Real Food with Christine

  When I picked up my daughter from preschool yesterday, her teacher told me that they were having DD Munchkins for a birthday party tomorrow. I avoid all foods that are not made with real wholesome ingredients. Even if it's a dessert and made with sugar I still want it to have clean, real ingredients. I have made it my goal to find a replacement for every snack that my kids may see and want. They have never asked for a Munchkin. Now I realized this is one thing they are going to come across a lot and I need to find a replacement. I never want my daughter to feel left out just because she has allergies, so I started searching online, and in every cookbook I had in my kitchen and couldn't find something that would come out round but be donut-like. Then I remembered that I bought this cake pop pan in Target and haven't used it yet. I used the Vanilla cake donuts from  Babycakes NYC  posted  here . Now I've got a perfect Munchkin replacement. Whew, I can breathe aga

Before going gluten free I had been known to make a meal out of bread. Well, bread, olives, hummus, etc. I could eat bread everyday. I always had digestive issues but never thought it was the gluten. The more bread I ate the more uncomfortable I was. I cut out gluten and felt better, I also found out I was allergic to yeast which the bread was not helping with. I didn't miss the bread all that much because I knew it would lead to stomach discomfort. Every so often, I get this urge for a really good loaf of bread. Until now, I did not have one that was gluten free but tasted good enough to satisfy the craving, I did try some gluten free baguettes but they usually contain yeast and any recipe I tried that didn't have gluten, dairy or yeast was not that good so I just rather do without. If I'm not going to thoroughly enjoy my food when I eat it, I'm going to eat something else that I enjoy. When I saw this Easy French Bread recipe from Iris from The Daily Dietribe&#

These meatballs are perfect as appetizers or for a main course on top of salad. There is so much flavor in these, that you can eat them just the way they are. My one year old loves these. He is now at the age I can hand him a small item and he will walk around and take bites. I gave him one of these, and he ate it so fast and came running back for more. This recipe was inspired by this recipe from  The Urban Poser . Ingredients 1 lb. grass fed ground beef 1 egg 3 scallions chopped 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 cup brown rice bread crumbs (you can use almond flour if you do not eat grains) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Directions Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together until well combined. Roll into golf ball size meatballs and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes. Place under broiler for the last 2-3 minutes for

It's that time again where Girl Scout cookies are being sold. I wanted to make some of the cookies in a gluten free, healthier version for my kids to enjoy. I started with Samoas, these are a favorite by all of us and this version didn't disappoint. I even tested these out on some gluten eating people and they loved them. If Samoas are one of your favorite Girl Scout cookies I definitely recommend this recipe. This recipe was adapted from this recipe from Elana's Pantry . Ingredients Cookie 2 cups almond flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons honey 1 egg 3 tablespoons coconut oil For the Topping I used a caramel recipe from  Paleo Indulgences  by Tammy Credicott. If you are looking for a good paleo cookbook, this one is great. There are many recipes in here I can't wait to make. Here is the caramel recipe posted with permission from The Healthy GF Life . Ingredients for Caramel 1 cup coconut crystals 1/4 cup coconut necta

I found out my daughter was allergic to soy a little over a year ago. Once we found out, I made sure we didn't use any soy sauce in the house. Some of my recipes that called for soy sauce really did need it. I was very happy recently, when I found this product from Coconut Secret called coconut aminos . This is a really good replacement for soy sauce. Vegetable fried rice was one of my favorite Chinese takeout dishes. Now this version is not only soy free, but grain free, gluten free and dairy free too! Using cauliflower as rice is a great way to get a rice textured dish and include another veggie in your meal.  This recipe was inspired by this recipe  from Detoxinista. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 onion diced 1 large garlic clove (if they are small use 2) minced 1/2 cup shredded carrots 1 tablespoon filtered water 2 whole eggs beat 2 cups cauliflower “rice” 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos sea salt 2 scallions for topping Directions To ma

This is another recipe from The Earth Diet that I would like to share with you. Ice cream is another one of my favorite desserts and this recipe from Liana at  The Earth Diet makes it possible to have a healthy nutritious ice cream treat. I have made other raw nut ice creams, but so far I think that this walnut version is my favorite. Original recipe can be found here . Ingredients 1 1/2 cups walnuts 1 cup water 1/2 cup maple syrup dash of sea salt 2 tablespoons cacao 1 tablespoon vanilla extract For some other variations try adding one of the following: 1/2 cup raw cacao chips 1/2 cup chopped homemade peanut butter cups 1/2 cup chopped raw cookie dough bites 1/2 cup chopped raw chocolate coconut balls Directions Put ingredients into a powerful blender, I use the Vita-Mix. Blend until smooth and creamy. If adding any of the optional additions, stir them in after blending the ice cream. Transfer to a bowl and put in the freezer for a few hours (I left mine for 3

Sweet Potatoes are a favorite in my house. Usually I just bake them and enjoy them as is with a sprinkle of sea salt, cayenne or garlic. I never made homemade french fries, so when I saw this recipe from The Earth Diet , I figured they would be awesome and I was right! This recipe is from The Earth Diet See the original recipe here Ingredients 3 large sweet potatoes shredded coconut coconut oil for frying sea salt Directions Cut your potatoes into french fries. Heat about 1/2 inch of coconut oil in a deep pan. Fry potatoes in batches until golden brown. Transfer to a dish and sprinkle with shredded coconut and sea salt.

