1 in 13 have food allergies...go figure!

Is it any wonder, with all of the pesticide use and genetically modified foods that our children are becoming more sensitive to what they eat.  Knowing that seeds are genetically modified to contain the pesticide is alarming.  Parents have to be vigilant to know what is going into their child's body and be aware of any potential reactions.  Statistically speaking, 1 in 13 children have food allergies.  Check out  this link for more information.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/43472109#43472109

Best Gluten Free Foods...You be the judge!

Over the years I have tried many gluten-free products.  Some of my favorites have been included in this post.  Tell me what your favorites are.  http://www.shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/the-best-gluten-free-foods-2486894/

• BobsRedMill-  Love his flours and grains.  I order in bulk from his shop in Oregon.
• EnerGFoods.  Great foods as well.  Pastas, grains.
• Thai Kitchen.  If you love oriental foods, this is a great place to start.  I've tried many of their tried and true recipes from their website.  Check them out!
• Prego.  Yes, it's gluten-free!
• LaVictoria.  Again it's gluten-free!
• Alfresco sausages.  Love them!
• Tinkyada rice and pasta!  This is a staple at our house.

• Annies pastas, salad dressings, snacks.  Wonderful!  My daughter loves their gluten-free mac and cheese.  Delightful!  

Hope this helps direct you a bit.  These are all great food suppliers for the gf diet.

Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

Delicious Canned Yammie Cookies:

Flour Blend:

1 Cups Sorghum Flour

2/3 Cup Millet Flour

1/8  Cup Potato Starch

1/8 Cup Arrowroot Starch

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 Pinch of Cloves

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Ginger

1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract (Pure)
1/4 C- Dark Agave or 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 C- Honey or Molasses

¾  Cup of Mashed Sweet Potato or Yams (canned) * may substitute 1 Cup pureed carrots, yams, or pumpkin

1/4-Cup Grapeseed Oil  (use smaller amount if reducing fat intake or if you like a dryer cookie)
*1/4 Cup Almond Milk (optional)  If you find that the batter is too thin, you may omit this ingredient.
*1 egg or 2 egg whites (optional)

Optional mix-in’s:  2/3 Cup Chocolate Chips, 2/3 Cup Raisins, 2/3 Cup Almonds, walnuts or pecans. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drop cookie batter onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until soft but firm.  This recipe will make 24 mini cookies or 12 larger cookies.  Enjoy!

HealthyLittleNIche

I'm amazed at the last 4 years and perplexed at the same time.  For one, my health issues began many years ago however, serious symptoms started to rear their ugly head in 2007.  My realization that gluten was not in my future, started me on a path to find my happy place and my happy tummy.  After years of research and hundreds of doctor visits, yes hundreds!  I can say that my doctors did not reveal any one of my health issues.  I found them all, well, the Lord and I found them all.  From Celiac, food sensitivities, liver and reproductive health issues, they all come down to an unhealthy liver. 
Those numerous epiphany's really made me re-think the role of doctors in the care of the patient.  I've realized that today's doctors do not know how to treat the whole person.  The whole person being, spiritual, physical, and environmental.  They treat symptoms only and if something doesn't show up on a test that deem you a hypochondriac or send you on your way...either way...you lose!
So, self healing and self helping is the pathway for me.  Chinese and Western herbal medicine appears to be the best way to treat the whole person.  For we are not only a physical being, our bodies often become ill for numerous reasons, that if the traditional medical community would pay attention, would realize that they aren't trusting their instincts enough or that of the patient.
I've discovered my acute sensitivity to phytoestrogens in plant sources, but further than that, isoflavones found in soy products that mimic estrogenic hormones.  Through much research I've also discovered that the liver has to filter out these hormones and all the other junk that we expose our bodies to either through ingestion or environmental contact.  However, my liver doesn't do this job very well and it has seen better days.  After years of being told that Tylenol was the safest thing around, I found myself curing my pain with this toxic stuff for years.
Funny enough, I considered myself a health nut and Tylenol was in my opinion okay, since the doctors said so. I've always been very cautious about what goes into my body, and thank goodness!  If I were to have abused my body, I couldn't say that I should even be alive today.  Happy day! I've learned not to pull full trust in modern medicine, that plant and herbal medicine is best and that our bodies weren't designed to take the full capacity and overload of what modern medicine deems as "healthy."  Moderation in all things and reservation where modern medicine is concerned is my mantra.  I'll keep you posted on my journey to healthy meals that take into account all my needs.  And, if my hopes are validated, I will be successful in finding my happy, healthy little niche in life.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=47
http://fanaticcook.blogspot.com/2006/08/isoflavones-in-soy-foods.html
http://www.wellness.com/reference/healthwellness/isoflavones-in-foods/

http://www.sensiblehealth.com/Journey-01.xhtml

Roasted Carrot Curry Stew

I love Curry and Tumeric (Curcuma longa).  These are some wonderful spices to incorporate into your meals.  Because of the beneficial phytochemicals in these spices, Curcumin in particular, not only will your taste buds be happy, your body will be healthier.  Tumeric fights those awful free radicals that ravage our bodies.  It protects the liver from toxic overload as well as aids in circulation.  It has antibiotic, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it great for those with arthritic conditions.  So, cook up a batch for your health and enjoy...  

