of lots of other allergens too…

So..here ya go!

Our 4 Favorite Gluten-free Dairy-free Holiday Breakfast Recipes:

First up – Chocolate Dessert Waffles for Breakfast. These are my boy’s favorite breakfast treat. They usually only show up on the table during the holidays. They go really fast around here too. You have to act fast to make sure you get some of these before they are gone.

Next on the menu: Cinnamon Bun Cake with an Eggnog Glaze – this one is perfect to serve to guests. They will surely be impressed (and totally will not realize how easy this one is to whip up). It looks (and tastes) like a giant cinnamon roll, but without all of the cinnamon-roll-fuss.

Another quick, yet impressive, one: Grain-Free Apple Puff Pancake. This is actually so quick to throw together, and you actually whip the batter up in your blender. It puffs up beautifully while it bakes and all of the caramelized apples that you laid on the bottom rise right up to the top for a yummy treat.

 And then there is my personal favorite: Overnight Cinnamon Raising Oatmeal CAKE!! One of the reasons I like this one so much is that you make it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. Those are my kind of mornings. It smells amazing and tastes even better. It is like eating cake for breakfast…only way healthier!

There you have it. These are what just happen to make it into our breakfast rotation over and over again during the holidays. I just thought I would share with you all in case you were looking for some easy family-friendly breakfasts for the coming holiday mornings.

Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite holiday morning treats. Share them below!

Yikes! Thanksgiving is in ONE week! Are you in panic mode yet?

Well, today, I have the perfect idea for a hostess gift if you are heading out to family and friends for the holiday. I am going to tell you all about it below and am even going to be giving away TWO of them just because I love the idea of this gift SO MUCH.

But first,  just in case you are cooking the big meal, I wanted to share my go-to game-plan, menu, recipes, and shopping list from my Allergy-Friendly Thanksgiving Series.

Annual Allergy-Friendly Thanksgiving Prep Series:

• The Menu and The Plan of The Ultimate Thanksgiving Series
• Cranberry Citrus Cider Sauce AND Green Bean and Shallot Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette.
• Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe to use in the stuffing and Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes.
• Gluten Free Cornbread/Bread Stuffing With Apples, Sausage, Pine Nuts and a secret ingredient that  you will NOT want to leave out.
• Cider Glazed Brined Turkey with Apple Brandy Gravy
• Toffee Pecan Caramel Apple Streusel(Gluten-free and Egg-free already, but simple to make Dairy-free and Nut-free too) and Crustless Pumpkin Streusel Pie.
• The Shopping List
  

If you are hosting the big feast this year, the above list will make your Allergy-Friendly Thanksgiving so much easier. It has everything you need, from the recipes and the shopping list, to even a step-by-step game plan to keep you organized and get you through the day without going crazy.

And in case you are not hosting, but perhaps bringing a dish along with you, you can easily pick from one of the recipes above to bring along and know that you will have an allergy-safe dish for you and your family to eat.

You can also bring along this absolutely perfect hostess gift with you this season to pass out to your wonderful hosts of the holidays.

The 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar!

Diane Eblin, of The Whole Gang, and author of The Gluten-Free Diner e-book, has just created a “great affordable gift option for friends, family, hostess, clients, co-workers, employees, teachers, mail carriers, newspaper carriers…really anyone on your gift list!”

Her one-of-a-kind 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar is a stunning desk calendar that has individual cards for each month beautifully displaying the calendar, recipe, and a gorgeous full-color photograph of the meal.  The calendar itself is based on her own philosophy of easy, healthy, gluten-free living with a simple way to also cook dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and Paleo meals all at the same time without having to cook five different meals at one time.

AND… each calendar comes in its own gift/shipping box to make your gift-giving really simple this year.

This Cookbook Desk Calendar Features:

• 12 beautifully-designed cards in a clear CD case specially made to stand-up and display on your desk or countertop.  (4 5/8” x 5 3/8”)
• Gorgeous color photos of each dish with easy-to follow recipes on the back.
• All gluten-free and dairy-free recipes with optional Vegetarian, Vegan, and Paleo directions for each recipe to fit any diet!
• BONUS!  Secret access code for a hidden page full of insider tips, tools, resources & 28 additional recipes on The WHOLE Gang website.

