Gluten Free/Dairy Free Pizza

Hello Friends,

I recently responded to a request for my quick pizza recipe.  Here it is:

What You Need:

Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Personal Size Pizza Crust  (Comes with a Pack of 4) Great for Thick Crust! GF Marinara Sauce- (Ragu, Costco store brand work)Daiya Chedder and Mozzarella ShredsLiteHouse Spices  (whichever you like on your pizza- I use Oregano, Basil)1/2 of  Diced Zucchini1  Bell pepper Hormel Gluten Free Natural Choice Turkey Sausage.  (Only used 1/2 a sausage for 5 pizzas)

We first start with the attached Pizza crust. You can get it at Sprouts, Whole foods or Krogers. I think Market street may have it as well. We really like the because we like the thicker crust pizzas. I will then add a jar of GF Marianara sauce. You can use Ragu or Costco bran. We also like Sweet Barbque pizza (Great sauces are the Honey Pecan by Stubbs or the Honey Sweet by Rufus Teague). But keep it simple for your first. 

I have my side of diced veggies: squash, zuchinni, bell peppers, mushrooms. I also add Gluten free chicken sausage from Sprouts or if you like pepperoni, grilled chicken, turkey sausage...Whatever toppings you like. I also season the pizza with oregano, Season All and basil.   I use LiteHouse Freeze Dried Spices as its had no additives, its just the pure spice. The pizza packs come in fours. So I usually spread the four out on to a large baking sheet or baking stone. Sometimes I put it directly on the oven shelves for the crispyness. Anyhoo, so spread the marinara sauce, then toppings, maybe a little more sauce then add your cheese. If you are going the dairy free route, use Daiya Cheddar Shredds. If you like dairy, then grab a few combos of shredded cheeses to sprinkle on to the pizza. I mix the cheddar and the Mozzarella . Stick it in the oven on 375 for about 25-30 mins. My kids and hubby love it.

Baked Ziti Marinara with Italian Ground Turkey

2 Bags Baby Spinach (Washed - Apx. 10 oz) 
2 Large Jars of Marinara Sauce (Apx. 55 oz)- I use Kirkland's from Costco..its GF 
1/2 jar of Mince Garlic
1 Small White Onion
2-3 sweet peppers
1lb Ground Turkey
2 small Zucchini (diced)
Ziti Noodles (16 oz of Mini Penne- I use GF rice ziti noodles)
Ricotta Cheese (16 oz) See Dairy Free Recipe below
Mozzarella (I use a package of Daiya Dairy free Mozzarella)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. drain.  

Saute diced onions, diced sweet peppers and minced garlic in a separate skillet. Then add ground italian seasoned Turkey. 

Mix one Jar of Marinara Sauce with the diced Zucchini, cooked Ziti Noodles, cooked ground turkey, Spinach, and Ricotta Cheese in a large bowl. Spread 1⁄2 Jar of Marinara Sauce evenly in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place large bowl mixture into the dish. Spread the remaining 1⁄2 Jar of Marinara Sauce over the top. Sprinkle the Mozzarella right on top. 

Turn the oven to 350. cook dish at least 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove lid and let set for 10 minutes to firm up. When you first remove the lid it may look a little soupy, which is why we let it firm up.

------------------------------------------------

RICOTTA CHEESE SUBSTITUTE

Healthy and light, this ricotta cheese substitution is great for pasta dishes like lasagna, manicotti and ravioli, and it also works well in vegetable bakes and casseroles. This is also refreshing as a cool and creamy addition to a fresh salad. While most recipes with tofu call for you to drain it, you do not need to do so for this recipe; just open the box!

• 2 12-oz. blocks Extra Firm Silken Tofu,
• 1 t. honey or agave nectar
• 2 t. apple cider vinegar
• 2 t. salt, plus more to taste

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mash the tofu with a fork or crumble with your hands. Mix in the remaining ingredients until well combined. Ricotta will keep for 3 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Makes 2 cups

Hmmm, Desserts!!!!!!

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding- Gluten Free/Dairy Free Version

Ingredients

• 2 (7oz) bags Schar's GFDF Shortbread cookies
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups Almond milk
• 1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 2 (8-ounce) package Vegan Gourmet Dairy Alternative cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed coconut milk
• 1 (12-ounce) container Soyatoo! Extra Creamy Non-Dairy Whipped Cream
• 1/2 cup of Organic Sugar
• 1 tsp of Vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of agave nectar.

