Barrett's Unusual Ice Cream Party Review and Giveaway

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I am so excited about this.  My dear friend, Michelle King, has written a book.  Not just any book, but a children's book about food intolerances.  Barrett's Unusual Ice Cream Party tells the story that our food intolerant kids are facing on a daily basis, and it lets them know that it's okay--actually it's pretty cool, in fact--that they are different.

I read this book last night with my boys. It's extra special to them, because we know Michelle and her family. But as we were reading it, I think they both realized that school is okay, even with homepacked lunches and different treats than everyone else.  This book explained it better in a simple story, than I've been able to do since our diets have changed.  Our kids our special, and they are pretty cool, too. Thanks, Michelle, for explaining it so well in the book.

Here is the description from the back of the book:

'That will make you sick.'

This is one of the first phrases six-year-old Barrett learns because he has celiac sprue, which means he can't eat cake and bread or even drink milk.

Barrett is embarrassed of how different he is from the other kids in his class...until a new kid who also has unusual allergies comes to school.

At Barrett's Unusual Ice Cream Party, Barrett and his classmates learn that what makes them different makes them special.

If you have kids with food intolerances, this is a great book, in helping them accept their situation and thrive with it.  You can buy the book for $9.99 or $7.99 for a digital copy....and you can also enter to win a copy from me!

To enter the contest:
Leave a comment below on how you help your child handle being different at school, preschool, birthday parties, church, etc.

Make sure to leave your email address (in the format of name (at) domain.com), so I can get hold of you if you win.

For extra entries you can do any or all of the below and leave a separate comment for each (with your email):
(1) Become a follower or a subscriber to my blog. (If you already follow me, just let me know that you do)
(2) Follow me on Facebook.
(3) Follow Michelle on Facebook.

The contest will end on Friday, February 24th. The winner will be chosen randomly from the comments submitted. Good Luck!

Homemade Dairy Free Yogurt

Okay, there's plenty of homemade yogurt recipes out there, and there's some good ones, too.  My biggest complaint though, has been that it comes out like a drink instead of like yogurt.  I don't mind my yogurt being a little runny, totally fine with it actually.  But the yogurt was not thickening at all.  I know this is a common thing for dairy-free yogurts...but I want to eat my yogurt, not drink it.  So, I've been on a quest to solve this, so recipes already address this with gelatin or starches.  For me, the gelatin made it too firm, too much like jello, and the starches made it too snotty...yes, I'm being picky here I know.  So, I went unconventional here for yogurt making and I added my flour blend, and you know what? It worked, at least for me and my family.  So, it may be weird, but I really like my yogurt, so I don't care. :)  This should work with any dairy-free milk, I've only tried it with So Delicious Coconut Milk and Silk Almond Milk (and I use the original flavors, not the unsweetened...you need sugar for those little buggars to eat and ferment), but not with anything else yet.

Some pointers:  for me, it was totally worth it to buy a yogurt maker (I got mine 50% at a local store, so that didn't hurt either), it was also a necessity to buy a yogurt starter--my yogurt just turns out better now, so that was worth the money, too.  Also, these are live cultures you have in your yogurt, so even in the fridge they are consuming things, so don't be surprised if you're yogurt gets thinner over time--it's breaking done the proteins, starches, etc in the flour, which will make it thinner.

Homemade Yogurt
6 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk, or 4 1/4 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk and 1 can full fat coconut milk (use this blend if you want a creamier, thicker yogurt--use the other one if you want a low cal option)
1/4 cup + 2T sugar or 1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup GF flour blend
1/2 teaspoon GI ProHealth GI ProStart Yogurt Starter

Sterilize your yogurt containers and set aside. In a large saucepan mix the flour and sugar, stir in the milk.  Heat over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture beings to bubble and it thickens.  Once it has thickened, remove from heat and allow it to cool to 100-110F. Add a spoonful of the milk mixture to the yogurt starter and mix, then add it all back into the thickened milk mixture.  Pour the mixture into the yogurt containers and set them in the yogurt maker.  Allow the yogurt to ferment for 12 hours.

This will yield 8 individual 6-7oz yogurts, and they will be plain yogurt.  You will need to add fruit, honey, etc to flavor and sweeten the yogurt.  With this batch we've been adding our homemade raspberry jam, and it works really well. Also, if you have these popsicle molds, you'll suddenly have homemade gogurts...we freeze ours and it makes for healthy yogurt pops. :)

This post is featured on Allergy Friendly Friday.

Weekly Menu (2/12/12-2/18/12)

Okay, I'm changing up the weekly menu a bit.  My boys have consistently wanted either Banana Chocolate Chips Muffins or Cereal for breakfast every day lately, so I'm not going to waste my time telling you that.  And my son has now informed me that he wants peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day for his school lunch...so, as to not bore you to much, I'm just going to give you a summary for the breakfasts and lunches and then have the detailed weekly menu for the dinner.

