Too Busy for Gift Making? Never!!!! Homemade Chocolates and More

So .... I have been so busy that I haven't done a good job of keeping up over here at the blog. What have I been doing?

Writing a new book! My new book, SUPER SEEDS, will come out next September! It's all about cooking with power-packed seeds, flax, quinoa, chia, hemp, and amaranth.

With that said, my holiday prep has suffered a bit. I like to make gifts for the holidays; I'm a bit crafty, and I love to overload my loved ones with little surprises. This year, though, I'm getting a late start.

One of the gifts that I will be giving is tins filled with an assortment of chocolates. Homemade chocolates are easy to make and look pretty fancy when you put them in a shiny wrapper.

I have several ideas for homemade chocolates today at The Balanced Platter.

I have some pretty great reviews coming up in the next several days and a giveaway of a fun book to make your holiday baking a little healthier, so please check back soon.

Happy Cooking! 

Kim

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

 

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Hooray! It's Thanksgiving Food Season!

I LOVE Thanksgiving food. I know there might be some degree of pumpkin-flavored stuff fatigue out there. Not here. Not for me. I say, Bring It On. 

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

How about:

• Pear Pumpkin Crisp
• Pumpkin Pie Parfait
• or Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal ?

Not just pumpkin, though.

Give me squash and sweet potatoes.   

Chai-Spiced Sweet Potato

I'm pretty fond of:

• Sweet and Savory Winter Squash
• and Chai-Spiced Sweet Potato.  

And of course, there's always pie made with an easy-peasy pie crust. 

Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Pears

But, don't forget the cranberries! Today on The Balanced Platter, I share my Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Pears.

I promise to have a new recipe for you in the next couple of days.  I'm working on a fantastic Thanksgiving-y dip. Yum! 

Happy Cooking! 
Kim

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Mug Brownie (Ready in Two Minutes!)

This week, I made my boys Cinnamon Coffee Cake for One for breakfast. I added diced apples that we picked on our annual apple-picking outing. It was a huge hit!

That had me looking through my recipes, and I realized that I never posted my vegan and gluten-free Single-Serving Mug Brownie here. That seemed like something that had to remedied right away!

If you don't have a microwave or choose not to use one, you can bake this up in an oven-safe dish at 350 for 10-15 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Single-Serving Mug Brownie (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, allergen-free)
Makes 1 brownie
Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons maple sugar or 4 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (You could also use evaporated cane juice.)
• 4 tablespoons gluten-free oat flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon applesauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• pinch of salt

Preparation:
1.  Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl or mug (or oven safe if using oven directions).
2.  Stir to thoroughly mix all ingredients.
3.  Microwave on high for one minute, or if using an oven, bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie comes out clean.
4.  Let cool a little before eating - it will be hot.

This recipe was shared at Strut Your Stuff !

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Smoothies for Lunch-- Accessories to Make it Easy and a Recipe for a Chocolate Shake

What to do with a picky lunch eater?

I have tried it all. Begging, bribing and threatening! 

What helped most?  Asking what would be a good lunch. (Now, why did it take me so long to figure that out?!)

My boys want a lunch that they can eat as fast as possible so they can maximize recess.

I want them to have enough fuel in their bellies to make it through the day. (Ideally, there would be some nutrition in there, too!)

They decided smoothies would be fast, nutritious and delicious. Even better when that smoothie is in the form of a chocolate shake!

How to get a smoothie to school was the next dilemma.

I found these lunch-box sized thermal containers that keep drinks cold until lunch. If I prefill it with ice-cold water while I'm making the smoothie, it keeps them even colder. Just pour out the cold water and pour in the smoothie.

My boys like to drink their smoothie with a straw. At home we use glass straws (made from thick Pyrex), but when I sent them to school, one broke. We now have stainless steel straws for school. The little straw brush that came with my glass straws keeps both types clean.

Chocolate Shake with Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple

This Chocolate Shake that I made for The Balanced Platter is a favorite lunch.

I shared this with Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekend.

Vegan Chocolate Shake 
Makes 4 servings 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweet potato, baked, mashed and refrigerated
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons date paste (pitted medjool dates either pre-soaked in hot water and pureed, or pureed with a little water)
• 2 cups non-dairy milk drink (I used unsweetened coconut milk beverage.) 
• 1 cup ice, or more to taste

Preparation:

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients, except ice. Blend until well combined.

2. Add ice, and blend until thoroughly combined.

   
   Happy Cooking!
   Kim 
   
   My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.
   
   

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Breakfast Idea Roundup

It turns out my kids don't eat too much lunch at school.  Why?  The faster they eat, the sooner they can get out to play at recess.

I have worked hard to make lunches that will be so enticing that they will eat some of it (even a sunflower seed butter and chocolate chip sandwich when I was really desperate!). 