Directions

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer sliced bananas on top. Sprinkle Bananas and cookies with a little of the organic sugar. 

In a bowl, combine the almond milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Add tsp of Vanilla extract.  Using another bowl, combine the Vegan cream cheese and condensed coconut milk together and mix until smooth. Add 4 sliced bananas into the mixture. Mix well. Add 1/4 of cup of Agave Nectar. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of Organic Sugar into mix. Blend well. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Sprinkle any remaining sugar over the cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ohhhh....Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

So we went to the Gluten Free/Allergen Free Expo a couple of weeks ago and it was just AMAZING! So many options and so little time to taste everything!  I was really impressed, with the not only Gluten Free options. but the combo of Gluten free and Dairy Free options.  This week, let me tell you about the Outrageous Baking Company.  This vendor has some really tasty GF, DF, WF, SF treats. Can your food really be missing all of this AND taste good?  I found out that it does! We ate (2) 2lb loaves within two days!  No self control because we have NEVER had bread this delicious. I am not kidding!  I totally recommend this vendor.... Here is their story.....

Outrageous Baking Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Outrageous baking is based out of Boulder, Colorado. The company was born out of a need to make gluten and dairy-free treats for Pamela’s Daughter Grace who had eczema as a baby. Pamela and her family were determined to not use any form of medical intervention, so they relied on determining which foods created the manifestation of the eczema.

Because of Pamela’s love of baking and eating healthy sweet treats she got to work in the kitchen. She experimented with a banana bread for about 6 months with little success. She decided to surprise her family and made“Aunt Kay’s famous families’ Coffee Cake” with a twist: a gluten-free version. All the taste testers loved it!

Pamela’s family and friends encouraged her to share this wonderful cake with everyone! Since 1 in 133 people have a gluten-intolerance, this cake was whole-heartedly welcomed in over 2-dozen coffee shops in Boulder, Louisville and Longmont. Since then, Outrageous Baking expanded their line to include chocolate zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, lemon poppy seed bread, coffee cake, and an all purpose baking flour – ALL GLUTEN AND DAIRY-FREE!

Greetings my Gluten Free Friends...

It has been really a long time since my last post. We have been so busy since we returned from Kenya this summer.  I am proud to say I didn't loose a single pound while I was over there because there were days where I lived off of Kind Bars and Bee Knees Peanut butter and then there were days where we had awesome food options of a meat and vegetable. It worked. The Kenya food was healthy and my stash of KIND bars and peanut kept the fat on my bones. LOL!!!

I wanted to check in to see how everyone was doing on the diet and to basically share with you about the Dallas Gluten free expo that we are planning on attending. I am so excited about seeing what's new and tasting everything I can get a hold of. I will have a full report once I return.  I would love to see some of you there.

Kids? Hang at at the Schar Kids Zone for GF treats and crafts
New to the GF lifestyle? Take a GF 101 Class
Want to sample and purchase products...Visit the vendor fair
Want to learn how to cook & bake...Take a cooking class
Need lifestyle information...Take a lifestyle class
All included in your ticket price!

Check out the GLUTEN FREE DALLAS EXPO

WHERE
The Westin Park Central Dallas
12720 Merit Drive
Dallas, TX 75251
(972) 385-3000

NO STROLLERS ARE ALLOWED IN THE BALLROOM

WHEN
September 8-9, 2012
10am – 4pm

HOW
$20 per adult, children ages 3-12 are $5, tickets available online or at the door.
To AVOID THE LINES, purchase tickets online (coming soon).

Valet, Paid or Free Parking options are available at the hotel.

You learned how to cook gluten-free. You found local restaurants that serve gluten-free. Now, you have to travel gluten-free. Heading to an unfamiliar area can be intimidating, but fear not! Frequent flier Gluten-Free Mike has 5 tips to prepare you for any upcoming trip.

KIND Bars...so yummy. 

Let’s face it, we’ve all had that moment of initial panic when we first received our celiac diagnosis. Speaking from personal experience, I know I was completely caught off guard and quite honestly had not even heard of celiac disease before I actually found out I had it. Sounds familiar, right?

