Velvety Chocolate Avocado Pudding

1/4 c coconut oil (I use Nutiva)

1 c pureed avocado (2-3 avocados)

1 c confectioners sugar

1/2 c cf cocoa powder (I use Chatfield's)

1 t vanilla extract

Mash avocados with a fork, then blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. In a medium saucepan, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Stir in the avocado, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla.

This is super thick and creamy. The flavor is reminiscent of chocolate covered bananas, probably because of the potassium in the avocado. When cooled, it almost has the consistency of fudge. This recipe would probably also work as a frosting.

To make corn-free confectioners sugar, blend granulated sugar in a food processor or blender until it turns into a fine powder.

Dairy-free Chai Tea Mix

It just isn't fall without chai! Here's a casein free chai mix that tastes just as good as any made with real milk.
2 c Vance's DariFree
2.5 c granulated sugar
1.5 c unsweetened instant tea
2 t ground ginger
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground cardamom
1 t ground nutmeg
optional: 1 t allspice, 1/4 t white pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and grind to a fine powder. To serve, stir 2 heaping tablespoonfuls into a cup of hot water.

Dirty Rice

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 lb. grass fed ground beef

1 t worcestershire sauce

1 t cumin

1/2 t paprika

1/4 t cayenne pepper

3 c cooked brown rice

salt and pepper, to taste

1 T apple cider vinegar

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot and bell pepper. Cook until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add worcestershire sauce, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Mix in cooked brown rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in one tablespoon apple cider vinegar (this gives it that nice hot sauce tang). If desired, top it off with a few dashes of hot sauce.

GFCF Lemon-Blueberry Scones

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 c white rice flour

3/4 c brown rice flour

3/4 c sorghum flour

2 T granulated sugar

4 t baking powder

1 t xanthan gum

1/4 t salt

1/3 c gfcf butter, cut into pieces

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 c coconut milk (don't shake the can, pour just the white liquid on top)

1/2 c dried blueberries

zest of one lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

rice milk

coarse sugar

Combine flour, 2 T sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, lemon zest and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl combine eggs, coconut milk, blueberries and lemon juice. Combine the two mixtures using a fork until just moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold and knead dough 10-12 times until smooth. Pat dough into an 8" circle and cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with rice milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

GFCF Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Preaheat oven to 375 degrees.

3/4 c gfcf butter, softened

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

3/4 t xanthan gum

1/2 t cinnamon

2 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

3/4 c sorghum flour

1/2 c white rice flour

1/2 c brown rice flour

2 c gluten free rolled oats

1 c raisins

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour, then oats. Stir in raisins. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 large cookies.

Ground Sirloin Stew with Dill Rice Noodles

I modified this recipe from Rachael Ray magazine.
ingredients:
salt and pepper
1 lb. rice noodles (I use Tinkyada fettucinni, broken into pieces)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs. ground meat (beef, buffalo, or turkey)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 T gfcf butter (ghee or earth balance spread)
2 T white rice flour
2 c organic vegetable broth
2 t gfcf worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins)
10 oz. frozen peas, thawed
1/4 c chopped fresh dill
In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil on medium to medium-high heat. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the yellow onion, carrots, celery and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cook un til vegetables are crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Keep warm. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 T butter. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the broth and worcestershire sauce and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir sauce into beef mixture, then stir in peas. Season with salt and pepper, lower heat and simmer. Toss cooked noodles with 1 T butter and chopped dill. Serve stew over noodles.

Super Chewy GFCF Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 c gfcf butter or spectrum shortening

1/4 c nut butter

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar

1 t vanilla extract (I use Rodelle)

2 eggs

1/2 t salt

3/4 t baking soda

1/2 t xanthan gum

1/4 c ground flaxseed

1/4 c almond meal

1/3 c white rice flour

1/3 c brown rice flour

1/3 c sorghum flour

1/2 c chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, nut butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs, beat until well combined. Add salt, baking soda, xanthan gum, flax, almond meal and flours. Mix until well combined. Mix in chocolate chips. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 large cookies.

Our gfcf journey!

Looking back I realize that Ellie has always been sensitive to gluten and casein. I tried breastfeeding for Ellie's first few days of life. Neither of of could get the hang of it so I gave up and decided to give her formula, thinking it was almost as good. Her chronic constipation started at only one week old. Following our pediatricians advice, I started putting Karo syrup in her formula to loosen her stools. That it did, but I didn't know that it would also cause candida to flourish in her gut. Another disconcerting fact about high-fructose corn syrup; half of the samples tested recently contained mercury.
By the time Ellie was around 18 months, she started eliminating foods from her diet. I was told it was just a normal toddler phase, that all kids are picky eaters at this age. It got so bad that by the time I decided to try a gluten and casein free diet, she would go days consuming nothing but milk. Ellie would only eat if my husband got pizza from Little Caesar's.
The first couple months on the diet Ellie still wouldn't eat. Pedisure was out so I made my own gfcf version. I mixed an allergen free mutivitamin powder and organic hemp protein and fiber powder in her rice milk. The third month she started eating one or two things all the time. Six months in is when things really began to change! Ellie started expanding her diet, her eye contact improved, the constipation was less severe, she was engaging in pretend play more often and her speech improved.
Watching Ellie grow and learn these past seven months has given me hope that she will eventually recover. I am enjoying every milestone along the way!

Quick and Healthy frosting substitute

Equal parts nut butter and raw spun honey. That's it! This tastes delicious on carrot cake. The only gfcf cream cheese substitutions I have found not only contain soy, but also partially hydrogenated oils. Yuck! No cream cheese frosting for us. This is a really yummy apple dip! It tastes like caramel.
Note: Never give honey to infants under one year of age.

GFCF Pumpkin Bread

1 c white rice flour

1 c brown rice flour

1.5 c sorghum flour

1/4 c ground flaxseed

1 t xanthan gum

2 c sugar

2 t cinnamon

2 t nutmeg

1 t salt

2 t baking soda

1/2 c organic extra virgin coconut oil, melted

1/4 c apple and plum baby food (or other flavor, just make sure it's gfcf)

2/3 c water

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree

3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix thouroughly. Fill 24 lined muffin cups or 2 greased loaf pans. Bake loaves for 50-60 minutes. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure they're done.

I made french toast with this bread and topped it off with pure maple syrup and chopped pecans. It was so good it could pass as dessert. You definitely want to serve it with eggs or some other protein to avoid a sugar crash.

Why blog?

I never have been much of a writer, so starting a blog is somewhat intimidating to me. Nevertheless, here I am, trying to think of where to start. Why start a blog in the first place? I just thought it would be a good way to share recipes and chronicle Ellie's recovery. If this blog helps at least one person, then it's worth my time.