One ingredient ice cream!

Yes!!!  It's possible!

I had some almost too ripe banana's that I had frozen awhile back.  I often throw bananas in the freezer as they're getting past the eating point, to use in baking etc, so I always have a bit of a stash ready for me.

This is so easy, and so tasty, and according to both my 3 and 5 year old, tasted pretty close to the real thing! 

Peel your frozen banana (I will admit, my hands hurt terribly after holding a frozen banana for the amount of time it took to peel it)-I used a butter knife to sort of slice the peel off.

Cut your frozen banana into pieces

Throw your banana pieces into a food processer (magic bullet, chopper etc)

And blend until smooth and creamy.

Yep, that's it! 

Serve and enjoy!

Lemon Potatoes.....YUM!

Feel free to play around with the garlic and lemon in this recipe......we love both lemon and garlic!  This potato dish takes a bit of time but it is delicious!

Ingredients:

8 potatoes, scrubbed.  I used red potatoes.
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pepper

In large pot of boiling salted water, cover and cook potatoes until slightly tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool. With paring knife, peel off skins if desired; cut into wedges.
In large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, oregano and pepper; add potatoes and toss gently to coat.

(Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.)

Arrange potatoes on parchment paper-lined or greased rimmed baking sheet. Roast in 400°F (200°C) oven, turning once, until tender-crisp and most liquid is evaporated, about 40 minutes

I used parchment paper and cleanup was quick and easy

Cream of Cauliflower Soup.....very exciting!

Is it possible?  Dairy free Cream soup?  Absolutely it is!

I came across this recipe and thought it might be a good start.  I tweaked it slightly to make it accomodate our needs and.....it was a hit!  I doubled the recipe and there is one small dessert bowl's worth left. 

Very easy, and delicious!

1 Tbsp margerine (we use Earth Balance, Vegan & Soy free)
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, diced
1 head of Cauliflower, chopped
3 cups Chicken Broth (or for a vegan soup, use vegetable broth)
2 Bay Leaves
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash of Nutmeg (optional)
Grated cheese (we use Daiya cheddar), or soy cheese if you can have soy
Green onions (optional)

In large pot or stockpot, sautee onion and garlic in margerine until onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the potato and cauliflower and cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently.
Add broth and bay leaves and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
Remove bay leaves and put soup into a blender (we have a Magic Bullet and LOVE it!).  Puree the soup, add salt and pepper to taste.  Add nutmeg (I didn't, but it's because I didn't have any in the house) and reheat if necessary.
Top with cheese and onions if you so choose.

Enjoy!  Trust me, this soup will be a huge hit!

I know the title says cream of, which indicates milk, but this soup is full of creamy deliciousness!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

There is a blog that I frequently visit, The Baking Bookworm, as I am continuously on the lookout for new recipes that are safe for my family to eat.
I came across a recipe for double chocolate zucchini muffins the other day, and seeing as a coworker gifted me a huge zucchini, I thought it was the perfect time to try to make these delicious sounding treats. 

Now let me tell you, they went fast.  Like, really fast.  I doubled the recipe but in a family of 6, it doesn't take much when what's on the plate is chocolate....let alone double the amount! 
The recipe will be copied as identical from The Baking Bookworm's blog however, I will let you all know how I tweaked the recipe to make it nut, dairy, egg and soy free.


Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (one of those individual applesauce containers will do)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tin or use paper liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Sift cocoa into flour mixture. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture. Mix until just combined. Overmixing will produce tougher textured muffins (I cannot state this enough). Gently fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

Using a large melon baller (or two spoons) fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

**I did find that I had to increase the baking time to closer to 35 minutes however, I did both mini muffins and regular sized muffins**

And now for the replacements!

For each egg called for, I used 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water.

To replace the milk called for, I used rice milk.  However, you could use almond milk (if nuts are not a concern in your family), soy milk (again, if not a concern) or coconut milk.

In place of vegetable oil (which may contain soy, so please be 100% certain yours does not if soy is a concern), I used Olive Oil.

And finally, in place of regular chocolate chips, we use Enjoy Life Foods chips.  You'd never know the difference by the great taste they have!


I had permission from The Baking Bookworm to repost her recipe, thanks very much!  I'd also urge anyone and everyone to check out her blog (address in link at top of page), always lots of interesting and exciting stuff going on there!

Frito Lay-what a great website!

I decided to pick up a bag of chips today.  Chips.  Seems simple enough, right?  Well, nothing is simple anymore.  When you have an allergy, or multiple food allergies, you have to check, check and re check ingredients, every single time you shop for them.  Ingredients change, policies for labelling change, which means that a food that was safe a month ago, may no longer be safe.

I decided to check out the Frito Lay website to see what sort of allergy information they provided.  And as I was looking for infomation, came across this great link that had all of the allergen information right there.  There is both the USA and the Canadian information, for all of their products.  This site was bookmarked on my computer immediately!

Always remember, if you're unsure or (like me) just want to be 100% sure, you can always call the company.  I have had only positive experiences doing this, and the customer service people are always happy to help out!

A link for anyone curious about Eosinophils

Eosinophil.  This word has become part of our lives.  It is the whole reason that one of our family members is dairy and soy free.  Without going into great detail, I urge you to please watch the following video, explaining EGIDs (Esophilic Gastro Intenstinal Disorders).  People are always asking me what eosinophils are, and I have a hard time explaining them.  Hopefully this video presentation will!

How do you manage?

I seem to be asked this question alot.  And my answer?  You just do.  When foods are no longer safe to eat, you have no choice but to figure out how to live without them in your daily routine. 

Food is seen as a necessity, a comfort thing, a social thing........food is everywhere, all the time.  So we have to make it work for our own situations. 

There is always going to be a way to replace the offending foods when it comes to baking and cooking, you just have to figure it out.  The internet is a fantastic resource, the library also has a wealth of information within it's walls.  Ask questions.  Experiment using different ingredients.  Yes, the recipe might be a flop, trust me, this has happened on more than a few occasions in my house.  But, through trial and error, and persistance, it will get sorted out. 

This is why I chose to start this blog.  This is why I take pictures and post up recipes as I try them out and have success with them.  I use it as a resource when I make that recipe again, and hope that others will find it somehow useful in their cooking and baking.

At the end of the day, as long as my family is happy and full, I know I've done what I can!