Well, that was more than 10 years ago when the gluten-free landscape and celiac awareness were indeed at a very different place than they are today. Fast forward to today and awareness of and catering to celiacs has come a very long way, and perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the travel and hospitality industry.

I have been globe trekking since before I could walk, and when first diagnosed thought that celiac disease would throw a wrench into my love of travel.  To be honest, it did at first. My diagnosis came at a time when there were few good gluten-free products and they were difficult to source. Most restaurants had no clue what I was talking about and going abroad seemed to only magnify the confusion. I slowly but surely got back on the proverbial horse when I realized that celiac need not be limiting and that I needed to take control of the disease and live my life on my terms.

Over the years I have developed a few tips and tricks particularly when it comes to traveling with celiac disease, and I am happy to share some of them with you here:

1. All Airlines Are Not Created Equal.

If you are going to be flying, particularly long-haul international, check out a few carriers’ websites to see whether or not they offer a gluten-free meal option – some even provide samples of what they’ll include.  This will depend on length of flight and class of service, but most airlines will have a gluten-free option if your flight has meal service. Yes, some airlines do gluten-free better than others, and I have had some amazing gluten-free meals over the years – some even included a fresh gluten-free roll – can you imagine?  Will the gluten-free meal knock your socks off?  Likely not, but at least it is safe option to tide you over until you land.

The most important tip I can give when flying is as soon as you board, ask a flight attendant if your meal has been loaded BEFORE departure.  Oftentimes if there is a problem they can deal with it while on the ground vs. not being able to do anything at 35,000 feet. On a recent flight, my gluten-free meal was even noted right on my boarding pass – nice!  Another trick I use is when flying in a premium cabin to check out the airline’s online menus for the route. Most airlines have monthly menus for specific routes and these can be accessed online. I scan the menu to see if any of the “regular” options will work for me and more often than not there is something I can have. I have also seen more and more gluten-free snack item choices making their way on board shorter flights, which is always good to see.

2. Do Your Homework.

This sounds like a given, but just getting a feel for the area you’ll be visiting can help you enjoy your vacation (or business trip) a bit more.  I like to go online and look at the immediate vicinity around where I’ll be staying.  Where is the nearest supermarket?  What dining options are around?  Is there a local celiac group site that gives tips and advice for the area?  If a restaurant piques your interest, check out their menu or give them a ring to discuss whether they will be able to accommodate your needs. There are even an increasing number of hotel chains that now that cater to a host of dietary restrictions and food allergic travelers.  The more leg work you do before departure, the less stress you’ll have at your destination.

3. Speak the Language. 

Okay, this might be easier said than done but there is an easy solution if you find yourself in a country where you do not speak the language. Printable food allergy cards that you can either buy or download for free online.  My recent trip to Peru had me a bit leery as I do not speak Spanish.  Before I left, I printed out and laminated a few double-sided cards that  had both a celiac disease explanation and shellfish allergy notation that called out what I could and could not eat in detail.  Let me tell you that these were a lifesaver because each time I presented them, the server read them and could immediately tell me what would work for me on their menu. If I was in a location where I thought the cross-contamination from shellfish could be an issue, the servers actually brought the cards back to the kitchen for the chef and kitchen staff to read. I had zero issues or reactions on my most recent journey, which was the first time I have brought such cards along with me – and best of all they were available free online.

4. Pack Accordingly. 

No, I am not talking about what clothes to bring – though that is sometimes equally as important.  When I travel, be it by car, train, plane, or horseback (okay, that last one is a bit of poetic license) I always take along what I call my Gluten-Free Contingency Pack.  Depending on the length of my journey, I always carry a bag of nibbles so that I have something to nosh on if I find myself delayed or not having any gluten-free options readily available while en route.

So what’s in my contingency pack?  Well, I am glad you asked.  I typically include a few gluten-free snack items like chips, pretzels, cookies, or snack mix along with a couple meal replacement bars or snack bars.  Okay, and maybe there might be a chocolate bar (or two) in there.  A just-add-water type noodle snack or dry soup is also great to toss in your carry-on and I typically will carry those for ultra long-haul flights of 14 or more hours. I also like to toss a few snack items in my checked bag so I can have a snack at my hotel without having to pop-out to a supermarket right away.

