dairy free Archives - Our Happy Place

katpetrunia May 26, 2017

3 Flavour Marbled NiceCream

I scream, you scream… it’s hard to think of a Summer where there wasn’t a day spent at the beach served up with a scoop or two of my favourite flavour (usually bubble gum- you know the kind with real bits of gum in it?- or cotton candy). And it’s still a favourite treat of mine, no matter what time of year. Buuuuut, since we’re headed into the hottest time of the year I thought what better time than now to share a recipe for a sweet frozen treat that’s tasty and- gasp!- healthy too (can you guess the hidden uber- healthy ingredient???). And if you haven’t tried making your own ice cream/ froyo/ nice cream, now’s the perfect time to try. In case you’re unfamiliar, nice cream is the dairy free sister to the classic dairy dessert we know and love. You can absolutely whip up this recipe with milk, but I’ve been wanting to try making nice cream and had a freezer full of frozen ripe bananas calling my name, so I went for it.

Ari and I spent a messy morning blending up the flavours (we went with blueberry, raspberry, and the secret flavour you’ll have to scroll down to find out about), and I now know what I’ll do from now on with all the bananas that get over- ripe when it’s too hot to bake banana bread. This takes about 15 minutes to make, and the mix is also perfect for popsicles. Your kids will love helping, everyone will love eating it, and you’ll love that it’s a healthy version of a favourite Summer sweet treat. Now about that secret ingredient and how to make your own nice cream at home..!

Ingredients

6- 10 ripe bananas (you don’t have to be frozen, mine were just in the freezer waiting to be made into something yummy)

1 cup each of your favourite frozen fruits; for ours we used blueberries, raspberries, and kale (how’s that for a sneaky/ healthy secret ingredient?!)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

2 tsbp honey or maple syrup (optional)

1- 2 cups of water, dairy- free milk, or milk

Directions

1. Start by blending all of your bananas as if you were making a smoothie. I added about 1 cup of dairy- free milk to mine to help get a thick/ creamy/ smooth consistency (we splurged on a Blendtec a few years ago and love it for things like smoothies and soups). The more flavours you want to make, the more bananas you’ll want (I used 10 for this recipe).

2. Once you’ve got the banana mixture smooth, pour it into a large jug and set aside. To make the green nice cream, I juiced a few few kale leaves (you don’t need very many as the colour is really strong). For each flavour, combine 1 cup of frozen or fresh fruit with 1- 2 cups of the banana mixture. For the green, add 1 tbsp of kale juice (you won’t be able to taste the kale, but if you prefer you can add some vanilla extract and/ or honey). Pour each colour/ flavour into their own container until you’ve made all the flavours you want to include.

3. Scoop spoonfuls of each flavour into a baking dish until it’s full, putting different colours/ flavours throughout (this is what will help create the marble effect).

4. Drag a skewer or chopstick through the mixture to create a marble effect- make sure to go all the way to the bottom so the nice cream is marbled throughout, not just on top.

5. Place your dish in the freezer for a few hours or overnight to freeze. When you want to serve, take it out of the freezer for 10- 15 minutes to soften. Scoop and enjoy!

Like this recipe? Save it for later!

Both our juicer and blender get a lot of use in our house. They were two kitchen items we researched and invested some money into, since we wanted ones that would hold up well to use and last a long time. So far we’ve been more than satisfied with them and they do a great job; they were both splurges and we bought them at different times as we were able to put the money aside. I use them for many of the recipes that appear on the blog and get asked fairly often about which ones we own. The juicer we have is the Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL and we have the Blendtec TB-621-20 Total Blender. I’d highly recommend them both and worth the investment, especially if you enjoy making healthy food at home.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

katpetrunia October 4, 2016

Yummy Mummy Recipe: Strawberry Chia Banana Bread

OK- how many of you have a) a freezer full of ripe bananas just waiting to be made into something delicious and b) are digging the cooler weather because it means you can turn on your oven for baking without feeling like you’ll melt like a human popsicle?

