Granola

One of our favorite breakfast cereals is granola.  But finding inexpensive dairy free granola can be a challenge.  I have found that if I want granola with no dairy I have to buy the expensive organic brands in the tiny boxes.  It seems to be a bit of a waste of money to me when I can easily make my own.  I have made it several times, but I tried this recipe recently and wanted to share it with you all.


                                    Easy Granola*

• 2 teaspooons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups whole oats ( I like the Trader Joes Brand)
• 1/2 cup Rice Twice cereal ( or other crisped rice)
• 1/4 cup flax seeds or flax seed meal
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1 cup dried cranberries ( I used the orange flavored ones from Trader Joes)

If you look real close at the TV you will see the severe weather alert crawling across the screen.  We had some wild storms roll in while I was putting this together. 

First things first, preheat your oven to 300F.  While the oven is heating, mix together your spices.  In a medium bowl whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, salt, honey, oil, maple syrup, water, and vanilla.

Add in all your dry ingredients and coat evenly.  Spread on a baking sheet.  You can line the baking sheet with parchment paper, but I didn't have any on hand.  We are trying to lower our waste so I stopped buying things like that and am finding alternatives.  I used just a small amount of cooking spray on my pan and spread it evenly with my (clean) fingers to lightly grease the entire sheet. 

Bake until the granola is dry and crisp, but do not let it  brown.  It took about 35-40 minutes for mine to finish up.  You can stir it a couple times as well. 

Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container.  I use Ball Jars- they work perfectly!  This amount filled 1 large jar and 1 small jar.  You could easily double it.  

I adapted the recipe from the original to suit our tastes.  I omitted the pecans and added almonds, used flax seed meal instead of whole flax seed, and added in some dried cranberries. 

*Adapted from Melissa d'Arabian and Ten Dollar Dinners

Product Review: Attune Foods Erewhon Cereal

Not too long ago I was offered the opportunity to try Attunes line of Erewhon cereal.  Their cereals are organic and made in nut free and dairy free facilities.  Both of the cereals we tried are also gluten free.   

I have never been a huge breakfast eater, especially as a kid.   My kids, on the other hand, LOVE breakfast and especially cereal.   The minute their feet hit the floor in the morning they are looking for breakfast.  One of the challenges is finding cereal they will like that is still healthy.  So far we have been pretty successful at keeping the junk cereals out of the house but they get tired of the same old thing. So we are always on the hunt for something new, tasty, and healthy.  They were just as excited as I was when our box of cereal arrived in the mail.  We got to try the Rice Twice and the Strawberry Crisp. 

Even though I have never been a huge fan of cereal, as I have gotten older I have found that there are a few types that I  really like. I have pretty high standards and won't eat just anything. Actually, I am super picky about cereal.  I don't like super sugary cereals, or ones that get soggy quickly. I want my cereal to be healthy, but to not taste like cardboard. See?  High standards.  

The first box opened the morning after it arrived was the Strawberry Crisp.

I was especially excited about this one because it is similar to an old favorite of mine that happens to contain dairy. (Why would corn flakes with strawberries contain dairy anyway??  That doesn't make sense to me.  But I digress...)
 My Middle One was the first to dig in to her bowl and she gave it Two Thumbs Up.  That's our rating system for food, by the way.  If something gets two thumbs, it's really good!

 We also tried the Rice Twice cereal.  We gave that one to the Littlest One.

This still sleepy little monkey also loved her bowl of cereal.

Of course I had to give it a try too, so I had a bowl of the Strawberry Crisp with  almond milk.  It was so much better than my old favorite!  The flakes stay crispier, and there are a ton of the strawberries. I seldom finish a bowl of cereal, but I certainly finished this one.  Sadly, I have already eaten the entire box.  I am still on the hunt for it at my local grocery store but have not had much luck.  As soon as I find it I will be stocking up!

 I have been wanting to make a batch of homemade granola and I had found a recipe that called for crisp rice cereal as part of the ingredients. I will be sharing that recipe soon, but I will tell you that this worked perfectly!

I will also be using the Rice Twice to make those marshmallow treats for the kids from now on. 

