7 Layer Dip

With the Superbowl coming up, we are starting to plan our menu for the big day. I could care less about the game, I just love the food and watching the commercials. I am excited that there is going to be yummy, safe food for Brody. We are doing a lot of finger foods. It makes me so happy when food that we usually enjoy can be easily adjusted for him. This appetizer is hearty and full of flavor any time of the year! And no one will even think of it being "Allergen Free"

7 Layer Dip

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients

1 can of refried beans (or enough homemade refried beans to fill the bottom of an 8x8 pan)

2 avocados, mashed

1 lime, juiced

coarse salt, to taste

salsa (I prefer the fresh, refrigerated kind), enough to use as a layer

1 can black olives

1 tomato, diced

1 small onion, diced

cilantro, chopped

*any other toppings that you like (fresh jalapeno, lettuce chopped, etc.)

*Tabasco on the side, optional

Serve with tortilla chips and/or Frito's

When we have this with my family or take this somewhere, I have a bowl of shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream on the side for whoever wants to add it :) A small bowl of fresh jalapeno chopped is also fun for those who want to add a little kick.

Directions

Spread 1 can of refried beans (or enough homemade refried beans...I make a huge batch and freeze it in small servings) on the bottom of an 8x8 pan. In a small bowl, mash the avocados with a fork until smooth and stir in lime juice and add coarse salt to taste. Spread the avocado mixture over top of the refried beans. Spread the salsa over the avocado mixture. Add the toppings. Enjoy!

I usually make this in advance in pull it out of the frig about 25 minutes before I serve it.

Allergen Free Cupcake...Ready to go!

1 previously frozen allergen free cupcake

+ previously frozen homemade frosting

= ready to go to a birthday party!

We were invited to go to a birthday party and I had everything ready in my freezer to pull out a safe dessert for Brody. Quick and Easy....

• I had a batch of previously frozen chocolate cupcakes made with pumpkin (allergen free)

Allergen Free Cupcake

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients

Any cake mix you like and that is safe for your family

1 can of 100% pure pumpkin

Directions

Mix ingredients and bake at 350 for approximately 15 minutes

• I had a batch of homemade frosting that I had made and froze in a freezer bag. I just defrosted it a few hours before the party and took out what I needed to frost the cupcake and threw it back in the freezer. Ready to go for next time!

Buttercream Icing (recipe from Sophie-Safe Cooking)

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients

1/4 cup Earth Balance
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp rice milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
Beat margarine with a mixer. Add 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and mix well. Add rice milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add enough of the remaining powdered sugar to make the frosting a good consistency for spreading.

• Throw some sprinkles on that allergen free cupcake and you are good to go! I put it in a small Tupperware container so it didn't get messed up and Brody was able to eat along with the other kids, and I wasn't in the kitchen making ONE cupcake for him to have at a party.

*Did you know that Whole Foods has sprinkles that do not have dyes in them but are colored with natural colorings (example: beet juice for red/pink sprinkles)? These are found in the bakery. They make them right there. I was told not to apply the sprinkles liberally because if there are too many you can taste the natural coloring. I think this is AWESOME!

Dr. Oz Talks About Food Allergies

This video is GREAT! Share it with those you love...







Food allergies are not only bothersome, they can be downright deadly.

Three Warning Signs of Food Allergies:

• Skin irritation




• Tingling in your mouth




• Swelling in the throat and difficulty breathing
  

Give it a second and the video will come on...if not, go HERE to see it from the Dr. Oz website

Oven Fries

I don't feel as bad serving these homemade fries that are baked and still have the skin on them :)

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for drizzling)

4-5 medium potatoes (I used Russet potatoes), cleaned and cut into french fry size pieces

coarse salt and pepper

*Optional: other seasonings, I like Weber Grill Creations Roasted Garlic and Herb

Directions

Cut potato into french fry size pieces

drizzle with olive oil

Bake on 400 degrees until cooked through and crispy. Approximately 25-30 minutes.