How’s that for a recipe post intro (insert teary- eyed laughing emoji here!)? But seriously- how many times do you buy bananas and end up tossing them in the freezer because they get to that ‘too ripe I don’t want to eat them’ stage? This recipe is perfect for this exact situation. Whether you go for it and make a whole yummy loaf or opt to make muffins, the strawberries and chia seeds are a yummy addition to this oh- so- classic of recipes. There’s also a secret ingredient that I love including in a lot of my baking for some added flavour/ moisture/ nutrition, but you’ll have to scroll down to see what that is. Happy baking all!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour (I used a combination of a gluten free flour blend and brown rice flour)
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2- 3 bananas)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup of apple sauce (my secret ingredient instead of an egg! I’ll tell you why after the directions…)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (for a dairy- free version, swap in 1/4 coconut yogurt or another 1/4 cup of apple sauce)
2 tbsp coconut milk
3/4 cup strawberries, diced
1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut
2 tbsp chia seeds

For garnish:
Fresh strawberry slices
Unsweetened dried coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees & line a 9″ loaf pan with parchment paper

2. In a medium bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients; in a separate, larger bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, including the mashed banana & strawberries (remember to keep some for garnish!)

3. Slowly add the dry mix to the wet mix- about 1/2- 1 cup at a time to avoid lumps

4. Pour the batter into the baking pan and top with strawberry slices and unsweetened dried coconut

5. Bake for 50 minutes- to 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean (I find with my oven it’s always closer to an hour or just over an hour)

6. Allow to cool for a few minutes & enjoy the loaf fresh with your favourite toppings or slice it up & put it in an airtight container for snacking and lunches throughout the week

And as for that secret ingredient: why apple sauce?
When I first started baking gluten and dairy free recipes, I also tried some alternatives for eggs out of curiosity and apple sauce has become a staple in some of my sweet recipes as an egg substitute: simply swap in 1/2 cup of apple sauce for each egg the recipe calls for. And if you’ve followed the blog for a while, you know that our family is a fan of Love Child Organics and their awesome organic food options for littles. Well, guess what I used in this recipe? A pouch of their apple puree! One pouch is equal to almost half a cup, so they work perfectly as a pre- measured ingredient (lol can I consider that a #momwin? 😉 )

I love that I can trust the quality of their ingredients and that their pouches are an allergy- friendly option, free from dairy, gluten, nuts, and absolutely no additives/ fillers. If you look on the back of the pouch I’m talking about there is one ingredient: organic apples. Don’t you wish more food labels were simple like that? And if you have a hard time getting your kids to eat fruits and veggies, their pouches are a great option for babies just starting out on solids and for older kids as well (Ari & Liam practically pounced on the pouches I had on hand for these photos- safe to say they’re a hit with the kids!). If you want to learn more about this awesome company, I’ll share more at the end of this post, but for now let’s get back to baking!!!

A little about Love Child Organics
Love Child Organics was started by a husband & wife team who were frustrated with the food options available for little ones when they became parents. Foods that were labelled ‘organic’ and natural contained added ingredients and fillers that offered no nutritional benefit, so Leah and John set to work creating healthy meals for their kids from organic ingredients and superfoods for an added boost of nutrition. From these efforts, the company was born, with the goal to make pure organic food accessible for all kids. Since then, LCO has grown to offer a variety of food and snack options and will be introducing an organic infant cereal soon. The company also partners with First Book Canada as part of their Spreading the Love Campaign, to provide new books to children in need. From nutrition to overall well- being, LCO is committed to helping kids get the best start in life possible.

To see the full selection of products from LCO & learn more about the company, visit their website.

For the latest product announcementss, giveaways & more make sure you follow Love Child Organics on social media:

Facebook: Love Child Organics

Instagram: @lovechildorganics

Twitter: @lc_organics

Pinterest: Love Child Organics

PROMO CODE:

LCOMOM01. Up to Dec. 31, your friends and followers can receive 15% off on a one time LCO order (no limit on order size.)

katpetrunia July 6, 2016

Yummy Mummy Recipe: No Bake Oat Balls with nutriFoodie

Who’s doesn’t love a good, easy- to- make snack idea? How about a no- bake one (especially on hot Summer days when the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven!)? Aaaaand how about one you can customize to suit what your kids like? Yes please! When Ari and I got the chance to get together for a (non) baking day with Cristel from nutriFoodie and make some healthy allergy- friendly snacks I was looking forward to chatting with her about all things food and nutrition. As a Registered Dietician, Cristel helps families with their nutritional needs through consultations, cooking classes, and- to help get kids interested in cooking and nutrition- her annual Spring Break and Summer cooking camps.

