Popcicles!

Hi everyone!

Sorry I've been a bit of a slacker in blogging... but my kids are all home and it's hard to think about blogging and take pics of food! Not to mention this super hot streak that we've been having... who wants to even do anything when its 40+ degrees outside?! Well, maybe make popcicles, but that's about it!

We did paint nails though.

Girl2 had art camp this week, which she enjoyed tremendously. She lost another tooth while there and she brought home lots of fun art pieces and I think just loved being able to be creative all day, every day, for 5 days straight! I asked her what she did during free time... three guesses.... drawing. Heh. What did she do at recess? Sidewalk chalk. The girl was in heaven!!!

Plus, she's really special.

We've been making tons of popcicles in our lovely Zoku that my friend Helen gave to my kids for their birthdays last year. Man, I love that thing... As long as I keep it in the freezer, ice pops are never more than a few minutes away!!! None of this chilling over night business. When I was at Golda's Kitchen last month, I saw a cookbook that I wanted real bad... it took a lot of self control to only look at it and then place it back where I found it... The book is Ice Pop Joy. How could I not want this book?!? Organic, healthy, delicious treats! After one quick scan through it, I was all inspired to make some popcicles when I got home. Then I forgot about it. Until we went to the library this week! What jumped out at me from the shelf!? Why, Ice Pop Joy!!! :) Now I can pretend its mine for a few weeks!

Boy1 took a peruse through and chose out the "Bluebird" pops to make first. We almost had everything in the house so I only had to make a few small changes. I don't have acai powder so I added in some greens+ kids that I use in their smoothies. And I added some tofu for a little bit of protein and creaminess. They turned out great! Loved by all 4 kids. And me.
Just pretend there is a picture of a purpley popcicle...

Bluebird Ice Pops
Adapted slightly from Ice Pop Joy by Anni Daulter

1/2 c blueberries
1/2 c blackberries or boysenberries
1 c chopped fresh pineapple
1 scoop greens+ kids (natural mixed berry flavour) or 2 tsp acai powder
4 tbsp coconut/palm sugar
1 c purified water
1/4 c silken tofu (optional)

Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into your choice of popcicle molds and freeze until solid.

We also made tropical popcicles, not from the book though. From my head. They were delish too!!!

Tropical Popcicles

2 bananas
2 c R.W. Knudsen Pineapple Coconut juice
2 tbsp orange juice (optional)

Blend it up and freeze it!!! Easy shmeasy.

While we were at the library there was a lady from Starbucks handing out little samples of Passion tea and iced coffee. Both yummy. She also gave me a receipt for a $2 grande beverage, so I treated myself to a cup of icy deliciousness on the way to picking up the girl from camp. Passion Tea Lemonade. Oh my... so refreshing! Not so healthy with the sugar syrup but I knew I'd be able to make it at home without the crap. It doesn't taste exactly the same, but I'd need to do a side by side comparison to be the parts right. But its really very easy! Plus, it made some great ice pops too!!!

Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade

2 c water
4 Starbucks Passion tea bags
1/4 c agave nectar (or to taste)
1 carton Kiju Lemonade or other sugar free lemonade

Boil water and pour over tea bags. Carefully stir in agave. Allow to steep until cold, in the fridge.
When tea is cold remove tea bags, pour in lemonade and give it a good stir.

Make popcicles!

Or as my friend Sheena suggested, blend cold lemonade with ice for a slushy beverage!

Stay cool friends!

Rice and Black Bean Salad

Hi friends!
Happy Canada Day! We are enjoying this beautiful day together as a family! It's the first day of summer vacation and the kids have succeeded in trashing the house with Playmobil and Lego, they've played some sort of house/work game and now are outside in the blow-up pool testing to see who's Lego creations can float the best. From the looks of it, there are rigorous tests going on - splashing, wave making and canon firing. :) They are having a ball! I love my kids! And summer!!!

Here is a lovely recipe for you that I created. Its lovely cold or at room temperature and would be a great thing to bring to a pot luck. Just make sure to chill it for a few hours to bring out all of the flavours.

Rice and Black Bean Salad

1 c short grain brown rice
2 c water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 red or orange pepper, finely chopped
1/2 c corn kernels (optional)
1 green onion, finely chopped (optional)

Dressing

1/2 tsp lime zest
juice from 2 limes (roll them on the counter to get the most juice)
1 tsp mustard
1-2 tbsp agave
pinch each salt, pepper, ginger powder
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine rice and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 35-45 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Allow to cool.
Add beans, celery, peppers and corn to the rice and mix with a wooden spoon to combine.
To make the dressing combine zest, juice, mustard, 1 tbsp agave, s&p and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk in olive oil. Taste. Add in more agave if its too sour.
Pour dressing over the rice mixture. Stir well to distribute the dressing.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the flavours to meld.
Sprinkle green onions on top.
Serve with nacho chips, if desired.