My main nutrition strategy, though, is to give them breakfasts that have lots of good stuff, so even if they just eat a bit of lunch, they won't be too worse for wear.

On The Balanced Platter today, I highlight some of my favorite ideas for breakfast (and have my recipe for fruit-sweetened granola). Please stop by and add some ideas of your own.

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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How to Survive a Potluck with Food Allergies

Sliced Fruit Is a Great Option

Just when you think you have the hang of your special diet, summer comes and throws a little wrinkle your way.

At least that's what happened to me.  I finally felt I had some mastery of what I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner when I changed my diet to address the needs of my nursing, food-allergic baby.  I wasn't eating the same one food over and over and over anymore.  I could make a dinner to serve guests that passed company muster.

And then came summer.

Summer means barbecues and potlucks and bringing dishes to share.  Ugh!!!

After figuring out a few tricks, I now look forward to the hot months with glee.

Here are some tips:

• If I'm only bringing one dish to share, I make sure that it packs a nutrition-filled punch.  It needs to be filling and nutrient-dense so that I can be sure to join in on the fun with a grumpy belly.
• If I'm bringing a couple of dishes, I make sure one of them is a delicious treat.  This shows the other guests that they, too, can provide a dish that's safe for others that is still going to taste great.
• My family and I never go to a party hungry.  It's a bonus if we can eat when we get there, but if we've had something before we leave the house, we're still ok if we don't have much to choose from.
• I separate out a few cookies or brownies from what I'm bringing and wrap them up separately for my boys.  It's easy for crumbs to mingle on a buffet table, and then all of my hard work to provide a safe treat can go down the drain.  If I have theirs set aside, I can pull them out when it's time to eat, and they will have a treat that looks like everyone else's.
• I ask if I can serve my family first, before spoons migrate from one bowl to another.
• Sliced fruit is always a good option to bring, too.

Today on The Balanced Platter, I have a recipe for a power-packed (and delicious) salad that's perfect for potlucks.  Stop on by to check it out!

Happy 4th of July!
Kim

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

  

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Summer Is Coming!

Summer is coming!  (Though today it's plenty chilly here.) 

Frozen treats are on the menu for the next few months.  Today at The Balanced Platter, I share a trick to get some extra fruits and veggies into your ice pops.  Check it out at The Balanced Platter.

Happy Cooking!
Kim

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Organic or Conventional? How to Choose

Finally, spring is here!  In the Midwest it seemed a long time coming (and I know parts of the country are still waiting).  Now that it's here, I'm thinking about lots and lots of fresh produce.  

Should I buy organic?  When is conventional ok?  What should I make with it once I've bought it?  So many questions.

I have some answers today over at The Balanced Platter.  Please stop on by. 

Happy Cooking!

Kim

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Snack Cake Recipe Roundup

Coconut Cake with Mandarin Reduction

Whew!  We went from Spring Break directly into a stomach bug here at my house.  I actually wrote a recipe that I was so excited to put up on the blog, but life got in the way -- in a big way!  I'll get my recipe for cocoa-dusted pepitas up on the blog in the next day or so, but until then ....

There's not much better in my mind than a cake that comes together quickly, tastes great and doesn't have to be saved for special occasions.  Today, on The Balanced Platter I put together a round-up of some tried-and-true snack cake recipes.  Head on over to The Balanced Platter to check them out.

Happy Cooking!
Kim

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Summery Rice Pudding (Pineapple, Orange and Coconut!)

Hawaiian Rice Pudding

This week on The Balanced Platter, I have a recipe for one of my favorite foods ... rice pudding.  

I love the blank canvas of rice pudding for allergy-friendly treats.  Try different non-dairy milks (rice milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, etc.), then add in different flavorings (cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) and add some fruits or seeds.  Yum!

Want a great recipe for an easy, sunny Hawaiian Rice Pudding?  Check out my post here.

Happy Cooking!
Kim

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Seeking Out Special Diet Bargains at Ethnic Markets and an Easy Vegan Pasta Dish

Pasta with Spinach and Herb-Roasted Tomatoes

Not only is switching to a special diet overwhelming in the beginning, it can cause some serious sticker shock.  If you've been used to buying traditional packaged or prepared foods, trying to replicate that with specialty goods can be quite costly.

What can you do?

First, you can start cooking from whole food ingredients.  Making your own treats and snacks can be less expensive and more wholesome than buying ready-made options.

Another thing you can do (depending on your restriction) is to search out ethnic markets.  To read more about it and check out a recipe for an easy pasta recipe, check out my post today on The Balanced Platter today.

Happy Cooking!
Kim

Find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen and Gluten-free Vegan Recipes.

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