Eat Freely: A Food Allergy Struggle

I know, I know, I suck at updating. I promise this post will make up for it!
On the plus side, my early summer class is over. Now I'm in a practicum. So far I have worked quite a few VERY early shifts at my school's bakery. I am learning quite a few skills to aid in my baking. For instance, I successfully iced my first cake today! I can't wait to show you guys my skills!

I have a few things I want to tell you before I get started on the recipe posting.

First of all, I've started a natural allergy elimination program called NAET. It's quite hard to explain but it involves kinesiology, muscle testing, and energy pathways. I'm only a few sessions in so it's tough to know if it's working. But I definitely feel something. I will keep you guys updated on it.

Second of all, MTV's True Life did an episode called "I'm Allergic To Everything." In the episode, the boy Zeke had my condition, Eosinophilic Esophagitis. I love that MTV is spreading the word on allergic conditions. It's already raised so much awareness. The girl, Raelyn, has idiopathic anaphylaxis, which is when reactions aren't triggered by specific foods. She actually participates in the same treatment I am, NAET. To watch the full episode, read a summary, or watch a recap, check out this website.

Third of all, my blog is now launched in a mobile version! Check it out on your cellphones and tell me what you think!

Fourth of all, if any of you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, I stumbled upon a little information in the Vitamin Shoppe's magazine, Amazing Wellness. If you have allergies and are trying to prevent your baby from having them as well, I have a few tips for you. I read that to strengthen your baby's immune system during childhood and adulthood, breast feed exclusively for 6 months. It protects a baby for at least 12 months. It also says that digestive problems, allergies, and infections are common. I also read that taking Vitamin D while pregnant decreases infections and allergies in babies. So try out that Vitamin D and take some prenatal supplements such as DHA and a multivitamin.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.
After wandering the cooking isle at Hobby Lobby (did you know they had one!?), I discovered a donut pan. I decided to hold off and make sure I wanted it. Well, I sure did. I went back for the pan and got to baking all types of donuts. I tried glazed, chocolate, and cinnamon sugar. They were AWESOME! So here is the recipe. Feel free to bake them if you have a donut pan, but personally, I think frying tastes better!

This recipe comes from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna. It's pretty awesome.


Donuts: Dairy, egg, soy, nut, fish, and wheat/gluten free.

Makes 12.

• 1/3 cup melted refined coconut oil or canola oil
• 1 cup vegan sugar
• 3/4 cup white or brown rice flour
• 1/3 cup garbanzo and fava bean flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup arrowroot (or tapioca if you don't have any)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (about one applesauce cup)
• 1/4 cup vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot water



Glazed and Chocolate


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Brush 2 six-mold donut trays with coconut/canola oil and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flours, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda.
3. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla, and hot water and continue mixing with a rubber spatula just until the ingredients are combined.
4. Using a melon-baller or tablespoon, drop 2 1/2 teablespoons of batter into each donut mold. Using a toothpick, spread the batter evently around the mold.
5. Bake for 8 minutes, rotate, and continue to bake until the donuts are golden brown, about 7 minutes more. Let cool in the molds for 5 minutes if sprinkling with toppings such as cinnamon sugar, or 15 minutes if using glaze or icing. Run a knife around the donuts in the molds, lift them out, and place them on a baking sheet. Coat them in your choice of topping.

Hello! I am THE worst at updating this blog!
I kept starting this post but something kept coming up.
AND I got a nasty stomach bug that kept me close to the toilet for a few days. It was not fun!

But I wanted to do this post last week.
The week of May 15-21 was:
National Eosinophil Awareness Week!

Hey all!
As promised, I'm here to tell you about my allergy test results. I was tested for a number of fish, shellfish, tree nuts, seeds, citrus fruits, beans, spices, and vegetables. I'm happy (and sad) to say that I didn't react to ANY of them! Which is good and bad. Good because I don't have to eliminate any more foods. On the bad side, I am still having reactions and we're not sure why. It could be slightly due to my seasonal allergies or some other hidden food allergy. I've noticed that I hurt after chips and salsa, but I'm not sure what I could be allergic to in them (I've been tested for corn, tomatoes, and onions already). So I'm just gonna stay away from that and see how I feel.

