Sunflower Seed Honey Bread

This can be a breakfast bread but it is not too sweet that it could be used for "regular" bread purposes. It has a nutty, subtle sweet flavor and will be a nice addition to the elim diet roster! Enjoy!

Sunflower Seed Honey Bread
1 ½ cup sorghum flour
½ cup quinoa flakes
¼ cup millet flour

¼ cup arrowroot starch
¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup sprouted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk + 1 Tbsp coconut vinegar
2 almost ripe small bananas + 1 tsp baking powder
½ cup honey/coconut nectar
½ cup canola
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds (additional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients well. Set aside. In a small bowl, add coconut vinegar to coconut milk. Allow to rest for five minutes.

Meanwhile, mash bananas and baking powder in a medium bowl. Allow to rest for two minutes. Add in milk mixture and blend well. Add in honey, canola oil, and water in turn, blending well after each addition.

Make a well in the center of your flour mixture. Add the banana mixture to the flour mix and blend until completely mixed in. Pour the mixture into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds over the loaf and press down gently. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, turn off oven and allow to rest in oven for five minutes longer. Remove from oven and turn loaf onto cutting board. Allow to cool completely before slicing. 

Smoothie Starters

I know, smoothies are so simple! Why on earth would you need a "starter"? Well, B "needed" some new popsicles and I am planning ahead for the elim diet (less than 6 weeks until I start) and needed some sweet, but healthy treats. Plus, she loves making smoothies (even though she won't drink them--- chokes and gags, which kind of sucks the fun out of smoothies). We freeze hers into popsicles and I store the rest in ice cube trays for--- SMOOTHIE STARTERS!

What is a smoothie starter? Essentially you make an extra thick (thicker than you would likely want) smoothie mix with safe fruits and just enough coconut (or other safe milk) to allow the blender to actually move and mix things up. Freeze it into 1oz cubes (standard ice cube tray cubes are perfect size) and once frozen, store in a freezer bag for future use. When you want to make your AM smoothie, simply throw in 2-4oz of cubes along with about a cup of your safe milk (if you want extra creaminess, you can throw in 2-4Tbsp coconut manna to the mix as well) and blend. Instant smoothie without needing to do all of the fruit prep work. Yes, you can buy something similar to this in the store, but let's face it--- there are extras in the store versions and if I am going to do an elim diet, I am going to do it carefully. And you save money this way, which is always a bonus! The recipe below made 8 2oz popsicles and 14 1.5oz cubes (I overfill my cubes and use a slightly larger than normal tray). You could probably get between 30 and 32oz of smoothie starter from this recipe, which should get you a weeks worth (or a bit more) of smoothies. B "created" this recipe (I put fruit in front of her, she dumps as much as she wants of each into the blender. I measure as we go.)

Smoothie Starter
2-3 cups cubed pineapple
2 cups cubed strawberries
2 cups frozen raspberries (I buy them in the summer for cheap and then flash freeze)
1 cup blackberries
1 large banana (if this isn't safe, I would add 1/4cup of coconut manna for the creaminess factor)
1/2 cup coconut milk

Have a small child happily dump all ingredients into the blender for you, creating a pretty pattern as she goes. This small child may sample the fruit here and there and she will reassure you that she is just "checking the temperature to keep you safe, mama," with a knowing look. Be sure to keep the power button out of reach until all ingredients are added and the lid is tightly on the blender. Blend at the highest speed, stopping to stir if/when necessary. Once fully blended, scoop out 1-2 Tbsp for your small chef to sample--- it will be very thick, almost like soft serve ice cream (a tiny bit runnier). Wait for her assessment of the creation and be ready to dump in additional fruit if needed. I also like to sneak in cooked pureed frozen spinach cubes. For a recipe such as this, I can usually get away with adding around 4oz without affecting the taste at all. Frozen pureed beets would also add a nice compliment and surely a lovely color. If you do add veggies and the taste is a little strong, banana and strawberries are excellent fruits to increase in amount to conceal the veggie goodness. All veggie additions at our house have been previously very well cooked and prefrozen.

For an adult (and for some kiddos too!) you can play around with other additions, such as adding in ground up hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. I have even done this with roasted ground up sesame seeds. The flavors do work well with most fruits so experiment away, especially if you are trying to get this as nutrient rich as possible.

Just remember, if on an elim diet and still learning your LO's trigger foods, be sure to label in detail the ingredients in each batch of "starter" so that you don't accidentally expose your LO if something that used to be safe becomes a fail (hopefully this won't happen, but just in case). Also, if you have a smoothie-seeking spouse or non-FA child digging through the freezer, labeling YOUR or YOUR LO'S safe smoothie starters in detail, perhaps including threats of bodily harm if consumed by an unintended individual (spouse, not child! No threats for small ones!). You love to share but it is also important that you reserve enough for yourself!

Enjoy!

The First of the Elimination Recipes-- Burritos!

