Adopt a Blogger: Megan from Allergy Free Alaska

I'm taking part in Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger again. If you’re not familiar, Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger is a monthly event created by Sea at Book of Yum to help us gluten-free bloggers get to know each other and recreate each others recipes. This month it is hosted by Sunny from And Love It, Too!. This month, I adopted Megan from Allergy Free Alaska (formerly MAID in Alaska).

I love finding bloggers that are in the same point in their lives that I'm in...We are both 31 year old moms of two kids that are about the same age (she has girls, I have boys).  We have very different health issues, but both our families thrive on living gluten and dairy-free.  And on top of that she has some pretty fantastic recipes.

So, to finish off July (National Ice Cream Month), I'm sharing two of her recipes.  First up is her Orange Creamsicle Popsicles.  The first two times I made this, it never made it to the freezer. And I have to say, it tastes just like an Orange Julius that way.  But, I had to make it again, because my little one requested that I make an orange ice cream. Yeah, I really didn't even get to take pictures before he started devouring his...

Second up, is her Fudgesicles, if you have creamsicles, you have to have fudgesicles, right? My older son loves chocolate, and I mean loves chocolate.  Just today he told me that he wish the world was all chocolate...so, yeah, I didn't get many pictures on the fudgesicles, before he started devouring them, either.

They are both delicious and the perfect replacement to the dairy ones that I grew up with...and definitely a lot healthier.  Both of these recipes have either no sugar or very low sugar in the form of agave or honey.  So, there is no guilt with these treats!

Here's one last photo of the kiddos enjoying their treats....and don't ask me why my older son is wearing a jacket in 95 degree weather--I have no idea! 

Thank you, Megan, for such fantastic recipes, my boys love them!

Weekly Menu (7/29/12-8/4/12)

This week in our half of the Bountiful Basket (I share with my brother) we got:

• lettuce
• baby carrots
• a large cucumber
• red bell peppers
• red potatoes
• cherry tomatoes
• plums
• peaches
• mangos
• grapes
• blueberries

I also have some summer squash, bananas, and watermelon, to supplement the basket.
This week for breakfast: Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, one-eyed sandwiches, fresh fruit, and cereal for the kids; and smoothies, water kefir with fruit puree, hard boiled eggs, ham slices or baked oatmeal for me.

This week for lunches: The boys are taken care of at their sitters' house. I'll be eating leftovers the rest of the week, I also have carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes with hummus everyday.

This week for dinner:

Sunday: (We will still be with my family for our family reunion...Breakfast and Lunch we'll be at home, but dinner we'll be back with the crew)

• Pulled Pork
• Baked Potatoes
• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe

Monday: 

• Tacos
• Sauteed Summer Squash
• Green Salad 
• Fruit Salad

Tuesday:

• Tamales 
• Nachos
• Fruit Salad
• Green Salad

Wednesday:

• Grilled Chicken 
• Fruit Salad
• Veggies and Hummus

Thursday:

• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Scrambled Eggs 
• Grapes and Blueberries 

Friday:

• Gorditas 
• Grilled Summer Squash
• Salad
• Fruit Salad

Saturday:

• Pizza
• green salad
• watermelon and peaches

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream

It's a good thing that July is National Ice Cream Month, because that's all I've been posting about.  This recipe is the best I've done yet, and the others were pretty amazing.  Maybe, I just needed a chocolate fix.  But, this is the first ice cream that my dairy eating older son said tastes normal (he refused to try the others, in fear that they would taste like coconut :P).  Anyway, another tasty ice cream that is incredibly easy to make.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream
1 can coconut milk, chilled
3/4 cup Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, chilled (or other non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup peanut butter

Directions:
Blend together coconut milk, almond milk, agave, and cocoa. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.  Meanwhile, microwave peanut butter for a few seconds to make it runny.  The last 5 minutes of freezing, pour peanut butter into ice cream in streams that will swirl through the ice cream.

Weekly Menu (7/22/12-7/29/12)

This week in our half of the Bountiful Basket (I share with my brother) we got:
 

• summer squash 
• corn on the cob
• carrots
• butter lettuce
• plums 
• grapes 
• raspberries 
• strawberries 

I also have some cauliflower and radishes left from last week. Along with watermelon, cantaloupe, potatoes and bananas that I picked up at the store today.
This week for breakfast: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, fresh fruit, and cereal for the kids, and smoothies, water kefir with fruit puree, or baked oatmeal for me.

This week for lunches: The boys are taken care of at their sitters', except on Monday and Tuesday (I took those days off of work). I'll be eating leftovers the rest of the week, and of course, I bring fruit with me everyday.

