Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

I have been playing around in the kitchen lately and wanted to come up with a breakfast cake or muffin that I could make up and then have leftovers for the next morning.  I think I've finally found the recipe!  

My kids devoured this and everybody (including the super picky one) had seconds, in my house that's a winner.  

You will need: 

3/4 Cup Avocado Oil 

1/2 Cup Maple Syrup

4 Eggs

1/2 Cup Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 1/2 Cup Almond Flour

1/2 Cup Coconut Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 Cup peeled and chopped Apples

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix everything except for apples.  Make sure that everything is incorporated really well.  Stir in apples.  Pour into a 9X13 oiled pan.  Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool 5-10 minutes and then ENJOY! 

21 DSD Check In- Week One

My husband and I have been on the 21 Day Sugar Detox for five days now and I will be honest with you, we haven't been perfect.  If you want perfection, well you might want to read another blog.  

I am not supposed to be eating honey but I use honey daily for my allergies.  After a morning of sneezing I caved and went back to my normal teaspoon of honey with peppermint, lemon, and lavender.  

Other than that, things have gone really well.  I have been able to keep cravings at bay and honestly, I keep waiting to go crazy for an ice cream binge but it hasn't happened.  

The book has a lot of recipes and I have used some of those as well as some that I already had.  

All of the recipes have been delicious!  My kids have even gone back for seconds several times.  

Here is a recipe for you to try out.

  

Yummy Veggie Fritatta

12 ounce package of bacon

2 squash or zuchinni 

3 cups spinach, kale, or mixture of both

1 teaspoon of ground mustard

1 teaspoon cumin

salt to taste

1 cup coconut milk (full fat)

9 eggs

Preheat oven to 425.  Cook bacon.  Add diced squash.  Once the squash is cooked add the spinach.  Whisk together milk and eggs.  Add ground mustard, cumin, and salt.  Pour eggs into pan with everything else and then place in the oven.  Cook for 10-20 minutes or until everything is set. 

Orange Honey Salmon

The other night my kids were hungry, I was tired, and I just wanted to make something quick and healthy.  I had salmon thawed but didn't have the stuff on hand that I normally cook it with so I decided to improvise and pray for the best.  I remember my aunt saying that you always need a sweet something to go on salmon so I grabbed some honey and drizzled it on top (don't drown it, just drizzle it!) and cut two oranges and poured the juice from the oranges onto the salmon.  I tossed it in a 425 degree oven and cooked it for fifteen minutes or so.  You want to cook it just until the thickest side of the salmon easily flakes with a fork. 

While my salmon cooked I took some green beans and diced mushrooms and three cloves of minced garlic and quickly sauteed them in a pan with some melted butter.  Butter, NOT margarine!  You want those good fats in your diet and the flavor is amazing.  I finished them off with some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.  

In another pan I had a bag of frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) steaming.  I finished those off with salt, pepper, and melted butter when they were done.  

This took me fifteen minutes to get on the table and each and every one of my kids had seconds.  In fact the next morning they asked if I would make it for breakfast! 

Ham and Egg Cups

We've been getting a stockpile of eggs from the chickens lately, so I figured the eggs needed to be used up quickly ;)

This is one of my kids favorite meals.  Probably because they get to eat them with their fingers.

Ingredients:

12 pieces lunch meat- I use nitrate free

8 eggs

a splash of milk

shredded cheese

Place 1 slice of lunch meat in a muffin tin (use them like cupcake liners)

Beat eggs with a bit of milk for extra fluffiness

Pour eggs into the lunch meat liners

Sprinkle with cheese

Bake at 350* until firm- about 30 minutes

Remove from pan and enjoy!

You can add any type of seasoning to the eggs that you like.  I've added a bit of Dijon mustard, garlic salt, Italian seasoning...  The sky is the limit for seasoning =)

Quinoa Stuffing

For Christmas, I was looking for some gluten free stuffing options.  When I came across a recipe for quinoa and wild rice, I knew I had found the recipe.

