Monday, June 25, 2012

Fourth of July snacks and treats!

Who needs a sugar-laden 4th of July flag cake when you can put together a beautiful platter like this?!
Credit:  Party City website

We are looking forward to some much needed R&R during the 4th of July week!  As you can imagine, there is a LOT of planning that happens when we head to a cabin in the north woods with a child with food allergies.  Epi-pens, benedryl and supplements aside, we also want to provide him with nourishing foods and a few treats!  I hope you find some of these recipes and links to be helpful as you plan your long weekends or week-long trips!

Planning is critical to a realxing vacation - make grocery lists far in advance, especially if you will need to stop at more than one store to get what you need.  Pack plenty of snacks for the road, as well! 


Some treats that we will be making....

Rice Krispie Treats (nut free, gluten free, egg free, soy free, wheat free)

Golden Honey Graham Crackers  (nut free, gluten free, egg free, soy free, wheat free, dairy free)
**we made these last night and froze them for the trip, only sub in was whole cane sugar, you can cut the sugar in half if you would like to.  They turned out wonderful!  They will be great for s'mores!  Try these out with a homemade marshmallow recipe and some chocolate sweetened with stevia!)


Some snack ideas that you can make ahead (travel well in a cooler!):

Allergy friendly granola bars - make this, and double the recipe (it will still fit on one pan when you bake it)!  SO easy and travels really well.  Great snack when boating and picnic-ing!  Add coconut and flaxseed meal to bump up the nutrition!

Cowboy Caviar - this makes a huge batch and it always a hit!  Great for dipping organic blue corn tortilla chips (we like Trader Joe's or Garden of Eaten' chips)

Allergen-free hummus - I like to sub in olive oil for the water for more flavor (you may need a little more than 2 tbsp. of olive oil for desired consistency).  I recommend adding fresh herbs.  And double the recipe, it is great as a dip or sandwich spread!

If your family enjoys Chex mix, here is a dairy-free, nut free version.  I will skip this, but this is a great sub in for the bag from the grocery store that is fully of crappy ingredients you don't need to be eating.  use real butter if you are not dairy free!

How about some strawberry lemonade sweetened with stevia to wash it all down?!  YUM. 


Last but not least, a great lazy morning breakfast idea...

Allergy-free Maple Waffles - a family favorite of ours!  Add some berry sauce on top for a special treat!

Menu Plan Week of June 25

As I peruse the selection of local and organic produce at the farmers market and co-op, it is safe to say we are well into the summer!  Maybe more so than normal with the very warm spring that we had!  Yum, I just want to buy a little bit of everything.  I prepared snap peas from the farmers market to go with dinner last night, dropped them in boiling water for 2 minutes, rinsed them under cold water and then gave them a quick stir fry with olive oil, salt and pepper.  They were beautiful and sweet.  If you do go to a farmers market, I challenge you to purchase one thing that you have never prepared before - rainbow chard, snap peas, a new herb, etc. and give it a shot!  It is almost impossible to ruin wonderful produce, so you can't hurt a thing by trying something new!

We will be headed on a family vacation next week, so our plan is pretty simple.  Enjoy!

Monday:  Pasta with homemade marinara (from the freezer) mixed with bulk Italian sausage and spinach; salad

Tuesday:  Baked chicken breasts with hashbrowns and green beans

Wednesday:  Winging it

Thursday:  Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadillas with salsa (just discovered the Trader Joe's organic red tomatillo salsa - SO delicious!)

Friday - Happy Vacation!

Stay tuned for a post with some great links for 4th of July snacks and treats! :)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Menu Plan Week of 6/18

Happy Father's Day!  I hope you are all enjoying time with family today!  We had a fun little brunch with my husband's family at our new house, which finally feels like home rather than a house we live in! 

I have a few great new recipes I will be trying this week (see Monday, Wednesday and Thursday).  They look tasty, we'll see what my little guy thinks!

Monday:  GF DF Chicken and Veggie Nuggets with Kale Chips

Tuesday:  Pasta with homemade red sauce (from the freezer), Italian Turkey Sausage (Ferndale Market - local and so tasty!); salad
Tip:  Make a pasta bake the night before, pop it in the over when you arrive home!

Wednesday:  Quinoa Burgers with fresh veggies and homemade ranch dip (if you are DF, serve with your favorite dip or dressing!  You could also use a vegan mayo and mix the spices with that!)
Tip:  Prep the burger mixture the night before, chill, and make into patties and bake right before dinnertime

Thursday:  Spicy Sweet Pork Tacos with the fixings (salsa, guac, peppers, black beans, etc) and salad
Tip:  Grill the pork the night before, shred pork and dinner is all but ready to serve!


Friday:  Winging it (leftovers)

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Menu Plan Week of June 4

It was a busy summer weekend for us!  Lots of outside fun and my hubby and I even sneaked in a date night!

So, I'll cut to the chase... here is our menu plan for the week.

Monday:  Grilled turkey tenderloins with broccoli and cilantro rice (I will have my hubby throw these on the grill with the shrimp packets tonight, might as well get some extra use out of the grill being fired up!)

Tuesday:  Panzanella Salad (bread salad) for hubby and I - I will add fresh spinach; I will make a spinach salad for my little guy along with some leftovers from last night.

Wednesday:  Super Sloppy Joes with Cauliflower Poppers
TIP:  Brown the ground beef the night before and throw all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, turn it on in the morning!

Thursday:  Leftovers

Friday:  Grilled Brats with a salad (can't go wrong!) :)

Saturday:  Out

Sunday:  Out