Dum Dum Cookie Pops {Dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free, gluten-free}

Saturday my oldest girl is turning NINE! I can hardly believe it. I've been thinking of something to send to school with her tomorrow to share with her class, and I wanted it to be simple and non-cupcake related. So, today I was out shopping for her birthday gift and came across a huge bag of Dum Dum Lollipops and I knew I could find something to make with those so I bought them. When I got home, I was checking out Pinterest and found exactly what I was looking for. The only exception is that mine are allergy-free! SO EASY and FUN! Hope you enjoy!

I used the Cherrybrook Kitchen Sugar Cookie Mix {thanks, Dayna!} and followed the instructions on the box using Smart Balance Light {dairy-free}and unsweetened Almond Milk {dairy-free}. Mix according to package directions and drop onto greased cookie sheet.

Then, simply unwrap and press a Dum Dum Lollipop into the center of each cookie dough. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack. Package up individually for a great classroom treat!

What's not to love?

Buy your ingredients here:
Dum Dum Pops, 200-Count

Easy Cinnamon Rolls {Dairy-Free, Egg-Free}

This is perhaps the easiest and fastest way to make cinnamon rolls, allergy-free or not. I love that it is quick and different than the everyday cereal breakfast. My girls are out of school today so I decided to see what I could make 'fun' for breakfast that wouldn't take much time. These were a hit!

Easy Cinnamon Rolls {Dairy-Free, Egg-Free}
1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls {open and separate into triangles}
Cinnamon/Sugar mixture {we have a shaker with cinnamon/sugar mixed together at all times}
Smart Balance Light buttery spread {this is dairy-free}
Pillsbury Vanilla Frosting {contains soy}

Spread Smart Balance onto each triangle, then shake the cinnamon/sugar all over the 'butter'. Roll up as you would a regular crescent roll. Bake rolls at 375 for 11-13 min or until golden brown. Melt 3T frosting in microwave for 20 seconds. {Not too long or it will get very thick and gooey.} Drizzle over baked rolls. Serve.

I'm linking this post to some of these parties! Go check them out!

Healthy Living 2012

No, this isn't my new year's resolution. I'm just trying to rethink how my family eats. I need to eat healthier and kick the soda habit...yes, I love Coca Cola. And sweet tea. And it doesn't help that Sonic Happy Hour is right after school gets out and I have to drive past it to get home. But anyway, this isn't just about soda and sweet tea. I think it's all great in moderation, but this is more about changing my family's daily sugar habits. My kids eat pretty healthy already {I don't buy juice, etc. - they drink water.} and they love fruit. So, it makes my life as Mom easier. But, if you're an adult and wanting to eat healthier, I may post some of my daily menus here in the coming days.

Today's Menu:
Breakfast:
1 serving Uncle Sam's High Fiber Cereal {contains wheat}
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 serving strawberries
2 pieces turkey bacon
Hot tea with Raw Stevia

Mid-Morning Snack:
1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt {or coconut milk yogurt} mixed with 2T sugar free blackberry jam

Lunch:
Black Bean Chili
{1 can black beans, 1 can HOT Rotel - Heat together in a saucepan until beans are tender. Serve with Tofutti brand sour cream and other veggies you might like in your chili.}

Afternoon Snack:
1 whole apple

Dinner:
Grilled Chicken
Green Salad with lots of raw veggies
Balsamic Vinagrette {balsamic vinegar and olive oil mixed together with garlic salt, onion powder}
Roasted Asparagus {Lay asparagaus on pan, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper; Bake at 400 for 8-10 min}
Serving of fruit for the kids

Potato Pancakes {Egg-free, Dairy-free}

Who doesn't love mashed potatoes? Well, if you are with me on the I {heart} mashed potatoes! bandwagon, you will love potato pancakes. My family reminded me of these at Christmas when we were sitting around the dinner table staring at a bowl of half-eaten creamy mashed potatoes. I'm pretty sure my brother-in-law had never heard of potato pancakes before or had never had any, so that night when the leftovers made their appearance, he made some. I got to taste it and it was pretty good! Brought back lots of memories - like the time my grandparents were staying with my siblings and I and my Mamaw made these for dinner {some with onion, some without}. My brother thought he'd be funny and placed one of the onion ones on the non-onion plate where my sister would be sure to grab. Sure enough, she took that one and it only took one bite for her to know somebody was up to no good. We all laughed, but my sister got the last laugh when my papaw made my brother take the one he tried to get my sister to eat and made him eat the whole entire thing. That is one memory we will never forget.