As a Mom, I am thrilled to find a wholesome, great tasting cereal that my kids love.  As a dairy free consumer, I am so glad there is a company out there that is catering to the needs of those with food intolerances.
For more information visit the Attunefoods website.

New Dairy Free Find: Cinnamon Rolls

Let me start by saying this is NOT a health food blog.  This is a food intolerance/allergy blog.  I do try to eat healthy 99% of the time but the word omnivore in my name means just that.  I will eat just about anything- other than dairy of course! My goal is to lead a normal life, eating things that I used to love just without the dairy. I believe moderation is key, and a treat now and then is not a bad thing.  That being said, let's proceed to my latest  dairy free food find:

Growing up it was such a treat to  have cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven on a Saturday morning.  I don't mean made- from- scratch, mom slaved over them for hours, cinnamon rolls.  I mean the kind from a can- the gooey, oh so sweet, twist the can and jump when it explodes, cinnamon rolls. The ones we all know aren't super good for us but are such a treat to have. The same ones my husband made for me the morning he proposed to me.  That's right, my husband popped the question over a plate of  cinnamon rolls.  It was such a sweet moment.

Since canned cinnamon rolls have held a special place in my heart for the past 11 years it was a sad day when I could no longer eat them.  I have read every can I have come across- even the ones from Trader Joes. But they all contained whey or another form of dairy.  Until I found  this little gem at my local grocery store on Sunday afternoon:

 I used to have an issue with buying generic.  Call me a brand snob,  but I prefer brand names when it comes to food items.  But these store brand cinnamon rolls are just as good as the brand name ones.  

I was so excited when I found them I think I let out a little squeal right there in the freezer section.  My husband laughed at me, but he was as happy as I was to find these.  Now we can add cinnamon rolls back into our life! Don't worry, they won't be an everyday occurrence.  I don't have that much of a sweet tooth. 

 Yesterday morning I made this special treat for my family- the perfect start to a Monday after a very busy weekend.  

Yummy cinnamon goodness ready to go in the oven.

Needless to say once these were done they lasted all of about 5 minutes.  The littlest one even had one (minus the frosting of course!)   I limited myself to one roll and added a couple Cuties to my plate- you know, so it was a balanced meal.

 This morning we are back to our healthy breakfast- eggs with whole wheat toast for me, low-sugar cereal and fruit for the kiddos. But this is such a nice treat to have every now and then.

What is one food you miss the most since giving up dairy?

Belgian Waffles

I'm not sure how this happened, but my kids are all huge fans of breakfast.  Me-not so much.  Especially when I was a kid. I guess my girls take after their Daddy in that way.  As soon as their feet hit the floor in the morning they are wanting to eat breakfast.  Their favorites include Cheerios, Life, Rice Krispies (or Kripsies as my 5 year old calls them), or Corn Pops.  They do like oatmeal, especially overnight oats.  But their favorite breakfast is Belgian waffles or pancakes with syrup.  We have tried several waffle and pancake recipes and my favorite is a very simple recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

I have found that most waffle and pancake recipes call for some sort of dairy product- buttermilk, cream, sour cream, etc.  But, contrary to popular belief you do not need dairy to make a delicious, light waffle. These are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. 

Belgian Waffles:

1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar ( raw cane sugar)

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 and 3/4 cup vanilla soy milk

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat your waffle maker while you are preparing the batter.

1.In a medium bowl mix together your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Make a well in the center.

2.In another bowl add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until moistened. 

My helper for the morning, in her brand new feetsie pajamas that she had to  have.

3. Pour 1 to 1 and 1/4 cups batter on the grids.  Follow your waffle makers directions for use.

We turn these into "dippers" for the two littlest ones. 

If I have time I will usually make a double batch so I have plenty to get through the week.  They reheat wonderfully in a toaster. They also freeze well.

And I just had to add this picture of my other little "Helper".  Bruin was so hopeful he would get a waffle too.  And of course he did.

Recipe adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Cranberry Apple Bread

My daughters have been asking me to bake something new for a couple of weeks. After the holidays I was on baking burn-out so I took a break (and we still have goodies in the freezer). On Friday afternoon I had some spare time (ok, who are we kidding? Of course I didn't, I was just putting off other things that needed to be done). Since the baby was napping and the girls were working on some art projects I had some spare minutes to try out something new in my kitchen. I had a basket of apples on my counter and a bag of cranberries in my freezer. I have been wanting to try an apple bread that I had a recipe for and since I had the cranberries, I decided to incorporate them as well.