Quick Creamy Pasta Salad

Hey folks,
Just a quick post today - birthday month is winding down and we're ending it off with two birthday parties this weekend! I'm super busy baking and getting stuff ready for the parties and I also have to do flowers for a wedding on top of it all!

I took a healthy lunches cooking class at Health Span in Georgetown, hosted by Chef Jenny Allen. It was awesome and I came out of there with 5 recipes that I could very easily modify to avoid allergens! Score!!! All of her recipes are based on simple, natural ingredients and use natural sweeteners. And they all have a gluten-free/dairy-free option. The class was great and if you live in the Georgetown/Brampton/Mississauga area I highly recommend you check it out! Chef Jenny is always adding new classes to her schedule and each one is a new opportunity to get fabulous new recipes! Here is a link to Jenny's website which has recipes and info about classes: http://www.jentreewholefoods.com

On to the recipe! Make this... it's so easy and delish!!!

Creamy Pasta Salad with Grapes (and roasted chicken if you eat meat!)

2 c dry rice rotini or twisted kamut/quinoa pasta, cooked, rinsed and tossed with 2 tsp EVOO
1 1/2 c red or green grapes, halved
1 1/2 c roasted chicken diced or shredded (optional, I use 1/2 - 3/4 c navy beans instead)
1/2 c vegan mayo (or Hellman's olive oil mayo if you can tolerate eggs)
2 tbsp fresh dill or tarragon, chopped
3 green onions, minced (I leave these out and its still great!)
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch sea salt and pepper
2 c baby spinach or chopped romaine

In a large bowl, mix together mayo, dill, onions, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Stir in cooked pasta, chicken if using and grapes. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
To assemble, toss 1 c prepared pasta with 2 cups spinach or lettuce (for an adult size portion.)

Can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Add spinach or lettuce just before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Yummy Lunch

Hi everyone,
It's a scorcher out there today!!! I don't usually love the heat, but so far this summer I've been loving every minute of the hot days we've had. Even though today feels like 42C with the humidity, I didn't even mind taking the boys out for a bike ride this afternoon. :) I'm just thankful for the air conditioning so we can sleep at night without sticking to the sheets!!!

Here is a recipe for buckwheat/millet bread that I made yesterday. I've made it before but wanted to try baking it differently before I posted it. It turned out great and thin enough to build a sandwich on. The boy and I love it and my favourite thing is that its chock full of goodness (unlike store bought rice bread which is not very nutrient-dense.) I was a little worried about using buckwheat flour... I really don't like buckwheat honey and I knew that the flour has a really strong taste. As I was mixing it up it smelled kinda grassy and I thought to myself, 'This should be interesting...' But it baked up wonderfully and I really love it!

Buckwheat contains 8 essential amino acids, is high in fiber and contains many minerals, including phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. The buckwheat flour is offset by millet flour is this recipe. Millet is one of the least allergenic grains and is easily digestible. Like buckwheat, millet is high in protein and fiber. It is also high in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Chia seeds are used in the bread to help bind it. The original recipe called for half chia and half flax but I can't have flax every day so I opted to use all chia. Chia seeds are also packed with nutrients - they are the richest plant source of omega 3, contain antioxidants, fiber, iron and more. Tons of goodness packed into one tiny seed! Yay for goodness!!!

Now that you've all had a nutrition lesson.... here's the recipe! ;)

Buckwheat/Millet Bread
Adapted from the edible perspective

1/2 c plus 2 tbsp buckwheat flour
1/2 c plus 2 tbsp millet flour (I grind my own in a blender)
1/4 c chia seeds (or ground flax)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sucanat
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 c plus 1 tbsp rice milk or milk of choice
3/4 c water
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment (cut the corners so it fits nicely.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add in liquids and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth evenly.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top is dry and has cracks. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then using parchment, slide the bread out onto the cooling rack to cool completely.
Cut into six large pieces for sandwiches or cut to whatever size you fancy!
You can keep it in a sealed container at room temp for a day but after that, leftovers should be refrigerated.

Allergy-Free Pizza

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! Things have been busy and I've been baking lots of allergy-ful goodies and I don't feel right about posting on here!!! It's also birthday month at our house (all four kids born in June, plus cousins, other family members too and even the cat!) so its really busy. Hopefully I'll still have time to post some of the goodies I make for Boy2 and myself. :)

Here is a pizza recipe for you all. I heart pizza. It's been one of the things I've really been missing since being off of all of the foods I should avoid... and this one is pretty good! I tried it last week, making the crust the was it was written in the book but I really don't enjoy the chickpea/fava bean flour flavour in the Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour. So I switched it up and used my favourite Namaste Perfect flour blend and it turned out yummy! I really had to restrain myself from eating the whole thing and save some for the Boy!

