Favorite Cake Recipes

Last month was Owen's birthday. We celebrated with a delicious cake. I must admit, our cakes have come a LONG way from when the kids were first diagnosed with their allergies. Of course it helps that Owen can now have wheat.

I decided it appropriate to post our favorite cake recipes. One of my friends from college wrote a post about her daughter's first birthday and how they didn't have cake because they couldn't find one she could eat. I felt horrible, knowing that I have so many different recipes. Here goes!

Banana Cupcakes

3/4 cup sugar (OR 1 tsp stevia)
1/2 cup butter, margarine or oil
2 eggs (OR 3 tsp egg replacer mixed with 4 TB water OR an extra banana)
1 cup mashed bananas with 1 tsp baking soda mixed in
2 Tb milk (cow, soy, rice) or water
1 tsp baking powder (OR 1/4 tsp baking soda mixed with 1/2 tsp of lemon juice)
1 3/4 cup flour (wh. or br. wheat, spelt, or rice flour OR my favorite mix: 1 cup br. rice flour, 2/3 cup chickpea flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour – this mix can be used in place of wheat in almost all recipes)
pinch of salt

Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

This recipe is so versatile for almost every diet. Originally this was a banana bread recipe, and can be made in loaf form, however I found if I added some vanilla frosting, it made great cupcakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes

3 eggs (or 4.5 tsp egg replacer mixed with 6 TB water)
1 1/2 cups sugar (or 1 1/2 tsp stevia)
2 sticks of butter (or the equivalent of oil or margarine)
3 cups of rice flour
2 tsp baking powder (or 1/2 tsp baking soda mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1 1/4 cups rice milk mixed with 1 1/2 TB lemon juice)

Bake at 350 degrees. 10-12 minutes for cupcakes.

This recipe comes from The Kid Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger.

Yellow Cake

1/2 cup margarine or oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)

2 eggs (or 2 bananas or 2/3 cup pumpkin puree or 1 tbsp. egg replacer with 4 tbsp. water)

2 1/2 cups wheat flour (or gluten free flour mix)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease and flour the bottoms (not the sides) of three 8-inch round, two 9-inch round, or one 10-by 15-inch oblong cake pan(s). (I have only made cupcakes with this recipe, if you have to omit the egg, I'm uncertain if the cake will turn out.)

Cream the margarine (or substitute), sugar, and vanilla and lemon extracts well together; add the eggs (or substitute) and beat and beat until very light and fluffy. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together.

Add the water to the batter along with the sifted dry ingredients, and stir only until well mixed. Turn the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake until done; the layers take about 25 minutes, the oblong cake takes about 30 to 35 minutes. Cupcakes take 15 to 20 minutes.

This recipe is from The Milk-Free Kitchen by Beth Kidder, with substitutes added by me.

This is a delicious cake! We love to add allergy friendly chocolate chips to the batter or allergy friendly sprinkles to make it extra special.

Quick Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/3 cup oil

1 cup water

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. almond liqueur (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch round or an 8-inch square pan. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl. Measure the brown sugar and add it. (If the brown sugar is very lumpy, you may want to break the clumps up with your fingers.) Stir the dry ingredients well. Mix the oil, water, and vanilla together, then add them to the dry ingredients and stir just until all the dry bits are wet. Turn the batter into the prepared pan or cupcake liners. Bake the cake for 30 minutes. Bake cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes.

This recipe is from The Milk-Free Kitchen by Beth Kidder.

We also love to add chocolate chips to this recipe too!

When it comes to frosting our cakes we use a basic recipe.

Frosting

3 cups sifted confectionery sugar

1/2 cup margarine

3-4 tbsp. water

If you want to make chocolate frosting subtract 1/3 cup sugar for 1/3 cup cocoa.

If you can't use any type or margarine, subtract it from the recipe, add more water a tbsp. at a time until desired consistency and add safe vanilla for flavor.

We are unable to use dyes at our home so instead I'll add fruit juices instead of water to make desired colors.

I do have many more cake recipes but these are the ones that I have tried myself and can guarantee results.

A couple things to remember:

Cakes made without eggs usually have difficulties cooking all the way through. It's easier to make cupcakes.

Cakes made with non wheat flours cook differently. Double check to make sure cake is done before removing it from the oven.

Margarine and oil can usually be used interchangeably. When oil is called for, applesauce can be used in its place.

Milk of any kind and water can usually be used interchangeably, although cakes with water tend to be a little bit more dense and dry.

Eggs can be replaced with egg replacer (a potato powder), bananas (one for one), pumpkin (1/3 cup per egg), and sometimes other fruits.

Enjoy!

Yummy! Yummy!

Once again, I've been a huge slacker on this blog. So, to make up for it here are a few of our favorite allergy friendly recipes!

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe has been revised from a Real Simple Recipe.