I used the basic dry ingredients measurements from another of my bread recipes, but fiddled around with the other ingredients. What I came up with is now my daughters' favorite bread.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup organic sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups chopped, peeled apples
1 cup cranberries- finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F and spray your loaf pan with cooking spray.

2.Peel and chop your apples. Chop your cranberries in a food processor- I made mine very small. Zest your lemon. Set these aside until you are ready to use.


3.In your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl) combine sugar, eggs, and oil. Beat well.

4.In a separate bowl combine your flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, allspice, and cinnamon.

5. Gradually add to the wet mixture. It will be thick. Once the dry ingredients are blended in, add your apples, cranberries, and lemon zest. The liquid from the fruit with help thin the batter a little bit.


6.Pour into your bread pan.


Bake a for 60-65 minute, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine took exactly 65 minutes.


This bread is great as a snack, a treat to have on hand for company, as dessert for kids, or for breakfast.
~Happy Baking!~

DairyFree Detox

Over the past 2 weeks or so I've been feeling kind of... blech. Not sick, just not well. Those with food intolerances or allergies probably understand that feeling. I normally eat all organic and natural foods, I seldom eat processed anything since most of it contains dairy. Occasionally I will find a treat that has no dairy in it, like Oreos, Sweet Spicy Chili Doritos, or some coffee creamers. But after a couple of days of eating that treat I will start to not feel well. I've had a headache for 2 weeks (those are always fun) and it is apparent that something in my diet is not agreeing with me too. I am pretty sure I have narrowed it down to my coffee creamer. I was so excited that I found Dairy free creamer in flavors I love. Even though they are lactose free, there is obviously something in them that my body does not like. So I am going to have to toss them and go back to my organic soy and almond milk in my coffee.

In order to get back on track I am eating those foods that make me feel good- oatmeal, avocados, eggs, and lots of veggies. And water- lots of water. It's a way that I kind of detox myself after eating something that I should not.

Breakfast looked like this:

Organic multi-grain raisin spice oatmeal with banana, almond milk, and ground flax seed. Instead of coffee I opted for a cup of rooibos tea (rooibos is good for everything- digestion, allergies, it is anti-inflammatory, and promotes overall health. It is also a lot easier on the stomach than green tea.)


It was so good!

For lunch I had a white bean and veggie open faced sandwich with a side of organic baby carrots.
I made a quick and easy white bean spread. I didn't follow a recipe- I looked in my spice cabinet and picked out what I thought would tasted good.

1 can white kidney beans
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
juice of half a lemon juice
2tablespoons or more of olive oil

Here's what I did:
Drain and rinse the beans. Put them in a small sauce pan, add the cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and cumin (About a 1/2 teaspoon of each- more if you want a lot of flavor). Let the beans heat through, stirring often so they don't burn to the bottom of the pan.
When they are hot, put them in a food processor (I used my small Kitchen Aid for this). Add Olive oil and juice of half a lemon. Puree them until you get a smooth consistency. You may have to add more olive oil as you go. Once it is to the consistency and flavor you want, you're done.

To make my sandwich I toasted up two slices of bread, spread the beans on them, added some organic baby spinach, a little red onion (it was leftover from the previous night's salad), sliced avocado, and then sprinkled it with salt and pepper. This sandwich with a side a baby carrots, a little more of the bean spread/dip, and a huge glass of water was so good for lunch.



I skipped my smoothie for the day-I had a few cups of my rooibos tea instead.

Dinner was simple- just plain scrambled eggs and toast. I followed it up later with a Cliff Bar and a glass of water for a snack.

I also went to bed early- after watching the Season Premiere of One Tree Hill, of course!

It is amazing how much better I feel today than I did yesterday. My headache is still there, although not nearly as bad as yesterday. And part of that is most likely allergies. My energy is back and my mood is better (I get cranky when I don't feel well). I don't eat poorly often, but when I do boy does it make me feel gross. Hopefully this sort of detox will get me back where I need to be.