5. Be Flexible.

Flexibility is really key. You might find yourself in a situation with limited knowledge of or availability of a host of gluten-free options. Don’t panic.  Regardless of the situation (and some of mine have been less than ideal) I have never gone hungry while on the road.  Sure, you might not always be able to have exactly what you want, but there will be something – trust me. I have always been amazed at how far people are willing to go to accommodate my dietary needs while on the road.  Also, a little education goes a long way.  I cannot count how many times I had someone on the road say “I had no idea that contained gluten” or “I have heard of celiac, but never knew why you couldn’t eat gluten.”  Just think, the more people become exposed to celiac disease, the less bumpy the road ahead becomes for all of us.

Perhaps the most important thing I have learned since my diagnosis is that I will not let being celiac define who I am or dictate what I can and cannot do, and you shouldn’t either.  Life does in fact continue and it’s for the better because I now know why I would get sick after certain meals and in retrospect, pre-diagnosis was actually more limiting than I have found celiac to be.

It’s a great big gluten-free world out there so please, get out there and enjoy it.  Oh, and there will be hiccups along the way – it’s just inevitable – but when they happen, look at them as learning experiences and not roadblocks.  They happen to all of us, gluten-free or not.

- Michael De Cicco-Butz

I spent $30 for 6 people for 7 days.....

How are you doing with your kits? This week I spent $30 for produce for 3 adults, 3 kiddos for 7 days.  If you have made my kits before, you know you still have leftovers for lunches.  Here is a pic of this weeks produce:

This week's kit ingredients (aside from the grapes): 1 Butter squash, 6 bellpeppers, 7 yellow squash, 7 zucchini, 1 sweet potato, 1 pack of Baby Portabella mushrooms,  1 spaghetti squash and grapes.  I also added (not in pic, 3 small new potatoes)

As you know, always wash your veggies before you put them in the kits. I usually take a big bowl and hand wash each to make sure all residue or pesticides may be removed.  After washing, chop up your kits.

Last week, 

I made the following with my kits:

Spaghetti- Added Marinara sauce, chicken sausage, served with GF spaghetti noodles

Chicken Soup- Added Rotisserie Chicken (Picked apart), carrots, onions, chicken broth, cabbage, celery

(Made a big 7 quart pot)

Stir Fry-Added Snap peas, bean sprouts, served with rice and Vegan egg rolls

Mexican spin- served with Chicken tamales, black beans and rice

Italian- Added Sweet Italian Chicken sausage. Served over Basmati Rice

Chicken Dish- added diced sweet potato and spinach leaves, served sauteed with Rotesserie chicken 

Pasta- Added New potatoes, served with grilled chicken over GF noodles

Spices on hand for seasoning: Freeze dried Cilantro, Basil, Garlic, Parsley, Oreganio, Nutritional Yeast and Season all. 

Have a great week!  Let us know how your kits are going. I love feedback just to know if this blog is helpful.  

-Janice

Overcoming School Lunches...GFCF Style

This isnt GFDF but we can easily change it.
Get Glutino's pretzel sticks, 100% Fruit leather strips, Honesty kids juices instead.

There is this mom who photographs all of her kids lunches.  That is so not me, but I think its a great way to benefit by checking out what goes into other kids lunches for ideas. You could easily customize this to make it GFDF for your child. If your kids are like mine, they haven't quite embraced the GFDF lunches 100%. We may be 80% but definitely not 100%, so I have got to get creative.  Today I sent a Sandwich, sweet potato corn chips, blueberries and a pear. So maybe I could plan a little better. -Janice




Here is her link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mslil65/sets/72157601755804789/

If this is not enough for ideas...check out this blog:

http://www.laptoplunches.com/bento-menus-season/Winter/

25 min Meal- BBQ Rotisserie, Veggies and Potatoes

Hello GFCF Family!!!

Just had an amazing quick meal tonight. It was done in 25 mins.

Grab one of those natural or organic Rotisserie chickens from Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joes.
1 jar of Stubbs GF BBQ sauce (I like any of their Sweet ones), 1 tupperware full of sliced or diced veggies kits that I showed you how to make in advance in an earlier posting.

