Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Blog Hop Week 14: Applesauce Fruit Snacks, Melt in Your Mouth Chicken, GF Graham Crackers & More!

April 23, 2012 by 4 Comments
Twitt





Hello and welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW). AFW is a weekly blog hop where folks can share their allergy-free cuisine, gain knowledge about allergy related topics/issues and connect with others living or caring for someone with food allergies.


This is a weekly blog hop hosted by myself and 6 other fabulous allergy-free bloggers. Your weekly submissions are shared on all 7 blogs! I look forward to this event every week and am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful community of bloggers!


Last week we had our most link-ups ever–almost 120 posts! You all ROCK and keep us inspired! Each week, we feature our 3 favorite recipes from the week before as well as the 3 most popular recipes. On a side note, I will be moving over to a self-hosted website this week so if you follow me only as a Follower on Blogger, please sign up to follow me by email too so you don’t miss my posts!  Have a lovely week friends!

Your AFW hostesses are:

What can I link-up on AFW?
*We welcome allergy-free cuisine in any shape or form
*Tips & allergy related articles/information are welcome
*Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities all welcome

Rules & Guidelines *Please provide a link directly to your post (not your homepage). 
*Please provide a link back to our weekly blog hop somewhere in your post.
*Past and current recipes welcome.
*Please provide a description of your recipe, such as DF (dairy free), GF (gluten free), SF (sugar free), V (vegan), etc.
*Recipes do not have to be free of all common allergens, just allergy-free in some way.
*Two weekly submissions max please. 
*Grab yourself a badge and help support Allergy-Free Wednesdays and the allergy-free community. 
*Entries that don’t comply with stated rules and guidelines will be respectfully removed.
*Please leave a comment after you link-up and tell us about your weekly submission(s). We love to hear from you!


Here is a key for labeling your recipes:
GF= Gluten Free
DF= Dairy Free
SF= Refined Sugar Free
V= Vegan

The Top 3 Reader Favorites From Last Week:





Three Ingredient Applesauce Fruit Snacks @ The Vegan Mommy Chef





Melt In Your Mouth Chicken @ Sensitive & Centsible



Gluten Free Graham Crackers @ Adventures of D and V


My Top 3 Picks:





Sweet: Almond Blueberry Mini Muffins w/ Maple Cream Drizze @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips





Savory: Hemp Seed Alfredo Sauce with Zucchini Noodles @ The Veggie Nook





Homemade Condiment: Sugar-Free Ketchup @ Spoonful of Sugar Free


Please visit the other 6 Allergy-Free Wednesday hostesses (blog links can be found above) for their recipe highlights. 


Thank you for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays! 


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Vanilla Coconut Frozen Yogurt (Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free & Vegan)

April 23, 2012 by 16 Comments
Twitt


Want a healthy, dairy-free yogurt you can make in under 30 minutes that tastes great and will make your belly happy too? Then look no further!
Frozen Yogurt Shops are all over where I live. I am sure they will be quite crowded this week-it’s going to be in the 80′s here all week! Many of the shops offer an abundance of toppings; everything from fresh fruit to candy to chocolate. This homemade yogurt is lightly sweetened, but not tart and is tasty by itself or with any topping you desire. Here’s the scoop:




Add to Vitamix or Blender:
2 cans coconut milk (this brand is BPA free)
6 probiotic capsules or probiotic of choice (empty contents and discard capsules)
1/3 cup coconut nectar (or sweetener of choice)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Blend on high for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions for 25 minutes. Scoop into bowls and top with whatever your heart desires. I highly recommend pouring some extra coconut nectar on top with fresh fruit or chocolate chips–it tastes similar to caramel!

Makes 4 servings.





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Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Desserts, Sugar-Free, Uncategorized, Vegan Tagged With: ,

Mountain Rose Herbs Epicurean Organics Review & Giveaway!