So as some of you know, this coming week is Food Allergy Awareness Week. Even less of you know that the week after is National Eosinophilic Awareness Week aka NAEW.
If you have read my introduction and Attack of the Peas post, then you'll know that I suffer from Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Now what the heck is that? It is an immune disorder similar to an allergy. When I eat foods I'm allergic to, eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, build up in my esophagus. They cause it to become inflamed which causes a lot of pain. Then it becomes too inflamed and I have a muscle spasm. But for other people with EE, this is the least of their problems. A lot of kids are allergic to almost every food and some kids have such severe dysphagia, which means their esophagus is so rigid and tight, that they can't even swallow anything. Many kids with EE survive on purely a feeding tube. This disease is so new that doctors don't understand it yet. They don't know what causes it, why only some people get it, or how to fix it. There is no cure or even a treatment. Most kids like me are on an inhaled corticosteriod for ASTHMA that they have to somehow "swallow." It's incredibly stressful and upsetting. So during NEAW I'm going to be spreading awareness and I hope you will too. I'm going to be updating what I'm doing and sharing some stories of other people with EE. I hope you will all better understand EE and be more sympatheic for children with disorders such as ours.

Has anyone heard of or tried NAET (an allergy elimination technique)? My coworker has a number of food allergies and has participated in NAET and is pretty much cured. I am wondering if anyone else has tried it or even if it would work in people with EE. I'd love to have your feedback on this or any other technique!  Because I can't imagine living my whole life in pain every day while still having to avoid all these delicious foods.

Last but not least, I made an alternative to Recess peanut butter cups! I was at Hobby Lobby and stumbled upon the best cooking aisle ever! I found peanut butter cup candy molds and was ecstatic! They're easy and super delicious.
I tried two different versions. One was with almond butter and the other was with sunflower seed butter. I've gotta admit that the sunflower seed butter was better but they were both delicious.

Butter cups: Dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, fish, and gluten/wheat free.
 It can be tree nut free too depending on the filling used.

Ingredients:

• Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips (or the rice milk chocolate bars) - about a cup depending on how many you want to make
• Almond Butter - about 1/3 cupOR
• Sunbutter or other sunflower seed butter - about 1/3 cupOR
• another "butter" of your choice - about 1/3 cup

Left: before filling. Right: after filling

1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave using a microwave safe bowl.
2. Transfer some chocolate into the mold. I used a brush/glazer and a spoon. Coat the bottom of the mold about 1/4 cm thick. Make sure to get the sides too.
3. Freeze for 3-5 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. If the sides are too thin still, they will fall apart when you're removing the chocolates. So coat the sides again and freeze them again.
4. Spoon a small amount of the "butter" into the center of the molds. Make sure you leave enough room for the chocolate topping, about 3 mm from the top.
5. Transfer melted chocolate to fill the cups to the top.
6. Freeze for about 15 minutes.
7. Remove from molds and eat!

Hey all!!

Once again, another year of school is coming to an end. I apologize once more for not updating regularly. I am a full time college student and I have a job and boyfriend on the side so I don't have much free time. BUT... this year is almost over! I have a few finals and papers due this week and next week is finals week. Then I have summer classes through mid-June and a practicum/internship all summer along with my job. But I will have much more free time this summer!

I don't exactly have time right now to post a recipe but I just wanted to update you guys!

I have an appointment with my gastroenterologist tomorrow and an appointment with an allergist Tuesday. I am still having slight reactions so I'm going to have another allergy test. I mean, what allergist doesn't test for fish, shellfish, and tree nuts!? Those are three of the top eight allergens! Anyways, I will be on in a few days to let you know how it goes!

Also, has anyone tried Namaste foods? They're amazing! All of their products are gluten, wheat, soy, potato, corn, dairy, casein, tree nuts, and peanut free. They're also Kosher, have no genetically modified foods, and are made in a dedicated allergy free facility. I've had the pleasure of tasting all their pastas and they are awesome! I haven't tried any of their baked goods yet though because they require eggs, but I am going to try them with an egg replacer. I'll let you guys know how those are too.

Also, check out Cybele Pascal's website. I love love love the two books she's published and she periodically posts recipes. I am also featured on one of her posts (4/22/11)!

Hey everyone!

Guess what!?? When you Google "flourless chicken tenders" my blog is the #1 top link out of 31,900 results! It totally made my day. So THANK YOU to every reader. And please please please give me feedback!

So this is my first ever recipe modification! What I did was I took a normal recipe and adapted it for food allergies.