In a baking pan, lined with parchment paper (NO Aluminum foil (heated aluminum causes Cancer and Alzheimer's)).  Turn the oven to 450 to preheat. Smother chicken in the barbecue sauce as much as desired. set aside.
In another baking sheet, add cut up chunk potatoes, line the pan with parchment paper.  Add a little bit of olive oil onto the parchment paper. Layout potatoes on the pan, season with season all. Put in preheated 400 oven for 25 mins on bottom rack.  Add cooked chicken at 15 mins mark.

Saute veggies in a stainless steel skillet with either Earth's Balance butter or Olive oil.  Add Season all and/or pepper to taste.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Cake Pops by UDIs!!!!

WOW, I just discovered this by UDIs-

To make it Dairy free, I made a few modifications to the original recipe. Click any of the links to find the original GF only recipe.  My Modifications are ** below.  Enjoy! 

Soulfully yours, Gluten Free Momma

Holiday Cake Pops - Udi's Style

Friday, December 9, 2011 by Leigh Buckley

What’s better than a cake pop?  How about a gluten free cake pop...Udi’s style!  This whimsical confectionery trend is in full swing.  Little bite sized morsels of sweet cake wrapped in chocolate and planted on a lollipop stick has been a huge baking hit lately.  But who says the gluten free world can’t take part in this fun sweet treat?  We'll show you how to make some Udi's cake pops perfect for the holidays and entertaining.  Bonus: we’ll give you instructions on how to make these delicious treats without any baking!

Gluten Free Cake Pops
(Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free)

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Udi's Gluten Free Muffins (any flavor)
• **3/4 can of gluten free frosting/dairy free frosting (I use Duncan Hines Creamy homestyle: The Buttercream, Dark Chocolate fudge, lemon supreme, classic chocolate are GFCF)
• **1 Package of Enjoy Life (dairy, nut, soy free) Semi Sweet chocolate chips
• Sprinkles
• Lollipop sticks
• Parchment paper
• Block of Styrofoam 

Instructions:

1. Take Udi's muffins out of container and either crumble with hands or in a food processor until muffins break into very fine crumbs.  Place in a large bowl. 
2. Mix in frosting or buttercream until the mixture is pliable and spongy but not runny.  If the cake mixture needs more moisture, spoon in extra frosting until you reach desired consistency.   
3. Place entire mixture into the refrigerator and let firm overnight.  If not using right away, you can cover the container and let the mix sit for up to several days.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Take muffin mix out of refrigerator and start rolling the muffin dough into small balls.  Place each finished ball onto the parchment lined baking sheet.  Each container of muffins will yield approximately 12 large cake balls or 16 small cake balls. 
6. Place finished balls back into the refrigerator for 1 hour to set.
7. In the meantime, pour your package of chocolate candy disks into a small microwave safe bowl.  Melt chocolate in the microwave in 1 minute increments, stirring in between, until chocolate is smooth and runny.
8. Take cake balls out of the refrigerator.  Dip 1 lollipop stick into melted chocolate and push into each individual ball.  Dip each cake round into chocolate.  Let excess chocolate drip off and then poke each lollipop into Styrofoam to finish drying.  While hardening, sprinkle the chocolate with colored sprinkles.
9. Repeat until all cake balls are finished. 
10. Either leave cake balls decorated in sprinkles, or drip additional colored chocolate across cake pops (pictured above). 

5 Day Easy Menu Plan for a family of 5

One of the obstacles I had to learn to overcome was just menu planning. I had to keep it simple until I learned how to add in things.  So I will walk you through 5 easy dinner meals for a family of 5. We are starting out with some fresh foods and eliminating processed items. 

Here's what you will need from the Grocery store (Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Market Street, Central Markets have a good variety of organics and special diets):

6 Organic Zucchini Squash
6 Organic Yellow Squash
4 bell peppers (You can get them in packs of 3 and just add one) (Yellow, Red, Orange, Green)
1 Large Red Onion
1 piece of garlic
1 large pack of Baby Bella Mushrooms
1 large 1lb Pack of Organic Baby Spinach
1 pack of Asparagus
6 med Ziploc plastic containers
Small bag of Red potatoes
Bag of Brown or White Basmati rice


Wash everything thoroughly

1.
Start with the Zucchini and the Yellow Squash. Cut off ends.
Dice three zucchini and yellow squash up. Toss in 1st  & 6th Container.
Slice two zucchini and yellow squash up in 1/2in. slices. Quarter the slices. Toss in 2nd container.
Slice two zucchini and yellow squash up up in 1/2 slices. Toss in 3rd container.

