Sweet Tooth

Do you have a sweet tooth? Finding chocolate that tastes good and is dairy free can be a challenge. "Enjoy Life" chocolate bars are delicious. Try one today!

Gluten Free Bread

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup blanched almond meal/flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup brown teff flour (amaranth flour would work well too)
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup flax meal
2 3/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
3 eggs
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Yeast Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup hot water (between 110 – 115 degrees F)
2 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast (NOT instant yeast)

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the honey and the hot water.  Sprinkle in the yeast and give it a quick stir to combine.  Allow to proof for 7 minutes (set a timer!) – NO more, NO less time.  Make sure you have the other wet and dry ingredients mixed and ready to go when the 7 minutes are up! 
Using a heavy duty mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, molasses, and vinegar.
When the yeast is done proofing, add the wet ingredients to the dry.  Stir until it’s a little paste-like, then slowly add the yeast mixture. Using your mixer’s low speed setting, mix for about 30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the bowl then mix on medium for 2 – 3 minutes or until the dough is smooth.  (You may need to stop your mixer and scrape the sides of your bowl a few more times.)
Pour dough into a parchment lined and well greased 9 x 5″ metal bread pan (the only pan I recommend for this recipe is a metal one, you will not have the same results using other pans) and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise for 45 minutes to an hour (Check the loaf 30 minutes into rising. When the dough is close to hitting the plastic wrap, remove it; allow the dough to rise the remaining time uncovered.)  When bread is finished rising, bake in a preheated 375 degrees (F) oven for about 30 minutes.
Remove loaf from pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack.  Allow the loaf to completely cool before slicing (if you can stand to leave it alone for that long!).

Snack Time

Trying to find something healthy to eat between meals? Try having a plain brown rice ,rice cake with a layer of almond butter and a layer of honey. Its a quick, delicious, and nutritious snack.

Happy Father's Day

Happy father's day to all the fathers out there. This Father's day, try making a gluten free meal for the whole family. Dad will feel a lot better after eating his special meal if it is gluten free. He will feel less stuffed and ready to play outside with the kids.

Reaction Time to Foods

It may take a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days for a food to cause a reaction. Monday's chocolate bar may be the cause of Tuesday's rash. Food allergies are often known as the "eat now, pay later" phenomenon.

Blog Rules

Hello everyone. My blog is intended to help people learn about allergen free environments. I will not accept comments of hate, inappropriate content, foul language, or disrespect. If you comment these things, your comments will be removed. I hope you enjoy all the tips, fun facts, recipes, and information. Thank you.

Fun Fact About Allergies

About 90% of food allergies are caused by: tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios), peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy.

Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Raisin Granola Bars

Yield – 12 large bars

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 25 minutes

Ingredients:

½ cup Coconut Oil, softened

1 cup Honey

4 ½ cups Gluten-Free Rolled Oats (aka, Oatmeal)

1 cup Gluten-Free Oat Flour (See how to make oat flour in the blender)

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ cup Raisins

½ cup Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Chips (I use Enjoy Life Brand)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan with coconut oil.

In a large bowl, beat coconut oil and honey until well blended.

Add oats, oat flour and baking soda and beat until combined.

Stir in Raisins and chocolate chips. Press mixture into baking pan. Press well or the bars will fall apart.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool 10-15 minutes before cutting into bars. Cool completely in the refrigerator before removing from pan or they might fall apart.

Question of the Day?

Are food allergies life-long?
Children commonly outgrow food allergies. However, allergies to peanuts, nuts, fish and shellfish are usually life-long.

What is a Food Allergy?

A food allergy is any reaction to an otherwise harmless food that involves the body’s immune system. A reaction occurs when the body’s immune system responds abnormally to the protein or proteins in that particular food. The body reacts by flooding the system with histamines and other chemicals to fight off what is perceived as an invader in the body.

Fun Fact

Research shows that gluten sensitivity in some form, including Celiac Disease and mild gluten intolerance, affects approximately 15% of the US population.

Gluten Free Fudgy Brownie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 ounces semi-sweet Baker's chocolate

2 ounces unsweetened Baker's chocolate

1/2 cup organic expeller pressed canola oil (or coconut oil)

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup hazelnut flour or almond flour

1/4 cup sorghum flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 organic free-range eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon good vanilla extract*

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cupcake baking pan with paper liners.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, gently stirring. When the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir in the oil to combine.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the light brown sugar, hazelnut flour, sorghum flour, fine sea salt and baking soda.

Add the eggs, vanilla extract and melted dark chocolate mixture. Beat for two minutes, until the batter thickens and becomes smooth and glossy.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. If you are adding nuts, stir in by hand.

Drop the batter by spoonfuls into the 12 baking cups.

Bake in the center of a preheated 350ºF oven for 22 minutes, or so, until the brownie cupcakes have risen, cracked and fallen. They will look like mini flourless chocolate cakes. Do not over-bake- especially if you like a fudgy soft center.

Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.

I hope you enjoy them!

Food Allergies and Intolerances

Food allergies or food intolerances afect nearly everyone at some point. The reactions vary, some people may have a worse reaction to a certain food than others. They key is to avoid foods that your body reacts to. This also includes making your house free of these foods. For example if you are allergic to gluten, it is important to make your house a gluten free environment because even the smallest crumb can cause a very painful reaction.