Ming's Cupcake

• 1 cup mashed bananas (I think it's about 3 bananas)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (I used a tablespoon of maple syrup instead)
• 1 1/2 cup flour (I used the mix that I always use: 6 cups = 2 cups brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cup potato starch, 2/3 cup tapioca flour/starch or you could use arrowroot powder if you can't have tapioca. Because it's gluten free you'll need about 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 stick butter (I used Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread)
• 1 cup sugar (I used cane sugar)
• 1 jumbo egg (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of Ener-G's Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons of rice milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (just used 3/4 cup rice milk)
• (I decided to add in some nutmeg and cinnamon too. I just added it until I liked how it tasted. Probably about 1/2 teaspoon each... possibly close to 1 teaspoon each)

• 1 stick butter (I used 1/2 cup of Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread)
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar (I used powdered cane sugar)
• 1/4 cup milk (I used rice milk)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (make sure it's the real stuff!)
• (I also added in some nutmeg and cinnamon to the icing. The nutmeg was a must!)

1. (It doesn't include it in the directions, but PREHEAT!)
2. In a small bowl, combine bananas and lemon juice (or in my case the maple syrup).
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in egg (or egg replacer mixture) and vanilla.
6. Add flour mixture and buttermilk (I just used rice milk) alternately while mixing.
7. Beat in bananas and mix until well blended.
8. Bake at 275 degrees F for one hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. After removing from oven, place in freezer for a half hour (not necessary).

1. In a saucepan, melt butter at medium temperature until golden-brown (or you could just do this in a microwave).
2. In a bowl, add butter to sugar, then add milk and syrup. Beat until smooth.
3. Top with bananas and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Hey everyone!

Once again, I know it's been awhile. But once you hear why I'm sure you'll forgive me.

I had a freaking allergy attack!
Not just slight pain, but a full blown reaction.

If you didn't read my first post about my disease, I'll give you a little background. I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, which means that I have an overabundance of eosinophils, a type of white blood cells, in my esophagus. When I eat something I am allergic to, they see that food being harmful and swarm my esophagus to fight it off. My esophagus becomes inflamed (part of an immune response. Have you noticed that when you have cuts, they become inflamed?). Then when it becomes too inflamed, I have an esophagus spasm (I only recently learned this).
So Wednesday night rolls around and I'm starting to get that dreaded "heartburn" sensation. I thought that I'd be able to sleep off the pain, but it got too bad. Then I had an "allergy attack" which I call my muscle spasms. I feel an incredible pain in my upper abdomenal region. It feels like my esophagus is tightening and loosening, which I suppose it is. It causes all of my muscles to become tensed to the point where I have trouble breathing and my back aches.
Anyways, this went on for 2 1/2 hours before I decided I couldn't take it anymore. So around 2:30 AM, my two AMAZING roommates drove me to the emergency room. There they asked me a ton of questions for over an hour then finally give me morphine. They ran a bunch of tests to make sure it wasn't something else (Tested for: white and red blood cell count, cardiograph, chest xray, electrolytes, and kidney function). All of those came back with normal. Then around 5:30 AM we finally got to leave, me all hopped up on two doses of morphine with a bag of Percocet in my pocket and my roommates falling asleep (Did I mention how much I love my roommates!?)

THEN.... I HAD ANOTHER SPASM!
Later that day on Thursday, I decided I could make it to my noon class after having missed my first three classes. As I was headed to school, I started getting that "heartburn" and tightness feeling. It started getting worse so I left right before class started. I got home and had another freaking attack. My boyfriend rushed over and helped me figure out what to do. I took the Percocet for pain but it didn't kick in for over an hour. Ryan and I called my doctor and my parents and considered taking me back to the ER. Fortunately, I started feeling better. I made an appointment with my gastroenterologist for the following day, which was great. Anyways, so my pain died down, though it just felt numbed. My pain was gone but I couldn't eat anything or hold anything down. I was so nauseous and my esophagus was so tight I could barely even swallow my pills. But it all worked out.

So that Friday I went to my gastroenterologist who informed me that I was having muscle spasms. He gave me GI tract muscle relaxers for me to take if/when (which is hopefully never) I have another spasm. He also put me on a corticosteroid, which is pretty much an asthma inhaler in which I have to "swallow" the air. Seems sketchy to me but it works, though it makes my voice hoarse.

So what now?
Who knows... My disease is so new that they don't know very much about it. I think my next step is to make an appointment with my allergist to be tested for the things I wasn't tested for before (such as tree nuts, fish, and shellfish which are 3 of the top 8 most common food allergies). Then we'll see where I go from there.




