I’ve made this a few times now. It is pretty simple and sets up pretty fast so there is no need to make it the night before.  I was originally trying to make a chocolate frosting using real melted chocolate chips and what resulted was a really tasty chocolate pudding. The kids loved it.  Last week I used it as a filling in a double layered gluten-free chocolate cake I made using Cherrybrook Kitchen’s box mix.

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Just received a bag of organic apples yesterday through our co-op. Rather than make a whole pie, I decided to do a quick cobbler. The filling wasn’t too moist and the topping was sweet and crunchy, just the way I remembered it when my mom used to make it with Bisquick years ago. This recipe takes about 45 minutes and includes a few extra steps but I think it is worth it. (more…)

About two months ago, while we were on holidays in Ireland, I took my 3 1/2 yr old with me to the grocery store. He got very excited when he saw a picture of jam cookies on a packaged box and was mad about getting them. I explained that they had wheat, and that we couldn’t get them. He just pointed his finger at me and said exuberantly, “But YOU could MAKE them!” (more…)

Pleasantly surprised with this recipe, I decided to add it to our collection of favorites. In our house all our breads are not only gluten and corn free, but they are also made without yeast, something that we are quite used to by now but at one time meant crumbly dry bread that broke apart when you tried to spread jelly or butter on it. This problem makes sandwiches impossible, but I have finally found a combination of ingredients that works for us. This recipe produced a nice moist and spongy loaf with loads of nooks and crannies. It sliced beautifully in my machine. The two small loaves I baked last night were gone in less than 24 hours, so I think I will be making it again! (more…)

Marcie at Lil’s Dietary shop in Chicago, IL recently gave me a crust from Pane Riso Foods to try out. Our neighboring Canadians will recognize this crust as the famous Kingsmill Foods crust sold online, in stores, and at select pizzerias across their country for years. The spokesperson I chatted with informed me that Kingsmill Foods was the pioneer supplier of gluten free foods in Canada. Two years ago Kingsmill Foods sold their gluten free line to Canbrands Specialty Foods and the brand name is now in the process of changing to Pane Riso Foods. The new products will have the same brown and white name label, only the name has changed. (more…)

If you are looking for something different, here’s a quick and easy way to cook sweet potatoes that’s not the same old mashed, or Thanksgiving sweet. (more…)

I waited until the last minute to get together something for my son’s Mother’s Day Tea Party. Wanting to make these cookies as healthy as possible by avoiding all sugars, even maple syrup, I decided to check out Pecanbread.com, a website devoted to helping folks following a Specific Carbohydrate Diet. There I found a handful of recipes. One in particular peaked my interest because I had all the ingredients for it on hand. This was my first attempt to bake cookies without any flour or sugar and I was very surprised at the results. The kids loved them, and for anyone not familiar with the SCD diet, as it is often referred as, this recipe is gluten-free, corn-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and Feingold approved. Oh, and one last thing I forgot to mention–delicious! (more…)

If you have issues with sensitive skin, and especially if you have recently been diagnosed with allergies or intolerances, you may want to take a long look at your soaps, deodorants, perfumes, and cosmetics bag and perhaps do a little purging this weekend. Many favorite name brand cosmetics and personal products are full of common allergens and known cancer causing toxins. After having had a few strange reactions after using popular drugstore brands over the years I finally switched to high end cosmetics only to find that even those irritated my skin. I soon became an occasional makeup wearer, but now there are better options available for women with sensitive skin and known allergies. Not only will your complexion improve, and your confidence, but you may actually feel healthier too. (more…)

If you have a full time job and are attempting your major allergy-friendly cooking on the weekends, then this recipe is just the thing you need for a fast semi-homemade meal in no time at all. From start to finish you can have this one on the table in 30 minutes, thanks to Eden Organics two awesome gluten and corn-free prepared canned items: Caribbean Rice and Beans, and Diced Tomatoes. This dish is also naturally dairy, egg, and soy free. Traditionally a spicy dish, my three boys ate this tasty lunch in stride with a touch of added honey.

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We like to make oatmeal once a week, now that we’ve been gluten-free for a year. There is a lot of controversy on the use of oats in a gluten-free diet, but several new studies have proved that as long as the oats are Elisa batch tested and are certifiably free from cross-contamination they are perfectly fine for celiacs.

Today there are several companies offering gluten-free oats in both Canada and the States, so do check out whether or not your local grocer would be willing to carry one or more brands for you. This dish is great for a weeknight. Yes, you heard me right. I said weeknight. Just simply dump all the ingredients into a 2 quart slow cooker just before you go to bed; set it on low and in the morning your breakfast is ready. This is the favorite breakfast dish in our house.

Our version is naturally corn-free, soy-free, and dairy-free. (more…)