But, I had to make some changes to it to make it more like a traditional stuffing =)

What follows is my version, with some help from my mother- in- love.

Bring to a boil:

3 cups veggie broth

1 cup wild rice blend

Let cook about 30- 35 minutes then add in:

1 cup quinoa

While the above is cooking, brown:

1lb pork sausage

1 red onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

Mix the meat and rice together and stir in:

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup dried cranberries

1 apple, chopped

Place in a casserole pan and bake at 350* for 35 minutes.



Italian Salmon and Shrimp Spaghetti

The other night I had salmon on the menu.  The problem is I only had a small salmon and my kids have decided to eat EVERYTHING in sight.  Seriously, three boys going through growth spurts; imagine locusts if you don't have know what I'm talking about.  

I decided to thaw out the pound of shrimp that I had in the freezer and I would just kind of "wing it" when it came to dinner.  Yes, this is how I cook!  I try to plan out our meals but it is a very loose menu plan.  

I set the timer on my phone to go off at 4 to get the Spaghetti Squash roasting in the oven.  This is our family's answer to pasta, we all love it.  I literally put the whole thing in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees.  Once you can poke a fork in it it is done.  I've been told that you can also put it in the slow cooker but I haven't tried that yet.  

Once my squash was done I seasoned the salmon with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper and tossed it into the oven at 375.  Once it easily flakes it is done, takes about fifteen minutes.

 

I then, took out a tablespoon of ghee (you can also use butter) along with a diced onion, couple cloves of garlic, and some frozen broccoli.  I sauteed that until it was almost done and then added my peeled shrimp and my shredded Spaghetti squash.  Once the shrimp was pink I added a couple of sprinkles of Italian seasoning.  Shrimp cooks extremely fast so make sure you don't overcook it, then it's rubbery and gross.

Three out of my four kids had seconds (or thirds) so I would call that a success.  Besides the roasting of the squash dinner was done in fifteen minutes!

Apple Clafouti

Here's another easy and good for you dessert.  It's gluten free and kid approved =)

Clafouti (claw- foo- tee) is traditionally made with cherries, but you can use any in- season fruit that you want to.  Claufouti's are not quite a custard, not quite a cake that is delicious for dessert, but can be enjoyed for breakfast as well.

Ingredients:

3 cups fruit
2-4 Tbsp maple syrup
1 cup whole milk
1 cup half & half or cream
4 eggs
1/4 cup flour (I used a gluten free mix, but any type can be used)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Generously butter the bottom of a pan (or pie plate).
Place fruit in the bottom of the pan.
In a blender (or use a stick blender) blend the remaining ingredients for about 2 minutes.
Pour the batter over the fruit.
Bake at 375* for about 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let cool slightly, but it's best when served slightly warm.
Garnish with some cinnamon, a drizzle of heavy cream or whipped cream.

This recipe is so easy to make that my Girly whipped it up for dessert one night- with my help with the oven, of course.

Blueberry Sweet Potato

This year my family and I have become enamored with the sweet potato.  We have been eating them for breakfast four to six times a week and sometimes we have had them for lunch or dinner too.
I came across this recipe for a blueberry stuffed sweet potato and had to try it!  The day that I decided to make it I didn't have all of the ingredients so came up with this. 

Blueberry Breakfast Hash

3 Sweet Potatoes
2 Cups Blueberries
1-1.5 lbs Ground Meat
1 tsp Cinnamon
6 Eggs
 Ghee or Butter for cooking
Salt
Pepper

Peel and dice sweet potatoes.  Add ground beef, sweet potatoes, and cinnamon to a skillet and cook until meat is cooked through and sweet potatoes are tender.  Add blueberries and cover to cook .  In a separate pan fry eggs and top the hash with the fried egg.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

"Pork Fried Rice"

Monday night found me craving some takeout Chinese food.  It also found me out of rice and I didn't have time to run to the store.  I have read about "Cauli-rice" but really didn't want to try it because I am not a big cauliflower fan (unless it's roasted and then I can eat a whole pan of it).  However, I decided to give it a try because I was too lazy to go to the store, ummm I mean I didn't have "time" to run to the store.  

For the Cauli-rice:

1 head of cauliflower coarsely chopped

Place in a pot and cover with water, cook until done.  

Using a fork crumble or shred apart to resemble rice (optional)

Melt a teaspoon of Ghee, Coconut Oil, or other oil of choice in a pan and saute cauliflower for one minute.

Add 1 teaspoon of coconut aminos and cover to keep warm. 

For the Pork:

Cut 6-8 thin sliced pork chops into bite sized pieces

Dice 1 onion

Thinly slice 2 stalks of celery, 2 carrots, and 1 bell pepper (any color), and a couple cloves of garlic

Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a skillet or wok

Toss in all of the above items and begin to cook

Add 6-8 dashes of fish oil, half a teaspoon of coconut aminos, and some pepper

Finish cooking until pork is cooked thoroughly

Mix in the Cauli Rice or serve on top of the rice

****You can always add in mixed veggies from a bag, broccoli, green beans, or any other veggies you have on hand.  You can also do other meats like fish, chicken, or steak********

I wanted to take a picture of this but my kids ate it too quickly, sorry for you but yea for me!  

Let me know how it turns out for you.  

Beans and Rice

Almost done with the series, and I'm finally getting around to a recipe.  This one is so easy and good for you!

I cook my own beans, because I like to mix different ones together.  But you can buy (and thoroughly rinse!) whatever canned beans you prefer.  Just be careful, because canned kidney beans often contain added sugar.

You will need:

1/4 c dried black beans

1/4 c dried pinto beans

1/4 c dried kidney beans

1/4 c dried great northern beans

1 c brown rice

1 jar of your favorite salsa (again, watch the ingredients!)

Optional toppings:

shredded cheese

sour cream

diced avocado

diced green onions

diced jalapenos

It's best to soak your beans overnight before you cook them.  But, if you're like me, you'll forget about it and wait until the last minute to start cooking the beans.

Bring the beans to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for a couple hours until the beans are tender.  Make sure you keep an eye on them, or you'll end up cooking all the water out and burning your beans (ahem).  Or, if you remembered to soak them overnight, just put them in the crock pot with enough water to cover them a couple inches cook on low all day or on high for about 4-5 hrs.

While the beans are cooking, cook your rice.

Once the beans are done, drain them.  Mix them in with the rice and add the salsa.  You can stop here and serve the beans and rice, or you can put it in a pan, cover with cheese and bake in a 350* oven until the cheese is bubbly.  I'm skipping the oven part this time, because I don't need to heat up the camper ;)

When serving, let everyone top with their favorite toppings.  

Cooking things in the crock pot is a great way to go in the summer.  It allows you to put supper in in the morning before you get busy with everything and it doesn't add a lot of heat to the house.  You can even set it outside to cook if you're short on space =)

Going Gluten Free- Part 4

This was, and still is, the hardest part for me.  Playing with gluten free baking ingredients.  

I'm going to be really honest with you here; I struggle with trying new foods.  I like the foods and textures that I grew up eating.  All of these other things and textures kind of scared me!  

However, I wasn't going to show that fear to my kids.  I slapped on a smile and bought a small fortune of baking ingredients.  

I decided that the easiest thing to do would be to find one or two recipes and play around in the kitchen a few days a week.  I firmly believe that treats are just that, treats, and so we only have them in the house once or twice a month.  However, I did not want to be scrambling around at the last minute if I needed a special dish!

I went to Google and found a banana bread recipe and a brownie recipe.  These are our two favorites so I wanted to have a good recipe for both.  

Well the banana bread came out "okay" but the brownies were a disaster! 

I have actually not really found a brownie recipe that we love but I will keep hunting until I do. 

 I have really learned to experiment more in the kitchen and accept failure as it comes, and trust me I have made some seriously nasty stuff.  However, I have actually made some delicious dishes as well! 

Next week I will share our favorite gluten free desert with you!

Kam's Story

 
My firstborn, Kamron, was born in April of 2005.
He was the first grandchild on both sides of the family and to my husband and I, he was perfection.
When Kamron was three he was diagnosed with Asthma.  We had already spent most of his life talking to the pediatrician about food allergies but hadn't had him tested because we were told that he would outgrow them.  He also had Eczema and some mood swings. 
Finally when he was five I pushed and had him tested for allergies.  We went to a specialist and did the back scratch test.  He was found to be allergic to every tree and grass near us as well as soy.  (The only food on the test was soy, milk, and eggs.)  I honestly didn't think that the soy would be that big of a deal to take him off of...and then I looked at the back of every cracker package at the store...and I may or may not have cried in the middle of the snack aisle at the grocery store. 
After a month of really watching what my son ate and keeping him on allergy medicine Kamron wasn't having serious outbreaks.  He was occasionally having random asthma attacks and so the allergist and I talked about testing him for other food allergies but the allergist said it would be better to do an elimination diet.  I was gearing up to start playing with his diet but Kamron, ever the firstborn, took matters into his own hands...
He collapsed in the middle of PetCo and was rushed to Children's Hospital via ambulance.  No parent can describe the feeling of helplessness as she watches her child struggle to stay coherent in an ambulance flying down the highway.  As I sat in the hospital praying for my son waiting for my husband to arrive I just knew that he had cancer or some other life threatening illness.  Instead I found out that the ER Physician had no answers for me except that it was not cancer or many other illnesses that he was tested for.
The next day we went to our family doctor and found out that Kamron had a small heart murmur that he would outgrow but he had an irregular heartbeat.  We went on to see two child cardiologists  and had a follow up with the allergist.  In a nutshell, Kamron's asthma and different allergies caused his heart to beat erratically and make him pass out.
From several different books I read we decided to first go off of wheat.  After a month I had a different child!  He could play without getting seriously exhausted, he was not as moody, and his Eczema was clearer!
The next thing I did was to slowly wean him off of processed sugar and artificial dyes.  This was honestly a little bit harder and something we all struggle with, however the end result was well worth it.  I was able to take him off of his allergy medicine and he did not get sick during Spring in Texas!!!  
I am not saying that taking your children off of soy, gluten, processed sugars, and artificial dyes will heal your kids problems but I would definitely try it!

NOTHING IN THIS BLOG POST SHOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF SEEING A MEDICAL DOCTOR! 
***Picture is courtesy of Oh My! Photography***

Going Gluten Free- Part 3

So here we are on week three. 

 At this point I was feeling pretty good.  We weren't eating bread or lots of pasta.  My kids were acting a LOT better and Kam was rarely having asthma attacks.  I was feeling great and was no longer having Hypoglycemic episodes (yay for unexpected side effects!). 

 Then I stumbled across this thread about finding gluten free canned tomatoes.  "Huh, wait WHAT?!?"  Yes, apparently gluten is in all kinds of stuff you would never even think about.  In fact, the body wash I buy is gluten free.  I didn't originally buy it because it was gluten free, I bought it because I like it and it smells good; but whatever that isn't even my point.  Maybe I should get back to the point...

So, yes gluten is a slippery little devil and is all over the place.  Your decision is to decide how gluten free you want to be.  We are 90% gluten free, sometimes more so and sometimes less.  With Kamron I am more like 99.99% because a non GF Kamron is not a good thing.  So I did some research and have become a label reader when I buy packaged foods and I buy the gluten free canned tomatoes, and the gluten free barbecue sauce, and the gluten free whatever else I find.  

Here's the thing though, just because it is gluten free doesn't mean that the other ingredients are healthy.  You need to know what is in your food or decide what you want to make yourself.  I have chosen to make a lot of our food from scratch, more on that next week!

Do you have any gluten free tips?

Kicking Gluten Out- Part Two

As I shared in last weeks article my family is gluten free.  I slowly weaned us off of gluten and prayed the whole time that we wouldn't see a difference because I LOVE bread, seriously I LOVE it and the gluten free varieties that I have made or bought were gross with a capital G.  Well, of course just with the minor changes I had made during week one we were all feeling pretty good!

So on week two I cut out the rest of the bread consumption.  I knew this would be a hard week for me.  I think that sandwiches are the best and really looked forward to the day that we had them.  Meat and cheese roll ups are okay but honestly there is nothing better than a grilled turkey and Swiss with tomato and avocado on Rye, really there isn't!

So, there is no every other day off of bread.  There is no emergency pizza delivery. 

I have to work really hard at planning our meals this week.  I have to have more than just meat and cheese roll ups.  I can not get so engrossed in a book and forget to start dinner until 5:30 and need to be somewhere at 6 (please tell me that you do this too!). 

So the first thing that I did was set a timer on my phone to go off at four so I would go in and start dinner.

Then, I went to work at making sure there were leftovers for lunch the next day. 

I also found the joy of lettuce wraps.  We all really like lettuce wraps!

I also designed the "Apple Sandwich", it is super easy and I LOVE it!  Cut an apple into circles; smear peanut butter on it and slap two circles together; voila' sandwich!!!

Last, I started playing around with bread recipes I found on Pinterest, blogs, forums, etc.  

Maybe I'm picky (there's no maybe about it, I am) but I just really don't care for gluten free bread.  If you have found a recipe that you love, great; if not, that's okay too.  

We are happy here without our bread.

I have also found and tweaked several baked good  recipes, so we all still get our treats and nobody feels deprived.  I really think that that was the kicker.  It wasn't that we "couldn't" have cake, brownies, etc it was just that we had to have our own special one.  There was nothing "off limits."

What about you, have you gone gluten free?  Are you in the midst of going gluten free?  Do you have a tip to share?

Kicking Gluten Out

I am sure that you have noticed multiple people are going gluten free.  Personally, I know of over ten friends that are currently going gluten free this week!  When gluten first became the hot topic discussion, I swore to my husband that there was no way I was giving up my bread, crackers, pasta, etc!  Enter our firstborn, the one with food allergies, the one who constantly makes me eat my words; do you have one like that too?  I want to preface this by stating that Kamron was not diagnosed with Celiac's, a gluten allergy, or a gluten intolerance by a certified doctor.  I also suggest that you talk to a doctor or dietician before embarking on any special diet, these are things that have worked for me and my family and may not work for you.  Kamron was diagnosed with a serious soy allergy and so we were playing around with his diet and I was talking with a friend that had several years experience in dealing with food allergies and intolerance.  She suggested that I look into limiting or eliminating gluten to see if it would help Kamron's asthma.  Honestly, this terrified me because I had no idea on where to start!  I knew that we could not just cut it all out immediately; I would have some serious backlash from the kids and I was pregnant so the last thing I needed was angry kids and intense cravings to deal with.  

The first thing we did was switch from eating pasta to rice.  I know that there are a lot of gluten free pastas and we tried those.  Honestly, the only one we like is the Ancient Grains Quinoa Pasta.  However, I really struggle to drop 3-4 dollars a box on pasta (and I need two boxes for a meal).  I do buy that for a treat about once a month when I make macaroni and cheese though.  

I also introduced the meat and cheese roll up for lunch.  We ate a LOT of bread so every other day I would nix the bread and we would eat lunch meat wrapped in cheese.  I didn't look for a substitute for this.  I made it out as a new recipe so that it would seem exciting to the boys.  Honestly, they fell for it and it didn't seem like a big deal to them.

With these two changes under my belt I noticed that I was feeling better!  This wasn't even for me and I was reaping some benefits.  On top of that Kamron's asthma wasn't as severe and his attitude was calmer.  That was the convincing that I needed to continue on to going gluten free.  I will share some more easy ways to kick the gluten next week.

If you would like to do some reading on what gluten is and the signs of gluten intolerance I would suggest starting here.