BONUS Hidden Page Features include:

• 9 new additional recipes & links to 19 more recipes
• cooking tips and tricks
• additional recipe suggestions along with instructional photos
• ingredient information and tools/resources for substitutions and suggestions
• instructional cooking videos

I recently received my calendar and am completely in love with it. I have it sitting right on my counter and have already made four of the different recipes from it! I love how the recipes are laid out and how she provides options to completely tailor the recipes to whatever your dietary needs may be.

If you decide to order one of these as a gift, just beware, you may decide you want to keep it for yourself. In that case…you may just want to order an extra for you!

And…you may just be one of two lucky winners to receive your own calendar. I am giving away a calendar to two different winners.

**UPDATE: This Contested Has Ended. Winners Will be Contacted By Email**

To enter to win one of your own 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendars, just simply do One, Two, or all Three of the following. Just leave A SEPARATE COMMENT for each thing that you do so that you can earn an entry for each.

1. Tell me what intrigues you about this calendar!

2. Follow Cook It Allergy Free and/or The Whole Gang 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 calendar!

The contest will end on Wednesday, November 21st at 9.am PST. The winners will be announced then. You must be at least 18 years old to enter.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Okay. I know most of you already get that I have an obsession with Apple Cider Vinegar and all of it’s health benefits that go along with it.

I also know that many of you have started to hail all of the Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar as well as you have started to find ways to incorporate into your diets. I know this because I get a lot of emails from you all proclaiming your love of it.

BUT…I also get a lot of requests as to how to get your kids to sing these praises too…or really, just even drink the stuff.

I have a trick for you today. I swear it works every time. If it doesn’t work for you….well, then I promise I will owe you big time and will do something really really nice for you.

As much as I like doing nice things for you, I am really hoping that I do not have to follow through with that promise. I have not quite thought out what I would do for you yet…

So, here is my magic secret. It is a big one. And now that it is almost winter, it makes waaaay too much sense. Are ya ready?

1. Warm up some Apple Cider (or Apple Juice) in a small saucepan on the stove top (preferably unfiltered and organic).

2. Add some mulling spices wrapped in some cheesecloth, or a teabag, or a teaball. I have my simple recipe to make your own Mulling Spices listed below.

3. Let the Cider Mingle with those Mulling Spices for a bit on a low simmer.

4. Ladle into child’s favorite mug and let sit to cool for about 5-10 minutes.

5. When certain that your child is not looking, add a splash of about 1/2 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to the mug. Stir.

6. Deliver your special treat to your child. The Apple Cider Vinegar should not be detectable in that Mulled Cider. And they should happily sip their cider away…along with all of those health benefits of the Apple Cider Vinegar too.

7. Once the mug is empty, you can uncross those fingers.

Okay. Maybe this secret is not all that big. And maybe your kids do not even like Warm Spiced Apple Cider. And maybe you are thinking this is a really silly idea.

But, if you think it is worth a try, then give the above steps a go. And better yet, see below on how to make your own mulling spices. It is SO SO easy to make your own. And… if you make them in cute little spice bags and wrap them with a fun ribbon, you can even give them as a thoughtful homemade holiday gift as well!

I have not been in the kitchen much lately. I have been in and out as quickly as possible, whipping up some simple, fresh meals..and that is just about it.

It’s just too darn hot to do much else right now…I will spare you our gruesome weather reports…

So I thought I would just share a bit of what we have been doing and what we have been eating to stay cool to beat the heat.

We have spent our last couple of weeks at the beach in Oceanside, CA, like we do every year for the Fourth of July.

We have a long-standing tradition that better not be ending anytime soon…This is all these kids have really ever known of the Fourth of July since birth.

They have been spending their summers together since they were born…

…playing on the beach, romping from one condo to the next, thinking of skits to put on for us parents and grandparents, making up games, selling snow cones, roasting marshmallows, looking for stingrays in the tide, boogie boarding for hours, getting on the evening news (more on that later), and just simply having the freedom and care-free energy that their childhood summers should be about while making memories they will never forget.

