Banana Blueberry Smoothie

One of my favorite breakfast treats is a smoothie.  This one was born out of a hurried morning, before rushing the kids off to school.  I had made my youngest two breakfast smoothies, but couldn't drink any of it because of the strawberries and yogurt that is in it.  So I came up with this one and it was delicious!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Banana Blueberry Smoothie

1/4 cup oatmeal
1/8 cup whole unbleached almonds
1/2 Tbsp. Flax Seed Meal
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
1/2 cup Lite Original Almond Milk
1/2 Tbsp. Raw Honey
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Frozen Blueberries
1 Frozen Banana, Peeled and Chunked
Handful of Ice Cubes

In a blender, add together the oatmeal, almonds, Flax Seed, and Cinnamon.  Blend together on high until the mixture resembles a fine meal.  If needed, turn the blender off, stir the mixture and blend again until you reach a desired texture.  Once you have a fine mixture, add in the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the Ice Cubes.  On high, blend together or pulsate until all the ingredients have been well incorporated.  Again, you may have to stop the blending process to stir the mixture before blending again, making sure to get your mixing spoon all the way to the bottom of the blender to stir in any oatmeal or almonds that have been left out.  After all the ingredients have been mixed together well, feel free to add in ice cubes and blend again....it makes for a thicker smoothie.  I like mine to be "milkshake" thick!  Bon Appetit!

Blueberry Shortcake

One of our favorite family treats is Strawberry Shortcake.  As a child I remember eating this for super as well as a dessert.  The dessert was my favorite!  A warm shortcake biscuit topped with ice cream, strawberries, and whipped cream!  YUM!  However, over time, as God led me through to freedom from food addictions, the dessert was put on a shelf, not to be revisited.  Eating it as a main course, though, continued as both my husband and I grew up eating it and loved it.  Over the years, as my food sensitivities have gotten stronger, I discovered that Strawberry Shortcake was really beginning to bother my stomach.  First it turned into substituting blueberries for strawberries and almond milk for regular milk, but it didn't take long before I realized that the biscuit itself was causing me issues.  I was excited to find that Bisquick made a gluten free mix and I used that for quite awhile.  Recently, though, I found that even this was causing me to feel sick, swell, and suffer from other side affects.  So, to the drawing board I went to make my own recipe.  I tried for the first time last week using a biscuit recipe online and substituting out the white flour for quinoa and spelt.  It was a complete failure and tasted awful.  I threw the whole thing out and, frustrated, ate the Bisquick biscuits I had made for the rest of the family......and got sick.  Anyway, fast forward to today.  I thought I would try again, accept this time, I would use my own recipe out of my own head.  I was a little skeptical, but was pleasantly surprised to find that this one was edible and even tasted good enough that I was tempted to go back for seconds!  I hope you find it just has yummy as I did!


Blueberry Shortcake

2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup almond flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. REAL vanilla
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
3 tbsp. raw honey
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup original lite almond milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix together dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients and pour into the dry ingredient mixture.  Mix together until well incorporated.  Drop 9 spoonful's onto a baking stone or baking sheet.  Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with blueberries, almond milk, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

A few notes:
I thought this turned out really well, however; I may sometime try using 3 cups of brown rice flour and not use spelt flour at all as well as bumping up the vanilla to 2 tsp.  If I do this, I will definitely let you know how it turns out!  Also, if cooked on a regular baking sheet instead of a stone, you may need to grease the pan with butter or a bit of oil to keep the biscuits from sticking.  I used stoneware and it worked really well.  Bon Appetit!

 

Here is the final product!