So, all that to say - You need to try these!!

Potato Pancakes {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

{Serves 2} Recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 1 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup flour
chopped onion or minced onion, optional
oil or Crisco for frying

Mix ingredients together until completely combined. {You want the consistency to be a little thicker than a normal pancake batter, so add a bit of almond milk if needed to achieve desired consistency.} Heat oil or Crisco in skillet until hot. Add a spoonfuls of potato mixture to hot pan, leaving space in between each pancake. Flip pancake when edges start to brown. Set on paper towel to drain oil. Serve hot with a dallop of Tofutti brand sour cream, if desired.

New Year's Eve Buffet {circa 1949} - Allergy Free

One of my favorite finds ever at my local Goodwill was in 2000 when I came across a vintage cookbook - The Good Housekeeping Cook Book dated 1949. It had a nicely worn red cover with white lettering that caught my eye. It had me from Hello. I paid .50 for it and couldn't wait to get home to look through all the wonderful slightly yellowed pages including full color pages featuring the most retro illustrations! I love it. It's still my favorite cook book even though I know I'll never cook Jellied Tomato Soup or Rabbit Stew.
As I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my blog this year, I knew that I wanted to add many more recipes and meal ideas, above and beyond the sweets category. So, keep your eyes peeled for those! Another thing I thought would be fun is to go through this wonderful cook book and bring back some of the oldies, but goodies - this time in allergy-free form. So, that's what I'm going to do. And just for fun, I'm posting today the New Year's Eve Buffet from pg. 897. Enjoy!

The recipe that stands out from this menu and would be used in my house most often is the Toasted Garlic Buttered French Bread from pg. 476. I have modified it below to make it allergy-friendly:

Toasted Garlic Buttered French Bread {dairy-free, egg-free}
1/2 cup Smart Balance Light {dairy-free}
1 or 2 peeled cloves garlic
1 Pillsbury Refrigerated French Bread Loaf
1/4 tsp salt
Paprika

Soften 'butter'. Add garlic; mash slightly with fork. Let stand 30 min or longer. While that is going on, bake Pillsbury French Bread Loaf according to package directions. Remove garlic. Approx 5 min before baking is done, take the loaf out of oven and slash bread diagonally into thick slices, almost to bottom. Spread garlic butter generously between slices and over top half of loaf. Sprinkle with salt and paprika. Place back in oven for remainder of baking time. Let guests break off pieces. Makes 6-8 servings.

Easy Gingerbread Rice Krispie Treats {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

I have come across several flavors of marshmallows this season and it has been fun making several different treats with them for the holidays! Flavored marshmallows open up a whole new world of sweets! Here's one my kids have been enjoying:

Easy Gingerbread Rice Krispie Treats {Dairy-free}

3T Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread {It's dairy-free!}

1 bag of gingerbread marshmallows {I get mine at Walmart}

6 cups Rice Krispies

Melt buttery spread in medium saucepan, stir in whole bag of gingerbread marshmallows. Stir continuously until melted. Stir in 6 cups of rice krispies making sure to mix well.

Pour into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Let sit until cooled. Cut into gingerbread man shapes! Enjoy!!

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And, did you read about the Stained Glass Marshmallow Roll I posted around Thanksgiving? This time I used the Peppermint Mallows by Jet-Puffed that I found at Walmart....Can't wait to try these!!

Sugar Cookie Icing {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

I can't tell you how long I've looked for a perfect allergy-free sugar cookie icing. A lot of them have dairy in them and then I found one without dairy and realized I had no corn syrup. So after some research on substitutions, I came up with this icing. I will use it from now on! It's the perfect consistency and tastes yummy, too!

Sugar Cookie Icing {Dairy-free, Egg-free, Vegan}

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp Smart Balance Light (or Earth Balance buttery spread - they are dairy free)

1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar (I may have used a heaping Tbsp just in case)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Food coloring, if desired

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until powdered sugar is moistened. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Add additional tablespoons of water to reach desired consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired.

