Allerfree Recipes

My thankfulness on Thanksgiving was a little premature.. Upon further testing, my father does have a slightly serious form of cancer and is getting his first chemo as I type. It is surely time for scientists to start working on why cancer is occurring at the rates it is as well as the cures!! In doing so, I want to start focusing on a healthier plant based diet for my family. Time to invent new recipes with vegetables that my kids will eat!! This is a daunting task, that I sometimes feel tired about. hahaha... But it's what needs to happen! If I could give up most things in a package I would. But I'm not that daring yet! I first want to attempt to invent some type of vegetable based dip or cracker... something picky kid appealing. If I actually find something that 3 of 4 of my kids eat, I will consider it a huge win!!

As I sit here and blog.... I am reminded of so many things I am thankful for! My family being first! My dad's tumor is benign! He has to have a major surgery because it needs to be removed and is very large, but still.... It brings to mind others who did not get that same news. My kids are wonderful, sweet and smart (except from about 4:40 to 6 which I lovingly call the not happy hour) Also as I sit here, I am reminded of why I actually shouldn't be sitting here and that I have so may things to do and far less time than required to do them. hahahaha... Here's our Menu for tomorrow... (in your head, pretend someone is whining about everything I type) Lentil/Bean (and secret ground up mushroom- please don't tell my husband) Loaf Mashed potatoes (and cauliflower- see above, change husband to kids) gravy (that only my husband will eat) Stuffing (adults only, I'm sure) green bean casserole (vegan zed, freshized, and probably just for the adults, and also, my hus

As we move on towards Thanksgiving (a very vegan thanksgiving here!) (and also I didn't realize that American thanksgiving is next week..) there is plenty to be Thankful for. But it's been tough. The blog, and other such things in life, have taken a second place to life. My father was recently diagnosed with cancer (in the past few weeks). As we come to terms with this and what it means, they are 1000 miles away in hopes of receiving the best medical care. We are blessed they can do that. but it's hard to be so far away. And frankly eating has been the last thing on my mind. But thanksgiving is coming....  roasted Root veggies and Brussel sprout?  Mashed potatoes? (k, btw my kids hate these?!?!?) maybe a lentil/bean loaf... I really want a stuffing... we shall see... There is truly always much to be Thankful for. Sometimes we need to look for it.

We went on vacation! Myrtle beach was wonderful. The ocean is very much my Zen! although we learned a few things... never take anxious kids on a walk when they are tired and it's very dark and they are unfamiliar with the area. Yikes... Also, the baby loved the sand, to eat... which was great, didn't have to feed her as much! Ha! Also, cleaning, cooking and doing laundry is way better on the beach!! But also, though, I seriously have to thank Cheeseburger in Paradise in Myrtle Beach for making our first time going out to eat in 5 years (with the kids, and I still brought food for the kids) way less anxiety inducing than expected! I told them that I don't eat dairy or meat. They checked with me several times about a few things, they took precautions and had the manager bring out me and my husbands. I really appreciated their attention and consideration! (we were with my parents, hence the cheeseburger :) The very name says ER in paradise to us considering our oldest is all

Ahh vacation..! A time to relax, smell the salty sea air, lay in the warm sand letting the sun's ray wash over you, taking a cool dip in the ocean or pool when you get too hot. Cleaning up for the day and going to a nice relaxing dinner, lounging in the hot tub at night... BAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Just kidding! I have kids. And kids with allergies. so pretty much vacation is being home, at the beach, except not in your own zone. I cook, I do laundry, and I freak out when the baby crawls on the floor of the hotel, and wonder how much sand is a serving. But, it's nice to see the water as I run by or from the pool deck because someone doesn't want to touch sand. However, the beach is my Zen and it's been a very long time. We do always get a condo because we do not chance restaurants. This is hard for me, I'm use to vacation including being waited on and not doing all the work! But, for the kids, we do anything we need to eh? Not to mention, now that we are veganish AND have t

My motivation to work out and lose the stubborn baby weight from my fourth child (which is apparently the only one I'm actually going to have to work to lose-but don't ask my mother, she will remind you that I never got back to what I was when I got married! FIFTEEN years ago, before life when I actually had time to do anything I wanted, plus could apparently eat most anything I wanted without too much of a problem. so I both worked out and had a metabolism and no kids. thanks mom) comes from my daughter who is five. I am not sure what God was thinking when he created 5 year old girls, but I think he added in sass a little too soon. I am truly starting to rethink our motivations behind teaching our children that honesty is best. At any rate, I bought myself a new mom bathing suit (that I truly hope I won't wear forever!) and was feeling... not gooood per say, but somewhat tucked in. My sweet girl says "well, you look okkkaaaaayyyy. but just not great." Thanks hone

