Apple Dumplings.....YUUUUM!

This week, I have a wonderful dessert to share. A friend of my mom's gave her this recipe and we tried it this weekend. It was wonderful! Not only is it great to serve at a potluck, but we made this without any dairy and even the non-food allergy people loved it. Kevin has already asked me to make this again. Try it and let me know what you think.

Apple Dumplings

2 pkg crescents (we use Pillsbury...just check the label for allergens)

4 Granny Smith apples....cored, peeled and cut into fourths

1 stick soy butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 can (12 oz) Mt. Dew (my mom used Diet and it was just as good)

Unroll crescents and separate into the 8 triangles. Place one apple piece on crescent and roll around, completely covering apple. Pinch sides to close (do not leave any apple showing). Place in an ungreased 9 x 13 glass dish. Space evenly, but its ok if they touch.

Melt butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over the top of apple-crescent bundles.

Pour Mt. Dew over top of this.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Once removed from oven, spoon some of the excess sauce from around the bundles on top and let sit. Let cool slightly before serving, as sauce and apples will be VERY hot!

Makes 16 servings.

New Year....New Resolutions!

So, this year, besides the same ole "I'm going to exercise more" or "I will lose 10lbs", I have decided to spend more time on my blog. I have had so many people ask for recipes, that I have used Facebook as my blog instead. I want to shoot for a new post each week. I will include any new recipes I have come across that my family has deemed "Great!'. Of course, as I sit, staring out the window at the snow for the 7th day, I am going out of my mind. So, this should be an escape from that. Hopefully when the snow disappears, I will still have this same drive.

I've sat here, trying to decide what recipe I should post. Should I post something great for a cold winter's night? Or should I post something that will remind me of summer? Or...maybe I will post something that I have made this past week. Yes, that's what I will do.

This is a recipe that my young son absolutely loves! He loves chicken, but most of all, he loves to dip his chicken in something. Besides the typical honey mustard or AF ranch dressing, I have a recipe that both kids and adults will enjoy. It is called Tomato Basil Aioli Sauce. It is very east to make, and adds just the right flavor to chicken.

As for the chicken, all I do is sprinkle several boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper. I then place them in a hot cast iron skillet that has a little bit of olive oil in it, set on high heat. You just want to brown each side. Then put the whole cast iron skillet in a 450 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until juices run clear.

While chicken is in oven, time to make the sauce:

Tomato Basil Aioli Sauce

1 cup Vegenaise (an egg-fee mayonnaise spread)

1/4 cup dried basil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

I'm BAAAAACK...and Recipe #A18 Pumpkin Bread

Well, I know it's been a while since my last post. Between weekend outings and soccer games, my weeks have been quite full. I did, however, want to take some time out before working on my next post "Day 3 of Disney Trip" to share my recipe for Pumpkin Bread. I made some of this the other day, half the recipe in an 8x8 loaf pan and the other as muffins. Man, is this bread good. Not only good, but of course free from all Kevin's allergies....which also means no cholesterol and less on fat and calories. It also makes the house smell so festive....Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

3 1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons nutmeg
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cup canned pumpkin
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons water, 4 tablespoons oil, 4 teaspoons baking
powder*

Topping
2 tablespoons soy butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

*Combine the water, oil and baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz. Set aside.

Grease and flour 2 - 9” loaf pans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Add canned pumpkin, oil, water and egg substitute. Mix only until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into loaf pans and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from pans, cool on wire rack. While loaves are warm, brush with melted soy butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Makes 2 – 9” loaves

Food Allergy Camp and Recipe #A17 Corn Fritters

Busy Busy Busy....that's how our life has been the past couple of weeks. We knew September was going to be rushed, but boy has things flown by. It seems like yesterday we had 108 days till the Disney trip....now we are down to 7 days! Not only that, but Food Allergy Camp has come and gone. We had a wonderful time, but are so sad that it will be another year before we can hopefully attend again. After the photos, I have posted a great recipe....Corn Fritters! I love corn fritters....well, any fritter will do. But these are so good....and better for you than the original (<:

As for camp, what a great time. The theme this weekend was Pirates and Princess. We got to see a lot of our friends from last year, and we made many more new friends. We also got to go fishing and they had an unbelievable Treasure Hunt for the kids. Of course, we adults had just as great of a time. The camp staff spread gold and silver coins all throughout the camp area in the grass, along with gold and silver painted rocks. We all ran around like mad finding these things and putting them in our bags. Then Kevin got to take his loot to a "bank" and trade it in for play money. Then, with the play money, he got to walk around a little "town" and spend it. He got tons of toys (5 Ty Beanie Babies, squirt guns, Frisbees, 3 Bug's Life stuffed animals, bubble guns, etc. ), he could get his fortune read, tattoos, soak a counselor, etc. It was so much fun. Most of us spent the whole next day looking for more coins in the grass! That seemed to be more fun than anything. I had such a great time walking around with a group of young kids, pointing out loot and watching them run screaming towards it. But not only was the activities a blast, but the food....wonderful! The staff really took extra precautions to make sure that we all had ingredient labels, no cross contamination, and tons of options for various allergies. Ken and I were so stuffed by Sunday! Here's some photos of our weekend...