Vegan Chocolate Donut Muffins {Dairy-free, Egg-free, Vegan}

This afternoon I found out from my daughter's Sunday School teacher that the class is having donuts and orange juice in class tomorrow to celebrate the last Sunday of the summer schedule. I'm thankful for those who teach my daughter at church and care about her spiritual well-being, as well as, her food-allergy needs (i.e. letting me know ahead of time about special snacks). I just happened to be going through recipes looking for some good ones I could convert to allergy-free when I got the message and I came across this one. It is already a vegan recipe so I only changed a couple things to make it exactly how I wanted it. If you're interested in more allergy-friendly or vegan donut recipes click here and here. I picked this one because it
involves chocolate is quick and easy to make, and will be easy to store. It's also great for portion control and it's portable!

 

Vegan Chocolate Donut Muffins (Egg Free Dairy Free)

Makes 11-12 regular donut muffins, or 20-24 mini donut
muffins (mini muffins pictured above)

2/3 cup sugar
1 T ground flax seed + 3 T water (mix together)

1 T cornstarch

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup almond milk OR soy milk OR coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup
powdered sugar (confectioners)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil. (Do not be tempted to use liners - the point of doing these directly in the muffin tin is to have them pop out and be able to get sugar to stick to the sides without the addition of butter)

In a large bowl, beat together sugar and ground flax seed mixture until well incorporated. Add 1 T cornstarch, mix well. Pour in vegetable oil, almond milk and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Pour into wet mixture and stir to combine. Stir gently.

Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups or 24 mini muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

While muffins are baking, pour confectioners sugar into a small bowl.

When muffins are done, allow them to cool for about 15 minutes. Pop them out of the pan and then roll them in confectioners sugar, coating all the sides until it is completely covered. Repeat until all muffins are done.

*I just finished making these and they are very good! Almost no difference from a chocolate cake donut hole. YUM! Can't wait for my girl to try these in the morning!*

Buying Allergy-Free Foods

Occasionally I come across a new allergy-free food find that I haven't heard of previously or I didn't know my store was selling. When that happens, I am so excited {especially when the price is right!}. And today, I sort of hit the jackpot. I normally shop at Publix {because I totally heart Publix's BOGO sales and their friendly staff}, but I decided to head to a local grocery bargain store for some bread and while I was there, I found allergy-free waffles! Van's Natural Foods is the brand and I had never heard of them before today. There are 6 in a box, so I bought 4 boxes today for $1 each. I'm going back to buy more for the deep freezer. I have been looking for a good frozen waffle that my girl can have and now I finally have it! She will be thankful for a little more variety at breakfast. {I make a homemade allergy-free waffle, but sometimes convenience is so much more appealing!}

I also found breaded chicken tenderloins by Allergy-Free Foods Company. They make products free of the 8 most common allergens {wheat/gluten, milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, soy}. Again, another company I had never before heard of! I got this bag of tenderloins for $2.95. I can get some Tyson frozen breaded chicken products, but they still contain wheat. When I can get it completely allergy-free, that's what I prefer.

What kind of deals have you found lately? What allergy-free brands do you love to buy? And where do you buy them?

No Bake Granola Bars {Dairy-free, Nut-free}

I found these the other day while searching my new favorite website Pinterest. These will be great for lunchboxes, after-school snacks or even breakfast on the go. And healthy, too! I am on a mission to provide my children with brain-food for breakfast on school days and this recipe below should do just that. I adapted it a smidge from here and it's gonna be a good one!

photo from fooddoodles.com

No-Bake Granola Bars {dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free}
Makes 12

• 2 large overripe bananas
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup crunchy cereal (I'd use rice krispies)
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup(or any other sweetener you use - I use Agave Nectar)
• 2 tbsp soy butter
• 2 tbsp vegan chocolate chips (I use 365 Whole Foods brand)
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries or other fruit (I will leave this out)
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed {brain power!}
• 2 – 4 tsp cocoa powder

Line a muffin pan with paper liners, or use a silicone muffin pan for easy removal. Mash the bananas. Add wet ingredients and cocoa powder and mix well. Add all other ingredients, mix well then press into prepared muffin tin. Freeze at least 60 minutes before serving. Freeze them overnight and throw one or two in the lunchbox before school. By the time lunchtime comes around, they will be perfect for eating!

