Chocolate

Finding good, dairy/peanut/tree nut-free chocolate is hard to do. Preston knows about chocolate, and he knows it's good! Cherrybrook Farms makes a great (albeit pricey) chocolate chip cookie mix that is completely safe, and Preston loves them! When he was writing his letter to Santa the other day, he asked for "chocolate that doesn't have any milk or other stuff that I can't have in it." Not only did it break my heart, knowing that I can't just drive to the store and pick up a Hershey bar for him, but it also set me into super Santa mode to make sure that my boy did have chocolate that he could eat in his stocking.

That's when I found Amanda's Own Confections. Not only do they have chocolate bars that are safe, they also have chocolate Santas! They also have lots of other holidays that they do as well. I can guarantee that I will be placing an order, and will have a VERY happy little boy come Christmas morning!

Beans beans the musical fruit- Part 2

Let's do it again, just for fun!



The more you eat, the more you toot.

The more you toot, the better you feel,

So why not eat beans every meal?



One of my favorite ways to prepare beans is to make ham and beans. On a cold rainy or snowy day, they make great comfort food. Pair it with fried potatoes and corn bread, and you have a very satisfying meal. In fact, that's exactly what we had for dinner tonight, and it was yummy! Smother it with yellow mustard and it's absolute perfection!



Ham and beans



Leftover ham and broth from previously cooked ham- see post on crock pot cooking

Great Northern beans, soaked- or any white bean



Soak beans in a bowl of water overnight. Rinse and empty into the crock pot. Add broth and if necessary, enough water to cover the beans thouroughly. Cook on low for about 5 hours. Add in chunked ham and cook for 2 more hours on low.

Beans beans the musical fruit- Part 1

Come on, you know the rest-
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel,
So why not eat beans every meal?

Ok, we got that off our chests and had a little fun. Now, let's talk beans. Seriously. I LOVE beans. L-O-V-E them! I could eat them every day! They're not only super-nutritious, but they're also so versatile and can be used in countless ways.

Have you ever looked at what goes into canned beans? Corn syrup and salt. Lots of it, too. That makes those nutritious beans not quite as healthy as they should be. Yeah, you can rinse and drain them, but they've soaked up some of that corn syrup and salt. Plus, if the can was lined with BPA, guess what, the beans absorb that too. Some canned beans also have allergy warnings, so that's another thing to look out for.

I learned a little trick a few weeks ago that I went a tad crazy with, but I'm glad I did. Once again, it involves my favorite major appliance- the deep freezer! Buy a bag of dry beans at the store. Empty them into a large bowl of water and soak overnight. In the morning, rinse them, and stick them in the crock pot (there it is again) with about 6 cups of water and cook on low until the beans are tender. You can also do this on the stovetop more quickly, but then you have to tend the stove. Once the beans are cooked, rinse them and measure them out into bowls. One and a half cups of cooked beans equals one can. You should be able to get about 5 bowls of beans to freeze- all for just about a $1, so this is a money-saver, too! Stick those beans in the freezer and whenever you need beans, just thaw them out. You get healthy, nutritious beans and you know exactly what is in them (and what isn't)!

Chicken salad

I never cared for chicken salad growing up. I wouldn't touch it. But one day I found a recipe in a magazine for Crunchy Turkey Salad made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and though, What the heck, I'll try it. With no turkey in sight, I substituted chicken, left out the cranberries, and came up with something so delicious that sometimes I just have to have it! This recipe is dairy and nut free, but I've made it before with almonds when Pres wasn't around, and it's just as tasty!

Crunchy Chicken Salad

2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
Miracle Whip
1/4 c. sliced green onion
1/4 c. shredded carrot

Stick chicken breasts in the crock pot with a little water and cook 4-5 hours. When cool, cut into bite-sized cubes. In a bowl, combine chicken, carrots, and green onion with enough Miracle Whip to combine everything together. Chill and enjoy!

