Toasting Coconut

A quick online search will lead you to about a million and a half different ways of toasting coconut. Since we often want to incorporate this into our meals, I really wanted to learn how to do it properly. Well, I tried quite a few of the methods I found online and found that none of them worked to my satisfaction. So, through some trial and error, I was able to come up with my own way of doing it and it works great. I wanted to share this with you guys so you don’t have to go through all the mistakes and mess that I did.

First, you are going to make sure you prep your coconut. Once you have cracked the coconut and have pulled away the meat, get out your old fashioned kitchen grater. You know, that bulky metal thing that always happened to just be in the kitchen? It always looked so scary to me as a kid, but I love how many things I can use it for now! But, back to business… Take your chunks of coconut and start grating them on the grater. Tip: Only grate as much as you’ll need for your recipe and maybe a bit extra for snacking later… coconut keeps longer in larger chunks than after it has been grated.

Once you have your small pieces of grated coconut, you’ll have to decide how toasted you want it. It really depends on your preferences and what kind of crunch you want it to have. If you are mixing in the coconut, or prefer slightly less crunchy toasted coconut, then use the frying pan method.

To do this, take a medium sized frying pan and spread your coconut out in a single layer. Turn your heat to high. As soon as you see the coconut begin to tan (about a minute), turn your heat down to medium low and stir the coconut around while continuing to toast until it reaches desired color/texture. Note: this method does not toast coconut evenly, so I would not recommend this method where the presentation of the toasted coconut will be visible. The advantage to this method, is you get the great coconut flavor without tons of crunch as soon of the coconut stays a bit on the softer side. This is great for those who have issues with texture differences.

However, if you are looking for either more crunchy or more uniformly toasted coconut, use the oven method.

To do this, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread your coconut in an even layer on a cookie sheet and place into the oven. Let it roast for about 5-7 minutes and give it a good shake and stir to ensure even toasting. Continue toasting until desired level of color and crunch is achieved.

Store your toasted coconut in an air tight container. If you happen to have any left that is! I hope this helps out those who are looking for a better way to toast their own.

If you haven’t tried toasted coconut, I highly recommend it! Its a great addition to salads, main dishes, and desserts. Its also great to have on hand as a quick snack!

Making the Switch to Paleo!!

As you know, we are gluten free. We have been for awhile now, due to necessity. However, we still have not seen the health improvements that we were hoping. Bear still had an enlarged lymph node in his neck that he has had for years, and Bee was still very moody and bloated. No matter what we did, we could not get the weight off of Bee and onto Bear.

So, I started doing more research. About health, about nutrition, about our history as humans, and about how our eating practices have evolved over time. All of this information, lead me to the Paleo diet.

For those of you that do not know, the Paleo diet mimics the way our ancestors ate thousands of years ago. The diet is simple really. Its all whole foods, fresh, not processed. There are no grains, no corn ( its actually a grain!), no peanuts or other legumes, no processed sugars or added sugars, no dairy ( with the exception of the grass fed butter). Its a diet high in proteins and good fats. For those of you that would like to know more, please let me know. I can get you pointed in the right direction

While it is not hard to follow, as far as knowing what is okay to eat and not okay to eat, there are some more challenging aspects of this type of lifestyle. There is a lot more time put into meal planning and preparation. This is because everything we eat is fresh. Nothing comes out of a package. So, this means making sure that we have enough veggies, seeds, and nuts. This means taking the time to make extra portions at dinner so that we can use them as a base for our lunches the next day. And, because our local farmers market does not open until June, this means lots of regular trips to the grocery store.

However, all of the new challenges that we have faced have been nothing compared to all of the benefits we are already seeing, and it has not even been a full 30 days yet! Bear’s lymph node has almost completely gone back down to normal. None of us are bloated anymore. Bee is visibly thinner. Our skin and hair is noticeably healthier. The kids both have much better moods and sleep much better. I’ve lost 6 pounds. Not to mention all of the fun we have preparing the food we eat. For me, cooking had previously become a chore, and we were stuck in so many ruts, eating the same types of things over and over and over. But with Paleo, we all get involved. We chose foods together at the store, and have a great time discovering new foods at small local stores. We have had a great time experimenting with new flavors and textures ( one of the latest was masked sweet potatoes with toasted coconut…try them, you will NOT be disappointed!). We do not have to fight as much to get Bear to eat. We all just FEEL better. Not to mention that it has really helped my husband and I become even closer.