My kids have always been fans of waffles, but recently they started asking for pancakes. I've tried many gluten free pancake mixes and haven't been a fan of them. Buckwheat is very healthy and a good gluten free alternative to wheat flour. It makes a really fluffy pancake that was enjoyed by all. Even my husband who is not gluten free loved these. Benefits of Buckwheat: -Buckwheat lowers glucose levels -Buckwheat has been found to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. -Buckwheat contains the eight essential amino acids -Buckwheat contains: Phosphorus, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Manganese Ingredients 1 cup buckwheat flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup milk (rice, almond or dairy milk) 1 egg 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional) 2 tablespoons coconut oil plus more for greasing pan Directions Heat a griddle on medium until hot. Add coconut oil to the griddle to grease the pan. Mix dry ingredients to

I love coconut oil, I use it for everything. I use it to bake with, cook with, as a skin moisturizer and body lotion. This stuff is really amazing. Tropical Traditions was nice enough to send me a quart of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil   for review. Ever since I received this bottle (and finished it), I have been buying it by the gallon from their web site.  Now one of you can receive a  complimentary quart for yourself, just enter below.   Win 1 quart of Gold label Virgin Coconut Oil You can watch the video on Gold Label Coconut Oil Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.  Now is your chance to win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil! Just enter using our Rafflecoptor giveaway box. The contest will be closing on Saturday

After I made this peanut butter blondie recipe last week (first posted about here ). I wanted to make a chocolate brownie version especially for by hubby who LOVES brownies. He is not a fan of peanut butter, so I used almond butter to make these brownies and they came out amazing!! Ingredients 1 cup almond butter 1 egg 1/4 cup cacao powder 1/3 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chocolate chunks (I use Enjoy Life ) Directions Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8 inch square glass baking dish with coconut oil. Mix the almond butter, egg, cacao powder, honey, baking soda and salt in a bowl until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Pour mixture into baking dish and smooth the top so that it is even.  Bake for 20-25 minutes. I took mine out at 22 and they were perfect. Let cool, then cut and serve. They go really well with some  homemade chocolate milk ! 

I know a lot of kids drink chocolate milk and although even this healthy version should still be given as a treat, it is nutritious and much healthier than the pre-made chocolate milks or even the chocolate syrups added to milk. There is a ton of refined sugar and artificial flavors in most of those. This chocolate syrup is dairy free, sweetened with maple syrup, and made with only 4 ingredients plus water. You can add this to any milk that you drink, dairy or non-dairy (rice, hemp, almond, coconut). You can also use this chocolate sauce to top other desserts as well. It goes very well with fruit! This recipe was adapted from  this recipe . Ingredients 1 cup water 1/2 cup raw cacao powder pinch sea salt 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup maple syrup (taste it with this amount you may want to add a little more if you want it sweeter) Directions Add water and raw cacao powder in a pot. Heat on medium until chocolate is melted. Continue to cook until

This recipe is great for anyone on a Paleo diet or anyone who wants to replace their traditional mashed potato side dish with something new. This is my favorite side dish served with a roasted chicken in place of mashed potatoes. Parsnips are high in soluble fiber, the type that helps lower cholesterol and keeps blood sugar leveled. They provide folic acid and potassium. Serves two Ingredients 4 or 5 medium parsnips (usually one bag from the grocery store) olive oil garlic powder salt and pepper Directions Boil parsnips until soft. You should be able to push a fork through very easily. Drain in a colander, then add to a mini food processor. Puree the parsnips until smooth. Drizzle in about two teaspoons of olive oil and process until combined. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

I am always bookmarking recipes that look good that I want to make. The list just keeps getting longer and longer! Since my kids love to cook and bake with me (and taste test) the week off between Christmas and New Years was the perfect week to make some of these recipes. I made a bunch of the recipes that I've bookmarked and I've listed the ones that I recommend making below. First, this  chocolate paleo snack cake  from Lea at  Paleo Spirit  has been on my list for quite some time now and I finally made it! The only things I did differently was I used hot water instead of the coffee that is called for in the recipe and added a 1/2 cup of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips. Otherwise I followed the directions exactly. Mine took about 10 minutes longer than the 35 minutes it says. This cake is unbelievable! Even grain and gluten eating friends enjoyed this. I frosted it with this  chocolate frosting  without the bacon. This is a super chocolaty and super moist cake. I will

I have been experimenting with cake a lot recently. My daughter's birthday is next month and ever since we went gluten free, I have ordered her cake from a local health food store. This year I wanted to make my own cake. Although normally my desserts and treats are free of refined sugar, this cake is not. I do consider this a once in a while treat. Now that I have this recipe, I will continue experimenting with this to remove the refined sugars. But, for now if you can eat sugar on occasion, this is an amazing cake. It reminds me of the super moist gluten filled chocolate cupcakes I had as a kid, and since those were in a box with ingredient lists that were super long and filled with all sorts of chemicals, I am happy about the clean ingredients in this cake. Makes 24 cupcakes or two 9 inch round cakes. Ingredients 3 cups of my Gluten Free Flour Mix 1 cup cacao powder 2 cups evaporated cane juice or coconut palm sugar* 1 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 tea

Makes 9 cups 4 cups white rice flour 2 cups brown rice flour 2 cups potato starch 1 cup tapioca starch Put all ingredients in a container and shake it up. Store until needed for recipes that call for gluten free flour mix.

This is so simple and healthy, but unbelievable good. If you cannot eat dairy this is a perfect ice cream replacement and if you can eat dairy, you will just want this instead because it is so good you won't be able to resist it! This recipe is adapted from this recipe from Megan at Detoxinsta . Serves 4 Ingredients 4 frozen bananas 5 tablespoons of peanut butter 5 tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk For a chocolate version, add 1-2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder. Directions Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. If you want it more soft serve you can add a little more milk and serve right away. You can also put this into the freezer and let firm up and serve at a later time. I prefer the soft serve method but both are good. If you decide to put it in the freezer for later, take it out about 15 minutes before serving so it can soften up a bit!