Now, on a lighter note, my world was changed a few weeks ago.
I picked up a copy of Living Without, which is a food allergy magazine, and opened up to an article all about EE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis)! It talked all about it and about the people that have it. There are children that have so much trouble swallowing that they have to have feeding tubes! I'm so lucky that I don't have to deal with that. My case seems to be pretty unique in that I have the severe pains and muscle spasms. The most common symptom is trouble swallowing, which I don't have that huge of a problem with. Anyways, my life changed because I found out that there is a program right here in Colorado for EE! In Denver, only an hour from where I live. I also found out that they are doing research for it at University of Colorado in Denver! I decided right then and there that that's what I want to do in my future. Previously, I devoted my life to those with food allergies, but now I'd like to specialize in EE. I feel that I'd probably have to go to medical school for gastroenterology so we'll see what happens. Either way, I still want to deal with food allergies or the immune system. I actually emailed the program coordinator to see if there was anything I could do, including volunteer or intern. My hopes are set high but I can imagine it would be tough to get into.


Anyways, so that's what I've been up to.

Also, I was thinking about having a blogging buddy! My friend Val has been very interested in allergy free foods and always runs up to me telling me she made something without SOME PP (The acronym they came up with for my allergies: Soy Oats Milk Eggs Peanuts Peas). I brought up the idea that she could share the blog with me. She loves cooking and I love baking, so it would work out well. It may or may not happen, but I just wanted to give a heads up!

I'm going to try to post a recipe soon. It's a really good one, but I ended up writing more on this post than I thought I would and it's quite late.

But let me know if any of you have any questions or have heard about EE or someone that has it!

-Michelle

Hey everyone! Guess what? I finally got a mixer!
My wonderful parents bought me a stand mixer and breadmaker for my birthday! So now I'm back up and running; sorry for the delay!
I've also gotten about 5 more cookbooks since the last post.

Today I'm posting Fettuccine Alfredo from Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger. It's a great book for picky eaters like me.

Also, I didn't realize I spilled flour/starch everywhere until after I took the picture. Whoops!

Fettuccine Alfredo: Dairy, egg, soy, nut, fish, shellfish, and gluten/wheat free.

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients:

• Two 8-ounce boxes fettuccine or penne pasta (I only used one)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon or desired amount of fresh chopped garlic
• 1 cup alternative milk beverage (I used rice milk)
• 4 teaspoons corn, tapioca, or arrowroot starch
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (Mine was dried)

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, stirring frequently to ensure even cooking. Strain noodles and rinse with cold water.
2. While noodles are cooking, heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the garlic. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk alternative and starch. Pour into the saucepan with the sauteed garlic and oil; bring to a boil over medium heat until thickened.
3. Rinse noodles with hot water and strain into a bowl. Pour warm sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley or chives.

Hey all! Once again, I'm sorry I haven't been able to post a recipe! I've been doing midterms and working a ton. AND MY MIXER BROKE!
And my boyfriend and I's one year anniversary was a week ago. Also, my 21st birthday is this Wednesday! [Not making excuses or anything, just pointing out how busy I've been!]

Today I'm posting Golden Agave Cupcakes from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal. You can use it with any icing, but I was out of confectioner's sugar so I made the Rice Milk Chocolate Ganache. My roomates and I also tried them with just agave nectar or honey on top and those were even better than the ganache!

Golden Agave Cupcakes: Dairy, eggs, soy, nut, fish, and wheat/gluten free!

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup rice milk
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix (6 cups=4 cups brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cups potato starch, 2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening (I like Spectrum's)
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
2. Combine the rice milk and cider vinegar. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes more, or until combined.
5. Sift in the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the rice milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Fill the liners about half full.
6. Bake in the center of the oven for 18 minutes, or until a lovely golden color, rotating the pan halfway through.
7. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

• 4 Enjoy Life Rice Milk Boom Choco Boom bars or 1 cup dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life "chocolate" chips)
• 1/4 cup rice milk
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar (or maple syrup)
• Pinch of salt

1. Chop the chocolate bars into small pieces using a serrated knife (if you use them).
2. Bring the rice milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate, agave nectar, and salt.
3. Whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Let cool to room temperature before spreading or drizzling on cupcakes.