It feels so good to know that we our nourishing ourselves and our children with healthy, whole, fresh foods. We are also much more adept at handling our stress. We now participate in exercise as a family, and have the ability to give ourselves alone time without feeling guilty. This has been the most positive lifestyle change that we have ever made, and my only regret is that we did not do it sooner.

I am going to be starting to experiment with some new Paleo recipes soon. Look for new ideas coming soon. And please, if there is something that you would like to see Paleofied, let me know and I will do my best to make it happen!

Bonus: The right kind of bacon (uncured, minimally processed, nitrate free, etc) is totally okay with this lifestyle!! Now, what can be better than that??

Need A Quick Breakfast?? Look to these awesome muffins from Udi’s!

**Disclaimer: Udi’s provided me with these muffins free of charge in exchange for providing you with ideas on how to use their products. All ideas are my own and I have not been financially compensated**

So I know I’m not the only one with kids. And I also know I’m not the only one who has hectic mornings with those kids. Half the time we are lucky to get out the door on time with a quick snack, let alone have a decent breakfast.  So I’m always on the lookout for something that will help us out in the morning.

That’s where these great muffins from Udi’s come in.

Now, they are pretty awesome on their own but…
I always need to feel like I participated in putting meals together so I do this…

Take that can of cranberries and toss it in a saucepan over low heat and stir. Let it break down and cook down a bit until it becomes warm and thick.  I promise this doesn’t take long! Right before its ready, wrap those muffins in a damp paper towel and pop in the microwave for a few seconds. Definitely helps you get that fresh homemade feel. Then break the muffin in half if you have littles like I do (or keep it whole for yourself!). Drizzle a bit of that warm cranberry amazingness over those nice warm muffins and watch everyone happily dig in.
There’s one morning crisis solved!  Now on to the next….getting them to dress in clothes that match!  Wish me luck!

Getting Ready For The Nice Weather

YAAAAAAYYYYYY!!! Awesome weather is back… again.  And this time it seems like it wants to stay around.  We are already planning on all of the awesome things we can do.  It helps the kids get excited and be motivated to spend more time outside, and it also helps me make a nice little mental list of all the new things we will need and all of the things I need to be prepared for.

So, I would like to share with you, a quick little run down of how we prepare for summer, and hopefully it will make your summer a bit easier too.

First, we all know that the return of summer brings the return of sun, and sunburn.  Over here we are all almost clear, so we are huge fans of sunblock.  As in industrial strength SPF as high as it can possibly be, reapplied every hour sunblock.  We use Coppertone WaterBabies SPF 100+ ( see? I wasn’t kidding).  Make sure to do your research and verify that the brand you are using is gluten free.

Second, with nice weather come the bugs.  Not only the pretty and interesting ones, but those nasty, biting, stingy ones.  Don’t forget to make sure you are using some form of protection against those little brats.  Slice a lime and push some cloves in it, it helps keep the biting insects away.  Also, if you prefer to wear your protection, find a natural based safe alternative.  Gluten can hide in bug sprays too.  I have a friend that makes ours.  You can also make your own, if you are so inclined.

Third, what would nice weather be without cook outs and get togethers? Word of warning…those grills…cross contamination issue!!!  While it may not be for some, for those that are very sensitive, it can be a source of concern.  So, how to remedy that?  We went and bought one of those table top charcoal grills. They are pretty  inexpensive and easy to transport.  Any grill party that we go to we just toss it in the trunk and we are good to go.  This way, we know that there is no way bread or gluten containing meats or what have you have been near it, and we still get to have all the yummy grilled food.