And because my lucky youngest just happens to have a birthday that falls within days of the Fourth, he gets to have a ginormous celebration with all of our family and friends that are living at the beach at this time too…

This year he planned out his entire birthday goings-on all by himself…the central part of his agenda involved spending the day out on the beach and catching lots and lots of waves on his boogie board…

Let’s just say he got his wish.  

I think I have fish for children. They are as comfortable in the ocean (and the pool) as they are on land. They obviously take after their father. You may remember me mentioning his love of the ocean and surfing in this post.

Oh. I also forgot to mention that this was my son’s 5th birthday.  And apparently ALL of the cool things happen when you turn 5.

He has already claimed that this is his best year ever (despite the fact we are only a week into it). He says his feet and hands are ginormous now and declares he needs new shoes. According to his own measurements, he has also grown so many inches overnight that our measuring tape can’t keep up with him. And now he says that he is too big for naps or early bedtimes. YIKES!

And remember that stint about getting on the evening news that I mentioned earlier?

They were doing a news story about all of the jellyfish and stingray stings that happened over the Fourth of July. And because our group of kids just happen to have an uncanny knack for catching these critters, the news team decided to do a story with them that aired on the evening news. Cool, huh?

I suppose I could tell you that newly 5-year-old that I mentioned earlier was fully interviewed by that newscaster.

Let’s just say my sweet boy’s part never made it on air due to some unforeseen potty humor that somehow was deemed as necessary by my son during his first potential moment of fame. Now I KNOW he gets that from his father.

Anyway…since we have been busy doing nothing…we have been eating simply and trying to stay cool while doing it…

Here are some of our favorite summer Allergy-Friendly Treats to try and beat the heat right now:

Raw Mini Banana-Berry Pudding Pies

Mini Gluten Free and Dairy Free Plum Crumbles

Chocolate Covered Banana “Cake” Pops – Sans the Cake

Easy Sweet and Salty Chocolate Bites

Granola Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Watermelon Strawberry Slushies

Dairy-Free Coconut Caramel Bananas over Ice Cream

And one of our favorite summer muffin treats are these Gluten-free Dairy-free Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins. You can go over and check out my recipe for them today on The Balanced Platter.

I truly hope that you have all had an amazing summer so far. Some new recipes are on their way and a few fun surprises will be coming soon. But for now, tell me below how you are all holding up in the heat and staying busy this summer…I truly love hearing from all of you!

Well, I suppose I would be remiss if I did not post a chocolate recipe in honor of Valentine’s Day.

So, I am going to share what I will be serving to all of my love bugs on this day of romance. I posted a version of this recipe a long time ago but it is one of those things that my children ask for again, and again, and…again.

And thank goodness for me…it involves chocolate.

I raised these boys right, I tell ya.

This in-demand Allergy-free Valentine’s Day dessert I am talking about is, of course, Gluten-free Dairy-free Chocolate Fondue (also easily made to be Nut-free as well)!

But do not thank me for this recipe posting. Thank my boys who reminded me of it as we were driving back from our family ski vacation yesterday.  I was quizzing them about what I should share with you all for an Allergy-free Valentine’s Day Dessert. This was what they came up with.

It was their choice. So, I declared them brilliant and called it a day. I hope you enjoy it as much as they will.

Oh, and here are some dipper ideas for your fondue:

Fruits: apples, pears, peaches, pineapples, citrus sections, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, sliced bananas (can even grill or caramelize them first), dried apples, dried mangoes, or any other dried fruit.

Cakes and Other Treats (all allergy-friendly versions, of course): graham crackers, brownie pieces, marshmallows, cookies, shortbread, biscotti, crystallized ginger chunks, bacon (yup, I said it).

There is no wrong answer for what to dip. Use your imagination. Have fun. Go wild.

Well, not too wild. This is, after all, a family-friendly blog.

What are your favorite things to dip into fondue? Give me some new ideas!!