Ever since I was a kid, one of my favorite cookies has been chocolate thumbprint cookies, which are sugar cookies with the Hershey kiss pressed in the center. Finding out I had food allergies was hard, knowing I had to eliminate chocolate... until I discovered Enjoy Life's rice milk chocolate. So these are a classic twist on the original Hershey kiss ones. Still a sugar cookie but with and indentation for melted chocolate in the center.

This recipe is from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal, which is actually my handbook. I love love love it.

I also wanted to know what you guys thought of my "What I Used" section in each recipe, the one where I list the brands I used. Is it useful or pointless? I include the pictures of the ingredients I use, so is that enough? It just takes forever to type it all out. Just let me know what you guys think.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies: Dairy, eggs, soy, nut, fish, and wheat/gluten free.

Makes 24 2-inch cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix (6 cups = 4 cups brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cups potato starch, 2/3 cup tapioca flour/starch)
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 1 tablespoon rice milk
• 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon rice milk
• 1/2 cup dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips (Try Enjoy Life)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or cooking spray).
2. Whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, mixing on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and egg replacer. Mix for 20 seconds.
4. Add the flour mixture to the creamed batter in three batches, alternating with the rice milk, mixing on low speed and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. Scoop out the dough by 2 teaspoonfuls and place on the baking sheets, 12 per sheet. Wet your hands with a little water and roll the doll into balls.

6. Bake in the center of the oven for 5 minutes. Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and melt. This will take about 1 minute; check the chips halfway through and stir. Once the chips are melted, set them aside.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven. Wet your thumb with cool water and, working quickly, make thumbprint marks in the center of each cookie. Fill the thumbprints with 1/2 teaspoon of melted chocolate.
8. Return the cookies to the oven and bake an additional 5 to 6 minutes, or until set.
9. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a cooling rack.

Hey all! I wanted to say thank you so much for everyone's support, and if you know anyone with food allergies or just anyone who likes to bake/cook, send them my link!

I just figured out that I didn't have a follow button on my page! So it is now posted on the right or you can click the link in the previous sentence. You can also subscribe to me too.

Also, who knows a good gluten free bread? When I had my allergy test, I reacted to oats, though not enough to be considered allergic. But I started feeling kinda crummy so I've recently eliminated oats from my diet. Most gluten containing breads use oat flour and/or soy so I've switched to gluten free bread. And let me tell you.... it's disgusting! It's all crumbly, hard, and tiny pieces. So I was wondering if anyone has found a good one. I might have to start making my own!

Anyways, today I'm posting Curry Pork and Rice. I know a lot of my recipes involve baking and sugary foods. And well, being a nutrition major and baking is not a good thing. And I'm gaining weight! So I tried out cooking for a change. This recipe is from Allergy-Free Cookbook by many authors. It originally called for cauliflower couscous but I don't really like cauliflower so I used rice instead, but I'll post the cauliflower couscous if you want to make it. Also check out my Chicken Saltimbocca from this cookbook. Both of these recipes are amazing!

Pork Curry: Dairy, egg, soy, nut, fish, and wheat/gluten free.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds pork, cubed (boneless shoulder, loin, or chops)
• 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 large head cauliflower (optional)

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add curry powder and garlic; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes until garlic is golden.
2. Add pork; cook and stir 5 minutes or until pork is browned. Add bell pepper and vinegar; cook and stir 3 minutes or until bell pepper softens. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Add water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced and pork is tender, adding additional water as needed.

4. OPTIONAL: Meanwhile trim and core cauliflower; cut into equal pieces. Place in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process using on/off pulsing action until cauliflower is in small uniform pieces about the size of cooked couscous. Do not puree.
5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add cauliflower; cook and stir 5 minutes or until cooked crisp-tender. Do not overcook. Serve pork curry over cauliflower.
6. OPTIONAL: Instead of cauliflower I made rice. I just put desired amount of white rice into boiling water and cooked until desired texture.

Hello everyone! I seem to be starting off my posts with this statement a lot lately: I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long! I've been super busy with school.
Also, GET THIS... I turned on my laptop the other day and the cord just went up in flames! Scared the crap outta me! So that's also a reason I haven't posted, because I was cordless. But I'm up and running now.
But don't worry, I've still been cooking up a storm!

I also wanted to say thank you to everyone for your support! I'm up to 530 views as of today.