And who can forget about all the great carnivals, festivals and street fairs that happen while the weather is at its best?  So… what’s the best way to navigate those potential gluten havens?  First, look for information about the fest.  More often than not, if community restaurants are going to be present at the fest, it will be listed on the flier or other paper work advertising the event.  You can then call the different places and find out what will be served and how it’s prepared to make your safe list.  If you do not see places listed, call the city or village where the event is being held.  They can give you more information about the type of vendors that will be showcased.  If you find out that there will be no safe options while you are there, pack yourself a nice picnic lunch and bring it along.  There are a lot of great fair type foods that you can make gluten free.  Look for a post containing some of those great recipes coming soon.

This is the basic way that I try to plan out our summer, and some of the tips that I have found to make our lives easier and more manageable.  Hopefully this has helped some of you. I welcome your tips as well.  And don’t forget to let me know if any of these help you out!

Lizzie’s Gluten Free Cinco de Mayo

Annie’s post inspired me to follow up with our own version of a Cinco due Mayo menu. Gluten free of course!

For breakfast try cinnamon sugar corn tortillas…which are a huge favorite of the kids. What we do is take melted butter and mix in equal amounts of cinnamon and sugar. The amounts vary and are really just based your taste preferences. I also add a few drops of vanilla. Brush each tortilla generously while flat on a grill top and roll up to serve. Beat up a bit of heavy whipping cream sprinkled with cinnamon for dipping.

For lunch try some of our awesome nachos! We love making a nacho bar. I grab some safe corn tortilla chips and put them in a large bowl. I then put out bowls of tomatoes, onions, avacados, various cheeses, lettuce, sour cream, olives, and cilantro. I make up some black beans seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin and cilantro. I’ll also grill up some chicken with onions and squeeze lime over the top. Toss out some hot sauce and hot peppers for the adults and everyone is happy and can personalize their plate.

For dinner try out our favorite and easy pick for enchiladas. Find it here. This was a winner from day one and I have found even the pickiest eaters love it!

And of course we all need a nice beverage to go with dinner. And here is where some awesome pomegranate mango margaritas come in. Start with this recipe. Then add in some fresh unsweetened pomegranate juice. Its super easy to find in just about any store. Amount will vary based on taste preferences. Experiment!! But always start with a little, you can always add more!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Review: Petit Bite coconut nibbles

** disclaimer: I was provided free product in exchange for my honest opinion. These views are my own and have not been swayed by an outside source. I have but been financially compensated**

A found a nice new treat from Petit Bite.  They make these awesome treats called coconut nibbles. They come in two flavors: chocolate chip and coconut delights. They come in super convenient little packs that contain three of the little nibbles. The little nibbles are a great size and each three pack is a whole serving.

They are nice and moist right out of the package. They have a great crumbly texture when you bite them. The greatest thing about them is they literally only have a handful of ingredients. They contain shredded coconut, sweet potato, put cane sugar, egg whites, and chocolate chips if you get the chocolate variety. The flavor is awesome! I love coconut, as does my husband. We had a great time with these. He took the packs, which are perfect for travel, in his lunch a few times and wound up having to share more than once.  They are just the right amount of sweet and the coconut is perfect. There have been many times where we have sampled other coconut items only to be disappointed at how fake and processed the coconut seems. I am happy to say that this is not the case here. We did offer them to the kids, and got mixed results. Bee, who loves coconut, was in Heaven with these treats. Bear, on the other hand, was not as fond of them. So, they are kid appropriate if your Littles like coconut. I would recommend cutting then in half for the kiddos though, the size was a bit awkward for them otherwise.
Here are some more bonuses of these snacks. They are all natural, gluten free, and have no hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, cholesterol, or Trans fat. These are all awesome things to find, especially when you wanna share something perfectly sweet with little ones. But….(there’s always one isn’t there?)