Monday's lunch: I'm taking the boys up to Bear Lake for the day, so we might stop at Herm's Inn for breakfast on our way out of town, and then pack our own lunch and snacks:

• Homemade Lunchables (Schar Table Crackers, with choices of toppings...ham, peanut butter, jelly, bananas, etc)
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Veggies and Hummus
• Cashews and Cocoa Roasted Almonds to snack on
• Lots of water to drink

Tuesday: I'm taking the boys to Salt Lake to Hogle Zoo and/or the Children's Museum

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches on Udi's Bread
• Grapes
• Veggies and Almond Butter
• Chips
• Lots of water to drink

This week for dinner:

Sunday:

• Ham
• Mashed Potatoes
• Corn on the Cob
• Cornbread
• Green Salad
• Fruit Salad

Monday: 

• Sweet Pork with Corn Tortillas
• Basmati Rice
• Sauteed Summer Squash
• Green Salad 
• Fruit Salad

Tuesday:

• Spaghetti with Jovial Pasta
• Roasted Summer Squash and Cauliflower
• Fruit Salad
• Green Salad

Wednesday:

• corn dogs
• Fruit Salad
• Veggies and Hummus

Thursday:

• Crepes
• Ham and eggs 
• Fruit

Friday:

• Grilled Chicken 
• Grilled Summer Squash
• Salad
• Fruit Salad

Saturday: It's my side of the family's reunion...so lunch will be tacos/taco salad (and I'll be making crepes for PB&J's for the little ones that aren't into tacos that day) and dinner:

• Ham
• corn on the cob
• green salad
• watermelon
• chips
• bean salsa
• cupcakes
• rice krispie treats

Cardamom Plum Ice Cream

Yes, I'm on an ice cream kick.  So far this month, I've only published ice cream recipes.  Sorry, if you don't like ice cream...I don't like to turn on my oven when it's 100 degrees outside, so ice cream it is. Since we are talking ice creams, I thought I'd give you a recap of all my ice cream recipes before going on to today's recipe. So here they are:

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Lemon Custurd Ice Cream

Easy Homemade Coconut Milk Ice Cream (without an ice cream maker)

Banana 'Ice Cream'

Now on to my Cardamom Plum Ice Cream.  Isn't it beautiful?

I like plums, but they are not my favorite fruit.  I can handle having a few in my house, I'll eat through those within a week. But when I have a few dozen, I struggle.  This week, in our bountiful basket we got quite a few.  So, I decided I needed to find an incredible way to use them.  I automatically started thinking about ice cream (because, of course, I'm on an ice cream kick).  

Plum ice cream on it's own didn't sound very exciting, so I thought I'd give it some help with adding cardamom.  I had never tried cardamom until I was an adult, and it is one of those spices that I literally said, "Where have you been my whole life!?!", when I first tried it.  This ice cream very much reminds me of Indian Rice Pudding (which, in my opinion is way better than our American version), except without the rice, of course, and an added tartness from the plums.  This is my new favorite treat.  I topped mine with fresh raspberries from my yard and a drizzle of honey...so incredibly good!

Cardamom Plum Ice Cream

1 can coconut milk, chilled

3/4 cup non-dairy milk (So Delicious Coconut Milk), chilled

1/2-3/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom (I used 3/4 teaspoon, but use less if you aren't huge into cardamom)

1/2 cup honey (I had a mellow local honey, that is incredible)

1 1/4 cup pureed plums (I peeled mine to remove some of the tartness, and I believe it was about 8 plums...and mine had yellow flesh, hence the color of the ice cream)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients together (I mixed mine together in a blender) and freeze it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. 

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Allergy Free Wednesdays.

Weekly Menu (7/15/12-7/21/12)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got:
 

• summer squash 
• cauliflower
• kale
• tomatoes
• radishes
• corn on the cob
• bananas
• peaches
• plums
• blueberries

We also got an Italian Pack with our basket and it contained:

• summer squash
• eggplant
• garlic
• onion
• herbs (basil, Italian parsley, rosemary, oregano)

I also have some green beans, lettuce and carrots. I plan on picking up some melons and grapes at the store this week, also. I still have blueberries and watermelon puree in the freezer for easy addition to smoothies and water kefir. We are getting a few raspberries now off our bushes, as well.

This week for breakfast: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, fresh fruit, and cereal for the kids, and smoothies, water kefir with watermelon puree ice cubes (my favorite), or fresh fruit for me.

This week for lunches: The boys are taken care of at their sitters'. I'll be eating leftovers, and of course, I bring fruit with me everyday.

