Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce - Recipe

I have NEVER liked bell peppers!

I don't like the way they taste or smell.

In fact, it is sort of a standard statement from me when ordering in a restaurant ..."no onions or peppers, please"...just automatically.

So you can imagine my utter surprise when I fell completely in love with a recipe that has peppers as one of it's main ingredients!

Shocking.

I actually like it so much I took a break halfway through writing this blog post to go whip up a batch...
can you say compulsive? It was worth it.

I stumbled upon the recipe online and it intrigued me because I haven't been able to eat dairy products for a while due to food allergies.

It is called "Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce" and you would NEVER, EVER know that it has no dairy and is actually a raw-vegan recipe.

We dipped chips in it, poured it over rice and my son had it with chicken...at different meals. He actually packed it in his lunch himself!

Click the link below to see a short video on how easy it is to make this and to get the recipe...

Click Here for Kristen's Raw Chezzy Hemp Nacho Dip Recipe

The wonderful creator of this recipe is Kristen Suzanne, a Raw vegan chef, author and teacher. You can visit her website for more information. http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/

Check out her books too...amazing, live, healthy, positive ideas!

Enjoy!

And please let me know what you think about this...

Dairy-Free Cheddar Cheeze Dip - Recipe

So I will start by saying that I am truly sorry that I can't give credit where credit is due. I found this recipe somewhere and for the life of me can't remember where. I searched online and didn't come up with anything. If this is yours, please let me know.

With that said, this is one of my favorite raw recipes!!!!

It is so thick, creamy and cheesy

super easy to make

non-dairy, raw, vegan...

Amazing!

We use it as a dip, a spread, a topping...whatever.

When I bring it to parties I am ALWAYS asked for the recipe and the funny thing is, I don't even like red bell peppers! I think it is a texture thing for me. When they are all mashed up in something like this, I don't mind the taste.

I have tried substituting other nuts but it wasn't the same.

Let me know what you think.

Cheddar Cheeze Dip

1/2 large red bell pepper

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup hemp seeds

1 tablespoon tahini

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Blend all ingredients  in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy.

Dip and enjoy!

....mmmmmm

Sun Butter Cups - Recipe

OMG!

These were so good!

I waited to post this recipe until I had made it a few times...

thinking it was a fluke that they tasted so good.

No way could these be "safe" for us.

They were actually better each time!

This is our altered recipe, due to our food allergies.

Try it...see what you think.

They are super easy and can be ready for a party or special event in a short amount of time.

We have plans to try different fillings...

Raw caramel? Mint? Berries?

Sun Butter Cups

This recipe looks long but it is so easy!

Once you do it once you might not even need to look at this again.

1 to 1 1/2 cups of sunflower seed butter

1/3 cup organic powdered sugar

2 to 2 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

10-14 paper or tin muffin cups

Melt about 1 1/4 cups of the vegan chocolate chips...90 seconds - 2 minutes on half power in the microwave or use a pot on the stove top. Stir. Be sure not to burn the chocolate.

Using the back of a spoon, press a thin layer of chocolate into the muffin cups... along the bottom and into the groves of the sides, stopping about half way up. If you want taller cups bring the chocolate higher up the sides. We preferred a thinner layer of chocolate to a thick one.

Don't expect them to be "perfect"...have fun, get messy.

They will taste good and some of the rouge chocolate will break away later, when you remove the muffin cups.

I placed my muffin cups on a cookie sheet or platter for easy transport in and out of the freezer or fridge.

Place the chocolate muffin cups into the freezer or fridge to harden.

In a bowl mix the sunflower seed butter and salt.

Fold in the the powdered sugar, breaking up the clumps as you go.

Make sure the chocolate cups have hardened. If they have, move on to the next step...

Warm the sun butter filling in a pot on the stove or in the microwave for about a minute. Let the filling sit for a minute.

Spoon the sun butter filling into the hardened chocolate cups, leaving room for the top layer of chocolate.

Place the filled cups back into the freezer or fridge while you prepare the rest of the melted chocolate.

Repeat what you did in step 1...melting the remaining chocolate.

Spoon the melted chocolate over the filled cups, gently working the melted chocolate into all edges.

Place the completed cups back in the freezer or fridge and wait (if you can) for them to set and harden.

Once set, peel the muffin cups off and enjoy!

After, I stored mine in the refrigerator and they kept for several days.

We couldn't tell for exactly how long because everyone ate them!

Dairy Free, Homemade, Raw Ice Cream Tip

After giving up conventional desserts about 8 years ago

and then discovering an allergy to dairy products,

I just figured my ice cream days were over.

Then I discovered raw ice cream! Yea!

By adding a few extra natural ingredients,

you can turn almost any smoothie

into creamy, delicious, decadent raw ice cream.

The best thing would be to google “raw ice cream recipes” for specifics

but most of them simply add coconut oil, young coconut meat and sometimes nuts

to a fruit smoothie type thing.