While my kids are still too young for her camps, I was excited to learn about what she is doing to teach families and kids about food and nutrition. Her goal is to get everyone in the family interested and engaged with food while teaching them about how food can contribute to improved overall health. And if this wasn’t cool enough, as part of her goal to make good food accessible to everyone, Cristel donates a portion of cooking camp proceeds to a food- related organization every year (learn more about that here).

When Cristel arrived for our culinary collab, Ari was spoiled with an apron and cooking utensils from her, plus some other fun activities to keep her occupied while we chatted and set up the ingredients. Then it was time to make the snacks! Before getting together, Cristel and I discussed the food restrictions in our family and she created a simple recipe based on the information I gave her. Since I like to involve Ari in meal prep and baking whenever I can (ie when she’s in a cooperative mood! 😉 ) we thought it would be fun to adapt what Cristel offers in her cooking camps to include Ari in the process.

While Cristel and Ari measured and mixed ingredients, I snapped away to get some photos of the them working on their tasty creations. The recipe Cristel made with Ari is below (thanks to Cristel for sharing!) along with some info about Cristel’s nutritional services. And I couldn’t wrap up my intro without making this final note: I had been looking forward to this collaboration given our family’s relationship with food, but meeting Cristel got me even more excited and pumped up. Her warmth and passion are contagious. It’s obvious she genuinely loves what she does and sharing her knowledge to help others brings her a joy that comes with loving what you do. It was a real pleasure working with her and I hope there will be more chances to work together to share about food and nutrition with TPB readers. I hope you enjoy this post as much as we did working on it. Thank you again Cristel for such a fun foodie experience!

No- Bake Oat Balls

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup nut or non- nut smooth butter (we made ours with sunflower seed butter)
1/4 cup applesauce
4 tbsp honey or agave
1 tsp vanilla

Choose 3 add- ons of the following (add 1/2 cup of each)
mini chocolate chips: can be dark, milk, or white)
chopped dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, apricots, or dates
nuts or seeds: almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
ground flax seed
unsweetened coconut (ground or shredded)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and roll into mini balls.
That’s it!
– if the mixture is too sticky, add more of the nut/ non- nut butter and/ or cocoa powder
– if it’s not holding together, add nut/ non- nut butter, applesauce, and/ or honey

Tip: prior to adding a sticky ingredient such as honey, spray the measuring cups/ spoons with oil to prevent from sticking

Optional other add- ons
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp of another extract of choice
3 tbsp of wheat germ
3 tbsp of chia seeds
spices of choice: cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger

About nutriFoodie
Cristel’s goal with nutriFoodie is to bring basics back into the kitchen with meals the whole family will enjoy that are nutritious and delicious; to get everyone in the family involved with cooking and improve their relationship with food to help positively impact overall health and wellbeing. She is passionate about helping people make healthy choices and educating kids about nutrition. To help families enjoy cooking and food, Cristel offers a range of services from nutrition assessments and cooking demos to kid’s cooking camps. To see the full list of services available such as family cooking classes and grocery tours, visit the nutriFoodie website.

Find nutriFoodie on social media for recipe ideas and updates:

Facebook: NutriFoodie
Instagram: @nutrifoodie_org
Twiter: @nutriFoodie_org

katpetrunia June 27, 2016

Yummy Mummy Recipe: Eton Mess Cake

This cake is far from perfect. It’s lopsided, uneven, and messy. And I love it. I don’t bake the way I used to very often, and even though I made this as a gluten and dairy free cake for Ari’s 3rd birthday, it came pretty close to the cakes I used to make. Instead of using cream between the layers I used a vanilla pudding mix as a dairy- free alternative, but if you want to make the regular version, it’s worth the indulgence. We were so happy with it I’m thinking I might try making this again for Canada Day. It pretty much never happens that a recipe I’m trying out works on the first attempt, but it happened with this one (I even ended up putting the cake stand on the floor so I could get photos with good light- haha oh the things I do for a photo!- so pardon my floors in some of the shots!). This is the perfect cake to load on fresh Summer berries and really indulge, so I hope you give it a try, in all of it’s messy, imperfect glory.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix (use regular flour if you prefer)

