Thursday, July 28, 2011

Hello Welcoming Kitchen friends,

Have any of you had trouble leaving a comment or copying the URL for a specific link?  I have heard that we might be having tech troubles.  If you are, would you please email me at kim@welcomingkitchen.com?  You can also "like" our Facebook page and connect with us that way.  Thank you so much!

Happy Cooking,
Kim and Megan

Monday, July 25, 2011

I just put in some bids on some great auction items over at The Auction, the fundraiser set up by Janetha at Meals and Moves, to provide financial support for Susan from The Great Balancing Act as she takes on lymphoma.  Stop by The Auction site for your chance to get some super-cool stuff! 

Have a great week!

Happy Cooking!
Kim and Megan

Wednesday, July 20, 2011


It is so hot here in the midwest; it was over 100 degrees and promises to be super-hot again tomorrow.



Where's the challenge?

Last week, I decided that to reset my eating habits, I would go 10 days with no alcohol, no sugary desserts and no snack foods.  (I've been living like every day is the 4th of July!)

The alcohol and salty snacks?  No problem.  Even the sweets have not been a problem.  But, today it was really roasting outside.  When I took my boys to swimming lessons, I saw two older men eating ice cream cones at 9 in the morning.

No sweets?  That means no frozen treats!
Sugar-free Vegan Sherbet



No way!  I made a vegan sherbet.  I used ultra-sweet watermelon for the sugar element and coconut cream to make it sherbet-ty.  Cool, sweet and yummy and still free of refined sugar and full of fruit.


Vegan Fruit Sherbet
(Note:  To make the coconut cream, put a can of coconut milk--either regular or light--in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.  Open the can and scoop out the cream that has separated from the liquid, and discard the watery liquid.)

Ingredients:
5 cups watermelon chunks with seeds removed
2 cups mango chunks (I used frozen.)
Coconut cream from one can of either light or regular coconut milk
1 9-ounce jar (or approximately 1 cup) strawberry all-fruit spread

Preparation:
Blend together all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Chill in a covered container in the refrigerator for two hours.
Prepare in ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

We shared this recipe as part of Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Wellness WeekendSlightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Allergy Friendly Fridays, please check out the other great recipes.

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Two-Bean Italian Stir Fry


Finding balance?  Do I mean work/life balance?  Do I mean spiritual/worldly balance?  Do I mean balance between the personal needs and societal demands?  All at the farmers' market?

No.  I'm sure that there is gobs to say about any of those subjects, but that's not the kind of balance I'm thinking about right now. 

I'm thinking about a balanced meal.  Can you have a balanced meal while living within the confines of a restricted diet?  Whether that diet is by choice or necessity?

Of course you can. 

Sometimes the best place to start is with a protein-rich dish so that you can add whatever else strikes your fancy and you know you've got one big category covered.  The farmers' market did it for me.  Beautiful green beans crying out to be eaten up.  But how?

A quick stir-fry in olive oil with garlic.  I tossed in some marinated sun-dried tomatoes and those protein-rich garbanzo beans.  Tossed it all up with some salt, pepper and some fresh, chopped basil.

I think this would be lovely with a Jerk Portabella Mushroom (from the book, of course).

I made a lot, and we gobbled it up warm and then ate the leftovers cold the next day.

One more thing... if you have purchased Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen and Gluten-free Recipes (and you liked it), would you mind taking a couple of minutes to write a review for Amazon?  We would really appreciate it!

I shared this post with Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Happy Cooking!
Kim and Megan