Meatloaf

My journey with food is one huge journey of substitution.  There is a HUGE list of things I cannot eat.  It seems longer than the list of ok food, although it really has more to do with the fact that it is the family style, country, comfort foods that I can't have.  Since these foods made up a large part of my life, it feels like I can't eat hardly anything anymore.  And that is where the substitution comes in, because in reality, there are a lot of foods I can eat.  I'm just not used to them or used to eating them.  So, on a daily basis, I am looking for ways to substitute what I once enjoyed with foods that settle and do not cause issues for me and still taste good.  I often do this with our evening meal, when I have the luxury of taking the time to cook.  I prefer not to make two meals, one for the rest of the family and one for me, though more often than not, that is what happens.  Once in a while, I will stumble across something that I can more easily substitute out that the whole family enjoys.  This meatloaf recipe is one of those in which I had an easier time swapping out ingredients AND it was approved by the family :)  In the original recipe it calls for ketchup and onion soup mix.  I have made it like that for years.  However, I am finding that the ingredients in ketchup do not always settle with me.  And, upon reading the ingredients in the onion soup mix, I quickly realized it is not beneficial for me either.  So, instead of ketchup, I have substituted out plain tomatoe juice and in place of the onion soup mix, I have simply put my own seasonings.

Meatloaf

2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup oatmeal
1/2 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. dried onion flakes
1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 eggs
2- 5.5 oz cans of tomato juice

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving 1 of the cans of tomato juice.  Mix together until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Shape into a rectangular loaf shape and place in a crockpot.  Pour the remaining can of tomato juice over the entire loaf.   Cook on medium heat for approximately 4-6 hours depending on how hot your crockpot cooks.  Enjoy!


A few notes:
I mix my ingredients together with my hands.  I find it more affective than using a spoon.  Also, another yummy add in would be a cup of shredded carrots.  Great way to get one more veggie incorporated :)  And last but not least, not everyone can eat beef.  I have not tried this yet, but I would venture a guess that using ground turkey would work just as well.  It tends to be a little drier as it doesn't contain the same amount of fat content as the beef, but you may be able to compensate for that by adding in an additional egg.  If you try this, let me know how it goes!  Bon Appetit!

Almost-As-Good-As-Ice Cream

If you are anything like me, it is best to stay away from sweet things all together.  However, once in a while, okay more than that, I crave sweet, creamy, cold things, like ice cream which I have to stay away from because of the sugar content and the heavy cream.  So, as a way of satisfying my craving, I have come up with a substitute for myself using a frozen banana.  When frozen, a banana takes on a creamy sort of texture as it melts in your mouth.  It is filled with it's own natural sweet goodness, as well as; packed full of potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and manganese which can help with osteoporosis, anemia, and PMS.  You never knew there were so many benefits packed into one little banana!  :)   I add to the banana a bit of raw honey which has been known to help with allergy relief as well as having antibacterial properties.  The last simple ingredient is cinnamon which has many of it's own health benefits. This easy treat definitely packs a punch and has helped me through many creamy, sweet cravings.  I hope you enjoy it!




Almost-As-Good-As-Ice Cream

1 banana peeled, sliced, and frozen solid
Sprinkle of cinnamon
1 Tsp. Raw Honey

Remove the banana from the freezer.  Arrange the slices on a dessert plate.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey.  Eat while still frozen.


I usually freeze my bananas whole, peeling and all.  I use a sharp knife to peel off the frozen peeling and then slice it into rounds.  However, as indicated in the recipe, you can do these steps first and then freeze the rounds.  Bon Appetit!

Turkey Wrap

Let's be perfectly honest, some days, ok a lot of days, we do not have time to whip up fresh bread and some fancy whole foods meal.  Sometimes, we really need something quick that we can easily grab.  The following is a very simple recipe I go to a lot for days that do not allow time in the kitchen.  I will forewarn you, though, sometimes when changing out foods you have to learn to enjoy new tastes and textures.  That principle might be the case for some if you choose to try these particular wraps.  I have found, in my personal journey, that if I expose myself to a new food long enough, I begin to acquire a taste for that food, plus the benefit of my body not hurting afterwards for out ways any taste I don't quite like :)

Turkey Wrap
1 Food for Life Brown Rice Tortilla
1 tbsp.  Annie's Naturals Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
1-2 Romaine Lettuce leaves
1 slice Havartti Cheese sliced in half
2 oz Sara Lee Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Spread the red pepper dressing on the tortilla.  Layer on the lettuce, two halves of cheese placed length wise so you have cheese in every bite, and turkey.  Roll the wrap up and enjoy :)  For a side, enjoy a handful of Simply Nature Vegetable Chips.