1 1/4 cups coconut flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups coconut oil

1 cup sugar

3 whole eggs, + 2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 can coconut milk

zest of 1 lemon

fresh berries and edible flowers for decoration

For between the layers

crumbled meringues

vanilla pudding (I cheated and used a mix- but this is where you’d use whipped cream or be really naughty and use clotted cream for a real English- inspired treat)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 8″ round cake pans with parchment paper.

2. In one bowl mix together flours, baking powder, and salt.

3. In another bowl, beat together the coconut oil, sugar, honey, eggs and egg yolks, and the vanilla extract until blended.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet to avoid lumps, blending well.

5. Add the coconut milk and mix until smooth. The batter will be quite thick (I had to spread my batter with a spatula), but if you find yours is too thick, add 1/2 cup water or coconut milk until it’s a little thinner.

6. Add in the lemon zest and mix.

7. Distribute the batter evenly among the 3 pans and bake for 25- 30 minutes until you can pull a skewer out clean.

8. Pop the cakes out and let them cool.

9. In between each layer, spread some of the crumbled meringues and drizzle some of the vanilla pudding. Repeat with all 3 layers and top off with some more meringues and pudding and finish off with some fresh flowers and berries.

… as a fun addition to this recipe, I also made the meringue since I couldn’t find any at the store. If you have the same problem, they’re about as easy as it gets to make. Instead of piping individual ones, I made one large one and crumbled it up after it cooled. Top leftover meringue off with extra berries for a pavlova- style dessert.

katpetrunia June 6, 2016

A Year Without Gluten: Our Family’s Journey So Far

It’s been a little over a year since we removed gluten and dairy from Ari’s diet and I thought now would be a good time to chat about our journey in the hopes that it might help others. While ours is far from being figured out, our journey over the past year and a half has taught us many things- how we eat and even how we think about food has changed considerably in that time- and I like to think we were already quite informed about food before Ari’s diet became a curve ball to figure out. If you’ve followed the blog for a little while, you’ll know that Ari and Will are the inspiration behind many of the recipes I share and have adapted for these dietary changes. I get asked quite a few questions about how we came to the conclusion to remove gluten from our then 18- month old’s diet, what we eat, and general tips and suggestions, so I’m going to do my best to share about our experience in this post.

I have been asked ‘what does your family eat?’ on more than one occasion. I sometimes ask myself the same question on evenings when it’s been an especially busy day and I’m facing the task of cooking dinner and have no idea what to make. Toss in a picky toddler and you have the recipe for a cranky mama. Those days are still the most frustrating for me, the ones where I can’t fall back on a quick and easy option, where I have to improvise. But in many ways, those are the times where I’ve been forced to think outside the box and come up with new ideas. Thanks to Will cheering me on (and putting up with many of my frustrated culinary tantrums) I’ve began to think of food less as ‘what we can’t eat’ and instead focus on everything that we can. And that little change in perspective has helped a lot. In addition to the swaps for gluten free versions of things like bread and pasta, our family has found other new foods and recipes to love: I make most of my own salad dressings and marinades, bake way more than I ever used to, and changed what we consider to be a meal or snack (Ari loves seaweed, something I never would have tried outside of sushi before this experience). If you’re looking for some tips and ideas, see below.

