Fun Valentine's Day Treat! {Allergy Free}

Last week I was doing some Valentine's Day shopping for my girls and came across something fun! I almost walked past them because I was SURE they'd have milk in them, but I stopped anyway and read the label...no allergens! YAY! There are 6 in a pack, so I decided to surprise my 3 girls this morning at breakfast with one each and then we'll still have 3 left for Valentine's Day. After their reaction, I decided to share this fun treat with all of you.

Got Milk? Milk Straws! They have other flavors, too, but with Valentine's Day coming, I decided pink {strawberry} was best for us.

Easy Apple Dumplings {Dairy-Free, Egg-Free}

I came across a recipe for these delicious apple dumplings a few months ago here and kept thinking about making them, but put it off....until yesterday. Don't let it fool you. Just because it has apples in it doesn't mean it's healthy - but it is SO YUMMY! I tweaked the recipe a little bit to make it less sugary and also make it allergy-friendly. So, here it is!

Easy Apple Dumplings {Dairy-Free, Egg-Free}

1 can refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1 apple, washed and cut into 8 slices {skin still on}
1/4 cup Smart Balance Light (melted)
1/4 cup brown sugar
cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out crescent roll dough. Wrap each apple slice in one triangle of dough. Place in a greased pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of all the 'dumplings'. Mix melted Smart Balance Light and brown sugar together. Pour over each dumpling. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm alone or with Tofutti brand {dairy-free} Vanilla Ice Cream. YUM! (You can double, triple, etc. this recipe to accommodate your needs.)

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.

Waffles {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

I love waffles. Not so much eating them as I do love the convenience and speedy prep time involved. My kids love them. Hubs likes them as long as I provide a meaty side or a fried egg. So, when I remembered I 'needed' to be at a friend's baby shower/Ladies' Night Out last night, I quickly ran to the pantry to be sure I had all the necessary ingredients for waffles and much to my delight, I did. So, here you go. You can make these a million different ways and with a myriad of topping options, so be creative!

Waffles {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

Bisquick

Almond Milk

Ground flax seed

Vegetable Oil

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Follow the instructions on the back of the Bisquick box for Waffles and substitute almond milk for milk, 2 T ground flax seed for the eggs and then add in some cinnamon and vanilla for extra flavor. Minimal prep + minimal cook time = great last-minute meal. Serve with your choice of sides. I topped our waffles with fresh blueberries and strawberries and a wee bit of syrup. Big hit with the fam, as usual.

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!