4 tbsp. canola oil or just plain water
2 small zucchini, diced
1 ear of corn or 1/2 cup corn
2 cups shredded chicken
Salt & Pepper
12 6-inch corn tortillas

Salsa of choice

Optional: shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and Sour Cream

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and corn and cook, stirring, until zucchini begins to soften (about 3-5 minutes). Transfer to large bowl.

Add the chicken, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Mix to combine.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining oil on medium heat. One at a time, cook the tortillas in the skillet until softened, 10-15 seconds per side. Transfer paper towel-lined plate.

Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, fold them up, and place seam-side down in a large baking dish. Bake until heated through, 8-10 minutes.

Serve enchiladas with cheese, salsa, and sour cream if using.

Chicken and Corn Chili

Recipe revised. Originally from Family Circle.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal

Combine chicken, broth, green pepper, an spices in slow cooker bowl. Cover and cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Shred the chicken and return to the slow cooker with tomatoes, corn and beans.

Stir in the cornmeal and let sit for 5 minutes to soften cornmeal.

Vacation Part III: The Food

Our successful vacation became a reality mostly because of the food prep before hand. I've mentioned previously we stayed at a beach house where I had a real kitchen. None of this would have worked otherwise.

So...

Here's what we ate. There are links to some recipes. Others are listed below. Enjoy!

Meal 1: Honey Chicken Skewers with Pasta Salad & Fruit
The recipes for this meal are located in my Easter Post.

Meal 2: Italian Chicken Burgers with Two Potato Salad & Fruit

Italian Chicken Burgers are my own invention, but anyone will tell you they prefer them over real hamburgers. At least that's been my experience with people who actually taste them.

Start off with a 1 lb. uncooked ground chicken. Add about 1 tsp. of Oregano, Basil, Italian Seasonings, and Garlic Powder. Mix well and shape into hamburgers. Grill.

They're VERY easy to make, and are delicious. You can add as many toppings as you'd like. But they taste just fine with ketchup too.

The recipe Two Potato Salad comes from the book, The Kid Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook. Can I just say that I LOVE this book!

Here's the recipe:

3 purple potatoes, cooked, cooled, and cubed

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked, cooled, and cubed

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (we omitted this ingredient)

1/3 cup rice or red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional) (we omitted this ingredient)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried basil

2 tablespoons chopped olives (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If using purchased dressing, omit vinegar and oil.

This recipe is super yummy and tastes SO fresh. One thing to be careful of-overcooking the potatoes. They turn to mush if you cook them too long.

Meal 3: Taco Bar

The taco is a fun meal for everyone. It's very flexible and versatile and will work for picky eaters.

The biggest allergy friendly adjustment I have to make here is making sure the meat is seasoned. Not being able to use packets from the store, I found my own recipe. Actually someone sent it to me.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Packet Replacement

Makes 1 packet

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder (we had to omit because it has cumin in it)

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt

1. Stir seasoning and 3/4 cup water into 1 lb. browned and drained hamburger (we used ground chicken); simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*Because we can't use chili powder I usually add about 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Besides meat at the taco bar I also have:

Black Beans

Rice

Corn Tortillas

Tortilla Chips

Tomatoes

Green & Red Peppers

Olives

Avocados

Salsa

And for those not allergic to dairy products and other ingredients:

Cheese

Sour Cream

Lettuce

With so many mixing options: Tacos, Burritos, Taco Salad, Beans & Rice, etc... no one goes hungry. It's always a winner and perfect for lots of people.

Meal 4: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

I would like to say I make my own sauce, and I have before, but for vacation purposes, this meal was just a jar of Prego Traditional Spaghetti Sauce. The sauce contains no dairy, no soy, and is all natural. It's great! The pasta was organic wheat. This could easily be substituted with rice pasta. Finally the meat was just ground chicken, although I prefer ground turkey. This is Adam's favorite meal!

Meal 5: Chili Rice

This meal is divine! Again, I haven't found a single person we've served it to who didn't like it. Click HERE for the recipe.

Now, we did make some changes to accommodate Adam that I should mention. Honestly I haven't tried the real version. We omitted the onions, jalapenos, and chili powder. Instead of using kidney beans we used black beans. Lastly, we chose to use ground chicken instead of hamburger or ground turkey. We have used ground turkey before and it's very yummy too.

Meal 6: Hot dogs, Salt Potatoes, & Corn on the Cob

Hot dogs are a staple at our home. When Adam was younger, it was all he would eat. Finding allergy friendly hot dogs for him was really difficult, but we have succeeded. Wegmans carries Applegate Farms Organic Turkey Hot dogs. Besides being delicious, they are super healthy. I don't ever have to wonder what I'm eating either, which is a plus. You may laugh, but we actually order these in bulk. We don't have much food storage at all, but at any given time we have up to 12 packages of these hot dogs. Obviously we brought them with us on vacation.