Throw it all in the blender and blend till smooth.

Then you chill it in a bowl in the fridge.

Later you can add things like vegan chocolate chips, fruit or chopped nuts.

An ice cream maker isn’t imperative

but it does help with the consistency when freezing.

I picked up an “out of the box” Cuisinart model for about $30

at a national bed and bath store.

I just load the chilled mix into the frozen bowl,

turn on and wait about 30 minutes.

Just think, in the time it takes to clean up the kitchen after dinner,

you could have a custom blended, healthy raw treat

that you feel good about putting in yourself and your family!

I store the bowl from the ice cream maker in the freezer
so that it is always ready to go!
If you put it in a plastic bag
it won't get frostbite.

Spreading the Word!

New calling cards are on the way...Yea!

I am so excited to be able to share what we have learned.

Posting on a blog will be much easier than responding to individual recipe requests via email!

Having everything in one place where people can visit, at their convenience, is a wonderful thing.

My wish is that this blog helps others to not feel so helpless when it comes to food issues.

I also hope that we enable people to feel empowered and grateful for the abundance they have.

Juice Recipe - Tropical Sunrise

.....mmmmm

Steve whipped this refreshing juice up one morning

just pulling from what we had in the house

The color was amazing...it almost glowed!

One sip and I was transported to a sandy beach on a lush island...

all that was missing was a fancy glass and an umbrella.

It was sweet and  tropical...

it sort of had a Pina Colada flavor.

I have an allergy to pineapple, so discovering a tropical flavor like this (without pineapple) was a treat for me.

Tropical Sunrise Juice

6 Carrots

2 Apples

1 Pear

1/2  Cantaloupe

1/8 Watermelon

1 inch of fresh ginger

Run all the goodies through a juicer.

Pour and enjoy!

Let me know what you think!

Vegan (Un) Cheese Quesadilla

To a "normal" eater, posting a picture of melted cheese would probably seem odd.

But for someone like me, with dairy allergies,

being able to have smooth, melted, stretchy cheese is a huge treat.

(Especially when it actually tastes like cheese!)

This shows the supreme melting power of a brand of vegan, dairy-free cheese that we found recently.

I prefer the mozzarella style but they are both good.

Below are two posts with detailed company information.

I purchased them at my Whole Foods Market.

Let me know what you think...

Enjoy!

Click here for the Mozzarella Style

Click here for the Cheddar Style

Egg Free, Wheat Free and Soy Free French Toast Recipe

There isn't only one way to do things...

that is a statement that is so easy for me to forget.

My son and I have known about our various food allergies for over a year now and this entire time, I just assumed that french toast was off of our "safe" food list.

After all, how on earth do you make french toast without eggs? That is one of the main ingredients.

I briefly entertained the idea of using our egg replacer but it didn't feel right...not natural.

Last night I decided to try and find some recipes for my family that would give us more options as we move towards healthier choices.

Anyway, I found a recipe for vegan french toast but it had flour and soy...we cant eat wheat and I have a sensitivity to soy. Since discovering these allergies I have become much more adventurous with cooking and preparing food, so this morning I made an altered version of the french toast.

OMG!

It was amazing! It even looked like conventional french toast...

don't you think?

Being a visual person, that is very important to me.

Try my altered recipe below and let me know what you think.

I would love to hear your additions and substitutions as well.

Enjoy!

 Freedom French Toast

1/2 - 1 cup of plain rice milk

5 Tablespoons non-wheat flour

3 Teaspoons of organic sugar or agave syrup

1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Wheat and egg free bread slices (We use Ener-G Foods brand)

Mix 1/2 cup of rice milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl.

Add more rice milk as needed to create a loose batter.

Dip your bread slices in the mixture coating both sides.

I use Earth Balance to grease the grill.

Fry until crispy and golden brown.

(As these cook, the aroma is heavenly)

We ate them with pure maple syrup but you could get creative...

drizzle agave syrup or top with fresh berries

Vegan, Dairy Free Mozzarella Style Shreds - Daiya

So I already posted about the cheddar flavor shreds from this company,

a nice option...

click here to see that post

But yesterday, I tried these...the mozzarella style

I think I'm in love.

I made a little toaster pizza type thing

using my "safe" sliced bread

some tomato sauce

and these shreds...

yum!!

and that coming from a recovering cheese addict.

They look a little weird, sort of ruffled

but when I took a bite, the texture was like dairy mozzarella.

Creamy, stretchy, smooth.

Today I took two "safe" pumpernickel type bread rounds, toasted them with the mozzarella type shreds and then topped it with some cool, fresh, smashed avocado...with a little nutritional yeast mixed in...

it was delicious.

But the BEST part was that it was allergen free for me.

That is a true gift.

Let me know if you try them...

Dairy, lactose and casein free,

Gluten and soy free,

Cholesterol free.