Allergy-Free Mom Food

A normal blog post for this blog usually centers around kid-friendly food, but I realize that some of you are adults with food allergies (or you just want to eat a more healthy diet - and so do I) so I decided to start putting more 'adult-style' food on here when I can. Today I made a yummy, healthy lunch and wanted to share it with you. My kids wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole because it involves lettuce, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a great one for these record-hot days of summer.

Grilled Chicken Strips & Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinagrette

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into strips {chicken tenderloins would work, too}

Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

Sea Salt

Black Pepper {a natural metabolism booster!}

Green Leaf Lettuce {washed and cut into bite size pieces}

1 Tomato, diced

1/2 Zucchini, washed and diced

White Mushrooms {sliced}, washed and diced

Balsamic Vinagrette

1 part Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 parts Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic Powder

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

1. Rub chicken with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Grill to your liking. Cut into strips.

2. While chicken is grilling, cut up your lettuce and veggies. Toss together in a bowl or on a plate.

3. Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. Pour onto salad.

4. Add chicken strips OR cut the chicken strips into smaller pieces and toss into salad.

This salad is loaded with nutrition and you could even add more veggies to it.

Zucchini helps cure asthma, as it contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. It contains useful amounts of folate, potassium and Vitamin A which are all necessary for proper functioning of the body. Regular consumption of zucchini can help protect the body from colon cancer. All of this and much more in one little veggie.

White Button Mushrooms have Vitamin D. In fact, they contain 100% of the recommended daily allowance of Vit D. They are also a cancer fighter, aid in estrogen reduction (helps reduce risk of breast cancer), contains potassium (great for high blood pressure, reduce risk of stroke and low blood sugar, prevents heart attacks), and decreases risk of prostate cancer.

Tomatoes are cancer fighters, they fight heart disease, promote healthy colon and prostate and reduce blood clots and inflammation. When grown organically and on a vine in the sunshine they soak up lots of nutrients that are good for your body!

What are your favorite veggies in a salad??

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods {Dairy-free, Peanut-free}

If you're looking for a quick, yet fun treat for the kiddos {or yourself} look no further! These chocolate covered pretzel rods are super easy to make and hit the spot when you're craving something sweet and salty! The kids love them and this is a great one for them to help with! Minimal mess...amen?

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods {dairy-free, nut-free}

Rold Gold Pretzel Rods {Rold Gold brand has NOT been processed around peanuts}

Vegan Chocolate Chips {365 from Whole Foods is great}

Sprinkles of your choice

Melt vegan chocolate chips in a double boiler on the stove. Lay out a sheet of wax paper and when chocolate is melted and smooth, pour some onto the wax paper.

Take your pretzel rods and roll them in the chocolate covering only the upper half of the rod.

Lay chocolate covered pretzels onto wax paper lined cookie sheet. And then sprinkle your choice of colorful sprinkles onto the chocolate while it is wet. Then, place full cookie sheet in the fridge so the chocolate will harden. Store in an airtight container. Delish!

*These would be great for classroom treats {think back-to-school}, party favors, etc.

Coconut Creamsicles {Dairy-free}

Oh.my.word. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that these homemade coconut creamsicles are hands-down the easiest popsicle to make and quite possibly, the tastiest. I had leftover coconut milk from making my banana split bites the other day and while I was thinking of what I could do with the rest of it, I remembered my cute little neglected popsicle molds. I quickly grabbed them from under the counter, filled them up and stuck them in the freezer. I just tasted one and sweet mercy! You have to try these. The first bite, will catapult your mind to a tropical paradise, bare feet covered in sand, the smell of suntan oil {does anyone use that anymore? We're all about SPF 50 in this house!} and relaxing with a thick novel while listening to that wonderful sound of the ocean. Ahhhhhh....... don't wake me up.

Coconut Creamsicles {dairy-free}

Mix together 1 can of light coconut milk and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Mix on high speed for about a minute. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze overnight.

See, I told you it was easy. Can't wait to let my little girls try one!

Blueberries: Summer's Candy

So, with summer staring us in the face, I'm continuing the 'eat more fruit' series I started with the strawberry post last week. This time, I decided to give you some snacks/meal ideas with blueberries.