This week for dinner:

Sunday:

• Grilled Steak
• Roasted cauliflower and green beans
• Green Salad
• Corn on the Cob
• Fruit Salad
• Rolls

Monday: 

• Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan
• Sauteed Summer Squash
• Pasta (Jovial pasta is our favorite)
• Fruit Salad

Tuesday:

• Tamales 
• Nachos
• Fruit Salad
• Green Salad

Wednesday:

• Grilled Ham Sandwiches
• Chips (and Kale Chips) 
• Fruit Salad
• Carrots and Hummus

Thursday:

• One Eyed Sandwiches
• Sausage Patties 
• Fruit
• Eggs

Friday:

• Hamburgers
• Grilled Summer Squash
• Salad
• Fruit Salad

Saturday:

• Teriyaki Chicken and Salmon (I use Coconut Aminos instead of Soy Sauce)
• Basmati Rice
• Roasted Cauliflower
• Fruit Salad

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Okay, I don't know how the weather is where you live, but here it is HOT, and by hot, I mean we are roasting here.  So, I have absolutely no motivation to cook more than I have to.  All I want to do is eat melons and frozen treats.  Really, that sums up all my desires right now. So, this has given me plenty of opportunities to play around with ice cream making and this is the latest creation.  I usually have more fruit based ice creams and sorbets, but decided to splurge.  I've made this coconut sugar, but you could use brown sugar in place of it and it should work fine.  The base is cookie dough...well, almost caramel flavored, along with chunks of super easy to make cookie dough.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup brown rice flour (or flour of choice, I think gf oat flour would taste really good)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

Ice Cream Base:
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (So Delicious Coconut Milk)
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Directions:
In a small bowl cream together the margarine and coconut sugar.  Add in the rice flour and vanilla and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips and roll into bite size pieces.  Place pieces on a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least 20-30 minutes.

For the ice cream base, combine the milks, sugar, salt, and vanilla and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. (I've discovered that having it prechilled yields a smoother ice cream). The freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions.  The last 5 minutes add in the chocolate chips and the cookie dough.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Weekly Menu (7/8/12-7/14/12)

This week in our Bountiful Basket (which we share with my awesome brother and his wife) we got:

• green beans
• lettuce
• cauliflower
• zucchini
• tomatoes
• bananas
• peaches
• plums
• grapes
• strawberries
• mangoes 

I also have some watermelon, crenshaw melon, cantaloupe, cherries, onions, bell pepper, butternut squash, corn on the cob, carrots, and baby kale to supplement the basket. Also, I've frozen down some blueberries and watermelon puree for easy addition to smoothies and water kefir. Our strawberries are pretty much done producing, but our raspberries are now ripening, so we should get a few cups of those this week.

This week for breakfast: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, fresh fruit, and cereal for the kids, and smoothies, water kefir with watermelon puree ice cubes (my favorite), or fresh fruit for me.

This week for lunches: The boys are taken care of at their sitters'. I'll be eating leftovers, and of course, I bring fruit with my everyday.

This week for dinner:

Sunday:

• Rosemary, Almond, and Butternut Squash Gnocchi
• Grilled Chicken
• Roasted cauliflower and green beans 
• Fruit Salad
• Breadsticks

Monday: 

• Enchilada Casserole
• Corn on the Cob 
• Fruit Salad

Tuesday:

• Cocktail Meatballs 
• Basmati Rice
• Steamed green beans
• Fruit Salad
• Green Salad  

Wednesday:

• Pigs in a blanket
  
• Chips
• Fruit Salad
• Veggies and Hummus

Thursday:

• Pancakes
• Bacon
• Fruit
• Eggs

Friday:

• Pizza (I'll be putting whatever veggies we have left on mine...the rest of the family prefers pepperoni)
• Fruit Salad
• Green Salad

Saturday: We'll be at Lagoon for my husband's work party.  They provide a dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. We'll bring our own buns and eat only what looks safe. And bring snacks as well, just not sure what I'll bring yet.

Dairy Free Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

We've gottten quite a few cherries the past 2 weeks in our bountiful basket. I've enjoyed eating them straight up and in smoothies, and such...but this is by far my favorite way to enjoy cherries...cherry chocolate chunk ice cream.  Back in my dairy filled days one of my favorite ice creams was Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia.  This is my take on that ice cream. And I enjoyed mine with a fantastic Goldbaum's gluten-free sugar cone.

Dairy Free Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (So Delicious coconut milk)
1 1/4 cup pureed fresh cherries
1/4 agave syrup
2/3 cup halved fresh cherries
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (check to make sure it's dairy-free)

Directions:
Whisk together the milks, cherry puree and agave (or if you're lazy like me, stick it in a blender and give it a whirl to combine).  Add the milk mixture into an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturers instructions for freezing.  The last 5 minutes add in the cherry halves and the chocolate chunks. Place in a quart sized container and freeze until you're ready to eat it.

This post is featured on  Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays and Allergy Friendly Friday.