These are great with Super Sloppy Joes! In my opinion, this is perfect "American Idol watching" food :) My 3 year old really looks forward to watching it.

Minestrone Soup

A week or so ago, we were supposed to get a few inches of snow (ha!), we got a light dusting. I thought this soup would be perfect to having simmering on the stove on a day that we might be stuck inside. This is one of my favorite soups that my grandmother made. I would request it for my birthday dinner quite often. Now, I love that it is packed with lots of veggies and is a healthful, delicious dinner option for my family.

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil (for sauteing veggies)

1-2 lbs of stew meat cut into small pieces

4 cloves of garlic, pressed

3-4 large carrots, sliced (or you could use a small bag of matchsticks or baby carrots)

2-3 celery stalks, diced

3-4 large potatoes, cut into chucks

1 large onion, diced

1 9 oz box of frozen green beans

1 9 oz box chopped frozen spinach (no sauce), defrost and squeeze as much water as you can out of it

1/2 small head cabbage, coarsely chopped

32 oz. safe beef broth (I used Progresso...it is gluten free). Vegetable broth would work if you do not want to use beef broth.

2 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes (undrained) or 28 oz can (whatever you have on hand)

1 tsp. oregano (I threw in some fresh oregano from my garden)

coarse ground salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Crockpot

If you are using a crockpot (mine is not big enough for all of these veggies, etc.) Throw all of the ingredients in and let look for 8-10 hours. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors come together.

OR

Large Pot

In a large pot, saute garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, onion and green beans in a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add cabbage, beef broth, tomatoes and oregano. Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender. I let mine cook on low for about 4 hours.

It is going to look like there is not enough liquid, but you will get liquid from the vegetables as the soup cooks. At the end before you serve, you can either add more beef broth or some water to make it the consistency that you like if it is too thick.

To make this meal stretch further, you could serve it with small pasta. I do not mix it directly into the soup pot because it soaks up the liquid and it is not good frozen. If you put your pasta directly into the bowls when serving you will be able to freeze the rest of your minestrone for another time.

*You could also substitute other veggies like zucchini or squash...whatever your family likes! This is a great soup to make when you have stray veggies in your frig that you need to do something with :)

Allergen Free Treats

At our FACTS meeting last week, we were able to sample delicious cookies and cupcakes from Kateelayne Carefree Treats. The cookies were shaped like hearts (perfect for Valentine's day) and were beautifully decorated (made me feel like a kid again...who doesn't want to eat a heart shaped cookie?) Not only are the treats absolutely adorable to look at, but they taste delicious.

I PROMISE you would not be able to tell the difference if you had a regular treat or this allergen free treat next to one another (except Kateelayne's treats are much healthier since they do not have trans fat).

These treats are perfect to purchase for birthday parties, school parties or just to have in the freezer if you are invited somewhere where unsafe treats will be served. You or your child will not feel left out with these beautifully decorated, delicious treats (and they are so moist)!

All of the treats are made in a dedicated facility that is always peanut, dairy, egg, and nut free (there are also GLUTEN FREE cookies). Brody and I sampled they Gluten Free cookies and they are wonderful! My non-allergic three year old had one also and LOVED it!

It is so nice that we have a local business like Kateelayne Carefree Treats that is so forward thinking in the treats that they make.

Valentine's day is will be here before you know it!

Go over HERE and check out the website

Kateelayne Carefree Treats

998 B Davidson Road
Nashville TN 37205

Phone:615-942-8433

Fax:615-942-8472

Email: carefreetreats@kateelayne.com

Update for Safe Food at Cracker Barrel

From the previous post on Cracker Barrel, I have also added Wheat (gluten) options and information on peanuts CLICK HERE

If you would like to have a hard copy of this information, ask the manager to print it out for you. It is called Core Menu Item Recommendations For the 8 Major Food Allergens. I only listed milk, eggs, peanuts and wheat.