Besides the obvious of just eating blueberries right off the bush, or out of the plastic container from the store, why not try some of these things?

Blueberry Quesadillas (courtesy of my sister's kitchen) - Just substitute butter for Smart Balance Light buttery spread - it's dairy-free and substitute the cream cheese for Tofutti brand cream cheese, also dairy-free. Delicious idea! Can't wait to try it!

Vegan Blueberry Cobbler {dairy-, egg- and gluten-free} courtesy of glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Vegan Blueberry Muffins {dairy-, egg-free} courtesy of egglesscooking.com

 

Blueberry Vanilla Yogurt Parfait {dairy-free}

Fresh blueberries, rinsed

coconut milk yogurt, vanilla flavor {or soy yogurt}

granola

Layer in a parfait glass (or cute tall glass or glass bowl) the blueberries and yogurt. Top with granola. Serve. YUM!

*photo courtesy of whfoods.org - recipe by yours truly.

Cinnamon Rolls {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

I recently posted about Quick Breads and one of my favorite doughs is the Pillsbury brand. I use all different types of their refrigerated doughs for my daughter who is allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts. Most of these doughs only contain the allergen, wheat, so they are safe for my family. I love to keep Pillsbury Crescent Rolls on hand for last minute desserts, bread, etc. that I may need. Sunday morning, I made cinnamon rolls out of the Crescent Rolls which are always a big hit around here.

 

Cinnamon Rolls {egg-free, dairy-free}

1 roll of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Smart Balance Light buttery spread

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Pecans or Walnuts, optional

Open can of crescents dough and unroll it into a rectangle shape. Pinch together all the seams and use a hand roller or rolling pin to roll it out smoothly. Spread Smart Balance Light buttery spread onto the dough. A thin layer all around will work well. Sprinkle a 'healthy' amount of brown sugar and cinnamon over the buttery layer. Sprinkly chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) on top of that. Then, carefully roll the entire thing up from one end to the other.

If you go from short end to short end, you'll have normal sized cinnamon rolls. If you roll from long side to long side, you'll have several mini cinnamon rolls which is what I did. Then, slice into 1-inch slices (for minis and 2 inch for regular) and place them in a round baking pan that has been greased. Bake at 375 degrees until tops are just turning brown.

Mix together 3/4 cup powdered sugar with 3-4 T almond milk or lemon juice and you'll have a nice glaze to drizzle over the top of your cinnamon rolls.

Serve with fresh fruit and/or bacon. Enjoy!

Making Faces Pancakes {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

This has to be the easiest breakfast to make...ever. The Hubster makes breakfast for our family every Saturday morning. It's his specialty and it's a great break from the norm - cereal and milk. Today he made some delicious pancakes for our girls - with a smiley face. It brightened up their morning and gave them one more reason for why they love their daddy so much. And really, it's so easy I'm almost embarrassed to tell you.

First, follow the directions on the Bisquick box for pancakes. Substitute milk with Almond Milk {or your choice of dairy-free milk} and 2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch in place of the eggs. Fry up some sausage links, cut them into the shapes you want for your pancake face and arrange accordingly. Finally, EAT UP! {with a healthy dose of maple syrup}

See, I told you it was easy.

Feels like Summer...

...and that means the children's stomachs are a bottomless pit. At least that's how they act. So, I've begun stocking up and brainstorming again for healthy snacks for the hungry little people in this house. My goal for this summer {in the food category} is to only have healthy foods on hand for daily snacking. Of course, this dessert-loving mama will always have an emergency sweet treat on hand, but for snacking purposes we're going healthy. This should accomplish 1 of 2 things. Either they will 1) learn to eat and love healthy snacks or 2) they will not ask for a snack every 15 minutes. Either way, it works out good for me. So, this week I'm going to try to post some healthy snack ideas for summer!

Let's start the week with Strawberries!

Just get some fresh, juicy strawberries - wash them and serve them up with a little packet of Truvia {natural sweetener}. My girls love to put their own "sugar" on their berries and one packet of a natural sweetener works great. There's no guilt or 'accidental dumping of sugar' with the individual packets.

Make a yummy dairy-free Strawberry Shortcake.

Make some Strawberry Scones.

Do some fruit kabobs and serve with dairy-free whipped cream!