2.
Take Yellow Bell pepper. Cut ends off. Rinse out seeds.  Quarter.
Take one quarter and dice up. Toss in 1st & 6th Container
Take 2nd & 3rd quarter. Slice in 1/2 slices. Toss in 2nd container
Take 4th quarter. Cut up in chunks. Toss in 3rd container.
Repeat on steps Red, Orange and Green Bell peppers.

3.
Cut Red Onion into Quarters.
Take 1st quarter, Dice and toss into 1st  & 6th Container.
Take 2nd quarter, Cut into 4 vertical slices. Toss in 2nd container.
Take 3rd quarter, Cut into chunks and separate layers. Toss into 3rd container.
Take 4th quarter, Dice and toss into 4th container

4.
Take Mushrooms, slice half of the package and dice half of package.
Toss some of dice mushrooms into 1st, 4th, 6th container.
Take some of slice mushrooms into 2nd & 3rd container.

5.
Break apart  garlic and dice 4 or 5 pieces and add to 4th container.

6.
Take Asparagus and cut off 1/2 in of ends. Toss into 5th container.

1st Container. Day 1
Saute in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add cooked veggies to cooked fish or rotisserie chicken, rice, potatoes

2nd Container. Day 2
Saute in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add cooked veggies to grilled chicken or tofu and rice

3rd Container. Day 3
Make kabobs in oven or grill. Add a meat.

4th Container. Day 4.
Make a Robust flavored spaghetti. Saute onions, garlic first in Extra Virgin Oil Olive. Add in diced veggies. Add GF Spaghetti sauce (Costco Brand, RAGU brand, etc- just read the label).  Cook ground turkey or ground meat in another skillet. Drain and add to veggie sauce.  Serve with cooked Gluten Free noodles.

5th Container. Day 5.
Heat your oven to 425. Season with Salt and Pepper and Extra Virgin Oil. Cook for 12 mins.  Serve with meat and starch.

6th Container.  5 Lunches:

Add a 2 or 3 handfuls of the baby spinach. One handful of the diced veggies from the 6th container. You can add in GF Nitrate free Deli meat or organic grilled chicken. Add a handful of cranberries. Add Walnuts, Almonds, or whatever nut of choice.  Add GF Salad dressing. You can repeat this for salads throughout the week. I do this for my hubby every day.


You can tweak this with GFCF desserts and breads but this should give you a little more practical ways of how to do it. Hope it helps. Please check out My Connolly Sample Meal for a Day link for Breakfast and other lunch options for your kiddos and yourself.

12 Foods with High Pesticides-Eat These Organic!

A coworker of my husband gave him the link to this website of foods that are high in pesticides. If you can't go all organic, at least add these to your lists of must. Below these 12 are   15 produce options that you can get by on that aren't organic. 

Here is the article, interesting read:

by Dan Shapely (senior editor and awarding winning environmental journalist)

The benefits of eating organic food go straight to the farm, where no pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used to grow the organic produce shipped to grocers. That means workers and farm neighbors aren't exposed to potentially harmful chemicals, it means less fossil fuel converted into fertilizers and it means healthier soil that should sustain crops for generations to come.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#ixzz1d3AY9d00

Here's a list of 15 produce items that are low in pesticides

Buy the Clean 15

If the cost of buying all organic isn't within your budget, fear not. Check out The Daily Green's list of fruit and vegetables so clean of pesticides you don't have to buy organic. (Of course, buying organic is always a good choice for the health of farms and farm workers, regardless of the residue left on the end product.) The feature also includes tips for buying, cleaning, storing and using each fruit and vegetable – as well as delicious recipes! Here's a look at the Environmental Working Group's 2011 Clean 15 list:

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapple
4. Avocado Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mango
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/clean-15-foods-2011#ixzz1d3r1pl8C

GFCFSF Chewy Chocolate Brownies

Well, its the holidays and I just can't resist sharing my weaknesses....Here is one more recipe that is soooo good..especially now that its getting colder outside. Try these fresh out of the oven, you will just slap your self in disbelief that this is actually Gluten, Casein (Dairy) and even Egg free if you want it to be...you could even freeze you a few for one of those late night sweet tooth. (Good for up to 6mths).