So before I start the discussion about the supposed superfood Spirulina, I'd like to take you on the journey of grocery shopping affordably and organically. Done.... that's it. I don't know how. Our grocery bill has been quite honestly more than our house payment by plenty and we cannot afford it. So I'm beginning to delve deeper into the world of budget cutting and cheaper food. We can do this together! I started by deciding that avocados, while a extremely healthy favorite of many in this family, are too expensive for regular consumption, and have been (very sadly) demoted to treat food. We also are using far less plant based milk, which cuts down, but mainly because my children will only drink the full sugar junk. We try not to do tons of sugar, but i'm not convinced they get enough calcium, B12 and other stuff based on the level of picky. I'm continuing to work on cutting down by leaving out processed foods (though the occasional Gardein nuggets pop in). We

It's been a very trying two weeks. Our car broke enough that we were forced to buy a new car that we neither wanted, nor were financially ready for. Our sweet friendly dog got sick, and after seeming to get better declined and died. Our baby had a random allergic reaction to what is apparently not the vets (as presumed at first by the doctor, but disproved after spending a lot of time there), and our air conditioner broke. Not been a cheap or happy week here. But this conversation happened.. 3year old (pointing to the olive oil container): are those bwueberries? me: nope, those are olives, it's olive oil. 3yo: but wook, they are bwueberries me: no sweetie, he's picking olives to squish into olive oil. 3yo: oh look he is picking bwueberries! me: still olives 3yo: olives taste like bwueberries me: sure honey. blueberries  .... We did also celebrate two birthdays during this week of joy. :) My husband's and the baby turned one, which was when we were sit

So, after 7 hours of doctors and driving, we have our first cast in the house! Not fun when it's 95 degrees (F) and humid! But it's bright red, so tons of fun! except of course that the color comes off the cast, but not off skin or clothes :) soo. moving on! I made a smoothie and it was so good! I'd never expected it! It was a run of the mill almond milk, ice, vanilla protein powder  (I use vega protein and greens) and blueberries. I mixed it up, it was tasty... I threw in some basil (strange I know), It was Amazing!! So, try blueberries with basil!!  I'm going to start really trying to blog more frequently on how to be vegan and practical. People ask all the time what we eat. I'll try to give some more ideas.

Happy later mothers day! (in the US- but seriously it should be everyday everywhere!) Happy day for those who act as Mothers (not including my 5 year old)! My Mother's Day was spent napping.... HA! Jokes aside, we drove two hours to see a baseball game that got rain delayed for two hours.....a slightly different plan then my get some groceries and grill artichokes...this one included standing smooshed with a zillion people watching it pour on the field, paranoid that someone's hot dog, cheese, ice cream, pizza, or pop corn would touch our severely allergic son, reconsidering whether that was more scary than our exhausted two year old ticking time bomb, debating for 2 hours whether we should just leave and lose our tickets if they did play. packing ourselves into the team store with everyone else to get warm. and a debacle when a guy ended up in the ladies room (he was pretty surprised when he exited the stall to a group of security, and may still not know where he is today..) t

Back in the pre dairy free days, one of my favorite candies (which says a lot since I was pretty much addicted to anything candy like) was peppermint patties. Ahhh York..... I could have been in a commercial. In fact it was always a dream I had to be in a commercial, anyone really. In case you're wondering, that did not work out! But I still had candy. ha. I've been reading peppermint patty recipes for years trying to decide if I  wanted to attempt one. but none seemed quite right. I didn't want coconut shavings, or a variety of other ingredients. I also like to make everything quick and easy. Generally, I also will not make a recipe that requires cooling or freezing before eating. I've acquired a bit more patience though, and as long as it's not more than say, 20 minutes (I said a bit more!) I'm good. Here it is.. Peppermint Patties 1 can coconut CREAM (not milk) 1/3 cup melted coconut oil 1/3 cup coconut flour (or any probably) 2/3 cup confectioners su

I did it!! I made a vegan/vegetarian (and just for anyone!) veggie burger that met two criteria! 1. It can be grilled and 2. My kids eat it! I was (well, lets be honest, still AM) far more excited than I should be about something so silly. I didn't want mushy, I didn't want crumbly. I swear I've made a zillion veggie burgers. I also didn't want soy or anything not real food. As my two year old would say, I weeened! I love summer! I love cooking out! I don't always have tons and tons of produce to grill and have desperately wanted a quick recipe to be able to throw on the grill. I have tried tons of veggie burgers, none were grillable. I tried this.... magic the recipe includes, black beans (I have done canned and dried and soaked/ cooked), some nut or seed (I have used sunflower, but may try walnuts next), whole oats (not quick cooking), onion, garlic, grated carrot, and homemade grill seasoning (or any seasoning!). Not too much, not too hard! It does require