Or serve fresh strawberries with this Dairy-Free Chocolate Dipping Sauce {below}:

1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

1 T Tofutti brand sour cream OR 1 T almond milk

Melt together in a small saucepan or in the microwave at 30 sec intervals. Serve!

Stay tuned for more healthy, but yummy treats for summer!

Holy Stromboli {Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free}

I have been craving some dessert stromboli lately. My mom made this once or twice when I was growing up and I just remember it being so delicious. So, thanks to that craving I made this dairy-, egg-, and peanut-free one.

YUM! The end.

Dessert Stromboli {dairy-, egg-, peanut-free}

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough {I used the thin crust}

Smart Balance LIGHT buttery spread

Cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar {double this if you want a thicker filling!}

1 cup powdered sugar

3 T lemon juice {or more depending on how your drizzle sets up}

Pecans, chopped - {you can either find one that hasn't been around peanuts or leave this out}

Roll out your pizza dough. Spread butter all over the dough - not too thick - and sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar onto one half of the rolled-out dough. Fold the opposite side {with no sugar/cinnamon} over on top of the sugar side. Crimp or pinch the edges together so none of the good stuff leaks out! Bake at 400 degrees until top is golden brown. Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice together to make a nice drizzle {not too runny} and drizzle it over the top of the baked stromboli. Sprinkle pecans on top, if you desire. Cut into thin slices. Serve warm.

Strawberry Cornmeal Scones {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

Ever since watching the Royal Wedding, I've had scones on my brain. So, I set out on a quest to find a great scone recipe and I think this version hits the spot! I've had scones only one time in my life when I visited London and that was too long ago. I found some great-looking recipes, and then I adapted some to fit what I wanted. Here you go!

Strawberry Cornmeal Scones {dairy-, egg-free}

Nonstick Cooking Spray

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

2 T granulated sugar

2 T packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 T cornstarch

1/3 cup cold Smart Balance Light butter, cut up

1/2 cup Almond milk + 1 T lemon juice {this is a substitute for buttermilk}

1/4 cup All-Fruit Strawberry Jam

Preheat oven 450. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch. Cut in butter until flour mix resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center. Pour in almond milk/lemon juice mixture. Stir with fork just until moist.

Add strawberry jam to mix. Stir gently, 3-5 turns until incorporated. Use large spoon and drop dough into 12 mounds, 1 inch apart. Bake 12-15 minutes or until tops are golden.

Drizzle a powdered sugar/lemon juice icing over the top. {1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tsp lemon juice} Serve warm.

Mesquite BBQ Sandwiches {Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free}

Because of my continuous posting of sweet stuff, I decided to throw in some meals that you can actually eat and receive nourishment from. I know it's hard to believe, but man cannot live by sweets alone. It's a fallen world we live in. So, we better make the most of it! This is one of my favorites. It involves one of the greatest inventions ever...the crockpot.

 

Mesquite BBQ Sandwiches {Dairy-, Egg-, Peanut-Free}

Pork Tenderloin, Mesquite flavored {any size}

Hamburger Buns {Publix brand are free of egg and dairy.}

Put your pork tenderloin in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours {You could cook on high 4-6 hours and get same results.} Pork will be falling apart perfectly. Shred and put in a bowl. Add a little {or a lot} of your favorite bbq sauce and mix until it is covered to your liking. Put on hamburger buns. Serve with Black Beans and Chips & Salsa. {See below for recipes}

 

Southwest Black Beans {allergy-free}

2 cans Bush's Seasoned Black Beans, drained {and I rinse mine, but it's not necessary}

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 T red wine vinegar

ground cumin

chili powder

salt

freshly ground pepper

Put beans in sauce pan, add brown sugar, vinegar, cumin and chili powder. Heat through, stirring often. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add more vinegar as needed. I usually add more near the end. Make sure beans are cooked until tender. Serve.

Homemade Salsa & Chips

1 can Rotel, drained 10 oz.

1 can Hunts Whole Tomatoes, drained 28 oz.

2-3 green onions, cut up

handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

jalepeno, sliced & deseeded, then chopped {use as many as you like...I use only 1}

red wine vinegar to taste {or lime juice instead}

chili powder

salt

Put all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until you get the desired texture. Serve with tortilla chips.