French Toast Casserole

Christmas morning is always spent at our house, since we have the kids and Santa has been here the night before leaving piles of gifts for them. My parents come over very early, we open our stockings, let the girls open their Santa presents, and then take a short break for breakfast. We dive into the rest of the gifts once the girls have eaten. Once all the gifts are opened and the coffee pot is drained, my husband makes mimosas and we go back for breakfast #2 or start on the leftover from Christmas Eve. Since it is a special day, I am always looking for something fun to make for breakfast instead of the same old cold cereal. Before my dairy issue started, I would make quiche-like breakfast pies with ham and Swiss cheese or egg and cheddar cheese. They are called Impossibly Easy pies and the recipes are from Bisquick. They were so good, but I stopped making them once I could no longer eat cheese. I have yet to try them with my "fake" cheese.
I have found that with 3 kids and all the excitement on Christmas morning, cooking is not really an option. I need something easy, something that can be put together the night before and popped in the oven that morning. I happened to come across the perfect recipe in my Family Fun magazine and I wanted to share it with you all. It really is so easy and perfect for Christmas morning.

French Toast Casserole:
Serves: 8
Total baking time:50-60 minutes

This was adapted from Family Fun Magazine. I did change it a bit though. I omitted the nuts, used light brown sugar, extra cinnamon, added a sprinkle of nutmeg to the top, and used vanilla soy milk. The method calls for 2 layers of bread but instead I made this in a large lasagna pan and did a single layer of bread so it was not at all soggy.

Ingredients:
challah bread (can be found in the bakery section)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon or to taste (I used a little more)
A pinch of nutmeg
8 large eggs
1 3/4 cups vanilla soy milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract




Directions:
1. Grease a large pan (such as a lasagna pan) with cooking spray of your choice.
Cut the Challah bread into 1 inch cubes. You don't have to measure, they just need to be around that size.

2.In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.



3.Arrange the bread in the baking dish. Try to have a single layer- it will cook better and will not be soggy. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sugar mix over the bread.




4.In a large bowl whisk together the eggs. Add the soy milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice), and vanilla extract, whisking until they are well blended.



5.Starting from the sides of the dish and working toward the center, pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture on top. If desired sprinkle a little nutmeg over the top.



6. Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. To save time I wrote the baking directions on the foil.



7. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 20 minutes covered, 30 more minutes uncovered, or until the top is slightly golden.I was still half asleep when I put this in the oven since my coffee was not yet done brewing.


To me, this tasted just like french toast. I will definitely be making this for Christmas morning, along with a few other things.

*Adapted from Family Fun Magazine.

What's Baking~Christmas Cookies

I have not yet baked one Christmas cookie. Seriously- not one. But that's not abnormal for me- I actually do not start baking until the week before Christmas. I like my cookies fresh for the Holidays and I don't like to over do it on the sweets for Christmas. Plus, I know for a fact that Santa's favorite Christmas cookies are peanut butter blossoms, and that he likes them made on Christmas Eve;-) We always save those for very last, and the girls help, since those are the ones we leave out for Santa.
So since this is the week before Christmas, we will get started on our baking. I thought I would share my Cookie Menu with you. We'll see if I actually get all of these done.

Traditional Favorites:
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Chocolate Chip ( my husband's favorite)
Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Fudge Balls

Cranberry Orange Bread (ok, so that's not a cookie)

Grownups' Favorites:
Double Chocolate Biscotti

Cranberry Orange Biscotti
Chocolate Cappucino Cookies
Raspberry Wine and Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies (and clementines- SO GOOD!)

Do you see a theme with the chocolate? I am actually a closet choco-holic-(Shhhh don't tell anyone.) And to help with that addiction I found dairy free chocolate chips at Trader Joes.

But, first things first, I have to make Rice Krispie Treat Christmas Trees for my middle daughter's preschool party tomorrow and wrap teachers' gifts.

As I make these cookies I will share the recipes. I cannot wait to start baking this week, especially with my girls.