What you need:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup Earths Balance Vegan butter, melted
• 1 cup organic sugar in the raw
• 2 eggs or Energ-G egg replacer
• 3 teaspoons Adams Best vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup *All purpose gluten-free flour (see recipe below) or you can use Bob Red Mills All Purpose Flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life GFCF Soy Free chocolate chips1/2 cup of water

Directions

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix together flour and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, stir together cocoa and margarine 'til well combined. Add your 1/2 cup of water
5. Mix in sugar until completely saturated.
6. Break egg into a small bowl, then mix completely into cocoa mixture. Do the same with the second egg.
7. Stir in Vanilla.
8. Mix in flour, combining completely but not overmixing.
9. Stir in GFCFSF chocolate chips.
10. Bake for 20-22 minutes, checking with a toothpick for doneness.  Let cool so you don't burn your mouth. :-)
    
    
    *All-Purpose Flour blend 
    
    
    6 cups of white flour (Bob Red Mills)
    3 cups of Tapioca flour (Shiloh farms)
    1 1/2 Potato Starch (Bob Red Mills)
    1 Tbs salt
    2 Tbs Xanthum Gum (Bob Red Mills)
    
    
    In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, salt and xanthum gum. Transfer to the airtight container and store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Pie / Sweet Potato Pie Please!!!!

Let me first just say, I love making Sweet Potato pie! However, my 6 year old has been requesting pumpkin pie since she brought her pumpkin home from the Farmers Market a couple of weeks ago. I am not a big fan of pumpkin pie but I figured I would put my spin on it, by just doing my Sweet potato ingredients on the pumpkin instead. (People usually LOVE my sweet potato pie by the way. :-)).  The finished pie was DELICIOUS!!!!  This recipe makes 2 pies. If you want to use sweet potatoes for a pie, I will add the **Sweet potato variation at the bottom of this recipe.  Please post your comments and let me know how it works and if you did anything different....Happy Eating! 

GFCF Nut Free Pumpkin Pie

1 Farmers Market medium size pumpkin
1 can of Organic Pumpkin Puree
Organic Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ginger
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbs Organic Raw Sugar
6 Large Hand Swirls Agave Nectar
Earths Best Vegan Butter
3 tsp Vanilla
2 eggs or Egg Replacement
Coconut Milk
2 Gluten Free  frozen premade pie crust


Directions

1.Cut the Pumpkin in 1/2 without Stem. Scoop out seeds & strings.
Place cut side down on parchment lined baking sheet.
Cover with Parchment paper. Bake at 350 til tender (45-60 mins).
Let cool, scoop out flesh & mash until smooth. Drain excess water. Beat together until smooth. Add the can of Pumpkin puree to make a full 2 pies.
2. Add 1 tsp of nutmeg, Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and Add 1/4 tsp of ginger
3. You can sweeten to taste but I like my pies sweet, you can start with this:
Add 6 large swirls of Agave Nectar.
Add 2 Tbs of Organic Brown Sugar
Add 2 Tbs of Organic Raw Sugar
Stir and Taste....

4. Add 1/2 cup of melted Vegan butter
Add 1/2 can of Coconut Milk
Add 3 Tsp of GF Vanilla (Adams Best is my favorite)

You can stir and taste until you add your eggs. Once you have it tasting the way you like, add in 2 whisked eggs or egg replacer. (Energ-G)

5. Pour into thawed pie crust and bake at 350F for 60 mins or until filling is set. Let cool and slice. The filling will have two layers: the top layer will be dark orange and the bottom layer will be a soft pale orange.


**Sweet Potato Substitution

No Ginger, No can of Pumpkin puree. You can keep everything else.

Peel and Boil sweet potatoes on stovetop. Drain, Mash until Smooth. Begin at step 2. You may want to sweeten it a little more with the Organic Raw Sugar. (1/3 a cup).