Whether you forgot to buy eggs, used them all, or are allergic, there's always a moment when we want to make something that needs ("needs") eggs and we forget until we start mixing. There are so many different variations of replacements it's hard to know what to use where. Here's a start... Things like pancakes and muffins don't really need a replacement. If you feel seriously inclined to replace, try GROUND flax. The general method is 1 Tablespoon of ground flax plus 3 Tablespoons of water, equals one egg. ORRRRRRRRRRRRR.... you dump in anywhere from 1/4 to 1 cup of ground flax in everything because it has health benefits anyway... I should start a one bowl cooking series. I do nearly everything in one bowl, as fast as possible. Generally holding  a child. Other substitutes are 1/4 cup mashed banana, 1/4 applesauce. Chia gel. (but this adds a bit of a crunch, be aware). There are several products, Ener G, and some new vegan egg product. I tend to lean tow

I just figured out how to upload pictures, it's like a whole new world! Next step taking decent pictures!  First, Happy Easter! Hope it was blessed! It was beautiful here and we had family in town. It was great having everyone together and the kids love having their cousins here! Second, April Fools! My kids are obsesssssedddd with playing "tricks" on us. (thankfully particularly daddy). It takes a certain kind of ability to cope with special situations to find the humor in their "pranks" (i.e. completely taking apart the bed and putting stuffed animals under blankets all over the upstairs). Lets just say I have to prewarn daddy to come home with a good attitude and find the intended humor in a mess that looks like we either were robbed, or hit by a tornado. Thus, in an effort to sweeten that, this was our April Fools dessert creation to "trick daddy" after he waded through the hilarious upstairs mess. I made this gluten, dairy free and vega

I heard a rumor that you can use frozen mango instead of banana in smoothies to make them, um, smooth. And my bananas are not frozen yet I wanted a frozenish smoothie. You can. but not unless you actually want some fruity flavor. While I won't waste food and I AM drinking my chocolate mint MANGO smoothie, and it is smooth.... it's not awesome! lesson learned. Oh, and apparently, after a non eventful yet i'm certain expensive, trip to the allergist (but we did skip last year shhh), we learned that mr child #1 is MORE allergic to milk and beef. They weren't sure one could become MORE allergic to milk than he already was/is, but alas, it happens. First reaction is was disappointment. Not because we have any desire to go back to our former (not mostly vegan) lifestyle, but for his safety. I will need to be sedated when he is old enough to leave the house (with his epi pens!!) on his own! Current feeling is, well nothing different? what's the big deal?! And, we now mu

K, I accidentally invented a healthy smoothie that tastes just like birthday cake!! (not a joke! even my very adverse to fruit and vegetable 4 yo girl will drink it!) . It's fast and a whole meal!! Cake Smoothie- layer in this order 1/4 cup liquid (milk of choice or water) 1/2 cup greens (I tend to use frozen kale bc it's easy, but pick whatever!) 1 cup mango 1 T flax (optional) 1/2 avocado (optional but highly recommended!) 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder* ( I use vega complete plus greens, but quite honestly rarely use protein powder-I don't think it's necessary, but was curious)  Fill cup rest of way ( a cupish more with water or milk choice _I use water here and a non dairy milk for the 1/4 cup) with water and blend. *or some fresh or frozen banana and a vanilla (ha, I almost said a shot of vanilla, but then remembered that actually (technically unless you're in college) means 1 ounce ) Yummy!! Hey btw! I did the 7 minute workout today! Kids

Sooo.... tonight my tiny baby girl (who may almost be 5?!) is going to her first dance with her daddy! I am probably going to cry (and blame it on the postpartum hormones! they are still crazy 6 months postpartum right? ) This little lady is actually sick (I think) but won't tell me because she doesn't want me to make her stay home. Which I, quite honestly, wouldn't do anyway (unless vomit was involved) because I'm quite certain that she won't even be near another child. We run a shy household up to our third. Anyway, she is not allergic to any of the top 8, there is pizza and desserts and food at this. However, she's never had milk in her life, so I'm relatively sure there would be vomit involved if she ate pizza. But it's a strange situation as a parent to make one child do something because of another child who isn't even there. I half considered letting her go and eat whatever, but my husband and I avoid allergen foods as well even if we are out

So. four kids 6-6 months is busy! but we like to celebrate everything! Thanksgiving we had traditional food with lentil loaf instead of meat. Yum!! Nothing unusual there. Take a meatloaf recipe, trade in cans of beans and lentils. Voila! The worst part was a majorly sprained ankle, but my husband was forced to help cook which I enjoyed. ;) Christmas was not easy with our dietary restrictions and visiting others, but we made it work. We started the weekend before travelling to family. Started right out with a birthday party for nut allergic children. they planned pizza. When asked how they could make that easier for us (ya know, severe dairy, beef allergy-pizza?) we stated we'd be ok with peanut butter and jelly. the reply "What you can't do that, they have peanut allergies!" Our reply, "yeah, we'll take care of ourselves!" we bolted when the pizza came, and went to a fabulous vegan restaurant in Rochester, NY. We don't get to go out ever, so we w