Dark Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie

I came up with this delicious smoothie Sunday afternoon and just had to share it with you! My husband bought me a Ninja for my birthday a few weeks ago and it is perfect for making smoothies {among many other things}. It just blends it to a perfect consistency!

This is a fairly healthy smoothie so it's pretty much the perfect treat for a warm day. Down here in the Southeast, we've got a lot of those days ahead of us so I'm keeping the freezer and pantry stocked with these favorite ingredients.

Here's what you need:

a handful of ice cubes

1/2 banana, peeled

1 cup of frozen raspberries

1/2 cup of almond milk

a few dark chocolate chips or square of dark chocolate

and the secret weapon...... 2 tablespoons POM juice

Add them all to the Ninja or the blender and pulse or blend it til you get it to the consistency you want. Pour into a glass. Add your favorite straw and sip away!

Makes enough for one 12 oz glass.

This will have a thicker consistency. If you want it thinner, add more almond milk. Thicker, add more banana. If you'd like it to taste more chocolatey, add a tsp or two of pure cocoa powder.

Be prepared to share. Once the family finds out how delicious this is, you'll have to make more.

Hope you love this as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by!

Revolution Doughnuts {Atlanta, GA}

This past weekend, I went to Atlanta for a girls' weekend and found the best doughnut place ever! My friend texted me the night before we left and told me about this neat looking doughnut shop so I looked it up online. The website itself makes you want to get in the car and head right there. But there was one thing that really jumped out at me.

The little symbol (v) next to several of their doughnut flavors. That (v) is highly important to me because it stands for Vegan and in my world that means egg-free and dairy-free. So, it only took me a second to jump on board with adding Revolution Doughnuts to our bucket list for the weekend. Vegan doughnuts? Sign me up. And that's exactly where we went Sunday.

We arrived around noon to the shop in Decatur. We had thought about trying out the Revolution Doughnuts at one of the Farmer's Market locations (there are three of them), but because of the time, we decided to just hit the shop to be sure we could still get some fresh doughnuts.

When we arrived the line was out the door and that seemed to be the norm. Everyone patiently waited and believe me, it was completely worth the wait!

I chose to buy the Bacon & Salted Caramel and the Dark Chocolate for the Hubs and I and then I bought Raspberry Sprinkle doughnuts to bring home to my girls.

I had to try the Bacon & Salted Caramel in the shop. You just can't leave without trying one on the spot! It was heavenly.

I love that their doughnuts are a nice spongey texture and have some substance to them. I ate half of my doughnut there and brought the other half home with my others. It was delicious. I ate another the next day and it was still very good. Definitely better fresh from the store, but the next day was still yummy. They state on their website that they do not ship doughnuts because they are better fresh, so you'll have to find a way to get to Atlanta to have one of these delicious treats!

My daughter with the egg, dairy and peanut allergies LOVED her raspberry sprinkle doughnut! It was the very first 'real' doughnut she has ever eaten in her 8 1/2 years of life. I know there's always a fear of cross contamination, etc., but our experience was wonderful without any allergic reactions. I let her try a few bites of the doughnut the day I brought it home and then made her wait until morning to finish it just to be sure there was no reaction.

Revolution Doughnuts states that all of their doughs, glazes and fillings are made from scratch free of trans-fats, and made by people, not machines. They use organic flour and high quality ingredients.

You will love the unique flavors! And don't forget the yummy teas and coffees they have! It's such a cute place!

I plan on making this a definite stop on every trip I make to Atlanta in the future. I hope you'll give them a try, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Allergy-Friendly Ice Cream Cake for the Whole Family {Dairy-free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free}

It's that time of year again! Birthday times three at our house this month. And when you have a family member with food allergies, it's time to bake up {or freeze up} some creativity! We are kind of burnt out on the same ol' cupcakes all the time, so this year we decided for the first birthday of the month {which was mine} to just take the family to Bruster's Ice Cream. There we can all get what we want, including my daughter who is allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts. She loves their italian ice and sorbet options. There are about 4 or 5 different flavors to choose from at any given time so it was a great non-cupcake option.