They may contain traces of almost every nut possible. You are definitely going to want to stay away if nuts are an issue. I really hippie to see this changed soon…they are way to good to be leaving out so much of the population. Here’s hoping they will reconsider their manufacturing process! Check them out on http://petitbite.com

Review: Dr. Lucy’s Cookies

**I was provided free product in exchange for my opinions.  I was not financially compensated for this review. The opinions here are all my own and have not been swayed by a third-party.**

Who doesn’t love cookies?  I know my family does, but I also know that in order to keep them safe having cookies usually means quite a bit of work for me.  Not that I mind, of course.  But every now and then it would be nice to be able to go to the store and just grab some.  That is why I was so happy to find the Dr. Lucy company.  This company was started by a mom, who also happens to be an M.D.  She is a mom of a child with severe allergies and was always looking for safe foods that tasted great, but had a hard time finding them.  So, she created her own!  And they have a ton of great bonuses.  All her treats are made in their own carefully controlled bakery.  They are gluten free peanut free, tree nut free, milk free and egg free. Plus, they test for trace amounts of milk, egg, gluten, peanuts, almond, and hazelnut.  I love that they do all this, and I can feel confident that these are going to be safe for my family.  And, just when you think that these treats could not get any better, they are also certified vegan and verified non-GMO!

Just waiting to be eaten!

While I was super excited at how allergen free these were, I was a bit skeptical on how they would taste.  Based on past experiences, I know that a lot of times things that are so safe are often lacking in flavor.  Luckily, I was happy to find out that this was not anywhere near the case!

Cinnamon Thins

The first ones out of the package were the Cinnamon Thins.  They were fantastic!  Perfectly sized and a great texture!  We tried them first with a nice glass of Almond Milk and they held up great for dunking.  The kids were very fond of these.  I could not believe that these were free of so many allergens with how great they tasted!  They had the perfect amount of cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness.   This package definitely did not last long in my house!  I will be buying some more of these.  These are going to be the perfect thing to use as a base for pies, with no worry!  While I have not done it yet, because we ran out of cookies, it is going to be very easy.  Toss the cookies in a zip top bag, smash them up ( let the kids help!) and then mix with a bit of melted butter and press into the bottom of your pie pan!  Look for a blog post in the near future with the complete recipe.

Ginger Snaps

Next came the Ginger Snap cookies.  Here again, I was a little hesitant, not being a huge fan of ginger.  Surprisingly thought, they were not at all overbearing, like other ginger items that I have tried.  They had a great ginger flavor, and just a bit of an underlying kick to the finish.  Nothing spicy, just a nice burst of flavor.  My daughter actually preferred these to the cinnamon thins.  My son also liked these, but he said the cinnamon ones were better.  My husband and I enjoyed these as well.  While I am still working on a recipe that incorporates the ginger snaps, my husband gave me a great pairing.  He had suggested pairing the ginger snaps with a nice cup of hot herbal tea.  I prefer Tulsi tea and so I made a cup last evening.  I sat down with my cup of tea and a couple of the ginger snaps.  What a great combination! A little dunking into the tea, a little nibble followed by a sip of the tea…anyway I paired them was fantastic.  These are a great way to wind down the day!

I would love for you guys to check out this company and see all of the other great products that they offer.  I can guarantee that we will be frequent purchasers!  Check them out on their website!  They are also on Facebook. I would also like to give my personal thanks to Dr. Lucy Gibney for taking on a great project and helping out all of us with allergic children!

Product Review: Crunchmaster

**I was provided free product in exchange for my honest opinions.  I received no financial compensation and all opinions contained in here are my own and in no way influenced by an outside party.**

When I am looking for snacks that are safe for our house, I can NOT even begin to tell you how much of a pain it is to find ones that taste good!  I walk down all the aisles with the kids and of course they look and want everything.  And I know that even if I didn’t…they would see their friends with “normal” snacks and wonder why they have to be so different.  And sometimes, I can’t help but wish we could just buy whatever we wanted without looking.  Luckily though, I found a company that really has that in mind when producing their snacks.  Crunchmaster!!  Check out their website here.

The kids and I were so excited when our product got here… I could barely get a picture before the kids wanted to tear into them!