 

Click here to visit the Daiya website

Pre-made, Allergen-Free, Vegan Cupcakes - Izzi B

These were a real find!

Totally decadent and pretty to look at.

We found them at a small natural foods store in New Canaan, Connecticut but I think they can be ordered online or by phone.

We shared them with non-allergic friends and they didn't know they were so allergen free!

Izzi B's promotional material states:

No wheat

No soy

No eggs

No gluten

No dairy

No nuts

No casein

No refined sugars

No honey

No seeds

No apples

No trans-fats

No preservatives

Celiac-friendly

Vegan

All Natural...

-whew!

One would assume that that would translate into

No taste...but no!

They were super yummy.

Let me know what you think...

Click here to visit Izzi B's Website

Food Safe Allergy Testing - Finding Hidden Food Allergies

So this is what I received last year,

telling me that I was mildly allergic to most of the foods I ate on a regular basis.

Good news, because my symptoms finally had an explanation.

Bad news, because I was going to have to completely change the way I eat, think, plan, cook, etc...

It has been interesting, to say the least...

and a bit of a blessing too.

You can have this test done through your doctor

or by contacting the company directly.

They send you a kit and you send back a blood sample. Very simple.

If you think you might be sensitive to certain foods,

or if you have unexplained symptoms,

you might want to see if it's what you are eating.

From what I have learned, there are over 200 possible symptoms that stem from this kind of delayed food allergy. Way too many to piece together on your own without doing an elimination diet.

This was a gift...not to think I was going crazy, or imagining my symptoms.

Knowing that it wasn't something that was going to be solved with more prescription meds and creams.

I had to be proactive...I had to keep asking questions, search for a doctor that understood a more natural approach, read, etc...

It was totally worth it!

Let me know what you find.

Allergen Free English Muffins - Joan's Great Bakes

OMG!

We were visiting family friends in Connecticut last week and stumbled onto a wonderful small, local

natural foods store in New Canaan.

I asked the owners if they had any local bread options for people with dairy, wheat and egg allergies.

I am always trying to find tasty bread...no small feat!

They recommended these English muffins...found in the freezer section.

Because of past experience, I have avoided trying allergen free bread from the freezer section.

Not great texture and taste but...

These were amazing!!

Like REAL English muffins!

I haven't tried any of their other products yet but unfortunately from a quick scan of their website, 

 I don't think many of them are free of all of these allergens.

I am just grateful they created these!

Now I have to figure out how to get them...

order online?

Ask my local health food store to carry them?

You can be sure, I will find a way!

Click here to visit Joan's GF Great Bakes website!

Cheddar Style Cheese Shreds - Daiya

So, if you know me,

 you know that it makes sense

that I would write about a faux cheese product first!

I have a slight 

(maybe not so slight)

addiction to cheese

and was devastated but not shocked last year

when I found out that I have a

mild, delayed reaction allergy to dairy products.

I have avoided them in hopes

that I would be able to reintroduce them at some point...

alas, no.

I am still having a reaction...yuck.

So over this last year, I have been on a hunt for yummy dairy free cheese-like options.

Most are not very tasty or have a bad texture.

There are some made out of almonds (which I can't eat)

There are some made from soy (which I can't eat)

and some made from rice...which I CAN eat.

Two days ago I stumbled on this brand at Whole Foods.

I hadn't seen it before and haven't really done any research into the company and their other products yet but I wanted to pass on the info.

It is pretty good!

Eaten on it's own it actually tastes like cheddar.

It melted fairly well and was stretchy like real cheese.

They had a mozzarella version too but I didn't try that yet.

Looks a bit weird and curly...but worth a try.

Dairy, lactose and casein free,

Gluten and soy free,

Cholesterol free.

If you try it, let me know what you think! 

Enjoy!

Click here to visit Daiya Foods website

Daiya is made with only the best planet based ingredients

Building a Blog

I am very busy organizing information, taking pictures and compiling tips and products to share. I have learned a lot over the past 8 years or so and it really brings me joy to pass that information on.

There are so many options for healthier versions of favorite foods and small daily choices add up to significant change.

Be back soon,
Pam

Welcome

As a labor of love, I created this blog to help others move easily along the path of food choices, based on dietary restrictions...due to medical needs or personal choice.

A little over a year ago, my then 9 year old son and I were both diagnosed with multiple delayed reaction food allergies, and while not life threatening at this moment, they have caused us to alter our lifestyle and food choices dramatically.

Everything is different.

Traveling, parties, events, celebrations, picnics, school lunches, snacks...everything.

In our case, it has been, for the most part, a blessing in disguise. It has caused us to look at our eating patterns and change our bad habits. It has also filtered into the rest of our family and beyond.

I hope to share our discoveries and knowledge in an effort to help others in our situation.

It's not the end of the world...and we are not alone!

Till next time...
Pam

Coming Soon!

Resources and information to help you navigate through the confusing and sometimes frustrating world of food!

Stay tuned...