April 21, 2012 by 74 Comments
Twitt


Happy Earth Day Friends! Do I have the perfect giveaway for you on this special day :)

Herbal Medicine has been a passion of mine for many years. I had the pleasure of studying herbs and raw foods with the amazing Brigitte Mars when I lived in Boulder, Colorado. If you are at all interested in the numerous benefits of raw foods, I highly recommend Rawsome!. I have a hand-signed copy that has been in my kitchen for 8 years. I suppose you could say I will forever be a student of Herbal Medicine and nutrition as I am always reading and learning as much as I can on the subject. Needless to say I was VERY excited when Mountain Rose Herbs asked me to review some of their products and host a giveaway for you lovely friends!
Mountain Rose Herbs, based out of Eugene, Oregon, is a company dear to my heart. I have the utmost respect for their business practices and commitment to their customers and the environment. They recently sent me four products from their Epicurean Organics line of organic seasonings, oils,  peppercorns and salt to review. I was sent Rainbow Pepper Blend, Herbs de Provence, Grilling Herbs & Cajun Spice. All ingredients in this line are organic, non-GMO and grown without chemical herbicides or pesticides.  



Rainbow Pepper Blend is a 100% certified organic blend of black, white, pink and green peppercorns. Pepper goes on most of the savory recipes at our house. I loved the gorgeous pepper colors in this bottle and the colors they bring to the dishes I made. There is nothing quite like fresh cracked pepper over a bowl of soup or risotto!



Herbs de Provence- A blend of thyme, rosemary, marjoram, lavender and organic herbs. I don’t think I have ever tasted such a fresh dried herb blend in my life! The rosemary and lavender in this mix are simply heavenly. 

Grilling Herbs- A blend of garlic, rosemary, black pepper, thyme and organic herbs. This blend has a little kick to it, which made it perfect for rubbing it on chicken and veggies this past weekend. It is my favorite of the four, although we really love all of them. 

Cajun Spice- A blend of organic herbs, organic spices, garlic, onion and cumin. This mix is mildly spicy with exquisite taste. I put this on baked salmon and it was a huge hit.
The winner of this giveaway, will be mailed all four of these products directly from Mountain Rose Herbs. Please check out their fabulous website–their products really are stellar!

 


To enter the giveaway, leave me a comment letting me know which spice or herb is your favorite.

For a second entry, like my blog on Facebook, then leave me a comment letting me know that you did (if you are already a “liker”, then leave me a message informing me).

For a third entry, follow me on Twitter and leave me a comment letting me know that you did (or let me know that you are already a follower).

For a fourth entry, follow me on Pinterest and leave me a comment letting me know that you did (or that you already do). 

For a fifth entry, sign up to follow me by email.

This giveaway closes on May 2, 2012 at midnight. The winner will be selected from random.org and announced the first week of May. Good luck!


Disclosure: Mountain Rose Herbs sent me these products to review. All opinions shared about Mountain Rose Epicurean Organics are 100% my own.

This is linked to Wednesday Giveaway Linky, Real Food Wednesday, Fat Tuesday, Monday Mania and Mix it up Monday.

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Living in the Moment

April 19, 2012 by 7 Comments
Twitt


I lost my amazing father a year ago today. My Dad died suddenly in his sleep of a heart attack. My own heart still aches just thinking about it. I would give anything to be able to give him one more hug and tell him how much he means to me. Instead I keep his loving and generous spirit with me, by my side, always.
My father had diabetes for many years. He did everything for everyone–at the expense of his health and well being. His family meant the world to him. My Dad was determined to be a successful business man. He was the hardest worker I have ever known in my life–getting up at 3 AM many days to drive two hours; he would grab some coffee and start his commute.
As a student of nutrition and Herbal Medicine, I tried to give him recommendations on healthy eating. My Dad was able to control his diabetes through dietary changes and supplements and I was so very proud of him. Yet the stress and lack of sleep he endured was not something that food or supplements could fix. My Dad’s stress levels were through the roof and he was always on call for work. He was always available to everyone that needed him, but he didn’t listen closely enough when his body told him to stop pushing, to stop doing so much…to just be in the moment…to be present.