There was bowling...

fishing...

boating....

dancing....

great food....

face and body painting at the treasure hunt....

swimming....

and all the loot that Kevin got from the treasure hunt...

It was a great time!

Kevin has his first soccer game tomorrow. He missed last week due to camp, and he'll miss the next 2 following due to Disney. Hopefully the weather will hold out and we can get in one game at least. He's so excited. I'll try to post pictures as soon as possible.

Here is the recipe....

Corn Fritters

½ cup bread flour
½ cup self-rising flour
2 tbls soy milk
1 tbls melted soy butter
¼ cup cream style corn
2 tbls sugar
1 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoons baking
powder*
½ tsp baking powder
Cooking oil

Preheat oil in heavy saucepan or fryer to 350.

*Combine the water, oil and baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz. Set aside.
Mix soy milk, water-oil-baking powder mixture, soy butter, and corn. Stir in dry ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful into hot oil, fry until golden brown.

Makes 12 fritters

I may not have time to post next week. Since we leave on Friday the 25th for out trip, I will be very busy this week washing and packing. I will, however, post as soon as we get back from our trip, including pictures....lots and lots of pictures. Until then, have a great weekend!

Fall is in the air...Recipe #A16 Corn Chowder

With the weather getting a bit cooler, I thought a nice chowder would warm up those chilly nights. Personally, I love the warmer weather, but I'll take the nice change. I love to go for rides over the weekends when the leaves begin to change. Even though I still believe in my heart that I belong on the beach, I have to admit that this area sure does put on a beautiful show in Autumn. Maybe I'll make this tonight for dinner (<: Corn Chowder

1 tablespoon soy butter
3 cups diced onions
¾ cups allergy-free saltine cracker crumbs
¼ cup flour
2 ½ cups water
2 ½ cups allergy-free chicken broth
3 cups diced potatoes
2 cups soy milk
2 cups frozen corn kernels
Garlic powder, seasoned to taste
Onion powder, seasoned to taste
Salt & Pepper, seasoned to taste

Mix water and broth with butter in a large stock pan over high heat. Add potatoes and onions, cook until done stirring often.

In a small bowl, mix together cracker crumbs, flour and seasonings. Add to potato and onion mixture. Bring to boil, stirring often.

Add soy milk and corn, lower heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 2 Quarts

Next week, sticking to the theme of corn....I'll post my recipe for Corn Fritters. They taste just like the ones you can get at The Old Mill in Gatlinburg....YUMMM!

Meeting Abe and Recipe #A15 Skillet Noodles with Mushrooms

Last weekend, we took Kevin to the Northwest Georgia Coin Show. When we arrived, they mentioned that we may want to set in on a children's seminar about collecting coins. I reluctantly agreed, since Kevin got all excited....and so did Ken. So off we went into this conference room and there sat Abe Lincoln! He looked just like him, tall and thin with that trade mark beard. We were in that seminar for almost 2 hours, but who knew. We lost track of time when Abe stood up and started telling about himself (I learned so much about him that I never knew, or had forgotten from school). Then, he handed out Lincoln Pennies to all the kids. Not to mention all the pennies Kevin got, but he left with 2 bags full on coins, books, notepads, etc. I felt like we had been trick or treating. Well, Kevin got into the swing of things that since he is cute and little, with a great smile, once we entered the vendors room, Kevin would walk up to a vendor, smile and just stand there staring. If the vendor looked away, Kevin would move to another table. If not, the vendor would give him free coins! This kid figured it all out on his own. We had to make him stop because Ken and I felt uncomfortable, like he was begging. Leave it to a kid to get what he wants. Needless to say, Ken and Kevin have had a great week playing with all the coins and loot he collected. Some of the coins were priced at $19 a piece! Ken's wondering why we never took him to these places before! But, besides getting free stuff, Kevin was the hit of the place. As we were walking out, Abe spotted Kevin and called him over. He put his big black hat on him and signed an autograph. All these people started gathering around and snapping pictures. This was Kevin's first introduction to paparazzi....and he loved it! They said they were going to use his picture in their newsletters. I need to check their website for my little politician (<:And, to report on Kevin's home schooling....it is supposed to take him 18 days to finish each unit book. He finished his Math in 9 days, Language in 10, Science in 11, History & Geography in 12 and is taking his Bible test today. All the other tests he aced! And I was worried about teaching him. He is flying through his work, so much so that I have had to supplement his schooling with other workbooks I've picked up here and there. I'm going to have to add lots of field trips too. If not, he'll finish 1 st grade by Christmas! He's memorizing bible verses, including the book, chapter and verse. I can't even do that. My brain is so old and full of nonsense. That's the wonder of little kids, their brains are like sponges.

Today's recipe is Skillet Noodles with Mushrooms. This is one of Kevin's favorite sides to cast iron chicken (I'll include that recipe at the end also). Hope you enjoy!

Skillet Noodles with Mushrooms

8 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked
4 tbls soy butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tsp garlic salt
½ cup water
1 tbls poppy seeds, optional
Salt
Pepper

Drain angel hair pasta, set aside.

In a large skilled, melt soy butter at med-hi heat. Add onion and mushroom and saute till onion begins to brown, sprinkle with garlic salt. Add pasta and water and cook until water is gone, stirring often.