Apple Salad

Apple salad is a tasty side dish that my grandma often prepares that I absolutely love! Unfortunately, her version contains milk and walnuts to this day, so it's not exactly allergy-friendly. I've transformed it into a dairy and nut-free dish that is so fun to eat. And it's easy enough that your kids can make it (after you chop the apples, of course).

Apple Salad

1 apple cut into small chunks (sugar cube sized)
1/4 c. Miracle Whip
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vinegar
small marshmallows

Cut apple into small chunks and place in a bowl. In another small bowl, mix the Miracle Whip, sugar and vinegar. Add desired amount of marshmallows to apples, add dressing and mix.

Now, these measurements are just guesses. I don't measure. Neither does my grandma. We just eyeball it and when it looks right, it's right. I made this tonight and my best guestimate is what I listed above. If you're wondering what kind of marshmallows to use, Kraft Jet Puffed marshmallows are safe- and definitely a favorite around our house!

Crock pot cooking

I love my crock pot, and seriously, what mom doesn't? It's used almost weekly, sometimes 2-3 times a week. It's just so simple to stick something in in the morning and it's magically done by dinner time! Easy is good! Plus, it really makes meat nice and tender, a pre-requisite for any meat that my daughter eats. If she has to chew it much, she won't eat it.

I also love it for what it yields- broth! I've discussed this before, but it's worth discussing again. That rich, tasty broth that's leftover after you've cooked the meat shouldn't be tossed! It's liquid gold in cooking terms! Canned broth doesn't match it. Plus, it's free! Tonight we had whole chicken cooked in the CP, and now I have 2 jars of golden broth cooling in the fridge for another day.

So here's the deal. Choose your weapon (chicken, pork, beef...). Stick it in the CP and add water about 1/4 way up the meat. You can salt and pepper your meat, or season it with whatever you like. Cook on low all day. If you're feeling exceptionally chefish (or lazy, whichever suits you), you can throw in some potatoes and carrots a few hours before dinner and you have an instant side dish with no extra work. I'm telling you... EASY! After you've removed the meat and anything else you've added, pour the broth into jars or bowls. I re-use old mayo and applesauce jars with screw-on lids just so that I don't use up all of my glass storage bowls. Once cooled, freeze for up to 6 months. Make sure to label the jars, because once frozen, it's hard to tell beef broth from chicken broth!

When you go to use the broth, bring to a boil before adding anything. Smell it. If it smells like the original broth, it's good. If it stinks, toss it! Homemade broth can go rancid even in the freezer. I've only had it happen to me once, and I think it was probably still good, but after getting salmonella last Christmas Eve from my grandma's special ice cream desert, I tend to err on the side of caution quite obsessively! I don't need to tell you why food poisoning is NO fun!

If you have leftover meat, shred it and freeze it in its own bowl. Shredded meat, leftover broth, and some homemade noodles make a delicious meal! Stay tuned for that tasty recipe!

Iced Sugar Cookies

Kids love cookies! It's hard sometimes going places and seeing all of the really neat iced sugar cookies and having to tell your allergic child that they're not safe to eat. But these tasty little treats are safe, and they're easy to make!

Sugar Cookies

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 t. salt

1 c. sugar

1 egg

2 T. rice milk

2 c. flour

1 t. baking pwder

1/2 t baking soda

1. Blend together shortening, salt, and sugar in mixer. Add in egg and milk, mixing well. Mix in flour baking powder and soda. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

2. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Bake for 6 minutes at 400 degrees.

Frosting

1 c shortening

5 T water

1 t. vanilla

dash salt

1 pound powdered sugar.

1. Mix together water, salt, and vanilla. In mixer, cream shortening. Slowly add powdered sugar, alternating between sugar and water mixture until all is added and blended. Add desired coloring.

I made the above cookies for Preston's school Halloween party last week. They turned out nicely and the kids all enjoyed them!