I love burritos and other such foods. As a vegetarian, they tend to pack a lot of punch when they are loaded with a variety of beans, quinoa and delicious veggies. This recipe does have a lot of variations (of course-- you know me!) so please check out the notes at the bottom for ways you can jazz up or change up this recipe.

This recipe makes six nice sized burritos--- I divided it in half and put one half in N's skillet with diced chicken breast (about a pound) and the other half went into my skillet. If you don't know how to wrap a burrito, I consider it very similar to swaddling a baby. If you don't know how to swaddle a baby, then I suggest you marry a man like N who used to make burritos for his job in high school. He is the champion baby swaddler and burrito wrapper!

Baby-to-Be Burritos
6 large dairy free soy free tortillas (or free of whatever you need)
1/2 can of black beans (or other safe bean)
1 cup sliced peppers
1/2 cup mixed veggies (I chose carrots, red peppers and broccoli)
1 cup dry quinoa (cooked before added to skillet)
3 small tomatoes, diced OR 1/2 can of diced seasoned tomatoes
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tsp of cumin
1 lb of meat of choice (I didn't use this but N liked it with chicken)
1 Tbsp safe oil (per skillet)
1/2 tsp salt (per skillet)
1/4 tsp ground black peppercorn (per skillet)
1 bag of shredded safe cheese (Daiya is top 8 free and rice free)
1 cube of Rapunzel Vegan Bouillon with Sea Salt and Herbs  (or make your own!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If doing two separate meals, divide ingredients in half and prepare two skillets. If not, use a large skillet or wok for preparing this meal.

Measure out one cup of dry quinoa and two cups of water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat until all liquid is absorbed (usually takes around 10 minutes or so). Set aside.

Heat skillet(s) on medium heat. Add oil to each. Add in beans and quinoa (and meat if desired). Stir often with large wooden spoon. or other large utensil. Cook for about five minutes and then add in veggies except for tomatoes. Cook for another five minutes and then add in seasonings (you can always omit seasonings or add in different ones for variety) including bouillon cube (no extra water needed, just add as is and keep stirring). Continue to stir with wooden spoon regularly. Cook until meat is prepared to your liking and to appropriate safety standards. For those going meat-free, cook for 5-10 minutes after adding seasonings, once all seasonings are worked in to the mixture. If there is extra liquid in the mixture, you can continue cooking until the excess is absorbed.

Remove skillet from heat (don't forget your burners! haha) and set aside. Begin preparing your burritos! Have a large glass/metal baking dish ready. (You can line it with parchment paper if you wish!) On each tortilla, place desired amount of filling and then top the filling with cheese (if using cheese/cheese alternative). Roll burrito-style (For burrito rolling help). As you roll each burrito, place it in the pan seam down until they are all neatly lined up. Once the pan is full, warm in the 350 degree oven for about 5-8 minutes, essentially until the tortilla "seals" itself and the cheese melts. If you need to leave them in the oven for a bit longer (due to dealing with toddler woes), cover with foil and turn off the heat after 5 minutes.

And as promised, some suggestions for alterations!

1. For the filling .  . .  you can use rice, amaranth, millet or any other grain/pseudo grain that cooks up similarly to quinoa. For those of you on elim diets, quinoa and amaranth pack a bit more punch that the others. Be sure to check out Ancient Harvest Brand quinoa and Bob's Red Mill Amaranth.

2. You can use fish as your meat of choice-- just be sure to monitor the heat and cooking for safety!

3. If it is safe, sliced avocado would add a great protein boost, or you could make your own guacamole to add to the filling.

4. Other seasonings to consider.  . . cilantro. Need I say more?!

5. Other ways to use the filling other than burritos: filling for stuffed peppers, layer in a casserole dish with safe tortilla chips (may I suggest Green Mountain Gringo? You can also make your own if you are super industrious-- more on that later), serving by itself or baked in a casserole with added cheese or alterna-cheese.

T minus 8 Weeks

In eight weeks, we start again. I will be 30 weeks pregnant and I will be starting the elimination diet roller coaster once more. And here is my plan:

At 30 weeks preggers, I will eliminate any and all forms of dairy, soy and rice from my diet in an effort to "clear" my breast milk. I have begun my recipe database and actually, the first recipe I created, is just above. Keep in mind that I am also vegetarian so all of the elim recipes will be meat free.

Once the baby is born, I will be keeping a food journal of what I eat and anything that may seem to be a reaction (reflux, GI symptoms, skin issues, etc). I will try to eliminate by way of what lines up with the food journal (if there is need of course), but if my 6-8 weeks old, our new little one seems to be reacting to my breast milk with the planned elim diet, I will go on a Top 8 plus rice, oats and squash elim diet. If by 12-16 weeks old, I still haven't noticed enough reduction of symptoms, I will go to a bare bones TED type diet and build from the ground up.