Add poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings

As for Cast Iron Chicken, you need a cast iron.....duh, right? Just put a few tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet, heat over Med-Hi. Salt and pepper the chicken and add to the hot oil. Brown each side for just a few minutes, then move the whole skillet to a 450 degree oven. Bake 20-25 minutes until done. Moist and so flavorful!!!

Trip to PCBeach and Recipe #A14 Homemade Pretzels

We had a great quick trip to Panama City Beach last weekend....but boy are we tired - STILL! I never realized how taking a quick trip (even though it is a 6 hour drive) can wipe you out, or maybe I'm just getting older. I remember when we would just get up and go. Now, we have to plan a little before we hit the open road, but it was all worth it. The weather was great, the water was like bath water and the room we got was wonderful. With mom and Lowell already down there, it was nice to get to spend some time with them. Kevin loved playing football in the ocean with Grandaddy and searching for shells with Mamaw. Ken and I loved that Kevin wasn't constantly complaining "there's no one to play with". We actually went out to eat both nights we were there! And....we had no problems with Kevin's allergies. We did, however, stay out way too late and on all nights, didn't get into bed till almost 1am. Maybe that's why we are mostly tired. Who knew laying out in the sun on the beach all day could exhaust you. AWWWW...the life of a beach bum.

The room was great! Kevin got his bunk beds. The only thing that kind of freaked me out was the fact that we were on the 19th floor. If you know me, you know that I don't particularly like heights. It's not that I'm afraid of the height, it's the faith in the people that made these buildings. I didn't sleep very well the first night, constantly thinking how this building could collapse. As for the balcony, I was afraid the railing would come loose. But by the 2nd day, I learned to relax and love the fact that we could see for miles. It was great!

I think I'll take a break on planning any more trips right now. Believe it or not though, Ken even mentioned wanting to take another quick weekend trip back to the beach soon. Of course, since the weather will be getting cooler, he said that Savannah would be fine too. Doesn't this man know that's like throwing a lit match into a forest. What he is going to get started if he gives green lights like that. I love to plan and take trips!!!

We do, however, still have 2 more trips in the future. September 11-13 is our Food Allergy Retreat in KY. We can't wait to get to see all our friends and just have fun....without everything having to revolve around food! Then Disney is Sept 25- Oct 4. We've decided to extend the trip 2 extra days for travel. Kevin barely made it to PCB. When you're in a rush, it's pretty hard on a kid to ride nonstop. Since we will be busting it to get to Orlando (we have an 8pm dinner reservation that first night), we've decided to drive half way and get a room that Friday. Then drive in the rest of the way on Saturday. That will put us getting there earlier and maybe getting to go to the park a little. Then, when we leave, we are going to again stop halfway and drive the rest on Sunday. I've already booked the rooms through Priceline. I love Priceline! You can get rooms for around $50-60 dollars in nice places, but the problem is, you never know what you're going to get until after they accept your offer. THEN they tell you where you're staying. But the key is, choose a high star rating and that narrows your chances down. I first do a search of the star ratings in that area and bid on the one I like. We got La Quinta in Valdosta that Friday night and a Country Inn & Suites in Cordelle that following Saturday night. One thing to remember though, once your offer is accepted, call the hotel directly to make sure you get the beds you want and if you prefer non-smoking. For some reason, Priceline always sticks you in a King room. That would be great if it was just Ken and I. But I always switch to 2 Queens to accommodate Kevin too. Just thought I'd throw in some tips on that (<:

OK....the recipe I have for you today is Homemade Pretzels. I converted an old recipe I had to an allergy free version and they are wonderful. They take a little time, since you are working with a raised yeast recipe. But believe me, the smell and the taste of these soft chewy pretzels....you'll be making them often!


Soft Pretzels

1 ¼ cup warm water
2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 ¼ cups bread flour (can substitute with all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup hot water
1 teaspoon sugar
Course salt
3 tablespoons soy butter, melted

Put warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle in yeast. Wait 5 minutes, then stir in the brown sugar, the 1 ½ tsp salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon.

Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a semi firm dough. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 8 minutes. Keep surface coated with flour to prevent sticking.

Pour oil in a large bowl and add dough, coating all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in warm place until dough is nearly doubled in size, around 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450.

Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 1 minutes, divide in half. Place other half back in bowl and cover.

Divide dough into 3 balls. Roll each ball into a long rope, around 30” long. Shape into pretzel shape by making a circle and twisting the ends, then flipping the ends over the top of the circle. Place on a greased baking sheet, around 2-3” apart.


Combine the hot water and 1 tsp sugar in a small bowl. Lightly brush sugar water over pretzels with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes. While warm, remove to wire rack and brush with melted soy butter. Repeat with remaining dough.


Makes 6 large pretzels

Recipe #A13 - Allergy Free Beef Stroganoff

Not much to report this week. We're just spending this week relaxing since 1st grade will official start Monday for Kevin.

In the meantime, here is a recipe that I fix often for my family. It tastes like the real thing, but without all the dairy....and fat!

Beef Stroganoff

1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon distilled vinegar
1 pound boneless beef steak, thin slices
3 tablespoons oil, divided
1 small onion, thinly sliced
½ pound fresh sliced mushrooms
2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup water
1/3 cup parsley
Hot cooked egg free noodles

Combine soy milk and vinegar in small bowl, let stand 10 minutes to thicken.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over high heat. Add beef and stir fry 1 minute. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Heat remaining oil in same pan. Add onion and mushrooms, stir fry 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.

Blend flour, soy sauce, garlic, and ¼ cup water; add to skillet. Stirring constantly, bring to boil. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in soy milk mixture. Add beef and parsley. Cook, stirring, until just heated through. Serve over noodles.

Makes 4 servings

Until next week, have a great weekend!

A great weekend...and Recipe #A12 Ranch Dressing

I know I've been starting lots of posts with "what a great week/weekend", but this weekend was absolutely perfect. We headed up to the Gatlinburg area again for Julie's 40th birthday. I made her cake....a ladybug. She was so generous on making sure her party was safe for Kevin...ie, no milk products. It was so nice to enjoy ourselves and not worry if he would get anything on or in him. We had so much fun at the party. Kevin and Ken played wiffle ball with Julie's son Drew (he's in the red shirt pitching to Kevin, pictured below), plus there was several younger kids he could play with. There was a large playground and basketball court, so we pretty much stayed till well after the sun went down...and while Ken tried to recapture his youth by playing Drew and his cousins, Ashlea & Faith till we had to pull them off the court.

On Sunday, we headed up to Ober Gatlinburg and went ice skating. I figured it was like riding a bike. Even though I hadn't skated in 10+ years, no problem.....right!!! Who knew that getting old meant you can't do the things you used to. Well, you can, but they hurt more and for much longer. We did have a blast though, and Kevin did real well. He fell a few times, one time taking Julie down with him. But, by the end of the hour, he was skating by himself (close to the handle bar of course). We hated to leave, but Ken knew he would have a bad day at work, so we headed home. Not before we hit the Bass Pro Shop for the 3rd time that weekend...yes the 3rd time! Man, that place is awesome!!!
And...as you can see, we bought Kevin a old timer revolver, complete with holster and badge with his name engraved on it. The gun has these little cartridges that pop and smoke when you pull the trigger. He loves playing sheriff!!!

We don't have another trip planned up there yet, but hopefully soon. It is so nice to get away, and even much nicer to spend time with Julie. This trip was even more special since her 2 nieces, Ashlea (or as Kevin calls her "Ash-a-lee") and Faith were down from PA. They are the sweetest girls, and Kevin just loved them too. We've made us some life long friends. I just hate that there is so many miles between all of us. But, that's what texting, email and Facebook are for (<:

But, back to reality......the other new thing this week will be Kevin starting 1st grade. A neighbor asked where he was going to school and I replied "this great little place on Woodthrush Drive". UPS is supposed to deliver 31lbs of books tomorrow! I am having a mini breakdown thinking about all this. I keep thinking that here I am, molding a little brain for the future. What if I screw him up? It's a lot of pressure, but I know God placed him in my hands because he knew I could handle it. He has a lot more faith in me than I do. I just hope he grants me more patience while he's at it (<: This is a photo of Kevin and Ash-a-lee after ice skating (<:

Well, here is the recipe for Ranch Dressing. I wouldn't advise on doubling the recipe because it doesn't last that long in the fridge. This recipe makes enough for 3-4 salads and a little leftover. But be sure to eat it within the following 4 days, stirring first of course.

Milk Free Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup soy sour cream (I use Tofutti Sour Supreme....you can find it at Publix Greenwise, Greenlife and Village Market)

1 cup Veganaise (vegan mayo...you can find it at Publix Greenwise, Greenlife & Village Market)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley

3/4 cup plain soymilk

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Stir vinegar into the soymilk and let sit for 5 minutes, till thickened.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add vinegar/soymilk to mixture. Pour into a container and seal closed (I use a canning jar with a used ring and seal). Let sit in fridge for 3 hours or overnight. You can eat it right away, but it tastes better if the seasonings mingle.

Makes around 2 1/4 cups

Not sure which recipe I will post next weekend. Let me know if there is something you would like to see.

Until then, have a great week!

Great week....Recipe #A11 Carrot Cake

What a week! This past weekend was a blur, as are most of our weekends during the summer. Most of the weekend I spent running around town trying to find allergy free products for my pig fest I was planning on enjoying. As soon as I received my 2 new cookbooks in the mail, I read them like a novel and marked all the pages that I wanted to try. Needless to say, this past weekend I made zucchini bread, Pink Lemonade Tartlets, Black Bottom Blondies, a mac and cheese casserole, a ranch pasta salad and of course some chocolate chip cookies. But, on the downside, I could not find any butterscotch chips that were safe to eat. The ones I did find that did not contain milk, listed an allergy notice that they were produced in a plant with milk. This is up to the individual whether you want to take the chance. Of course, with Kevin's severe allergy, there was no chance we were going to try. I did find someone on the internet (a friend of the author of one of the cookbooks I had just received) tracked down a kosher chip that should have safer practices. I tried to contact the company, but didn't get too far, except to find out that milk isn't on that line. Oh well, maybe it's not meant to be.

In the meantime, I have many new recipes I am going to try out for this weekend. Tomorrow is our neighborhood block party. This will be the first time we will allow Kevin to be there while everyone is eating....I hope we're not sorry. He did very well this past weekend at his baseball swim party. There were many milk items there, including Doritos. This sent Ken and I into danger mode, b/c as you know, Doritos have a powdery cheese that gets on everything. Kevin did end up with a skin rash from transfer of the cheese, and his eyes started to swell. Thank the good Lord that this powder did not make it into his mouth. But, as Kevin has started to grow and learn his limitations, he knows that touching mouth is a big no-no when milk is around. After a bath, a dose of Benadryl and eye drops, he was good to go. So, we took him out to a movie....Land of the Lost. He had been wanting to see this since it had a T-Rex in it. It also had a lot of adult language, and it was only a PG movie! But, this gave us another chance to remind him that those words were not OK to repeat....a win win (<: As for the baseball party, Kevin received his trophy! He was so excited to be able to put it in his bedroom along with his other one. Now, he's already talking about soccer in the fall and where he's going to put that trophy. But, back to this weekend. Not only is it our neighborhood party, but this is the big weekend for the Home School Fair. We are going to be signing him up for first grade through Gateway Christian Academy. I can't believe my baby is going to be in first grade! I can't believe that I am going to be homeschooling him in first grade! He's excited, I'm a nervous wreck. I know we have been doing kindergarten, but this time, I am responsible for reporting weekly what we have covered along with his grades. I am going to have to be more strict, and stay on top of a more thorough schedule. It scares me that now I am going to have someone watching what I am doing. Oh well, I am trying to look at it like I'm starting a new job. I am very organized, so I'm not worried about that. But, this is going to be the most important job I have ever had, and I don't want to screw it up. So far, Kevin is doing well in his math, reading and writing. He was doing so great in his math, I thought he was cheating. I would give him 2 pages of addition and subtraction (each page had at least 15 problems), and he would have it done in less than 5 minutes! And, they were all right! I loved math in school, and Ken is a definite numbers person. Plus, my Papaw taught math in school and did taxes. So, I guess it was a given that Kevin would be able to do it. Makes my life a little easier.......YEAHHHH As for the party, I am planning on making some Mini Cheesecakes, Black & White Cookies, Red Velvet Cupcakes, and Potato Salad....all milk free of course. I will let you know how the recipes turn out. But, for today, I have my Carrot Cake recipe. I love carrot cake! If you know my mom, ask her sometime how her allergy free carrot cake turned out a few Easters ago. Let's just say, after that incident, she will no longer attempt it! We still laugh about it to this day!

Carrot Cake

1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup carrots, shredded
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup water

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour together. Add carrots and stir until combined. Add oil, vanilla and water to flour mixture and stir until blended. Pour into a greased 8-inch pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let completely cool. Frost cake with Allergy Free Cream Cheese Icing.

Makes 1 single layer

Next week, I am going to post an allergy free Ranch Dressing recipe. Since going milk free, one of the hardest things to do away with was ranch. I love ranch on everything...on salads, a dip for chicken, in pasta salads, etc. After this past weekend, Kevin couldn't get enough of the Ranch Pasta Salad....so I will include some instructions for it along with the recipe too.

Oh, and as for the other things I made last week....they were all winners! And, I was shocked how well the mac and cheese casserole turned out. Did it taste like a real cheesy casserole....kind of. It reminded me of what it would taste like if you used a cheap cheese. But hey, at least it tasted like cheese. For someone who hasn't had any mac and cheese for a while, this was wonderful.....and Kevin & Ken liked it. That's the biggest compliment of all! As you know, kids don't believe in holding back with their true feelings!!!

Have a great weekend!

What a great week, plus...Recipe #A10 Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well, last weekend was a blur. We headed up to Dollywood with my friend Julie. We were all so worn out after spending a whole day in the sun, not to mentioned soaked from all those water rides.....except for Kevin. When we got back to the hotel room, it was close to 10pm and Kevin was still going. He was wild! We finally got him settled down and we all passed out asleep....finally!

Sunday, we spent the day shopping and site seeing. If you've never been to the Bass Pro Shop in Sevierville, I highly recommend you go. I thought I was going to be bored silly since I'm not into hunting or fishing.....boy was I wrong. This place is huge! There is a cool little laser shooting area upstairs, an aquarium with tons of fish, a big restaurant, not to mention all the clothes and shoes! I didn't want to leave. But, we headed out to meet Julie (after Ken bought Kevin his first fishing pole). Then we went into town and hit the Disney store (YEAHHHHH) and then on a Jurassic boat ride (guess who's idea that was). Last, we had to visit the Knife Museum. Afterwards, we all met up with Julie's son and her boyfriend and had dinner at Outback. Yes, we went out to eat with Kevin to a restaurant. (<: It was a great weekend! But, back to reality.

This week, we've mostly been doing school work and I've been trying some new recipes from a couple of cookbooks I ordered off the Internet. I'm also on a mission to find a milk free butterscotch chip. Who knew it would be so hard to find that? But, I think I may have narrowed it down where I can find it. So today, that is what I'm going to do....run around town looking for those chips, plus buying all the necessary ingredients to try out my new cookbooks. This weekend, I predict we will be FULL!

Here is my recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies. All I did with this recipe is take my once non-allergy free recipe and substitute the ingredients for safe ones. After a few trial and errors, this one came out great.....Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup soy butter (I use Blue Bonnet Light)
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons water, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder*
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Bakers Chocolate Chunks....which you can find at the Village Market)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream together soy butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

*Combine the vegetable oil, water and baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz. Add to dough and mix well. Combine the flour, remaining baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Scoop up by tablespoon full, place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

For a giant cookie, spread dough on a greased 12 inch pizza pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until done. Allow to cool and remove from pan. Decorate as needed.

Makes 5 dozen cookies/or 1 - 12" cookie

Next week, I am going to share with you my recipe for Carrot Cake. Until then, have a great weekend, and hopefully next week, I can post some pics from our recent trip to Gatlinburg!

Busy Week - Busier Weekend.....Recipe #A9 Sweet Corn Bread

What a week! This past holiday weekend was a blur. From picking blackberries to having a cookout to shooting off fireworks to seeing movies. And that was just in 3 days! Last Friday, we met up with Mom and Lowell and went blackberry picking. The Blueberry Farm in LaFayette was out, so we picked off the side of the road. Hey, they had thorns, but they were free! And, we picked 6 cups exactly....just what I needed for a blackberry cobbler. Ummmm...so good! On Saturday, mom and Lowell came over, along with Ken's parents and we had a cookout. After we stuffed our faces, we all kicked back and watched "Finding Nemo"....one of Kevin's favorites. Then we shot off fireworks, along with everyone else. We were watching fireworks in the sky in stereo. It was nice. On Sunday, after church with some friends, we headed out to our favorite Chinese restaurant, had a nice lunch and then went to see "Ice Age 3 - Dawn of the Dinosaurs". All in all, it was a great weekend.

This week has been mostly work....cooking, cleaning and home schooling Kevin. Yes, I have continued his education through the summer (but just an hour a day) so that he would remain consistent in a schedule. Plus, since I'm his 1st grade teacher next school year, I wanted him to remember what he learned in Kindergarten!

Wednesday was Lowell's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad...we love you. We went over there last night and gave him his present and a cake. Kevin picked out the design....can't you tell?

We had a great time, and of course Kevin had a blast! He has so much energy. If only I could borrow a little some time.


As for this weekend....well, we are heading to Dollywood. My friend Julie lives in Kodak, so we are going up there for a weekend of fun! Dollywood all day Saturday, followed with a lot of running around on Sunday. The main thing on the list Sunday is a trip to the Disney store. We haven't set foot in a Disney store in over a year! I hope we don't go wild (<: As for today.....lots of errands to run. But as promised, here is the recipe for my Sweet Corn Bread. This goes great with the Vegetable Hamburger Stew (recipe #A6).

Sweet Corn Bread

2/3 cup soy butter
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons oil, 3 teaspoons baking powder*
1 2/3 cups soy milk
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup allergy free cornmeal
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400.

*Combine the water, oil and baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz. Set aside.

Mix butter and sugar in large bowl. Add water/oil/baking powder and soy milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, 4 ½ tsp baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is done.

Makes approx. 15 servings

Next week, I am going back to my true love.....COOKIES! I will post my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. I make these a few times a month, at least. There's nothing like a hot, gooey, soft chocolate chip cookie from the oven.....or a scoop of cookie dough! It's funny how the simple things mean so much. Like how much joy I get in watching Kevin lick the bowl. After we found out about his allergies, I thought I would never be able to experience that. When life gives you hurdles....jump over, keep going and don't look back!

Have a great weekend!

Fireworks and...Recipe #A8 Moist & Crispy Chicken

Last night we had a blast! Ken, Kevin and I, plus mom and Lowell headed out to Collegedale to watch the fireworks. It was great! The music really adds to the enjoyment, and watching Kevin play. He can make friends so easy. We know that we are blessed when your child who is used to be kept away from functions due to his food allergies, can just walk up to a strange kid and say "Hey, you want to play?". He is definitely not shy, thank goodness!

Today, what's on the agenda for our weekend of fun? Well, we are going to pick blackberries and then see what else the day encourages us to do. I guess I'll be making a blackberry cobbler tonight! Maybe we can even make a run into downtown La Fayette for a bite to eat. Who knows. I just love getting in the car and going. No plans, just adventure!

As promised, here is a recipe I received from my mom many years ago. It is for the most moist and crispy chicken, without frying....hence the name "Moist and Crispy Chicken". As always, I have made the necessary adjustments so that Kevin could eat it. Not to mention, taking out the regular mayonnaise and subbing Vegenaise, it cuts the fat! Always good to hear, huh?

Moist and Crispy Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts, butterflied
2 ½ cups cornflakes, crushed
1/3 cup allergy free veggie-mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise, found at Publix Greenwise, Village Market or Greenlife)
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.

Prepare cookie sheet by covering with aluminum foil and placing a raised rack so that the fat can drip off the chicken into the pan.

Mix cornflakes, paprika, salt and pepper together. Place on plate. Brush veggie-mayonnaise over chicken, covering all areas. Roll chicken in cornflake mixture and place on rack. Continue with all pieces of chicken. Spoon any remaining cornflake mixture on tops of chickens on rack.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 160 and juices run clear.
Makes 4 servings

As for the recipe next week, it will be my own Sweet Cornbread. Yummy served along side the Vegetable Hamburger Stew (recipe #A6 - 6/13/09)

Hope everyone has a great 4th of July. Be safe!

Here we go again....Recipe #A7 Ultimate Mashed Potato Casserole

Well, after a long night of trying to figure out how to use/program my new cell phone, dealing with un-installing and reinstalling my new external hard drive, and then trying to download old photos and video from my old cell to my computer....I need a long nap!

But, as promised, here is my recipe for Ultimate Mashed Potato Casserole. I use some special ingredients, so I will list in ( ) where you can find it. Enjoy!

Mashed Potato Casserole

3 ½ cups allergy free chicken broth
5 large potatoes, cut into chunks
½ cup soy milk (I use Silk plain)
2 tablespoons butter (I use Blue Bonnet light)
½ cup allergy free sour cream alternative (Tofutti Sour Supreme Better than Sour Cream Green & Red label - in the Publix Greenwise section or at the Village Market in Collegedale)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons dried onion
¼ cup allergy free cream cheese alternative (Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese Plain blue label - in the Publix Greenwise section or at the Village Market in Collegedale)
salt and pepper to taste
Slices of allergy free American cheese alternatives (optional) (Tofutti Cheddar Cheese slices or Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheddar Cheese block - at the Village Market in Collegedale)
2 tablespoons soy butter, diced

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat broth and potatoes in a large saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain, reserving broth.

Mash potatoes, adding ¼ cup reserved broth, soy milk, and soy butter. Adding additional broth to desired consistency.

Stir in sour cream alternative, bacon, onion, cream cheese alternative, salt and pepper. Pour into 9x12 baking dish. Top with cheese slices and dot with diced soy butter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Next week, I will have a recipe for Moist and Crispy Chicken. This was a recipe that I had originally received from my mom, but made some minor changes to make it allergy free.

Also next week is Kevin's last baseball game. I will be posting pictures of his final game and receiving his trophy. We will all miss those games, but I'm sure we will find something else to fill our time.

Until next week.....

Here we go....Recipe #A6 Vegetable Hamburger Stew

Well, still having trouble with my external hard drive. I want to download my vacation pics, but I only keep them on my external so that my computer doesn't get bogged down. I will try to post some pics soon.

In the meantime, here is my latest recipe. This recipe has some special memories for me. When I was little, my grandparents always tried to keep the extended family together, doing things every Saturday night and going on weekend vacations....plus a very memorable vacation to Disney. What a blast!!! Anyway, every November, right around my birthday, we would load of several cars with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and my family, and drive to Gatlinburg. When we arrived, magically a picnic seemed to appear. As a little kid, we never paid much attention to the details of all the preparation for the trip. My grandmother would always bring along a huge batch of her Vegetable Hamburger Stew. I loved this stew! Sitting out in the cool crisp air next to a babbling brook, scarfing down fried chicken and stew! Maybe that's why I love this stew so much, but it is a good and easy dinner. This makes a very large batch, so be prepared to be eating on it for several days. I usually take half and divide it up and freeze for later. It's nice to grab a carton from the freezer and have dinner on the table quick....especially when I don't feel like cooking and make Ken do it! (<: Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Vegetable Hamburger Stew

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups allergy free beef broth
4 cups water
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chopped tomatoes
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) green beans
2 can (14.5 oz each) mixed vegetables (celery, potatoes, peas, corn)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup allergy free macaroni pasta

In a large stock pot, cook the beef, onion and minced garlic until meat is no longer pink.

Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Makes 3 1/2 Quarts

I usually serve this along side some Sweet Corn Bread. I will post the recipe for my cornbread in a few weeks. Next week, the recipe will be my very own creation.......Ultimate Mashed Potato Casserole. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Have a great weekend!

Beach...here we come...Recipe #A5 Dill Pickle Potato Salad

Well, we will be in Panama City Beach this time tomorrow. YEAAAAAH! Kevin and I both have been counting down the days till this vacation. We are so ready to get out of town. I thought we were the only ones that felt this way until Ken tried to get me to move the vacation up a week. He's been pretty stressed out with work, so this will be great for him too. So, as of next week, there will not be a new recipe. But the week after, I plan to post my Vegetable Hamburger Stew. This is almost identical to my grandmother's recipe, so it is a family favorite. As for today, here is my Dill Pickle Potato Salad recipe. This is really great to take to a picnic or for a nice summer side dish. Enjoy!!!

Dill Pickle Potato Salad

3 pounds potatoes (about 8 medium), cubed
3 celery ribs, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
2 medium dill pickles, finely chopped
1 ½ cups vegenaise (Soy based mayonnaise...you can find this at Publix in the greenwise section or at Village Market)
¼ cup dill pickle juice
4 ½ teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add celery, onions and pickles. In a small bowl, combine the vegenaise, pickle juice, mustard, celery salt and pepper. Pour over potato mixture; mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Makes 8 servings.

Kevin's first baseball practice...Recipe #A4 Chicken & Sundried Tomato Pasta

Well, Wednesday night was Kevin's first baseball practice. He looked so cute in his little uniform. Even though he is the smallest on his team, the Baltimore Orioles, he was the only one that hit the ball on the first pitch, in his group. He looked so cute running to first base! He loved it and can't wait for the next practice. Unfortunately, he will miss opening ceremonies and his first game. We will be in Florida on vacation, but he said he didn't mind, he'd rather be on the beach. Sounds like a kid after my own heart. All the rest of his games will be in June. It's going to be a busy month, with 11 games crammed into 4 weeks. But, temperature permitting, I think we can handle it.