We were able to try Crunchmaster’s two new kids snacks, Cheezy Crisps and Grammy Crisps.  And we also got to try the Rosemary and Olive Ooil Multi Seed Crackers. We were very happy with each item, which is unusual.  For those of you that follow this blog regularly, you know how much of a challenge  it is for me to find something both kids will like and agree on.

The Cheezy Crisps were the first things the kids wanted to try, and I was all for it.  After checking the nutritional panel to see about a serving size, I was even more excited to give these to the kids.  60 of these crackers make up an adult serving for 120 calories!  That’s quite a s snack!  I portioned out half that amount for the kids and the full amount for myself and got to sampling.  Before I even tasted them,  I was worried that like so many other cheese snacks, they may have that fake flavor.   I was pleasantly surprised to find that they did not.  They are made with a great blend of real mozzarella and cheddar cheese and you can definitely taste them.  They are light and crunchy and have a fantastic texture.  There is enough cheese so that you know you are having a cheese based snack, but its balanced well and not ever overbearing.  These snacks are great all on their own.  The kids and I also mixed them in with some cereal and pecans and dried cranberries for a nice little trail mix.

Next up was the Grammy Crisps.  These have a suggested serving size of 25 crackers for 130 calories.  Still not a bad deal in my book, especially because both of their kid centered snacks are made with whole grain. So the kids each got a few and off we went to taste them and see how we can incorporate them into other things.  These by far were my favorite of all the Crunchmaster items we sampled.  They are nice and crunchy, and have this amazing blend of cinnamon and sugar.  These definitely took me back to when I was a kid and the cinnamon and sugar toast that we would have with breakfast. I was so happy to find something that allowed me to share these kind of flavors with my kids.  The kids could not get enough of them and were quickly coming up with some great recipe ideas.   These are amazing all on their own or in our nice little Smores mix.  The kids actually came up with this one…and we mixed the Grammy snacks, some mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips and had our own version of easier to eat, no heat Smores!  This is something we will definitely be making again, it is a great little snack mix to have for play-dates or get togethers.

After the kids had their fun with the new snacks and building new recipes, my husband and I set out to try the more “adult” type snack from Crunchmaster, the Rosemary and Olive Oil Multi Seed Crackers.  They are super thin and all natural and nice and crispy.  They have a great blend of seeds including sesame, quinoa, flax, and amaranth.  They are great right out of the bag, with nice undertones of Rosemary and Olive Oil. I was a little nervous that the Rosemary would be overwhelming but it was not at all.  My husband was totally content to eat them just plain, but I could not help but wonder what sorts of topping would work best for these awesome little crackers. I tried various cheeses, and our favorite was a New York Extra Sharp Cheddar.  I also had a dinner to attend with some  friends and wanted to bring something along.  I used these crackers and make up some Bruschetta.  What a great combination!!! My friends at the dinner party could not get enough of them and just had to know what kind of crackers I was using.  They are such a great substitution for bread in dip like recipes and I cannot wait to try therm with other options.

All in all, before trying these Crunchmaster products I had come in contact with mixed reviews from other people I know who have tried them.  I was a little hesitant, but I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to try them for myself.  I am excited to say they are one of the better gluten-free snack companies out there.  For those of you interested in trying them for yourself ( and I highly recommend you do!!) check out this link for a great coupon! Also, please check them out and show them your support on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!  And don’t forget to share your opinions with me!

Lizzie”s Wordless Wednesday

My princess always has to match what I do, and I love it…I would NOT ask for it any other way…. But that does come with its own set of drawbacks.  This picture shoes why it is so critically important for me to follow a gluten free diet, even though gluten is not an issue for me.  As parents, we lead by example, and in my case, I have my fantastic little copycats watching my every move.  They are my reasons for living, my everything, and I owe it to them to provide the right kind of example to follow.  Me cheating and adding gluten only cheats the people I hold dearest to my heart.