The next birthday was my 6 year old's birthday and she wanted a cake. However, still being kinda sick of the normal cakes we make for birthdays, I decided to make an ice cream cake. We do love an ice cream cake around here, but with my 8 year old not able to eat store bought ice cream cakes because of the obvious milk factor, making one was my best option.

You will not believe how simple this is! It literally took about 20 minutes to make. Less time than baking a cake!!

To make this you'll need either Tofutti brand ice cream sandwiches or SO Delicious brand ice cream sandwiches. I bought SO Delicious brand for this cake at Publix.

You also need Pillsbury Classic White frosting (contains soy) OR another allergy-friendly one suited to your specific needs.

And then whatever toppings you want to use to decorate your cake. I bought Nerds & matching gumballs from the Dollar Tree to decorate ours.

To put this cake together, just stack your ice cream sandwiches on whatever size plate or dish you want and arrange them in the desired shape. I used a rectangular dish and it worked perfectly! Then, quickly spread the room temperature frosting onto your cake, covering as good as you can. Next, I put mine right in the freezer to firm up because ice cream sandwiches melt pretty quickly and ain't nobody got time for that! Nobody. This is when I ran to the Dollar Tree because I realized I needed sprinkles or something to put on my cake. As soon as I got home, I took it out of the freezer and decided to smooth out the frosting to make it look more professional. I put a butter knife in ice cold water and then, took it out and immediately started spreading out the frosting. It REALLY made a big difference and a much smoother appearance. You'll need to reinsert the knife into the ice water a few times throughout the process to keep it nice and cold. Then, when you get it looking the way you want, decorate it! Finally, refreeze it until it's time to party!

The cake cuts very nicely and looks like a layered cake on the inside! My kids called me 'The Best Cake Maker in the World' and said things like, "You should start your own business!"

Mission Accomplished. Amen?

Happy Ice Cream Cake Making to You and Yours!

Maggiano's Little Italy {a success story}

 

Last month, we took the family on a mini vacation to our favorite beach in Florida. It was perfect. As always. It's a place we can go and just totally relax and enjoy ourselves. There's something about the ocean that makes you forget everything stressful in your life. It's just pure enjoyment. That's not what this post is about, though. It was on our way home that this story takes place.

We planned to leave early enough so that we would arrive in Jacksonville right at lunch time. We had heard about Maggiano's from family members that had been there and we were really wanting to try it out. As a family that operates on the food allergy mindset, we had never taken our family out to an italian restaurant before because of the egg ingredient present in nearly all pastas. It's never a risk we've been willing to take because there are only a couple different pastas available in stores that my daughter can eat and pretty much every italian restaurant we've looked up online has no egg-free version. But we researched ahead of time {as always} and saw on Maggiano's website that they try to accomodate food allergies, etc. So, we made the decision to go. {There were plenty of other places nearby to eat in case we got there and it proved not to be allergy friendly. We always have a backup plan.} Upon arriving, it was a little busy outside the restaurant, so Hubs let me out of the car to go get a table. When I was greeted by the hostess, I asked her about the food allergies, specifically my daughter's allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts and she said they happily accommodate food allergies and that the chef would come to our table to speak with us about it. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the chef came out {which my daughter thought was awesome} and asked us about the allergies and then gave us our food options. He told us she could eat any of the straight pastas like spaghetti, etc. and then which sauces were appropriate for her allergy needs. When they brought out Callie's big bowl of spaghetti {her very first time eating it at a restaurant!!}, she was thrilled! Spaghetti is her favorite meal at home, but it was even better in a restaurant.

I had to take her picture because this was a moment to remember! Excuse the crazy hair and tired face. We had been traveling all morning.