Why am I presuming so much already? Why don't I just assume that this little one will be allergy free? Well, they aren't official, but the general stats in the FPIES community groups are not super promising. It seems like siblings born after the child with FPIES tend to often develop FPIES themselves. Not always, but there are a decent amount of families that I know of or actually know that deal with this. And what is a mama to do, but to be prepared?!

If, on a happy note, our new little one shows no signs of reacting to my milk, I will slowly start adding in dairy after 6 weeks of age. If nothing develops, I will add in soy oil and soy lecithin after 12 weeks of age. I will stop watching my diet for hidden forms of soy flour or soy protein after 20 weeks of age (I will not however return to my vegetarian ways of eating occasional tofu or drinking soy milk--- B is still so strongly reactive to soy and has recently had a few contact reactions to kisses on the cheeks to heaven knows what. .  we are reducing our risk where ever possible!). I might add in rice after this little one is about 6 months old but to be honest, we just don't keep rice in the house anymore so it really isn't a huge deal going without it.

So for some elimination diet recipes, please stay posted. I have begun my research and have been compiling links from other sites and I will be creating several recipes of my own. Enjoy!

A New Snack Recipe for Those Fruity Toddlers!

Strawberry Cereal Bars
1 3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup millet flour
2 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup spectrum palm oil shortening (or safe butter/shortening/coconut oil)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 12-16oz jar of For The Love of June Strawberry Preserves
1-2 Tbsp water
Brown sugar for sprinkling on top

Grease a small brownie/lasagna pan and set aside (I lined mine with foil and then greased the foil. Much easier for removing the bars!) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all flours and quinoa flakes in a large bowl. Blend in sugar and baking powder. Set aside.

Melt the shortening/butter. Blend melted shortening with flour mixture until it becomes crumbly, almost like graham cracker crumb pie crust. Add in honey and vanilla--- mix thoroughly with a pastry blender.

Divide the mixture in half and press the first half into the bottom of the prepared pan. In a small bowl, mix the preserves and water until well blended and a spreadable texture. Pour over top of the pressed-in-pan layer and spread evenly. Once even, add remainder of shortening/flour mixture, spread evenly and press firmly. Once set, add a sprinkling of brown sugar over the entire pan.

Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until edges are firm and bars are becoming golden brown.

Remove pan from oven and allow to cool completely. Remove foil and set on cutting board. Cut bars into desired size with a very sharp knife. Use a spatula to separate.

These can be frozen and to do so, I individually wrapped each one in press and seal after cutting. When ready to serve, simply remove as many bars as desired and reheat in the microwave, or heat on low temp in the oven on a cookie sheet. These would be great topped with a safe vanilla ice cream (larry and luna's coconut bliss anyone?)

Enjoy!

375 degrees F for 20 minutes

Chocolate--- It's What's For Dinner

I made B some delicious Christmas chocolate lollipops and candies for her stocking this year. And I am finally getting around to sharing the recipe with all of you! Really, it is a very simple recipe. If you want it to be a little sweeter, I would suggest adding a few Tablespoons of powdered sugar, but otherwise, it was sweet enough for my little choco-holic. I used the lollipop and candy molds from AC Moore--- just really simple plastic ones. I did lightly oil them before pouring in the chocolate and I used palm oil shortening for this. Here we go:

B's Chocolate Christmas Candies
2 cups Enjoy Life chocolate chips
4 Tbsp (1/4cup) coconut milk
2 Tbsp shortening/butter (I used spectrum palm oil shortening)
1 tsp vanilla

On medium to medium low heat, melt shortening in a small saucepan. Stirring continuously, slowly add in Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (or chunks). Add in the vanilla. Once fully melted, reduce heat and add in coconut milk. Continue stirring and turn off the burner. Once slightly thick, pour into prepared candy molds/small muffin cups. (If making lollipops, be sure to have sticks already in the molds before pouring in chocolate). Chill in freezer until firm. Once firm, wrap as desired and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. A note--- I did have about 1/3 of the chocolate pieces out in a candy dish, wrapped, for several days and at room temp, they maintained their shapes well.

If you wish to make layered treats, fill muffin cup halfway with chocolate and allow to firm in the freezer. Take muffin cups out and add a firm filling to the center (more on this later, but you can use sunflower seed butter, cherries, puffed amaranth etc) Cover with more melted chocolate, smooth the top flat, and then firm in freezer once more.

These were a big hit and I will definitely be making more with greater variation for the coming year. They were super duper easy to make. Really, the only thing you need to be on the watch for is the temp you melt the chocolate at--- it can be easy to burn chocolate if not done properly. If you have a good handle on your microwave temps, you could easily melt your ingredients in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl.

Happy chocolate-ing! I am saving this one for my elim diet list of treat recipes (if chocolate is safe for the next little one!)

Gingerbread House and Gumdrop Picture Show!

Our holiday creations! Gingerbread house with homemade gum drops and store bought smarties!