Ham Roll Ups {Egg-Free, Dairy-Free}

My kids LOVE these! And I love them because they are quick and easy to make. My mom used to make these when I was young and I remember them being one of my favorite meals. These are normally served with homemade cheese sauce {recipe below} but my allergy girl loves these without the cheese. She begs for more!

Ham Roll Ups {Egg-Free, Dairy-Free}

1 pkg Pillsbury Crescent Rolls {contains wheat}
ham slices {or leftover chicken}
steamed broccoli

Cheese Sauce {dairy-free}
2 Tbsp Smart Balance Light
2 Tbsp Flour
1 cup Almond Milk
1 cup Daiya Vegan Cheese, shredded
{I make regular cheese sauce because my allergy girl does not like the dairy-free cheese sauce and prefers to eat them plain, but the above recipe will work for a dairy-free cheese sauce.}

Rotisserie Chicken Salad {Egg-Free, Dairy-Free}

Sorry for the lack of posts this past week! We've had sickness going through our house every few days for the past two weeks. {Hoping it's gone - WAY GONE - now!} Today I decided I was hungry for something yummy for lunch so I looked through the fridge and realized I had all the 'stuff' to make Chicken Salad! I love a good, fresh chicken salad. This one is quick and very yummy!

Rotisserie Chicken Salad {Egg-Free, Dairy-Free}

Rotisserie Chicken leftovers from last night {or canned chicken or other cooked chicken will do}
Red Seedless Grapes, washed and sliced in half
Garlic Powder
Granulated Onion or Onion Powder
Salt
Black Pepper
Chopped Green Onions {optional, but oh-so-good!}
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup Vegenaise {or Mayo if you are not allergic to eggs}

Cut your chicken into small pieces {if you are using canned, just shred it with a fork}. Add sliced grapes, seasonings {to your taste}, onions and Vegenaise. Stir until thoroughly combined and spoon onto your favorite egg-free, dairy-free bread. Simple and delicious.

Have a great weekend!

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.

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.

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

I've been busy baking today for my girl's Christmas parties this week. This one may be familiar to you because I posted it here awhile back. It is my go-to recipe when I need a donut for my girl. Tomorrow at school, her class is having donuts and chocolate milk while they watch The Polar Express so, of course, she needed a substitute. These turned out delicious and look so yummy, too! I can't wait for her to try one when she gets home from school.

You can get the recipe here. I changed one thing and it turned out to be a great change. *Let the donuts cool for several minutes before tossing them in the powdered sugar. If the donut is too warm when the sugar is on them, the sugar melts. These turned out perfect today! I think you'll like them.

Stained Glass Marshmallow Roll {Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free}

We've arrived at the time of year again where tasty, traditional food is a BIG deal! I'm excited about Thanksgiving dinner in a couple of days, how about you?? And with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, I've had to come up with some more fun desserts for my girl. I wanted to do something a little different for her this year in the sweets department and as I wandered through the baking aisle, I spotted the colored marshmallows. I was actually looking for marshmallows for something else I'll post about later, but when I saw the colored ones, my tastebuds were catapulted back to my younger years when my mamaw would make Stained Glass Marshmallow Rolls. {Now I'm drooling.} I called my sister to see if she had the recipe, but no luck. So, I googled it and found one that works for me - with minor adjustments, I've got myself a dairy-free, peanut-free treat that I am sure my girl will love! Hope you enjoy it!

Stained Glass Marshmallow Roll {dairy-free, peanut-free}

1 lg bag Vegan Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread {dairy-free}

Pour both ingredients into large bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and let sit until cool.

1 10.5 oz bag colored mini-marshmallows

Once chocolate is cool, stir in marshmallows and pour mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper. Roll into a log shape.

Shredded Coconut

Spread coconut flakes onto waxed paper and roll the log in the coconut so that it is covered all around. Wrap the finished product in waxed paper and put in fridge to chill. When you are ready to eat it, slice it into 1/2 inch slices and serve! They look like stained glass windows!

Happy Thanksgiving from our allergy-free kitchen to yours!!

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.

Whoopie Pies {Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free}

Goodbye, Cupcake. Helllloooooo, Whoopie Pies! I recently read in some magazine that whoopie pies are the new cupcake. Well, I just had to try my hand at them and make an allergy-free version {as in dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free} and let me tell you - these are scrumdiddlyumptious. There's no other word for them. Of course, you wouldn't believe how easy these are, either! I was pleasantly surprised and you will be, too! Because the bottom line is - if it ain't easy, I ain't makin' it. {Yes, I know that isn't proper English, but it conveys the attitude behind the statement.} So, go now. Make these.

Whoopie Pies! {Dairy-, Egg-, Peanut-Free}

2 c. sugar
3/4 c. shortening
1/2 cup unsweetened appelsauce

2 c. almond milk
2 tsp. vanilla
10 tbsp. cocoa

1 tbsp. cornstarch
4 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. soda
Pinch of salt

Cream shortening and sugar. Combine applesauce, almond milk and vanilla and beat into creamed mixture. Slowly stir sifted dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, and beat on medium speed about 2 minutes. Drop with tablespoon onto greased and floured cookie sheet (enough dough to make a baked cookie about 2 to 2 1/2 inches). Bake at 350 degrees until cookie just springs back when pressed in center with finger {about 10-12 min). Remove to rack and cool completely before filling.

Go here for my dairy-, egg-free Buttercream Frosting to use for filling these lovelies. Spoon a nice heap of frosting on the bottom side of one cookie. Then, top with the other cookie. Then, savor every.single.delicious.bite. {Makes about 2 dozen}

These are perfect for birthdays {like I'm doing for my soon-to-be 3 year old on Friday!}, parties, school treats, snacks, desserts, etc. Try them out and let me know how you like them! The whole family will like these!!

Pumpkin Cookies {Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free}

When I was searching for a dessert that I could make for Thanksgiving, I had to find something that would be allergy-free for my girl and wanted something that everyone else could enjoy, too. (Of course, there will be plenty of other desserts, too!) Well, it took all of 10 seconds to find this site and this yummy recipe for Pumpkin Cookies. I went through Swagbucks to do a search for allergy-free desserts and came to this site. Scrolled down just a bit to find another that I will definitely be trying in a couple weeks for Christmas - Sugar Cookies!! Yes, the classic sugar cookie that you roll out and cut into shapes. I can't wait to try that one!

These are a perfect soft cookie. The recipe claims that they are chewy, but mine turned out soft. I'm not sure why, but I like them just fine. And while they're still warm, I'm going to let my girl try one out. These might be extra good with a bit of orange frosting and some seasonal sprinkles on them.

Allergy-Free Recipes

Hopefully, in the near future I will be able to share with you some of my family's favorite allergy-free recipes! Believe me, folks, I know how hard it is to find yummy allergy-free recipes for the whole family to enjoy together! When I first learned of my child's allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts I was overwhelmed with the reality that cooking meals that the whole family could enjoy together was not going to be an easy task. And it definitely wasn't easy! After searching for allergy-free cookbooks, recipes online, etc. I still had not come up with many meals that our whole family enjoyed and to be honest, some of the ingredients required things I had just never heard of, let alone can find in a local store. So, I went back to cooking normal meals for the rest of us and a separate dish for my daughter. This is both tiring and expensive. I'm looking forward to sharing with you the meals that have become pretty standard for this household - and what do you know? We all enjoy them! Stay Tuned!

If you have any delicious allergy-free recipes that your family loves, post them here! I'd love to try them!