Favourite Gluten Free Foods

gluten free pasta, bread & crackers (look for whole- grain versions)
quinoa flatbread (this is also delicious as a pizza crust)
oatmeal raisin cookies (these are like little granola bar balls)
seaweed, raisins, and naked popcorn
nuts and homemade trail mix
lots of fresh fruits and veggies
zucchini ‘noodles’
if you’re looking for some other ideas, see the blog’s Recipes page

Tips for healthy gluten free eating

Healthy options aren’t a guarantee- just because something is gluten free doesn’t mean it’s a healthy option; while white rice, corn, and potato flour are popular ingredients in place of wheat flour, they lack nutritional benefit
Pay attention to sugar content- pay attention to the sugar content in gluten free baking, etc. Many of the store- bought items we’ve come across are loaded with sugar to compensate for a lack of flavour
Look out for crappy ingredients- while common in many gluten free products, I try to avoid certain ingredients if they’re not organic/ non- GMO, such as corn. This can sometimes limit choices and I can’t always do this, but I try
READ THE LABEL- if it isn’t labeled as gluten free, it isn’t. Of course I’m not suggesting a banana isn’t gluten free. What I’m referring to is anything from salad dressings and condiments, to potato chips to… anything you can think of. Some products are ‘gluten free’ but processed in a plant with wheat and/ or other allergens. If you are highly sensitive or have Celiac disease, this risk of cross- contamination can be a problem. (I remember getting angry when a jar of baby food- plums- had wheat in it. I had bought it to help Ari’s digestion and if I hadn’t read the label I would have accidentally made the problem worse)
It’s trial and error- And trial and error. And trial and error. Going gluten free isn’t budget- friendly, especially when you’re trying to figure out different gluten free flours, mixes, recipes, etc. It can also be frustrating and time consuming. A recipe you know in your sleep probably won’t be the same when it’s gluten- free, and figuring out a version that’s close to what you want can take several attempts (just the other day I tried whipping up a batch of GF pancakes and since I switched up the combination of flours, they were too soft to flip so I ended up having to bake them in the oven! And I totally admit getting angry- they’re just pancakes for goodness sake, not a souffle!)
Rethink why you eat certain foods- We don’t need wheat in our diets to be healthy. The same with dairy. But we do need quality foods to meet our nutritional needs and some fun stuff tossed into the mix so we don’t go crazy (everything in moderation, right?). A big change we made was taking our toaster out of the kitchen. I don’t buy bread as often since store bought GF loaves are pricier (I’m still working on perfecting a sandwich bread we love) and without really intending to, we’ve almost removed this carb from our diet.

As I’ve said, we’re also mostly dairy free, so that can make things a little interesting, but not impossible. What we do isn’t perfect, but it’s worked for us so far, and I’m always trying to make gluten/ dairy free versions of meals we love. Some things I’ve just had to accept won’t be the same, or even possible (mac n cheese and soft tortillas are 2 things that have eluded me). And as someone who isn’t limited to her food choices, this admittedly can be frustrating when I just want something familiar (but before I get too pouty I remind myself that Will feels this way too, but doesn’t have a choice, so I try to shut up). And baking gluten and dairy free is in a league of it’s own, but I’m learning what blends of different GF flours work best for sweet (some combination including coconut and tapioca flour(s)) vs savoury (some combination of brown rice and quinoa flour(s)) recipes.

Before and since our family faced these dietary crossroads, I know of many friends whose families have had to adjust what they eat- whether it was for themselves, a spouse, or a child. Like us, they didn’t make these changes because they were trendy, or a fad, it was out of a need for change. With Ari, we suspected things were amiss when she broke out in head- to- toe rashes and had other lingering health issues she couldn’t kick, but there are a variety of symptoms to be aware of, and I suggest you look into them based on what you’re experiencing. Be an advocate for your health. Since embarking on this health journey with Ari, we’ve had her at doctors, naturopaths, a paediatrician and gastroenterologist, had xrays and an ultrasound, blood tests, and various other tests along the way. And we’re still not entirely sure if what she suffers from is something we can resolve or ‘fix’ or if it’s something we’ll have to contend with forever. We just don’t know, but we’ll keep doing the best we can.

Whether a dietary change is something new that you’re trying to navigate, or you’re just looking for more information, I hope this post helps a little and I’d love to hear how your family has adjusted around dietary needs. We have learnt so much more about food in the time since making these changes, gone beyond gluten and dairy free eating- researched, read, and watched (thanks Netflix!) as much as we could to educate ourselves not just on ‘eating healthy’, but trying to gain a true understanding of nutrition.

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