Allergy-Free Pizza
Adapted from babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna

1 1/2 c Namaste Perfect Flour Blend (or Bob's Red Mill GF Baking Flour plus 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)
1/2 c brown rice flour
1/2 c sorghum flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
6 tbsp plus 3 tbsp melted refined coconut oil (melt then measure) or half olive, half canola oil
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 c cold water


Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and seasoning. Add the 6 tbsp coconut oil, agave and cold water. Mix with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms. Cover the top of the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto the parchment lined sheet. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough evenly to the edges of the baking sheet. Brush the top of the dough with remaining 3 tbsp of oil. Bake until golden, about 15 mins.

Remove from oven and top with your favourite sauce, toppings and cheese (I love goat's milk mozzarella - perfect for pizza! Daiya mozzarella would work great too.) Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Cut into 9 squares and try to share!

I topped half of my pizza with spinach, fresh pineapple and red peppers and left the other half plain cheese. I topped the cheese side with a mixture of chopped tomato, s&p and basil leaves and put it on top after it was all cooked since I don't like cooked tomatoes too much. It was really yummy! You could add some garlic in and make it kinda brushetta-y if you felt so inclined.

Happy Birthday to Simon :)

Spanish Black Rice

Hey friends!

We've had two beautiful days finally! I tried to spend as much time outside with the kids as possible enjoying the warmth and wearing them out with bike rides and park playing! And I love being able to just send them into the backyard and they make their own fun... yay for outdoors! One day it would be lovely to have a bigger backyard, but I'm grateful that we have a backyard at all. :)

I made this recipe a few weeks ago and decided to make it again since I enjoyed it so much. The kids liked it too! I used black rice this time to 'hide' the black beans since Girl1 thinks she doesn't like beans... but I made it the first time with long grain brown rice. I love it in lettuce leaves, but it would be yummy in a wrap too. I don't really like the rice wraps but I'm sure some people out there do! It would also be yummy in swiss chard leaves!

Spanish Black Rice

2 c water, salted
1 c black rice (or brown rice)
1 shallot (or small onion), finely diced
3 celery stalks, diced
half green pepper, diced
half red pepper, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c corn
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c Daiya cheddar cheese shreds (or grated cheddar cheese if you can tolerate it)
lettuce leaves for wrapping

Boil water, add rice and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Boil 45 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
While rice is cooking, dice shallot, celery and peppers.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add shallot, celery and peppers and saute until the shallot is softened.
Add in tomatoes (with juices), beans, corn and spices. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until most of the juices are absorbed.
Add cooked rice into tomato mixture and stir to combine.
Fill lettuce leaves with rice mixture and top with cheese shreds.

 

 

Cocoa Dusted Popped Amaranth

Hey friends.

So today is ANOTHER rainy, dreary day here. Kinda just blah and I'm really hoping for some sun soon. We've been late to school the past few day 'cause its just too hard to get up in the morning! Sun just makes everything easier... To perk up my morning I decided to try a recipe for some popped amaranth with cocoa that I found on another blog because really, cocoa just makes everything better, right?!  Remember Count Chocula? I think I had it once in my life, but I remember thinking that chocolate for breakfast was pretty much the best thing ever!

Not sure if you can buy this as cereal in the store or not, but its really very easy to pop your own and I bet it tastes a whole lot better! Amaranth is a tiny seed/grain but it really is a superfood - thirty percent more protein, three times the fiber and 5 times more iron than wheat! Yes please! If you haven't tried it yet, aren't those reasons enough!? Its also good for baking with and adding to soups or stews. But I'm loving it as cereal!

Here's what un-popped amaranth looks like.

To pop amaranth, heat a heavy bottom pot over med-high heat (you might have to fiddle a little with the heat of your stove and find what works for you. I tested the heat with a small pinch of seeds so I didn't waste a whole bunch.) All you do is quickly pour the seeds into the dry, hot pan and put the lid on. They should pop right away and if they don't, your pot wasn't hot enough. Hold the pot over the element and shake/swirl until the popping stops. Keep it moving so that it doesn't burn. Once its popped, pour it into a dry bowl to cool.

Here's what I put into my bowl, but really the options are endless! If you can eat almonds, I think they would be especially delicious in here! Flax seed would be good. Cashews, strawberries, peanut/sun butter, raisins or pretty much whatever else you can think of to make it even better and keep you full! You could even put all of the dry stuff together and take it for lunch to work or where ever you're going and pour on the milk when you're ready. I've popped some extra so I'm going to see how well it keeps in a glass jar and if it gets stale easily. I'll keep ya'll posted!

*UPDATE* The popped amaranth keeps well in a glass jar for a few days! :)

Cocoa Dusted Popped Amaranth
Adapted from the edible perspective

1/4 c amaranth, popped 2 tbsp at a time, cooled
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp coconut sugar (or other sweetener of your choice)
1 tsp chia seeds
1 banana
sprinkle of cinnamon
milk of your choice (I'm loving So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk Beverage right now!)

Stir together popped amaranth and cocoa powder. Add in the rest of the ingredients and enjoy!