Friends, please take care of yourself. In this crazy world, life and family are the most precious things there are. Listen to your body. If you need sleep, go to bed earlier. Take rest. If you are stressed, don’t be afraid to ask for help or take a mini break. As a mother, I know too well that my family’s well being often comes first and I have to remind myself frequently that I too need to love myself and nourish myself equally. The half-marathon I ran last month was not for me. I wasn’t motivated to run on my own. I ran in memory of my father and to gain awareness of Heart Disease. Before I started training, I didn’t think I had time to exercise; to dedicate time each week just for running. But I made it a priority and it paid off. Time for myself and exercising made me a happier person which in turn made my family happier.


Last year I lost my father and two months later my husband was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. My passion for holistic healing and healthy living has never been stronger. Diabetes and Heart Disease do not have to be so prevalent in our society, and Celiac Disease can be controlled and the damage reversed through what we eat. We have the power to take health into our own hands. But nutrition alone won’t change our health problems. Healthy living means exercising, eating right and stress management. Even if all you have time for is a few deep breaths in your car before picking up your kids from school, do it. Breathe deeply.


Have a wonderful weekend. Hug your loved ones. Be gentle with yourself, soak in the sunshine, smell a rose, and take time to care for YOU too!


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Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Blog Hop Week 13: Healthier Hot Dog-NOT, Copycat Starbucks Frappucino, Raw Frozen Coconut Truffle “Dove Bars” & More!

April 17, 2012 by 4 Comments
Twitt

Hello and welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW). AFW is a weekly blog hop where folks can share their allergy-free cuisine, gain knowledge about allergy related topics/issues and connect with others living or caring for someone with food allergies.


This is a weekly blog hop hosted by myself and 6 other fabulous allergy-free bloggers. Your weekly submissions are shared on all 7 blogs! Every week I have such a hard time picking my favorite recipes–I want to make them all!

Each week, we feature our 3 favorite recipes from the week before as well as the 3 most popular recipes.  Cheers to great health and vibrant living friends!


Your AFW hostesses are:

What can I link-up on AFW?
*We welcome allergy-free cuisine in any shape or form
*Tips & allergy related articles/information are welcome
*Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities all welcome

Rules & Guidelines *Please provide a link directly to your post (not your homepage). 
*Please provide a link back to our weekly blog hop somewhere in your post.
*Past and current recipes welcome.
*Please provide a description of your recipe, such as DF (dairy free), GF (gluten free), SF (sugar free), V (vegan), etc.
*Recipes do not have to be free of all common allergens, just allergy-free in some way.
*Two weekly submissions max please. 
*Grab yourself a badge and help support Allergy-Free Wednesdays and the allergy-free community. 
*Entries that don’t comply with stated rules and guidelines will be respectfully removed.
*Please leave a comment after you link-up and tell us about your weekly submission(s). We love to hear from you!


Here is a key for labeling your recipes:
GF= Gluten Free
DF= Dairy Free
SF= Refined Sugar Free
V= Vegan

The Top 3 Reader Favorites From Last Week:

Healthier Hot Dog – NOT @Real Food Forager



Copycat Starbucks Frappucino @ Sensitive  & Centsible



Raw Frozen Coconut Truffle “Dove Bars” @ Vegan Mommy Chef


My Top 3 Picks:



Sweet: Banana Coconut Chia Pudding @ Everyday Vegan Girl



Savory: Potato Leek Stir Fry with Fennel Seeds @ Hobby And More



Grain Free: Strawberry Lemon Muffins @ Kate’s Healthy Cupboard


Please visit the other 6 Allergy-Free Wednesday hostesses (blog links can be found above) for their recipe highlights. 


Thank you for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays! 


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