Quick & Easy Pancakes

We eat a lot of pancakes in our house. A LOT. As in once a week at least. Sometimes for breakfast, sometimes for dinner. My girls- all three of them- love pancakes. And so do I- they are so easy to make, everyone gets to eat them the way they want to. My oldest daughter likes to make peanut butter and jelly pancakes. My middle puts either syrup or honey on hers The youngest eats them plain. I like mine with buttery spread and honey. Usually we pair them with fruit and scrambled eggs for breakfast, and for brinner we'll have bacon, eggs, and hash browns. I always make extra so I can keep them for breakfasts for a few days too.


I adapted this recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It is listed as a Buttermilk Pancake recipe, but there is a variation posted beneath it where you can omit the buttermilk and use regular milk so I just sub my non-dairy milk. I add a few extra ingredients to mine as well.


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk (or non dairy milk)
3 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of nutmeg



Directions:
1.In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.
In a small bowl lightly beat the egg, add your soy milk and oil. Combine the two. We like our pancakes on the thinner side, so I always add more soy milk to the batter and thin it out. Once you have gotten your desired consistency, add in your cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg (if desired).


I let my batter stand for about 10 minutes and come to room temp or so before I use it.


2. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto your preheated griddle, or a greased heavy skillet.


Cook on one side until the bubbles in the batter don't close up, or until the sides start to turn golden.



You can omit the cinnamon, vanilla, and/or nutmeg if you would like. I have also done vanilla and dairy free chocolate chips (more of a special treat or dessert pancake). We have topped these with peaches, fried apples, sauteed bananas... the possibilities are endless.

*Does your family do breakfast for dinner? If so, what is your favorite thing to make?*

Tastes Like Christmas~Cranberry Orange Bread

Ever since I can remember my Mom always made Cranberry Orange Nut bread around the holidays. It has always been my very favorite bread because the tastes in it remind me of Christmas. The cranberry and orange together with just a touch of sweet- so so good!
When I became a wife and mom, I decided it was time to make my own. However, I don't like nuts in breads. Plus children under the age of 5 should not eat nuts since they are a choking hazard, so I always eliminate them from any bread recipe.

The original recipe can be found on the back of the Ocean Spray cranberry bag. That recipe uses shortening but I don't like to use that if I can help it, so I use my organic vegan butter instead.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Earth Balance butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries


Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F and spray a loaf pan lightly with cooking spray.

1.Chop your cranberries in a food processor.

2.In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. (It will be a little more crumbly than creamy). Beat in 1 egg and the grated orange peel.



3.In another bowl combine the dry ingredients.

4.Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the orange juice. Gently fold in the cranberries.



5.Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan.


Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.



I made this on Saturday, and it was gone by Sunday night. I am going to make more today, and freeze a few of them to have through December. Although I doubt they will last that long!
If there is ever only 1 of my recipes you try, I hope it is this one. This bread really is THAT good!

Happy Cooking!

Product Review: Trader Joes Gluten and Dairy Free Homestyle Pancakes

I have not been keeping up with my product reviews and I apologize for that. So I will try to be better about keeping up with these.

I know I have mentioned it before, but I will say it again- I LOVE Trader Joes! Between getting our food from local farms, BJ's, and Trader Joes I have not stepped foot in a large grocery store chain in quite some time. And that's the way I like it. I like that every time I go into Trader Joes I leave with some new Dairy Free treat to try. This time I found their gluten free, dairy free home style pancakes. I am always looking for a quick and easy breakfast, especially since my mornings start at full speed every day. I need something that is healthy, dairy free, and that I can pop in the toaster. Not easy to find! But these fit that perfectly.




They came in individual packs of 3, which I LOVE! Cuts down on freezer burn if the box doesn't close well.


I'm not a huge fan of maple syrup, so I usually find something else to put on my pancakes or waffles. Today I decided on these:
Trader Joes Superfruit Spread, and Earth Balance.


Since I was very hungry this morning I decided to throw couple Trader Joes hashbrown patties in the oven as well. I love these, probably too much. And I am well aware that this breakfast was totally carb loaded but I was starving!

Don't judge;-)

As for the review:
On a scale of 1-5 I would give them a 4.5. They have a great texture, they actually tasted like pancakes (let's face it some dairy free items don't taste like they should!), and the portion size was perfect for one person. They aren't as good as homemade, but not far from it. If you're looking for a quick, easy breakfast I highly recommend trying these. Let me know if you agree!

More product reviews coming soon!

What are some of your favorite dairy free products?