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!

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!

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!

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.

OREO Cookie Balls {Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free}

Let me introduce you to Milk's favorite cookie ball! Yes, it is made with OREOs. {I used Whole Foods brand because I was there and didn't want to make another stop just to get OREO brand, but OREO brand is still free of dairy, nuts and eggs.} It's my turn to send snacks to school for my girl's class on Friday, and when I saw these, my mind was made up. They are very rich and delicious! Here's the how-to in pictures:
You'll want to have these things on hand:

Then:

Next:

Then, you'll want to freeze these cookie balls for about 10 minutes. While they are setting up, melt your vegan chocolate chips {for every 6 oz of chips, add 1T shortening - this will aid in the dipping process} in a microwave safe bowl on high for 1 minute. Stir, then continue heating/stirring every 15 seconds until completely melted and liquid. Dip the cookie balls in the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with fun sprinkles. Once done, put them back in the fridge for about 1 hour.

I came across this post the other day from Super Healthy Kids and knew I had to try it! My daughter loves chicken nuggets, but the thought of what they are really made of disgusts me. I've been looking for an alternative and I think I might have found one.....after I tweak it. I made this recipe:

1 can Chickpeas, drained and mashed with a pastry blender

1/2 onion, 1 garlic clove, fresh parsley - all chopped up in a food processor. Then, add to the chickpeas.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 egg (I used flax seed because of my daughter's egg allergy), 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, dash black pepper, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbsp olive oil. Mix and add to bean mixture.

Slowly add in 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (I found one brand free of milk, eggs). Shape into chicken nuggets. Bake or fry til outside is crispy.

My daughter liked them, but not completely head over heels. I think I will tweak this recipe using less onion and instead of chickpeas - maybe black beans or refried beans. They are a little more tasty to me than chickpeas. I absolutely love the idea, though!

You should check out Super Healthy Kids for some other great ideas. It is not an allergy-free website, but a lot of things can be substituted to meet your allergy needs.