All of these products I purchased at either Meijer or Aldi's.  I was delighted to find the veggie chips at Aldi's.  I had no idea they carried gluten free products.  The rice wraps are good, in my opinion, but the texture is chewy.  Feel free to try out different wraps.  Often the gluten free variety are found in the frozen food section or in the gluten free aisle.  I personally picked this brand because it doesn't contain corn starch which often affects my adversely.  Bon Apetit!

Winter Morning Oatmeal

This afternoon I went to the fridge to try to find some leftover leftovers that would be safe for me to eat.  I saw very few options as it is the end of the week.  The only thing leftover was a pot of organic tomato soup I had prepared earlier this week, but it had left me with upset stomach, abdominal pain, and heartburn and I did not feel overly excited about experiencing that again.  Keep looking....could have made a sandwich, but I wasn't really that hungry.  Oatmeal popped into my head and the thought of that sounded delicious!  Who says oatmeal is only a breakfast food!?  :)  This is one of my favorite ways to prepare oatmeal.  Still sweet without the refined sugars, dairy free, and very little wheat involved (Quaker Oats and store brand has cross contamination of wheat in it, but it is minimal.  On a side note, if you would like something completely wheat and gluten free, you can purchase Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats or Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats.)  I have some, but today I just made a quick grab for my store brand quick oats.  If you choose to use steel cut oats or anything other than quick oats, it will change your cooking time, so just make sure you read the preparation instructions on the back of the package.  All in all, this is a quick, warm, hearty, and most importantly; safe meal! 

Winter Morning Oatmeal

1 cup Silk Original Almond Milk Lite
1/2 cup quick oats
sprinkle of sea salt
tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp. raw walnuts, broken up with your fingers or chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. raw honey

In a small saucepan, over medium high heat, combine the almond milk and sea salt.  Bring the liquid to a boil.  Once boiling, add in the oatmeal.  Stir to combine, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes.  Turn off heat and cover the pot.  Let the oatmeal sit for 2-4 minutes.  Add in vanilla, 1 tbsp. walnuts, 1 tbsp. raisins, cinnamon, and honey.  Stir to combine.  Pour into a cereal bowl and garnish with remaining raisins and walnuts.  Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon over the top.  Enjoy!

Quick clarification.  I use Silk Almond Milk, but that is a personal preference.  There are definitely other brands out there.  Also, I often use raw honey in my recipes to substitute for refined sugars.  I have a wonderful source from a friend at church whose family has hives and spin their own honey.  However, if I cannot get it from them, I purchase it from a local shop in Centreville, MI called Yoder's.  They have several varieties of honey, but I always purchase the one that is specifically labeled raw.  Other great sources for local, raw honey are your local Food Markets or health food stores.  I also use vanilla ALOT in my cooking and baking.  Try to purchase as pure of vanilla as possible.  Even McComick Pure Vanilla Extract contains corn syrup, so just make sure you read your labels.  I personally am using Vanilla Rob and I purchased when we were in Mexico last year, however; once that is gone, I will be back at the store reading labels along with you.  :)
Bon Apetit!