Today I'm posting a recipe for yummy cinnamon sugar muffins out of The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book by Kelly Rudnicki. It calls for all purpose flour but I used a gluten free flour mixture. I used 6 cups = 4 cups brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cups potato starch, and 2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour. You can also check out my replacements page for other gluten free mixes.

French Puff Muffins: Dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, fish, and wheat/gluten free.

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup dairy-free margarine
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (Gluten free: see previous paragraph)
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (if using gluten free flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup soy/rice/almond/hemp milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with dairy-free baking spray.
2. To make the muffins, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 2/3 cup margarine, water, and 1 cup sugar.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder with a wire whisk.
4. Add the flour mixture and "milk" to the margarine-sugar mixture by thirds, alternating between each addition.
5. Using a cookie scooper, place the batter into the prepared muffin pans.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until and inserted cake tester/toothpick comes out clean.
7. To make the topping, combine the 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl, and place the melted 1/2 cup margarine in a small bowl. Remove the muffins from the pan and dip each in margarine, and then roll each muffin top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Hello! Happy February everyone! Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so make some Red Velvet Cake or Chocolate Maple Cupcakes for your sweetie!

Or some of this Blueberry Boy Bait to reign in those boys you just don't quite have yet! It's so good they can't resist. Honestly, this cake-like thing was gone within an hour at my house. My roomate Taryn literally asked me every five minutes if it was done cooling yet. I swear, my roomates and I each had three large slices (and some sneaked bites).

This recipe is from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal.

Blueberry Boy Bait: Dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, fish, and gluten free!

Makes 8 servings in a 9 X 9 inch pan.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix (6 cups = 4 cups superfine brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cups potato starch, 2/3 cup tapioca flour/starch)
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 tablespoons rice milk
• 3/4 cup rice milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries tossed with 1 tablespoon Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 9-inch baking pan and sprinkle with a little gluten-free flour mix, tapping out any extra.
2. Whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until fluffy.
4. Add the egg replacer and mix for about 20 seconds.
5. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in one-third of the flour, mixing for 15 seconds.
6. Add half of the rice milk, mixing for 20 seconds.
7. Beat in half of the remaining flour, then the remaining rice milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
8. Add half of the batter to the pan, using a frosting spatula to spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with half of the blueberries. Top with the remaining batter, spreading it as evenly as possible across the blueberries. Top with the remaining blueberries, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
9. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour, until the cinnamon-sguar mixture has begun to caramelize and the top is golden. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes before turning out onto and serving platter (or just cut into pieces and serve out of the pan). Serve warm or at room temperature. This cake is even better on day two!

Hey everyone! I decided to make banana chocolate chip muffins! In this recipe, it calls for all purpose flour but you can substitute a gluten free mix. I tried the one from Cybele Pascal and it turned out great!

This recipe is from The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book by Kelly Rudnicki.

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins: Dairy, egg, soy, nut, fish, and gluten free.

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium bananas, mash
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup dairy-free margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup dairy-free buttermilk (1/2 cup soy or rice milk mixed with 1 teaspoon white vinegar; let sit for 5-10 minutes)
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used Cybele Pascal's gluten free mix: 6 cups = 4 cups superfine brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cups potato starch, 2/3 cup tapioca flour aka starch)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life rice milk bars chopped up)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with dairy-free baking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand imxer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the mashed banana, water, melted margarine, and buttermilk until well incorporated.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sguar, baking powder, and baking soda with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, and mix well. Stir in the mini chocolate chips, and divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and an inserted cake tester comes out clean.

Hello again! Sorry I haven't been posting recipes as much as I used to. I've been so super busy with school and work I haven't had time to sit down.
A few nights ago I decided to make chili and cornbread! Well I got lazy so my friend Taylor made the chili and I made the cornbread, so here's how it turned out:

The chili recipe is from the Better Homes New Cookbook and the corn muffins are from The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book by Kelly Rudnicki.

• 12 ounces ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 14-1/2 ounce can tomatoes, cut up
• 1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Other beans such as pinto (optional)

1. In a large saucepan cook ground beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender.
2. Drain fat.
3. Stir in undrained tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, and pepper.
4. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
5. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

• 1/4 cup dairy-free shortening, melted
• 1 1/2 cups dairy-free buttermilk (1 1/2 cups soy or rice milk mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar; let sit 5-10 minutes)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (Gluten free: Try a mix from any previous post)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with dairy-free baking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, thoroughle combine all ingredients. Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean.