Dinner Rolls

Description: I have been making these rolls for almost 10 years now. I made the alterations for my children's food allergies only last year and we still love these rolls. I hope you will try them with your next dinner.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup flour, sifted

1 package yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup flour, sifted

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted

1 Tbsp. wheat germ

Preparation: Mix together one ingredient at a time, in order listed, until complete. Cover and let rise in warm spot until doubled. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray (read labels). Roll out on floured surface in two batches. Use biscuit cutter to make round discs. You can fold the discs in half and pinch sides together or just leave in disc shape. Put on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Cover and let double again. Preheat oven to 350 once rolls have doubled. Remove cover and bake until bottoms of rolls are slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Check after 8 minutes because once the tops are golden, the bottoms will be too dark. These rolls freeze very well. It makes about 3 dozen.

Alterations: You can make this all white if you like. It might make the transition to whole wheat a little easier if you start there and slowly add a little in at a time.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my crew and to everyone else I have given this to.

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

Description: This is a great bread sliced right out of the pan. It is warm and gooey and so good! I usually make 2 loaves at a time because we eat the first one right out of the oven.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, about 2 small

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup crushed pineapple in juice

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350. Put ground flaxseed in the hot water and set aside for a few minutes. Shred zucchini in food processor. Sift flours and baking powder together. Set aside. In mixing bowl, combine salt, cinnamon, sugar, oil, vinegar, vanilla and zucchini and flaxseed. Slowly add the sifted flour and baking powder to the wet mixture. Once well combined, add raisins. Stir again. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray (read labels) and fill loaf pan about 3/4 of the way full. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes.

Alterations:You can make these with or without the pineapple. If you don't add the pineapple you will want to add about 1/4 cup water or whatever kind of milk you use. If your child is not allergic to walnuts I would highly suggest adding 1/2 cup to the batter with the raisins.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my crew. They love muffins of any kind and don't even care that there is zucchini in them.

Minestrone

Description: This is a favorite of mine when the weather gets cooler. This recipe makes a ton of food, so it is great for large gatherings or for freezer meals. This makes 3 meals for my family.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp. EVOO

2-4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, chopped

1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 package frozen spinach

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can garbonzo beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 Tbsp. basil

1 tsp. salt

1 cup white wine (I like Pinot Grigio)

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups beef broth

46 ounces tomato juice

1 box small, shell pasta

Preparation: Don't feel overwhelmed by the ingredient list. This comes together so quickly! First you want to heat the oil in a very large pot, about a 12 quart pot. Cook onion and garlic in hot oil until onions are translucent. Add all the seasonings and stir around. Add all the beans and vegetables to the pot. Give a good stir before adding in the broths, wine and tomato juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Stir in pasta and cook for another 30 minutes. The pasta will absorb a lot of liquid, so if it gets too thick you can add a little more broth or water. Be sure to test for salt and pepper before serving.

Alterations: Try different wines out and see which one you like best. Other than that, I can't really think of any alterations. Do make sure you read the labels of the broths you get for unwanted ingredients.

Rating: My crew gives this 4 stars simply because my son, the picky eater, will only eat the beans and pasta out of the bowl when I make this. I however, crave this and will eat it day after day!

Brown Rice

I have recently started using brown rice exclusively. I just couldn't get it right most of the time. So I decided to research methods of cooking brown rice. I tried many of the recommendations, but only one worked every time I tried it. I thought I would share it in case any of you have been hesitant to make the switch for the same reasons. It does take longer than white rice, but it is worth it.

Pour 5 cups of water and 2 cups of rice into a pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 25 minutes then turn off heat and cover for another 20 minutes or longer. Drain the rice like you would pasta in a strainer. It is ready to serve.

Bushaloni in Red Gravy

Description: I grew up with an Italian mother who referred to marinara as red gravy. Don't ask, I have no idea why! It is SO easy and delicious despite it's simplicity and inexpensive cut of meat.

Ingredients:

4 cups marinara

1 or 2 round steaks

1/2 onion sliced thin

1/2 bell pepper sliced thin

salt and pepper

cooking thread

Preparation: Lay steaks flat on cutting board and remove excess fat from sides. Season with salt and pepper, flip over and season other side. Then spread a thin layer of onions and bell peppers on top. Roll meat from one side to the other like a burrito. Tie up with cooking thread and drop into a pot of marinara. This will need to cook for 4 hours or longer. It works wonderfully in a crockpot! The meat will be so tender that you can cut it with a fork. You can serve this over spaghetti, spaghetti squash or rice noodles. Enjoy :)

Alternatives: If you don't have a dairy allergy go ahead and sprinkle parmesan cheese on the steak before you roll it up. (That is how my mom used to make it.)

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my family and is frequently requested during the week. What does your crew think?

Pancakes From Scratch

Description: I wanted so badly to find a pancake recipe that worked for my family. I just couldn't find one. So here is what I came up with after many failed attempts.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

4 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

5 Tbsp. canola oil

1 1/2 cups goat's milk or water or whatever kind of milk you use

2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed mixed with 4 Tbsp. hot water

3 tsp. baking powder

Preparation: Sift dry ingredients together and then set aside. Mix wet ingredients together in bowl. Add dry ingredients a little at a time until completely combined. Heat griddle and brush on oil. Once hot you can start pouring pancakes. To make mine the same size I use a scoop with the scraper inside to pour them onto the griddle. Once bubbles are formed and begin to pop, you are ready to flip over. Serve warm with whatever kind of butter substitute you use and maple syrup . The unused pancakes will freeze nicely for a hurried morning. You can defrost in the microwave and then pop in the toaster and your family will have homemade pancakes even on the busiest morning.

Alterations: You can add just about any kind of fruit to this batter. We like to use blueberries, apples and even sliced bananas to the top of the pancake before flipping over. I also added Enjoy Life chocolate chips one time for a special treat!

Rating: My kids give this 5 stars. It doesn't compare to pancakes you would order at a restaurant, but we think it is a good allergy friendly recipe for pancake lovers.

Avocado (Fake) Milkshake

Description: I know it sounds gross, but my kids love it! We eat a lot of avocados in our home due to the high fat diet my son must be on. This is one of those crazy concoctions I found on line and made it work for our family.

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 1/2 cups goat's milk or whatever kind of milk you use

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 scoops Rice Dream, vanilla flavored

Preparation: Slice avocado in half lengthwise and remove seed. Scoop out and dump into a blender. Add all of the ingredients into blender. Puree or crush, or whatever your setting says to do for a milkshake. If it is too runny just add a few cubes of ice and puree again until ice is crushed.

Alterations: You could use a vanilla flavored milk in this drink with great success. And, coconut milk ice cream is a very creamy alternative.

Rating: I have to give this 4 stars because I couldn't convince my husband to try it no matter how much I begged. The kids, however finished off their milkshake and asked for another, but I was out of avocados.

Red Beans and Rice

Description: I am from New Orleans. Enough said?! We eat red beans and rice almost every Monday night.

Ingredients:

1 pound of red beans

2 stalks celery, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 yellow onions, sliced thin

8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp. thyme

1 Tbsp. parsley

1 package sausage

1 smoked turkey leg or ham hock

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Wash and pick over beans to remove stones and bad beans. Soak in water for 8-10 hours. Dice sausage and put in large pot. Cook on high heat for about 5 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic to sausage. Continue to cook until onions turn translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 2-4 hours. The longer you cook them, the thicker and creamier your beans will be. Before serving, take the back of a heavy spoon and mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. Then give a good stir before serving over rice. Most southerners serve this with cornbread, but since we can't have corn in our house anymore I serve them with dinner rolls. (A recipe for another day!)

I always make a double batch when I cook this and we get 5 meals out of it when I do that; one for now and four for later. Which means that I only have to cook it once a month and we have beans for every Monday night.

Alterations: My husband likes to put a few dashes of Tabasco on his before he eats, because he likes a little spice. If your family likes food spicier, add a dash or two of cayenne pepper to the pot when you add the other spices.

Rating: As my husband shovels spoonfuls into his mouth before I put the rest away for another meal he gives this meal 5 stars. I hope your crew enjoys it as much as mine does.

(Fake) Chocolate Chip Muffins (with pumpkin)

Description: When we have a play group at our house, these are always the first muffins to be devoured. The kids have no idea that this muffin is so good for them :)

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup goat's milk (or water or whatever kind of milk you use, unflavored)

1/4 cup canola oil

2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed dissolved in 4 Tbsp. hot water

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup flour

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. wheat germ

1/3 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350. Combine pumpkin, milk (or water), oil, flaxseed dissolved in water, vanilla and sugar in mixing bowl and mix to combine. In sifter, put both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and sift onto wax paper. Then slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Finally, add wheat germ and chocolate chips and stir until well mixed. I like to bake these in a 24 - mini muffin tin. It is so much easier for the kids to eat and they don't make as much mess with the little muffins. Fill tins about 3/4 full and bake immediately. The mini muffins will bake in 12-15 minutes, the larger muffins cook for about 20-25 minutes. To make sure they are done, simply tap the top of a muffin in the middle of the tin and if it bounces back, they are done.

Alterations: Using fresh roasted and pureed pumpkin is so much better than the canned pureed pumpkin. I won't say this often, but with pumpkin you won't believe the difference in taste! You can also make this into a loaf instead of into muffins. If your family is not used to whole wheat flour just start small by using 1 1/3 cup white flour and 1/3 cup whole wheat flour. They won't be able to tell it is in there.

Rating: These muffins get 5 stars from my crew as well as all the kids that come to my house. (Sometimes they even ask to take some home with them.)

Pureed Veggies

You will see a lot of pureed veggies in my foods. It is a great way to get extra veggies into your kids diet. I was given a cookbook by the wife of a famous comedian, I am sure you know which one I am talking about ;) We could not use any of the recipes because they all contained something that my son was allergic to. But I loved the idea of including the purees into the foods to give them an extra boost. It has been an amazing journey with some good and some bad combinations. You will only see the good combinations here! After bagging I label and lay flat in the freezer. Once frozen I put them in a basket in the freezer for easy access. I put them in snack bags because it is the perfect size for 1/2 cup of puree. It may seem like a lot of work, but you won't believe how wonderful it feels to know that your kids are getting an additional serving of vegetables with every meal! The first night I did this I had a smirk on my face the entire meal. My husband kept asking me what I was so happy about. I later told him that he had just eaten butternut squash and he was shocked.

Steaming: carrots, squash, broccoli and cauliflower are the vegetables that I steam, puree and freeze in 1/2 cup portions.

Roasting: sweet potatoes, butternut squash and pumpkin are the vegetables that I roast in the oven at 350 until fork tender and then puree and freeze in 1/2 cup portions.

Raw: zucchini, apple (cored and seeded), banana and spinach I puree raw and freeze in 1/2 cup portions.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Description: These meatballs are packed with butternut squash, but you wouldn't be able to tell if I had not just told you! I get a request for these at least once a week, that's how good they are! This recipe makes enough for 2 meals worth of spaghetti and meatballs. We eat it one night and freeze the other half for a busy night.

Ingredients:

4 cups marinara

1 pound ground meat

1 pound ground turkey

1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (check ingredient list, the only brand I have found to use is found at Kroger called Panko)

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 cup butternut squash (roasted and pureed)

1 Tbsp. wheat germ

Preparation: Preheat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients, except marinara, in a large bowl and mix well. If you like large meatballs use a large scooper to get equal sized meatballs. For smaller ones use a small mellon baller for equal sized meatballs. We use the smaller one because we have young kids and it is easier for them to eat. But do whatever you like! After rolling all the meat into balls, place on foil lined baking sheet and put in oven. Cook for 5 minutes and then remove pan to turn them and cook for another another 5 minutes. Larger meatballs will cook for 10 minutes before turning and then for another 5-10 minutes depending on size. When cooked, remove from pan and put into a pot of marinara to absorb a little of the sauce for about 30 minutes on simmer. They are cooked and ready to serve whenever you are.

Alternatives: To make this a wheat free meatball simply switch out the breadcrumbs for Holgrain brown rice crumbs or wheat free crackers crushed up and remove the wheat germ. You can serve it over spaghetti squash or rice noodles as well for a wheat free meal.

Rating: This also gets 5 stars from my crew. I have to cook them when my husband is not home because he will devour half a dozen before I can get the food to the table.

My Marinara

Description: This marinara is so delicious that all of my friends use this recipe and none of us buy canned any more. It makes a lot, about 3 meals worth for my family, so use a large pot. I use a 5 1/2 quart pot when making a single batch of this and a 12 quart pot when I make a double batch.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup EVOO

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

2 green onions, sliced

8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1 Tbsp. dried basil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. white pepper

3 medium bay leaves

1 26 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 26 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce

Preparation: Pour EVOO in pot. When heated add onion, bell pepper, garlic and green onions. Cook until onion is transparent and bell pepper turns bright green, about 5 minutes. Add all of the seasonings and stir around for a minute or two. Stir in all 4 cans of tomatoes and then fill each can about half way with water to get what was left in the can. Pour those into pot as well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2-4 hours. The longer you cook it the deeper the flavors will be. I put a pot on after lunch and it is ready for dinner. I serve it with spaghetti squash when it is in season or whole wheat pasta and homemade meatballs. (Recipe to come later.)

Alternatives: If you like a chunky sauce then use 2 26 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, if you like a smoother sauce then use 2 26 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes. If you like a little more heat add 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper to it as well. To have a wheat free spaghetti night use the spaghetti squash with salt and pepper, to taste, on it or with rice noodles.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from everyone who has ever tried this recipe. I would love to know what you think!

Roasted Asparagus

Description: This is so easy and delicious you won't believe it. It is simple enough for a week night dinner and delicious enough for a holiday meal. Try it and see!

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus

1-2 Tbsp. EVOO

1-2 tsp. sea salt (I use McCormick sea salt grinder)

Preparation: Heat oven to 425. Line baking sheet with foil. Was asparagus and snap ends off. If you hold it in the middle and the bottom and bend it slightly, it will snap itself perfectly. Dry and lay flat on baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle sea salt over top. Roll spears around to ensure that they are completely covered in the EVOO and salted evenly. Put in oven for 5 minutes. With a spatula or tongs, flip over to ensure the bottoms do not get browned. Put back in for another 5 minutes.

Alteratives: None needed! This is a great recipe for everyone :) Feel free to also sprinkle ground black peppercorn and/or lemon juice as well. I also put all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and then throw them on the grill right before the other food is ready.

Rating: This gets 4 stars from my crew, how about yours? My husband hates asparagus and he ate 4 spears, but did not ask for seconds and my son ate his only after promising dessert if he finished. I would personally give this 5 stars!

Magic Meatloaf

Description: I call this magic meatloaf because all 5 people in my family clean their plates, ask for seconds and clean their plates again. It is a favorite in our house!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound ground meat

2 cups Panko breadcrumbs (Check the ingredient list, the only brand I buy is at Kroger and it is called Panko.)

1/2 cup marinara sauce + 4 Tbsp. marinara (reserved)

1/4 onion chopped, finely diced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup carrots, steamed and pureed

1 Tbsp. wheat germ

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together except for the 4 Tbsp. marinara in large bowl. Shape into loaf. (I use a corningware piece instead of a loaf pan because it tends to cook better that way.) Pour remaining marinara over top and bake in oven for about 1 hour. The internal temperature should be around 155-160 degrees. I cook one large loaf and we eat half of it. So this gives us 2 meals, one to eat and the other to freeze or eat later in the week. (I will publish my marinara recipe this week as well; it is my most requested recipe from friends and family.)

Alternatives: To make this wheat free all you have to do is change out the breadcrumbs and remove the wheat germ. There are rice breadcrumbs called Holgrain found at at Whole Foods that you could use or a wheat free cracker crushed up in the food proccesor.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my crew, how about yours?

Why I Am Here

My children have food allergies. A lot of food allergies. I have cried many nights because of the stress that cooking for our family created. We are on a tight budget and have three small children that keep me very busy. I am homeschooling and working part time at our church. Time and money are both big issues for our family. This blog has been created to help out other families that are in similar predicaments. My recipes will always be free from corn, dairy, soy, egg and all nuts. Wheat is something we have not had issues with, but some of the recipes will be wheat free as well.

Here is our story. When my first daughter was born I was committed to nursing. The problem was that she was not an efficient nurser and my milk supply was very low. So we made the decision to supplement with bottles after each feeding. We noticed that as soon as we introduced the bottles she got sick. It was like a cold that just wouldn't leave. She was always congested and sneezing and had a lot of ear infections. The pediatrician recommended switching to a soy based formula. Overnight she got better. We determined that she had a dairy allergy. A year and a half later my second daughter was born. I was committed to nursing her as well. Colic does not even begin to describe how horrible her first three months of life were.The first three months were filled with screaming and crying, from both of us. She was gaining weight, but she screamed all the time and she had blood in her stool along with blisters all around her rectum. I had removed dairy from my diet from the beginning so the pediatrician knew something else was going on. We put her on reflux medicine, but it still didn't help. Then she stopped gaining weight and started losing weight. I was told to stop nursing and give her soy based formula. She got worse and worse. We tried several types of formula and finally settled on Nutramigen. It didn't solve everything, but it was the best thing we could find. She started gaining weight again and slept a little. Allergy testing showed that she was allergic to dairy and soy.

A year and a half later my son was born. I decided to nurse him as well even though I knew it might be for a short time like it had been for my second child. The first two weeks I stayed clear of dairy and soy and he was doing great. Nursing really well, sleeping great and gaining a ton of weight. The night he turned exactly two weeks old is one I will never forget. He started crying around 8:00 p.m. He didn't stop. I thought for sure something was seriously wrong. We went to the doctor the next morning and they put him on reflux medicine immediately. Things did not improve, but the doctor said it could take up to sixth weeks before we could really tell. I knew it wasn't working and so I started writing down everything I ate and how he was each day. I researched things like what the most allergenic foods were and started removing them one by one. When we went in to his three month check-up the doctor was very worried. I looked like death and he was diagnosed as failure to thrive. He had stopped growing. We were sent to a GI specialist. (He was my best friend for a while.) We talked about the strides I had made in removing certain foods from my diet and he made suggestions on formulas to try. Well, my son wanted nothing to do with a bottle. We spent a fortune on every kind of bottle out there. Even if we had found a formula that would work for him we couldn't get him to take a bottle. It was horrible. The GI specialist suggested solid food; he was four months old. Things like bananas and sweet potatoes would be a good start. We put brown sugar in bananas and EVOO in the sweet potatoes trying to build up the calorie content while still nursing and avoiding everything I could think of that was causing him to have problems. At seven months he was only thirteen pounds. I was still nursing him every two hours around the clock. At this point, being committed to a mental institution sounded like a pleasant break from life.

I had three small kids and had not slept in over seven months. Then a break through happened. Adiri bottles and goat's milk. We had run out of options and were about to do a feeding tube. Someone introduced me to the Adiri bottles and I bought one. I was pumping after every feeding and putting my milk in the bottles. He would actually drink from it! So that was the first step. Then around nine months the GI specialist and I decided to try goat's milk. His weight gain was meager to say the least even on all of the solid foods laden with extra fat and calories. I was ready to die so I agreed to do it with great hesitation. I mixed goat's milk with mollasas and mint flavored cod liver oil. He actually drank it and the extra calories were just what he needed. By his first year check-up he was on the growth charts again. The fourth percentile never looked so good :) He was still having breakouts of hives regularly and the eczema never would go away. I struggled with cooking for him as well as for our family because he had reached the age where he wanted what we were having and wouldn't eat otherwise. Fast forward to the week of his second birthday. He went anaphylactic after grabbing two bites of his sister's pb&j sandwich. We had some food allergy testing done and sure enough he is allergic to every kind of nut out there, except for pecan. We had to give away our cat too :( He had not gained any weight or grown in height in six months and the pediatrician diagnosed him as failure to thrive again. We put him on an appetite stimulant and gave him every high fat food we could think of to which he was not allergic. It was killing our food budget and stressing me out to no end. I was feeding him every two hours again but he did start growing again. Fortunately the goat's milk offered us many options in his diet. It was a high fat milk and they made butter, yogurt and cheese that I could give him.

That was when I got serious about cooking. I needed foods that all five of us would eat and that would not break the bank, they had to be high in fat and calories. I love to cook and come from a family of great cooks. The food had to taste good. So here is where I am. I experiment a lot and will only post recipes that I have gotten to where I want them: they must taste great, be easy on the budget and my kids love it. If you try them, I would love to get your feedback. When I have enough recipes I will be compiling them into a cookbook. It may take me two years, but I am determined to do it. I hope that this blog is a blessing to you and your fmaily and I pray that it helps in some small way.