Salt Potatoes are a central and upstate New York thing, but I've heard they're spreading. If you can't purchase salt potatoes, just buy 5 lbs of tiny potatoes and cook them in boiling water with at least 1 cup of salt. Serve with melted butter. They are really yummy!

Well... That's it for dinners. Next comes desserts!

Dessert 1: Oreo Fest

Both of my children can eat Oreos now, perhaps not all kinds, but the basics. We purchased Golden Oreos, Traditional Oreos, Mint Oreos, and Chocolate Filled Oreos. Adam lives off of these cookies! Quite the yummy treat!

Dessert 2: Mexican S'mores

Enjoy Life has dairy free, soy free, nut free, and I think gluten free chocolate bars now. They are to die for! Our local Wegmans carries them. Both of my boys can eat Honey Maid Original Graham Crackers and marshmallows. So... During vacation they were introduced to s'mores.

Not only that, but they were introduced to Mexican S'mores, my personal favorite. Instead of milk chocolate, use dark chocolate. Instead of Original Graham Crackers use Cinnamon Graham Crackers. The marshmallow is still the same. So YUMMY!

Dessert 3: Ice Cream Bar

Adam doesn't like foods that are extremely cold, but Owen does. He still remembers the day when he had real ice cream. For him we now buy Good Karma Organic Rice Divine Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Creamy Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert. He LOVES it! For Baby A we buy dairy free vanilla ice cream.

Dessert 4: Popcorn Party

I LOVE popcorn. On average I think I eat it at least 4 times a week. The boys love popcorn too, especially Adam. Since corn is a safe food we've thrived on popcorn recipes. You can find them on my other blog Basic Fives. I have many other popcorn recipes too that will probably show up in future posts. Obviously I make alterations for the kids' allergies, but all in all it's a huge hit!

Besides meals we had lots of snack foods around but I won't go into to much detail about that. All I can say is that I gained at least 5 lbs on this trip eating so much yummy food! Hope you enjoy it too!

An Allergy Friendly Easter Celebration

I can still remember last year's Easter before allergies were diagnosed. We didn't had a clue what was causing Adam's constant sickness. It's amazing what can happen in a year. This was our first allergy friendly Easter. I must say it was the hardest holiday yet to celebrate without food. Halloween didn't bother me, but Easter I really struggled with. I remember finding the cutest chocolates last year to put in Owen's basket, all race cars and dump trucks. This year there was no candy, not even for Mommy and Daddy. Usually Jason and I do Easter baskets for each other too, but since we couldn't put candy in them, we just stopped.

In the end, I was pretty satisfied with the children's Easter baskets. They loved them.

Owen's Easter Basket: Contents: Diego Gardening Tools & Gloves, The Children's Place Tie, Socks, & Vest for church, No Spill Bubbles (These didn't work. I was really upset.), Thomas the Train Pez Dispenser (I guess this was food, but Owen never used it in that way.), Transportation Stickers and Sticker Book, Construction Vehicle Board Book and 5 Hot Wheels Cars.

Adam's Easter Basket:

Contents: Sesame Street Children's Silverware, Cars Board Book, Frog Beanie Baby, The Children's Place Tie, Socks & Vest for church, No Spill Bubble Blitzer, Road Rockin Rids musical race car, and 5 Hot Wheels cars.

We have an 8 month old foster baby girl living with us right now. She will be living with us for quite some time. Since we can not post her name on the Internet, she will be referred to as Baby A.

Baby A's Easter Basket:

Contents: Butterfly eggs filled with Velcro barrettes for hair, Tonka Bug Car, Shoes for church, Bonnet, Ladybug plate, bowl, & cup, Disney Princess silverware, and her first sippy cup.

Easter is the one holiday that we invite ALL of my extended family. I am so pleased to say that the entire menu was allergy friendly. Click on the titles for recipes, if recipes don't follow.

Tortilla Chips with Fresh Tomato Salsa or Bean & Corn Salsa

Frozen Fruit SaladPasta Salad with Turkey Pepperoni

Ingredients:

allergy friendly pasta of choice

turkey pepperoni

green pepper

olives

cherry tomatoes

allergy friendly Italian dressing

(You can add more veggies, but these are the only ones safe for both of our boys. Normally I would add cucumbers, celery, and cubed sharp cheddar cheese too.)

Stuffed Red Peppers

Ingredients:

4 Red bell peppers with cores and seeds removed

1 pound ground turkey or ground chicken

1 cup uncooked rice

1 can diced tomatoes, or diced fresh tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1/4 c diced onion

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground meat and saute the onions. Cook the rice while the meat is cooking. Combine meat, rice and canned tomatoes. Season to taste. Put mixture inside the peppers. Top with tomato sauce. Bake at 375 until peppers are tender.