 

Product Review: Second Helping

In my quest to continuously seek out the best of the best in gluten-free companies and products, I have come across a real winner and an instant kid friendly, family favorite!  I am happy to share with you today, Second Helping!  They are a great company that provides fantastic meatballs, called Mama’s Meatballs and awesome corn dogs, called Corn Puppies!  Check out their website here.

Second Helping was nice enough to send me both of their products to try.

After checking out this great nutritional info….we could not wait to try them out!

In fact, we were so excited about these that we decided to have the Corn Puppies for lunch and incorporated Mama’s Meatballs into our dinner!

The first thing I noticed when I opened up the Corn Puppies was their plentiful size!  With two as a serving, we were feeling entirely satisfied!  Bonus is, there are 5 servings per bag!  We made these on a day my kids actually had friends over, and it was the perfect food for our play date! The turkey hot dogs inside are nice and plump and juicy.  The ratio of corn to hot dog is perfect.  Just enough corn to add that great flavor, without masking the hot dog, like I have seen from other companies.  They are incredibly easy to make, just toss in the oven ( we used our counter top convention) and let them cook while the kids are finishing up playing and lunch is all done.  There was no turning or messing with them and they came out deliciously golden brown and crunchy!  After they were cooled and served, I was surprised to see even my pickiest eater, Bear, dig right in!  After getting the approval from my youngest critics, I got the chance to sample them.  I loved that they tasted so home-made!  If I would have been served these at a friend’s house, I would have never guessed that they were frozen and store-bought.  What a great find!

After the great success with our lunch, I quickly refocused dinner to a pasta night ( gluten-free of course!) so that I had a great excuse to make Mama’s Meatballs!  I opened the package and could not believe how BIG these meatballs were!!  I knew for sure that it would be more than enough to satisfy everyone for dinner, since we tend to have some pretty large appetites. There are a bunch of easy options on how to prepare these.  Luckily, there is also a speed method.  We were really busy that day and by the time I had a chance to start dinner, I just went the quick and easy way, using pre made sauce.  Luckily, Second Helping thinks of everything!  Just a few seconds per meatball in the microwave and they were nice and hot and ready to go.  I, of course, like to pretend I am a big fancy chef, so I tossed them into the sauce before I served anyone 🙂 .  I could not resist so after I took them out of the microwave, I took a taste of one, just plain.  Oh my goodness!  The texture ( even microwaved!) was amazing!  They were meaty and juicy and packed full of flavor!  I wanted to eat the whole thing, right then and there.  A perfect blend of just the right spices.

After we sat down at the table, I watched and waited, I was so excited to get everyone’s thoughts.  My husband was very surprised, and could not believe they had once been frozen!  He remarked how fresh and great tasting they were, and I had to agree. My daughter Bee dug right in, as I figured she would and told me how much she liked the new meats.  Then we came to my son Bear.  I waited, pretty positive that I could not get lucky twice in the same day.  Getting him to eat is always an adventure.  Much to my surprise and delight, he tasted the meatballs and told me how yummy they were!!  You can only imagine how happy I was that I had finally found a company that I know my whole family enjoys!  Second Helping should get awards just for getting my son to eat!!

We all had such a great time with Second Helping and their products, I know they are going to become a staple in my house.  I love that they are quick and easy, especially with how busy and fast paced my days seem to get.  I love that everyone in my family enjoys them, since that is something that rarely, if ever, happens. I love that you can order their products and have them shipped to you, so there is no need to worry about whether or not your local stores carry them ( although some do!!).  I love that I can have pride in these foods, that I know exactly what I am feeding my family.  Most of all, I love, that for that day at least, we really felt like we were eating “like everyone else”.  While I always tell my kids there is nothing wrong with being different, no one can argue against the fact that it IS nice to feel “normal” every once and awhile, and I am so thankful to find a company that allows me to do that.

I would love for you guys to check them out on Facebook and Twitter and give them your support!

**Disclaimer** Second Helping provided me with free products in exchange for my honest opinions of those products.  I was not financially compensated in any way, nor were my opinions swayed or altered for any purpose.  These opinions are all my own.