I, of course, had Benadryl in my purse just in case, but it was completely fine for her and caused no reaction whatsoever. It was a real treat for her to eat pasta that day. I was so happy for her and thankful that she got to have this first-time experience. Wish we had a Maggiano's close to us!

I'm adding this to my list of allergy-friendly restaurants at my page entitled {Allergy-friendly Restaurants}. Go check out the others listed. If you know of some I have not listed, please comment and let me know!

Thanks for stopping by!
Amy

Art You Can Eat - part one {allergy free recipe}

These yummy cupcakes were made for my daughter's 8th birthday!

 She's my little artist in residence and I gave her an art themed birthday celebration. She loved every minute of it!

You can get the recipe on my other blog, Life is {Sew} Daily. 3 ingredient cupcakes that are egg free, dairy free and peanut free. Moist and delicious.

If you make some, give me a shout and let me know how you like them!

Thanks for stopping by! {I made another allergy-free artsy treat for her - come back to check it out soon!}

Cheers!

Tomato Bisque

Who doesn't love a good comfort food? Soup is in my comfort food category and I think you might love this one too! My mom found this and shared it with me. This is free of all the main allergens {cashews are optional} and is super healthy, too!

{Not pictured here - 4 cloves minced garlic, Mrs. Dash, red pepper flakes}

Put all ingredients in the pot, except the cashews. Stir. Heat to boil. Simmer approx. 30 minutes. Put 1/4 cup cashews in food processor, add 1 cup soup. Puree. Add back to pot. Stir and serve!

This takes tomato soup to a whole new level! It was very quick and easy to make. So, make this your next rainy day meal! Add a little grilled cheese and you're set!

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Popcorn Balls {dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free, gluten-free}

Just in time for Fall parties and celebrations! Last Saturday I had to come up with a dessert for a Harvest Party that would be fun for a group of college students. I wanted something that fit into the 'finger food' category that would also be allergy-friendly for my daughter. In group events where food is involved {when is food NOT involved?}, I like to make something allergy-friendly so my girl can eat what everyone else is enjoying. I was happy to have found this Fall favorite and make it allergy-friendly. So, if you're looking for a quick treat that doesn't require much effort, this is it!

Popcorn Balls {dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free, gluten-free}

3/4 c light corn syrup
1/4 coconut oil
2 T cold water
2 5/8 c powdered sugar
1 cup marshmallows
5 quarts popcorn, popped {I airpopped mine - delicious}

Heat the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan and mix well. Once thoroughly combined, add in marshmallows, stir constantly until melted. Pour mixture over popcorn and mix until coated. Lay wax paper down and form popcorn into balls. Place on wax paper to set. I wore disposable gloves sprayed with cooking spray to form the popcorn balls and it worked like a charm. No sticking. These turned out great with very little effort!

Enjoy!

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

Marshmallow Fondant {Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free}

I saw this on Pinterest several months ago and finally decided to give it a try. When I saw the recipe, it wasn't listed as allergy-free, but immediately pinned it to my allergy-free foods board because it totally meets my requirements. I think you'll love this, too. It is VERY easy and quick. It's also very fun to make. My 4 yr old thought it was play-doh at first and when I gave her a cupcake on her birthday, she said, "You put play-doh on it?" This is a great way to decorate your cupcakes and cakes, especially if you aren't so great at doing frosting techniques. I'm a messy froster, so this was probably the neatest cupcake I have ever decorated and I'll definitely do it again!

I'm linking with these sites!

Chocolate Mousse {Dairy-Free, Vegan}

I recently came across a vegan blog I had never seen before and found a most delicious recipe! As soon as I saw it, I knew I was going to make it. Just a few ingredients? Healthy? Dairy-free & Egg-free?? Yes, yes I will. And I'm pretty sure you'll love this, too.

 *Use only the solid part of the chilled coconute milk for best results.

I'm linking with some of these parties!