Not Yo Mama's Mac and Cheese

 Last night, I planned to make mac and cheese for the family.  They love Kraft with the exception of my son who loves homemade.  I have often given in and eaten whatever I made for the family, whether homemade or boxed and usually have unpleasant side affects.  So, on good days when I decided to do my body a favor, I have purchased Sweet Annie's Gluten Free boxed Mac and Cheese.  This has worked fairly well.  It has rice noodles instead of regular, but still has a dairy, processed, yellow cheese mix and my tummy never felt quite right after eating it, though it was definitely better than the alternative.  Because of health issues I was having last week, I decided I needed to just bite the bullet and come up with my own recipe.  Try something new and see if it settled.  I was very skeptical, because really, how does one make mac and cheese without milk and velveeta!?  I was delightfully surprised and giddy once I tasted the concoction I had cooked up!  It was delicious!  So, I took the next step and ate a serving size along with steamed broccoli and cauliflower.  Within about 10 minutes I was in pain and it was intensifying.  I took some DE-3 (I will talk about these more later) and hoped for the best and whisked Colin, my son, off to Boy Scouts.  The DE-3 helped immensely, but I was left feeling perplexed about the pain.  There was nothing in the mac and cheese that I had not eaten separately before and I never had issues with any of the included ingredients.  So, today I decided to give it one more try, except I had applesauce with it instead of the steamed veggies and YEAH!  No problems!  My best guess is my tummy doesn't like cauliflower.  Weird, I know, but it is the truth.  I kind of knew that already, but figured a half a cup wouldn't kill me....apparently it can!  :) 

Not Yo Mama's Mac and Cheese

6 cups of water
Sprinkling of Sea Salt
2 Cups Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1/4 tsp.-1 tsp. ground red cayenne pepper (Depending on how spicy you like your food)
1/2 cup Baby Portabella mushrooms, roughly minced
1/2 cup red onion, roughly minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/8 cup red bell pepper, roughly minced
1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 cups Original Almond Lite Milk
6 tbsp. butter
1 cup Feta cheese, grated
1 cup Havarti cheese, grated
1 cup Farmers cheese, grated
1 slice Original Ezekiel bread finely grated into breadcrumbs with a  food processor (or if the bread is frozen, you can break it up with your fingers.  The crumbs just won't be as fine.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saucepan, season 6 cups of water with Sea Salt and bring it to a boil.  Add the Brown Rice Pasta to the boiling water and allow to boil on medium high heat and cook for 12-15 minutes according to the directions on the pasta bag.  Stir occasionally.  Drain Pasta and set aside.  In the saucepan you used to cook the rice pasta, melt butter and add the chopped vegetables, garlic, and cayenne pepper.  Cook over medium low heat until the onion becomes translucent and veggies soften.  Gradually add in the brown rice flour, constantly stirring.  Once the vegetables, butter, and flour are well combined, slowly pour in the almond milk, continuing to stir.  Turn up your stove top temperature to medium high, stirring the mixture often.  Bring mixture to a boil and allow to boil for 2-5 minutes, continuing to stir so it doesn't overflow the pan and/or burn, until the mixture begins to thicken.  Once thickened, reduce your heat to medium, and add in your cheeses and stir until melted.  Do not worry if the feta doesn't completely melt, it will continue to melt in the oven.  Once cheeses are melted, return the drained pasta to the saucepan and stir until the cheese sauce evenly coats the pasta.  Pour the entire mixture into a 8x8 baking pan.  Sprinkle the Ezekiel breadcrumbs over the surface of the Mac and Cheese.  Place in the oven and bake 25-30 minutes.  All ovens bake a little differently, so the last five minutes you can check and determine whether it is done.  The bread topping should be crunchy and browned.  Remove from oven and Enjoy!

To claify, I use the Lite Almond milk just because it saves on calories, but feel free to use the regular.  I do not suggest using the sweetened or vanilla flavored as it will change the taste of the dish.  I also use Tinkyada brand for pasta from Meijer and have had wonderful results with it, however; if your hometown store carries a different brand, no worries.  This doesn't have to be brand specific.  Lastly, Ezekiel bread can be found at Krogers and Meijer in the freezer section.  Once purchased, it can be kept frozen or, if you are going to use it on a regular basis, keep it in the fridge, but never out on the counter.  It doesn't have any additives and preservatives in it and will mold quickly.  That is personal experience talking :)  Ezekiel bread is a great alternative to traditional store bought breads.  It contains naturally occurring gluten found in whole grains, but is made from six sprouted grains and legumes.  It creates a complete protein and contains 9 essential amino acids.  It is easily digested and has settled well on my stomach with no bloating or gut ache.  It does take some time to get used to it and is best when toasted.  The grains in it are based off of the grains God told Ezekiel to make into bread in Ezekiel 4:9- wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt.  Bon Appetit!