Honey Chicken Skewers (We didn't have the corn with it.)
And for desserts:

Banana Cupcakes

To make cupcakes, alter cooking time to about 15 minutes.

Peach Cobbler

(I cooked this a little too long, but it was still REALLY good!)

We also served allergy friendly turkey hot dogs for the younger kids. Instead of candy for guests at their seats and as table decor we used flowers and seeds. Extended family members brought gifts for all the kids instead of candy, which was really nice.

And the Easter Egg Hunt...

We purchase those miniature plastic animals of all kinds. They fit very well in the larger plastic eggs. My boys were thrilled, so much that they opened each egg, left the eggs on the ground and only collected the animals.

Next year I'd like to come up with some Easter activities and goodies to make before the big day, just to get in the spirit of the holiday, but that will come next year. I'm just grateful both boys had fun on yet another holiday.

Daddy's Birthday Treats

My husband's Wii/Cars Birthday Party was a hit! For more details about the actual party go here. But I must say the allergy friendly food turned out wonderful! Adam LOVED everything and so did my husband.

Dinner: Herb & Chicken Pasta

Owen won't eat pasta, but if he did I could have easily substituted rice pasta.Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (optional) I omitted this
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.
Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper, basil, rosemary, Cajun seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken from skillet and stir in garlic and onions; cook and stir until clear.
Return chicken to skillet over onion mixture and add broth. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside; spread mixture over pasta and serve.

Dessert: Banana Cupcakes

One of my most favorite recipes that is served to everyone that comes to our home is Banana Cake. I've not been able to adapt this recipe, but it dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that perhaps if I made the boys' allergy friendly banana bread in cupcake holders and then frosted them, they would taste similar. Well, my experiment worked extremely well. The cupcakes were a HUGE hit and the best allergy friendly ones I've tasted so far. For the banana bread recipe click here. The cupcakes ended up cooking for about 25 minutes each, but I'd suggest starting at 15 minutes depending on your oven.

Another birthday successful!

Cinnamon Rolls

I had been craving cinnamon rolls for quite some time. It was a quest of mine to find a recipe that both of my boys could enjoy. The thought of spending hours making delicious cinnamon rolls when they weren't around or awake did not appeal to me in the least. A couple weeks ago I finally found a recipe that would work. On Tuesday, I tried the recipe out. I was NOT disappointed in the least! Not only were these the easiest cinnamon rolls I have EVER made, (no need for them to rise or anything), they were amazing. My parents made an unexpected visit Tuesday night. I let them each try a piece. Both of them said they were absolutely delicious. The boys devoured them. My husband said they were too good to save for the boys. (We try to not eat their allergy friendly treats so there are more for them to enjoy.) And the most amazing thing was that I thought they tasted better the second day, cold, taken out of the refrigerator. What cinnamon roll tastes just as good if not better the second day? I can not rave enough about this recipe. The boys both LOVED them too.

I've posted the recipe the way I read it but did mention I substituted water for milk and egg replacer for egg. The notes on the bottom are not mine, but came with the recipe. I agree that the rolls were REALLY sweet and I only used 2/3 cup as recommended. The dough is REALLY soft, but you're not making a mistake. Enjoy! Cinnamon Rolls

Serves 8 or 9

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons shortening or butter (I used our dairy free margarine.)
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup of milk, room temperature (I used water.)
1 packet yeast
1 egg (I used egg replacer)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons xantham gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO SPRINKLE ON BOARD COVERED WITH PLASTIC WRAP
1 - 2 tablespoons sugar

FILLING (*see Ellen's note at end of post)
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped nuts - optional

GLAZE¾ cup powdered or confectionery sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
milk to thicken (I used water)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl, combine shortening (or margarine) and sugar. Mix well. Measure warm milk (or water) and add yeast to milk (or water). Whisk well to fully dissolve (**see Ellen’s note). Add milk/yeast to sugar mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Mix very well, being sure to remove all lumps. Dough will be quite soft (***see Ellen’s note).Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it out so it covers a 13 1/2" x 13 1/2" square. Sprinkle sugar on the wrap. Lay ball of dough on top of that. Then pull out another sheet of wrap and gently lay over the dough. Pat the dough down into a roughly squarish pancake. Lift the top wrap up and then reposition it. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough in between the two layers of wrap. Occasionally you'll have to lift and reposition the wrap because it gets "stuck" under the edges. You might have to occasionally flip the whole thing over. Make sure that when you're done you've got ABOUT a 13 1/2" x 13 1/2" square of dough.Remove top piece of wrap. Combine filling ingredients. Spread evenly across dough's surface. (Original recipe poster suggested leaving about a 1 1/2" sugar free edge because when you roll the dough all the sugar shifts and fills this in; otherwise all the sugar spills out).Use the bottom piece of wrap to lift the edge of the dough and start to roll it up forming a long cylinder. Start with the sugary edge, which will be the center of your roll and roll toward the sugarless edge. Cut off or trim up the irregular ends of your "log". Then cut into 8 or 9 slices of similar size, about 1 1/2" wide. Place rolls into a greased round glass pie pan.Bake approximately 20 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk to make glaze. The amount of milk you use will depend on how thick you want the glaze to be. Stir until all lumps are dissolved. Drizzle over warm rolls if desired.

Notes:*I thought the rolls were a bit too sweet, so the next time I make them I will cut the amount of filling ingredients to about 2/3 of what the recipe calls for.**It seems odd that the recipe doesn't call for proofing the yeast. I decided to cover the milk and yeast mixture with plastic wrap and allow it to at least begin proofing.***The mixture is very, very soft - I was convinced that I'd made a mistake, but it ended up being fine.

Flour Substitution

Finally I have found a flour substitution for all of my recipes! Hooray for me! I just stumbled upon it tonight. It's safe for both boys too. Just wanted to post it before I forgot.

All Purpose GF Flour Mix
1 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2/3 cup tapioca starch
3/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 tsp xantham gum

Now I just have to find a place that sells sweet rice flour around here!

There are plenty more posts to come as soon as I get a chance to sit down for a while.

For now here's a new recipe I stumbled across.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Waffles
1 cup gluten free flour mix*
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 cup milk (can sub 1/2 cup apple juice & 1/2 cup water for milk)
1 egg (can omit by increasing baking powder to 2 tsp & decreasing milk to 3/4 cup)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp club soda
Heat waffle iron. Mix flour, baking powder and sugar in bowl. Add milk gradually and stir to mix. Add egg, oil and vanilla. Beat or whisk until smooth. Add club soda. Whisk for one minute. Pour 1/2 cup batter into waffle iron. Cook according to manufacturers directions. Serve immediately with syrup, preserves, etc.

Have fun!

Christmas Eve Dinner

My goal for holidays is to make EVERYTHING allergy friendly. Here is our Christmas Eve dinner. By far, I think it's the best allergy friendly holiday meal I have ever made or could ever make. All of it tasted so good. Both boys enjoyed it.

The Menu:

Allergy Friendly Roasted Chicken

(sorry for the horrible angle)Basmati & Wildrice Rice Pilaf

click here for recipe

Maple Squash

click here for recipe

Kale with Roasted Peppers & Olives

click here for recipe

Bananas Foster

(without the Rum)

click here for recipe

Dessert 1: Cinnamon & Sugar Popcorn

click here for recipe

Dessert 2: Cornflake Christmas Wreaths

1 bag (10.5 oz.) mini marshmallows

1/4 cup butter/margarine (non dairy)

4 1/2 cups cornflake cereal

Jumbo red nonpareils (I just used sprinkles)

Light corn syrup

Red sour belts (I skipped these)

1. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Lightly coat a 1/3-cup measure with nonstick spray.

2. Stir marshmallows and butter in a large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and tint with 5 or 6 drops of food coloring. Gently stir in cornflakes.

3. Scoop 1/3 cupfuls of the mixture and drop into 6 piles on each baking sheet. Let cool 5 minutes. Spray and shape each pile into a wreath, gently compressing the flakes together. Refrigerate until firm.

4. Decorate wreaths with nonpareils or candy balls, attaching them with a dab of corn syrup. Makes 12 wreaths.

Dessert 3: Christmas Ribbon

5 cups boiling water, divided

1 package (8 serving size) or 2 packages (4-serving size) Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

2/3 cup non dairy sour cream or non dairy vanilla yogurt or non dairy plain yogurt

1 package (8 serving size) or 2 packages (4-serving size) Lime Flavor Gelatin

Stir 2 1/2 cups of the boiling water into strawberry flavor gelatin in large bowl 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Pour 1 1/2 cups into 6-cup ring mold. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set but not firm (should stick to finger when touched and mound). Refrigerate remaining gelatin in bowl until slightly thickened. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup of the sour cream; spoon over gelatin in mold. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until set but not firm.

Repeat with lime flavor gelatin, remaining 2 1/2 cups boiling water and 1/3 cup sour cream, refrigerating dissolved gelatin before measuring and pouring into mold. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Unmold.

Not only was it all allergy friendly, but it was foods the boys loved! Yay!

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

1-¾ cups gluten-free flour mix**
½ to ¾ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter or margarine (cold)
1-½ teaspoon xanthan gum I omitted this because of the banana.
½ cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 egg (cold) I used one overripe banana instead of an egg.
¼ to 3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup gluten-free molasses


Combine the rice flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, xanthan gum, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix well. Cut in the butter or margarine until the mixture is in crumbs the size of peas.

In a small bowl beat the sugar, egg, and molasses together. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides. Form the dough into a flat ball shape and refrigerate for one hour.


Dust some freezer paper (not wax paper) with gluten-free flour or confectioners sugar. (I dusted the counter instead.) Put the dough on the freezer paper and sprinkle with flour or confectioners sugar. (I sprinkled the counter.) Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick and cut out shapes as desired. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 20 cookies. (This recipe definitely made more than 20 cookies!)

** gluten-free flour mix: I cut this recipe in half.
6 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch (NOT the same as potato flour)
1 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)


This recipe comes from Vicki Lyles. She adapted it (in desperation) when she learned that our 5-year-old celiacs kindergarten class was going to be making gingerbread man cookies. The resulting cookies were quite good.

Frosting:
2 1/2 cups confectionery sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
water (start with two tablespoons and then add from there if needed)

This was definitely a fun activity, especially with allergy friendly decorations!

Gluten-free Banana Pancakes

I finally found a pancake recipe that will work for both boys' allergies AND that tastes good. Both boys loved it! I found it at http://www.grouprecipes.com/.

1 cup rice flour
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
a pinch of nutmeg and a bigger pinch of cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup milk or soy milk or water
1 overripe banana

1. Mix all the dry ingredients.
2. Mash the banana with the milk and oil, then add to flour mix.
3. Stir well to combine, and let sit about 5 minutes while you heat up your griddle (or cast iron pan, or pan, or whatever).
4. Cook as you would pancakes, dropping about 1/4 c. at a time and wiggling the pan to spread.
5. Cook on each side, then spread with Nutella (or peanut butter, or syrup, or anything) and eat hot.

I believe this is the fourth or fifth pancake recipe I have tried and by far it has been the best. Hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookies

This recipe was taken from http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/. I only made a couple alterations. The cookies are very yummy! Just be sure that you store left overs in the freezer. They don't stay fresh long.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour of choice (I used rice flour)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cream together, sugar and margarine, then gradually add and beat in maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. Add and beat in flour mix. Add walnuts and/or cranberries if desired.

Drop onto baking sheet and bake 8 minutes.

My alterations
I omitted walnuts and cranberries and added 1 cup non-dairy, non-gluten chocolate chips instead.

Enjoy! Regular flour can be used with this recipe too!

Yellow Cake Recipe

Sorry it has taken me so long to post up Adam's birthday cake recipe. Here it is!

This recipe comes from The Kid Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger.

I made a cake and cupcakes using this recipe, but the cupcakes turned out much better than the cake. Like the Banana bread recipe I ended up cooking the cupcakes twice as long. Also like the Banana Bread recipe there is the actual recipe and then alterations.

Cupcake recipe (or regular cake)

3 eggs (or 4.5 tsp egg replacer mixed with 6 TB water)
1 1/2 cups sugar (or 1 1/2 tsp stevia)
2 sticks of butter (or the equivalent of oil or margarine)
3 cups of rice flour
2 tsp baking powder (or 1/2 tsp baking soda mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1 1/4 cups rice milk mixed with 1 1/2 TB lemon juice)

Bake at 350 degrees. 10-12 minutes for cupcakes or 25 – 35 minutes for cake.

Banana Bread

I have found the most delicious banana bread recipe! Both of my boys can eat it with all of their many food allergies AND I really like it too.

I found the recipe on-line. I only altered it a little. The recipe is so flexible to accommodate several allergy needs. First I will give the recipe as I found it online and then I'll give the exact recipe that I used.

Joy’s Banana Bread

3/4 cup sugar (OR 1 tsp stevia)
1/2 cup butter, margarine or oil
2 eggs (OR 3 tsp egg replacer mixed with 4 TB water OR an extra banana)
1 cup mashed bananas with 1 tsp baking soda mixed in (usually I do 2 bananas and skip the baking soda step, but my sister says it makes a difference)
2 Tb milk (cow, soy, rice)
1 tsp baking powder (OR 1/4 tsp baking soda mixed with 1/2 tsp of lemon juice)
1 3/4 cup flour (wh. or br. wheat, spelt, or rice flour OR my favorite mix: 1 cup br. rice flour, 2/3 cup chickpea flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour – this mix can be used in place of wheat in almost all recipes)
pinch of salt

Bake at 350 degrees. 50 minutes for wheat, 45 minutes for spelt, 40 minutes for rice/chickpea/tapioca flours.

Here's what I did:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Fleischmann's unsalted margarine (dairy free)
1 cup bananas (3) plus 1 extra banana in place of egg
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. rice milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1 3/4 cup rice flour

The bread took about 65 minutes to bake, rather than the 40 minutes the recipe called for, but it is SO moist and... I don't think I've tasted an allergy friendly recipe that I liked so much. We will definitely have fun eating this bread again and again!

Peanut Butter Balls

Tuesday I was in need of a "no baking required" dessert that Owen can eat. Remembering a delicious treat from my past I began to search for peanut butter ball recipes online. All that I found had either wheat or dairy in them. That is until I found these!
Owen LOVED helping me make them. The only thing I would have changed was the type of peanut butter I used. I used Jiff with 33% less sugar, and it caused the peanut butter balls to be REALLY sticky and not harden as well, but they were still delicious. I didn't have any non dairy chocolate, so we didn't dip them in chocolate, but they were delicious without it! Here is the recipe. The picture and recipe are from Little Joys website.



For peanut butter balls:
18 oz. smooth peanut butter
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 1/3 cups ground rolled oats
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (We used non dairy margarine.)



For chocolate coating:
12 oz. bag chocolate chips (We'll use non dairy chocolate chips.)
2 Tablespoons butter (We'll use non dairy margarine.)


Line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until evenly combined. Scoop the peanut butter mixture by the rounded teaspoon and form into 1-inch balls, arranging the balls on the parchment-lined sheet. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or until very firm. The best way to test is to pick one up, bring it close to your mouth and bite it in half. It shouldn't be at all squishy. Leather hard, if you’re a ceramicist.

If you desire chocolate covering your peanut butter, pour the chocolate chips and butter in microwaveable bowl (or double boiler). Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until they’re smooth and creamy. Coat the balls in chocolate — you can carefully pour it over top of the balls, or you can do what I did and drop one at a time into the bowl, spin it around or spoon chocolate on top until it’s coated, then lift it out with a fork, tapping the fork on the inside of the bowl a few times to let some of the excess chocolate drip off. Replace the balls on the tray and refrigerate again until chocolate is set.



Makes about 48. Probably more if you don’t eat any out of the bowl.

Serving suggestions: These would be fun for kids to make, to give away at holidays, or for girlie bridal and baby showers. These are also really good for breakfast.


I can't wait to make these again. Owen was SO excited!!! They will make a great holiday give away that Owen can help make! Perhaps someday Adam will grow out of his oats, peanut and soy allergies and be able to eat them too.

Peanut butter balls are wheat and dairy free!

Applesauce Muffins

I have been meaning to write a post, actually several posts for quite some time now. I'm hoping in the next few day I can write several and get caught up. Child II has another allergy appointment tomorrow with more testing. I have a long list of questions and concerns. Hopefully the doctor will take me seriously. Last time we were there he refused to believe that Child II actually was allergic to so many foods. But experimentation along with accidents have proven otherwise since our last visit.

Still very new at this I try to keep a running list of child II's allergies in my head, but sometimes I miss one. Last week was one of those times. Child II had not physically tasted or tried oranges before, nor did I remember him being tested for them. So I experimented with a Gerber Baby Food: Banana & Orange Medley. He vomited every time he had some. Although sadly I didn't recognize it as an allergy sign, I thought he was sick with something else. Sure enough when I spoke with the allergy office about his next appointment and mentioned I wanted him tested for oranges they confirmed that he had already been tested, and yes, Child II is very allergic to oranges. To say the least I felt like an awful Mommy that day.

Yesterday Child I asked if we could make "cupcakes." He thinks anything with a cupcake liner is a cupcake. Little did he know we were making GF Applesauce Muffins found on kraftfoods.com.
The muffins do have eggs and soy, but no gluten, nuts, or dairy. Child I LOVES them. Honestly I think they're okay, and definitely tolerable with powdered sugar on top, but I'd love to find a better recipe both boys can eat.

Child II ate about 9 "cupcakes" yesterday, stealing one or two every chance he got. I didn't mind because he's such a picky eater. Whenever I can get him to eat, I let him eat all he wants. But on one occasion mid afternoon, while I was in the living room, Child I decided he was going to share one of his "cupcakes" with Child II. Child I called for me from the kitchen. As I walked through the play area and dining area I could smell vomit. All I saw were pieces of wrapper and crumbs on the floor. I had no clue how much muffin Child I gave Child II. Not to mention I had no clue how much Child II ate. But there he was sitting in a puddle of vomit. His clothes were drenched with it too.

I cleaned up what I could quickly, grabbed the Benedryl, and then called the doctor. Poor Child I didn't know what was going on. He thought he was being a great big brother by sharing his snack. I, on the other hand was really rattled by it all. This was the first experience where I hadn't given Child II the food he reacted to. It was the first time I realized how VERY hard this whole allergy thing is going to be. Some of it is completely out of my control.

Once things had settled down I talked very calmly and lovingly to my 2 1/2 year old little boy. I explained in as many was as I knew how that only Mommy and Daddy can give Child II food to eat. "Cupcakes" are yummy for Child I, but they make Child II very sick. Honestly in the end I think he actually understood. Today while eating his "cupcake" he reminded me that Child II couldn't have one because he would get sick.

Though Child II's reaction to the Applesauce Muffins was a negative experience. Child I and I always have fun making his "cupcakes." And now I have someone else who has become very protective of his little brother, just like Mommy. I think that will be a big help, even if he is just 2 1/2.

Peanut Butter & Jelly

I can't remember the last time my oldest son had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He was diagnosed with his allergies about two months ago, so it was definitely before that. It was my goal to make a bread that both of my boys could eat with their allergies. My first attempt was a failure. Rice flour recipes are so sensitive to water. I learned that when using too much, the entire loaf of bread caves as soon as it's out of the oven.

Yesterday was attempt two. There was still too much water but not enough to ruin the recipe completely. The second lesson I learned is to wait until the bread has completely cooled before cutting or breaking into it. At first glance my oldest son refused to eat the bread. But my youngest had his mouth open wide and absolutely loved it smiling the whole time.

Today I brought some of the bread for the youngest to snack on while we were in church. My oldest son found the container and to my surprise decided to take a bite. He loved it! In seconds the piece of bread was devoured. When he woke up from his nap today he saw peanut butter and jelly on the counter and asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I made it with my homemade bread and he ate it, enjoying every bite. I've never been so excited about peanut butter and jelly before, but knowing he had been asking for it for weeks... It was so worth the effort!

The recipe comes from The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread, by Bette Hagman. It is called New Allergy Rice Bread. The bread is gluten, egg, dairy, and soy free.

It uses the author's Featherlight Rice Flour Mix which includes:

1 Part Rice Flour
1 Part Tapioca Flour
1 Part Cornstarch
1 tsp. per cup Potato Flour

There are other ingredients as well, but that's the bulk of it. Can I just say I'm so excited my oldest son can still have fun eating one of his favorite meals: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Basmati & Wild Rice Pilaf

I tried this recipe for the first time today and it was delicious. I prepared it with a side of Cuban Black Beans, but learned quickly it was a meal all in itself. If I was to serve it again, I'd serve it with chicken if anything, although my husband really liked mixing it with the beans.

The recipe comes from the Allergy-free Cookbook by Alice Sherwood. I highly recommend it for fun get togethers. It's a dish that will be enjoyed by all without strange ingredients. Plus it's dairy, egg, gluten, wheat, and peanut free!

4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (make sure it's gluten and dairy free)
1/2 cup wild rice (make sure it's gluten free)
2 tbsp. flavorless nut-free oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 cup white basmati rice, washed and drained
leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp. currants
2 tbsp. dried cranberries
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp. pine nuts toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put 1 1/4 cups of the stock in a saucepan, bringing to a boil and add the wild rice.
2. Cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45-50 minutes until the rice is just tender and has absorbed the liquid (it will still have a nutty texture). If necessary, remove the lid and boil rapidly for a few minutes to evaporate the last of the stock.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a separate saucepan and fry the onion and celery until softened but not browned, 3 minutes.
4. Add the basmati rice and stir until the grains are evenly coated and glistening. Stir in thyme leaves. Add the remaining stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the bay leaf, currants, and cranberries and cover and simmer very gently until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed (about 10-12 minutes).
5. Remove from the heat. When the wild rice is cooked, add to the basmati with the parsley and pine nuts. Season to taste and fluff with a fork.
6. Tip into warmed serving dish and serve immediately.

Serves 6

This recipe may appear expensive at first but after buying the ingredients the first time I have enough left over to make this dish at least 7 other times. It's just the initial expense that's scary.

Grandparents Coming to Dinner

This week marks my first week of allergy friendly meals without specialty foods from health food stores. It took a few hours to make the menu for the week, but it will be worth it. After having our grocery bill triple over the last two months, I'm anxious to resume a more typical food budget. Although I still will end up buying milk alternatives for the boys and flours on special occasion.

The menu was a bit tricky in places. Grandparents are coming to visit. I wanted to prepare a dinner that they would enjoy, but still allergy friendly for Child 1. It had to be simple and not exotic.

And of course we can't forget dessert! There is a rule in our house that when company comes over we have dessert. This has been extremely hard with the newly diagnosed allergies, but I finally hit the jackpot and found a fun recipe that everyone can have (minus the 10 month old).

Here's what I came up with-

Dinner: Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Chicken Kabobs with Rice
(Click on meal to obtain recipe.)

Dessert: Caramel Corn

Recipe given to me by Dana R. Dwyer
1/2 cup margarine (Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine contains no gluten or dairy. It does contain soy.)
1/2 c. honey
Dash of maple flavoring
4 Quarts popped popcorn (or more), cooled.

1. Melt margarine and honey. Bring to boil and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in maple flavoring.
2. Pour over popcorn and stir. Let cool.

-Can add molasses for more flavor.
-Sugar can be substituted for honey.

What a great way to have fun with food allergies!