Beautiful Weather and Tasty Sandwiches...

'Tis the season for sandwiches.  Everyone looks forward to the end of the school year; warm weather and lazy days.  With those lazy days come lazy lunches and dinners.  Who wants to go inside and cook a large dinner when you would rather be outside playing?  For the food allergy families out there it is easier said than done.  The food allergy families try to set aside a day or two to prepare as much as they can so that they may also be able to enjoy those lazy days.  My family loves sandwiches on a hot summery day.  We have an outdoor kitchen and we use it often; stocking it with sandwiches, chips, and drinks.  With that thought in mind, I decided to include my recipe for pimiento cheese; tastes great on sandwiches or on celery.  In the picture below we enjoyed grilled pimiento cheese and sausage sandwiches recently on a Sunday afternoon after church.

Pimiento Cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup mayo

1 cup plain greek yogurt

2 tbs pimientos

3 tbs chopped roasted red peppers

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp ground mustard

1 chopped green onion (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients into large bowl.  Set into refrigerator for at least an hour, will taste even better when left overnight.

An Easter Treat with an Allergy-Friendly Mock Oreo Cookie

I love that when I put my mind to something, I do it.  We missed oreo cookies, who doesn't love them?  Cookies and cream ice cream, oreo's and milk for a snack; they are great!  Since my daughter's diagnosis in July, we haven't had them.  Don't get me wrong, they are not the healthiest treat in the world; but they are a treat and a great one for this Easter weekend.  So, I'm sharing my recipe with all of you.  Happy Easter!
Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Sandwich Cookies:
Chocolate Cookies
3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (melted)
2 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
To mixer with paddle attachment; combine butter and sugar until smooth.  Sift dry ingredients and slowly add to sugar mixture on low speed.  Add eggs one at a time making sure to fully combine each into batter.  Last, slowly add melted chocolate and mix until combined.  I use two spoons to make batter into rounded shape; place on greased cookie sheet to 325 degree pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes.  Cookies will puff up, then flatten out.  Place cookies on cooling racks pretty quick to prevent them from sticking to cookie sheet.  Makes about 60 cookies.
Filling
1 1/2 tbs unflavored gelatin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tbs light corn syrup
1/2 tsp homemade vanilla extract or 1 tsp of store-bought
1 8oz package softened cream cheese.
To clean mixer bowl with whisk attachment; place 1/4 water and unflavored gelatin.  Do not mix!  Leave for 5 minutes to soften.  To saucepan add 1/2 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup, Do not stir!  Add salt and cream of tartar to gelatin mixture and whisk on med-high for 3 minutes until fluffy.  When sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees it will be a light tan color.  Slowly add sugar mixture to mixer on a high speed and continue to mix for 5 minutes until fluffy.  Add vanilla extract and continue to mix until mixture cools and will be white and fluffy.  Fold in softened cream cheese and allow filling to rest for at least 30 minutes to thicken.  Make Sandwiches!
Just a note: I usually do this on two separate nights; cookies first, then filling.

Watch Out Food Allergies, There's a New Food Revolution in Town!

There is a new food revolution among us.  The facts are; sustainability, organics, and food allergy friendly foods go hand-in-hand.  Studies have shown the more sustainably gathered the food is, the healthier it is.  Most say that the reason food allergies have gone so rampant among society is due to the means most foods have been processed.  Injected with hormones, sprayed with pesticides, and processed with preservatives; sounds good, huh?  People are starting to realize that their health starts with them, and it’s a wonderful thing.  As a mother, it is my number one job to take care of my children; a huge part of that is making sure they are making the right choices.  When I became a mother 10 years ago, I made the choice of a healthier lifestyle for our family.  I learned how to make baby food and only bought organic produce and juices.  After our second child, I realized I wanted to do more for our family in the way of being sustainable.  I started my first garden and learned how to can and freeze vegetables and fruit.  For the most part, my family and friends teased me by calling me Martha Stewart and our farm Little House on the Prairie.  I took these as compliments.  Now this food revolution is spreading throughout our families and neighborhoods and spilling over into school systems.  Farmer’s Markets are springing up all over America; along with channels devoted to cooking fresh with what’s in season.  Beautiful cookbooks and blogs abound with phenomenal recipes.  Food allergies beware!  With all of this great, fresh, sustainable food growing around us, you don’t stand a chance!

Here’s what’s in season now!

Kale Chips

2 large bunches of kale (cleaned)

Olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Remove kale from stems and tear into chip-size pieces. Toss with olive oil and spread onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in pre-heated 200 degree oven for 45 minutes.