Gluten-free Chex Oatmeal

Have you tried this yet? Usually I make my own quick and easy breakfasts using plain quick oats adding in the "extras" myself. But when I came across this gluten-free option half off at publix this weekend, I decided to give it a try. Eli enjoyed it for breakfast, and I enjoyed the price. I bet you could even find a coupon or two to pair with it!

I also love that there are just five ingredients in this product and not a single one is a preservative!

Added to the fact that this non-morning person likes the words "quick and easy" first thing in the morning, I would definitely recommend it!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I love this little vegetable. When I was a kid, I only liked them because they looked like tiny cabbages, but now I love them for their flavor. 

Usually I stir fry them in olive oil with a little onion and sea salt, but recently I saw  the following status posted on Facebook by my cousin, "Lemme tell you - If you've never had roasted brussel sprouts, you're doing brussel sprouts a disservice."

He had me at "roasted."

I love roasted veggies!! Maybe it's for the wonderful taste, or maybe it's because all you have to do is stick them in the oven (or maybe it's a combination of taste *and* laziness), but it's my favorite way to cook them.

His instructions were, "cut then in half, then toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 until they blacken."

As you can see, I went with partially blackened because I was worried the kiddos would be put off by them if they were too dark (hey, when your two-year-old eats brussel sprouts, you do what you must not to put him off).

I needn't have bothered. We all stood around the pan picking out the blackest ones. So wait till they all look like this one:

Enjoy!

Delight Gluten-free Magazine Sept/Oct

I love opening the mailbox to find something fun! Don't you? A couple days ago, I opened it to find my new issue of Delight gluten-free magazine.  This issue is full of fall recipes and Haloween treat recipes. Personally, I can't wait to try these cinnamon rolls!

Can you believe it is this time of year again?! I love the great fun this time of year brings, and I can't wait to dive into the fun and beautiful goodies.

See any recipes you might like?

Last, my favorite section. I call it the "is there any point in trying to use these recipes for my multiple allergy child" section. You know who you are and (if you are one of those) what I mean. 

Go get yours today!

Gluten-free Tailgating: Taco Salads and More

One of my favorite things about fall is tailgating. The excited atmosphere of a crowd gathered to cheer on its favorite team is the perfect pairing to fun, delicious foods. In order to do something a little different - and maybe a little healthier - my mom came up with the idea of individual taco salad cups. It was a big hit!

They turned out quite pretty in clear, plastic cups with their layers topped with tomatoes and a sprig of cilantro.

We layered brown rice flavored with taco seasoning, black beans, chopped green leaf lettuce, chopped scallions, chopped red pepper, grilled chicken cut into small cubes, shredded cheese (use Daiya cheese to make this dairy-free as well), and the garnish mentioned above.

We also added plenty of sides to add-on. Tortilla chips, chopped avocado, guacamole, chopped jalapenos, salsa, and sour cream.

We also had a corn relish with black beans, onions, and peppers of which I didn't manage a picture (I was quite remiss in my picture-taking. I blame it on pre-game jitters). 

Then for desert we had S'mores bars, and you can find the recipe here.

Gluten-free, Allergy-free Supplements

Looking for a supplement for you kids (or yourself), but worried about what hidden allergies it might contain? The Our Kids Supplement and Vitamin Retailer website at www.ourkidsasd.com is the site you need.

Each product description tells you not only what ingredients it contains, but also the ones it does not! For example:

And it has a bunch of supplements and companies from which to choose. One shipment makes things easy!

This site has been a "goldmine" for my son, Noah, who has various nutrients in need of supplementation, but also has multiple allergies and dietary needs which makes it nearly impossible to find vitamins he can actually take. I cannot tell you how grateful I was when Noah's pediatrician told me about it.

Back to school: Allergy-free Apple Nachos

Eli wanted to make a gluten-free recipe he found for Apple Nachos, but he wanted to do it in a way that was safe for his brother, Noah, who is allergic to peanuts. It was pretty simple.

We sliced up some apples and strawberries, added a bit of agave nectar (you could use honey) to a couple tablespoons Sunbutter and drizzled the mixture over the fruit. We added a dollop of vanilla yogurt and topped it with crushed cashews (although we would have used shredded coconut had there been any in the house).

He loved it, and it made a great after-school snack!

Pear Preserves

This pear tree stands at my grandmother's house. I don't know how old it is, but it is older than I am (I am thirty-somethingorother). It holds many fond memories from my childhood. Among many other things this tree has been used as a jungle gym, has shaded a princess during high tea, and has even hidden a secret agent or two. I get nostalgic just looking at this picture.

Now-a-days, I love this tree for something more. There are beautiful flowering pear trees that don't produce fruit, and next to this tree seem fairly pointless to me. This tree is huge and produces an enormous amount of pears. My father is regularly at his mother's house grabbing what pears he can reach and the ones that fall helpfully to the ground. What do we with all those pears?

 We make pear preserves,

pear syrup (you've never lived 'till you've had this stuff on pancakes),

and (for my Noah) pear sauce.

[Pear Preserves on GF Toast]

And then we spend the rest of the year enjoying them!