http://www.turmericinfo.com/curcumin_arthritis.html



Roasted Carrot Curry Stew
1 Cup Lentils
1/4 Cup Canola or Olive Oil
2 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
1/2 C Water
1-2 tsp. Tumeric
1-2 tsp. Curry
1-2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 -1 tsp. Louisiana Cajun Seasoning *optional (this does contain salt, so if you are on a low-salt diet adjust accordingly) or you may add salt in place of this seasoning.
2-4 tsp. Crushed Basil (dry)
1/2-3/4 Cup Coconut Milk
2 Cups cooked chicken or cooked ground turkey
8 Oven Roasted Carrots (see recipe below)

Directions:  Do this step first.
Carrots:
Peel and rinse 8-10 carrots.  Cut off ends.  Slice the carrot in half and then, going lengthwise, cut into quarter strips (the strips should be no more than 1/4 inch thick).  Put into large bowl.  Once all the carrots are finished, pour 1/8-1/4 Cup of canola or olive oil over the carrots and toss with your hands, making sure all sides are coated with the oil.
Place carrots onto a baking sheet, make sure they are spread evenly on the sheet (1 layer thick.  Do not stack on top of each other).
Bake the carrots in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until carrots start to have a roasted appearance and are tender.  Once cooled, carrots will crisp a bit.
Stew:
Rinse and sort lentils.  I usually put the lentils into a large pot and pour cool water over them a few times to release any foreign matter, drain and rinse twice.  Once rinsed, and drained.  Put lentils into a large pot. Add the chicken broth and water, meat, and all spices and seasonings into the pot.  Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Add coconut milk and 1-2 Cups of roasted carrots from oven. Continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes.  Serve!
*Lentils should be tender.  If not tender enough for your liking, simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Note:  Because Tumeric does stimulate bile production it is not recommended for those with bile duct obstruction.

Blueberry Hot Cakes...German Style!

I love something warm and fluffy in the morning, topped with butter and agave.  I was perusing my favorite cookbook and found something that called out to be "tweeked."  My old, "Joy of Cooking," cookbook had this wonderful recipe for "Pfannkuchen or German Pancakes." Because of my inability to eat certain grains, I opted for a recipe that incorporated egg whites instead of the flour as an option.  And, because of my undeniable love for anything lemon, I created this wonderful morning hot cake.  I have another version called, "Lemon Meringue Pancakes," which I will post at another time.  While the original recipe does not call for flour, I felt it needed some body and added a touch, although you can omit the flour altogether if you like (just use less liquid).
Health note: Eggs pack quite a bit of protein, however the egg white packs 4 grams of protein alone, while the whole egg is 6 grams total.  Egg whites also have no fat or cholesterol, and added bonus to those watching those numbers.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/84504-nutritional-content-egg-egg/

Blueberry Hot Cakes...German Style!
4 egg whites (whisked into a meringue)
1 tsp. Pure Lemon Extract or Pure Almond Extract or Pure Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 tsp. Sugar or Honey or Agave
1/8- 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
2 tsp. Arrowroot Starch
1/3 - 2/3 Cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour or Flour Blend, *optional( Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour)
1/4 C. Lemon juice *optional (fresh squeezed), or Almond Milk or other liquid (This is to dilute consistency for thinner cakes.  If you like thicker hotcakes, omit this liquid).
1/4- C. Blueberry "Ocean Spray Craisins" or fresh blueberries
*Note:  If using honey or agave, add these to the wet (meringue) mixture, if using sugar add to the dry (flour) mixture.  Mix all wet ingredients separately and all dry ingredients separately, then combine together.
Directions:
Mix egg whites into a meringue.  Add extract and liquid and blueberries to meringue and fold in till well combined.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl mix, GF flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar and arrowroot, until combined.  Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until combined.
Heat griddle and coat with butter or oil.  Scoop a large Tablespoon full of the batter and put onto griddle, cook for 3 minutes and flip.  Each side should be a golden brown.

Gluten Free pumpkiny-chocolate muffins

 

Hmmm...Pumpkin and chocolate, two of my favorite things.  This version of muffin uses many things we may have in our cupboard on a regular basis.   I chose to replace the sugar with sweetened condensed milk, which created a lovely, moist pumpkiny-chocolate muffin.  Because we cannot use corn in our house, I make my own baking powder, using cream of tartar and baking soda.  The additional eggs add needed protein to my daughter's diet,  not to mention the fact that the added Vitamin A and K and iron will support additional nutrition needs throughout the day.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/86339-nutritional-value-canned-pumpkin/ 

GF Pumpkiny Chocolate Muffins

3 1/2 C Brown Rice Flour

3/4 Cup Arrowroot Starch

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

3 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

8 whole eggs (or egg whites)

2 14 oz. cans Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Large can Pure Pumpkin

1 1/3 C. Imperial Margarine

1/2 C Almond Milk

1/2 C Honey

*1 1/2 C Chocolate Chips (add these last, after everything is well blended)

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Set aside.  Mix all remaining (wet) ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Once combined, mix both the wet and dry ingredients together until well blended.  Add chocolate chips and mix well.  Spoon into greased muffin cups and bake @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until when knife inserted comes out clean.