This week for breakfast: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Homemade Yogurt (I promise I'll get the recipe up soon), and Cereal

This week for school lunches: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Bananas, Orange slices, fruit snacks, chips, milk

 

This week for dinner:

Sunday:

• Roasted Lemon Garlic Shrimp
• Pasta
• Asparagus
• Carrots, Celery and Broccoli with homemade Ranch

Monday:

• Beef Stew (I have some in the freezer that I'll just thaw and reheat)
• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Salad

Tuesday:  Valentine's Day <3

• Pork and Eggplant Unparmesan
• Pasta
• Breadsticks
• Steamed Broccoli
• Orange Slices
• Brownies

Wednesday:

• Pork Tamales
• Rice and Beans
• Nachos (with Daiya cheese)
• Salad
• Fresh Pineapple

Thursday:

• One-eyed Sandwiches
  
• Bacon
• Hashbrowns
• Orange Slices and Bananas

Friday:  (Hubby and I are going out, so this is just for the boys)

• Chicken Nuggets
• Oven Fries
• Carrots and Celery Sticks with Almond Butter
• Fresh Pineapple

Saturday

• English-Style Battered Fish
• Onion Rings
• Salad
• Carrot and Celery Sticks

Chicken Fried Steak

One day my coworker and I were talking (which we do all the time), and she happened to mention that she recieved some cube steaks from her mother-in-law and she had no idea what to do with them.  I excitedly exclaimed that she should make chicken fried steak...then, I felt left out.  So, I went to the store and bought some cube steaks and made my own. :)  The flour mixture for these steaks is actually the same as my fried green beans (it really is an amazing blend, with the perfect balance of black pepper and cayenne, and enough salt to actually season the meat well).

Chicken Fried Steak

1 cup gluten free flour blend 

1 cup  yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon  salt

1/2 tablespoon  ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon  ground cayenne pepper

1/2 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk

1 egg

4 cube steaks (1-1.25 lbs)

canola oil for frying

For gravy:

1/4 cup canola oil that was used in frying

1/4 cup millet flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2-2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk

Directions:

Mix together flour blend, cornmeal, salt, and peppers.  Place mixture on a plate. In a bowl mix together the 1/2 cup milk with the egg. 

Heat 1/4 cup or so of canola oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Dip steaks in the egg wash, then in the flour mixture, back in the egg mixture, then back into the flour mixture (so doubling breading it). Cook in the canola oil until both sides are golden brown. It should be about 2-3 minutes per side.  Keep steaks warm, while you prepare gravy.

To prepare gravy, mix together 1/4 cup of the used oil with 1/4 cup millet flour in the same skillet used to cook the meat.  Mix together scrapping up the drippings from the pan.  After a minute or two add in the milk and salt and pepper.  If you like your country gravy peppery add in more pepper, if not, add in less. Stir until thickened.  Start with 1 1/2 cups milk, if it's too thick for your liking, add more milk.

Serve steaks with mashed potatoes and top both with the gravy.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Weekly Menu (2/5/12-2/11/12)

Sunday: Super Bowl!  If you need ideas, this is what I did last year.

Breakfast: Cereal and Cinnamon Sugar Toast

Lunch: 

• Ham sandwiches 
• Chips
• Orange Slices and Strawberries

Dinner: We are going to a friend's house for the super bowl, below is what I'm bringing, along with sandwiches for the boys.

• Barbecue Beans
• Bacon Wrapped Potatoes
• And maybe this cookie dough dip (I make it with the stevia baking blend, so it's sugar free, too) with gf pretzel sticks to go with it.
  

Monday:

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Lunch:  

• School Lunch:
• Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
• Chips
• Banana
• Fruit Snack
• Chocolate Milk

Dinner: 

• Chili topped Potato Skins
• Fritos
• Salad
• Carrots with Almond Butter

Tuesday: 

Breakfast: Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins 

Lunch:

• School Lunch:
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Orange Slices
• Chips
• Fruit Snack
• Milk

Dinner: 

• Chicken Gorditas
• Topped with Tomatoes, Lettuce, Salsa, etc.
• Carrots and Celery with Almond Butter
• Orange Slices

Wednesday:

Breakfast: 

•  Cereal and Overnight Oats

Lunch:

• School Lunch:
• Pepperoni and Cheese on Schar Crispbread
• Banana
• chips
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie 
• Milk

Dinner:

• Chicken Fried Steak
• Roasted Veggies (asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts)
• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Salad

Thursday:

Breakfast: 

• Cereal and Milk

Lunch: 

• School Lunch:
• Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
• Chips
• Orange Slices
• Milk
• Fruit Snack

Dinner:

• Apple Fritters
  
• Bacon
• Scrambled Eggs
• Hashbrowns

Friday: 

Breakfast:

• Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lunch: 

• School Lunch:
• Pepperoni and Cheese on Schar Crispbread
• Chips
• Banana 
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Milk

Dinner:

• Corn Dogs
• Chips
• Carrots and Celery Sticks with Almond Butter
• Pineapple

Saturday

Breakfast:

• One-eyed Sandwiches

Lunch: 

• Ham Sandwiches
• Apple Slices and Peanut Butter
• Chips

Dinner:

• Hamburgers
• Oven Fries
• Salad