As promised, here is my recipe for Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta. Ken and Kevin love this dish. Next week, I will post my recipe for Dill Pickle Potato Salad. Of course, I made the necessary changes to make it allergy free, but my mom said she can't taste the difference. She said that it tastes just like my mamaw's potato salad, which is a huge compliment since she was a great cook!

Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
Seasoned salt, to taste
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
2 ½ teaspoon olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cup water, divided
1 cup allergy-free chicken broth (I use Progresso)
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thin
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup black olives, chopped - optional
4 cups allergy free penne pasta, cooked - keep in pot

Toss chicken with seasoned salt. Stir fry over med-high heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Over medium heat, add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon olive oil, red pepper, salt, garlic, & 1 cup water to chicken in skillet. Cook & let simmer.

Meanwhile, cook tomatoes and broth in a small saucepan over low heat. Add basil, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until boiling.

In a small bowl, mix corn starch and ½ cup water. Add to sauce mixture, stirring until thickened. Lower heat to low and let simmer.

Add chicken mixture and sauce mixture to cooked pasta, toss to coat. Sprinkle with chopped olives.

Makes 4 servings

Enjoy!

Harvesting Carrots...Recipe #A3 Banana Bread

Well, as Kevin would put it, we "harvested" our carrots Tuesday. I am so proud of Kevin and I. We grew these carrots from tiny little seeds and it worked!!! Oh sure, my tomatoes, squash and bell peppers are all growing too, but we actually got to eat some carrots. I tell you what, if you want your kids to eat veges, let them grow them. Since Kevin knew he grew the carrots, I had to actually tell him to stop eating so many carrots (it was close to dinner time and I didn't want him to ruin his appetite). Strange, huh? Of course, Kevin does love vegetables. He had to love them, with such a restricted diet, there wasn't much else he could eat.It's that time again, time for a new recipe. This week, as promised, is my Banana Bread recipe. My family usually requests this at least 2 times a month. Last time, Kevin instructed me to bake them in muffin pans with a cinnamon sugar topping.....pretty particular for a 5 year old. But, I have to admit, I liked them better than in a loaf pan. They stayed moist longer and we didn't have to slice it, therefore no crumbs. So, good job Chef Kevin!!!

Next week, I will post an entree. This is a recipe I created after eating something similar at a Cheesecake Factory in Boston many many years ago. Of course, I have created it around Kevin's allergy restrictions, but it is delicious.

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 to 3 medium bananas)
1/3 cup soy butter
2 tablespoons soy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons baking
powder*

Additional cinnamon & sugar - optional

Preheat oven to 350.

*Combine the water, oil and baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, remaining 2 tsp baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add mashed banana, soy butter and soy milk. Beat with mixer till blended. Add water-oil-baking powder mixture and vanilla extract. Mix until blended.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Optional, sprinkle top with additional cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan and allow to completely cool. Wrap thoroughly when cooled.

Makes 1 - 8" loaf.

Here we go...Recipe #A2 Sugar Cookies

As promised, here is my allergy free recipe for Sugar Cookies. I love to mix a huge batch of these, use my melonballer to make the cookie balls, then freeze half and cook the other half. If you decide to freeze some, my suggestion is: place uncooked cookie balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet, place in freezer until balls are partially frozen (1-2 hours), then place in a quart size zip lock freezer bag (be sure to label as Allergy Free Sugar Cookies, plus the oven temp and time to bake). When you are ready to have a few cookies from the bag, just take out however many of the cookie balls, place on a un-greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart and let thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then flatten with fork and cook as you normally would in the recipe.

Allergy Free Sugar Cookies

1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp allergy-free butter flavoring - optional
2 tbls vegetable oil, 2 tbls water, 2 tsp baking powder**
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tbls vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
decorative sugars - optional

Preheat oven to 375.

**Combine the vegetable oil, water and 2 tsp baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz.

Combine sugar and shortening in large bowl and beat until blended. Add vegetable oil/water/baking powder mixture, corn syrup, vanilla, and optional butter flavoring. Beat until fluffy. Combine flour, remaining ¾ tsp baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture, mix until well blended.

Make 1 inch balls of dough and place on un-greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten with fork and sprinkle with decorative sugars, if wanted. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes approx. 5 dozen cookies

Next week, I will be posting my allergy free recipe of Banana Bread Loaf, but Kevin loves these as muffins too. Enjoy!!!

Here we go...Recipe #A1 Banana Citrus Sorbet

This is a recipe that I came across in my Taste of Home cookbook. Ken and Kevin absolutely love this dessert, and I love it served along side some sugar cookies (I'll share the sugar cookie recipe next week).

Banana Citrus Sorbet

1/2 cup lemon juice
3 medium ripe bananas, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups orange juice

Pour lemon juice and bananas in blender,; cover and process until smooth. Add sugar; cover and process until blended. Pour in water and orange juice and blend slowly. If there is not enough room in your blender for all the OJ, transfer to a large bowl and stir in the rest.

Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. May be frozen for up to 1 month.

Yield: 2 1/2 quarts

With the weather getting warmer, I hope you will enjoy this wonderful cool treat.