Pumpkin Spice Cake for the GF Birthday Kid!
All I can say about this last weekend is… “where there is a will, there is a way”. Let me explain… I know I have not been posting much, life has just been really hectic. In the midst of all the chaos, our youngest earned another birthday today. Most of the hectic life issues are centered around this little life and I am always trying to find a way to create food that is just as fun as it is balanced, healthy and free from the long list of “cannot have’s” for this child. So, the birthday cake you see above is a feat to say the least. It is not only gluten free, but also grain free and dairy free. I believe you could even make it egg free if need be.
Over the last month I have introduced Teff to see if our little one can tolerate it now. We have been following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet very strictly for almost a year and a half now. Things have been going well with the soaked whole Teff seed porridge I make for our mornings. So, I decided to try some recipes using Teff flour that I found at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen. First, we tried the Teff pancakes. These were such a hit and our little one’s tummy has been tolerating it so well, I decided to try adapting my recipe for Pumpkin Spice Bread into a cake for our birthday party. It worked beautifully! Just having the tips that Ali wrote about in her blog gave me the confidence to give this a try. Sure, I could have made cake with coconut flour or hazelnut meal, but I was really hoping for more of what we call “cake” this year.
This article is for all of you out there who are trying so hard to create dishes that will be memorable for a loved one (or maybe even yourself). Please, keep trying. If we can make something like this for our little one who is grain free, dairy/casein free, refined sugar free, and restricted to foods lower in salicylates, I am here to say “you can do it”! I cannot tell you how much of a struggle it has been to get to this point. We only hope that the rest of what life has to offer for our little one will be joyful, remembering all the really great times we have shared with whatever foods are tolerated at the time! I hope this encourages you to try that recipe you have been thinking of making changes to. Here is my recipe for Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bread. The variation for the Teff birthday cake is below it. Enjoy!
GF Pumpkin Spice Bread
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups GF Flour Mix
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
- 1 egg + 1 flax gel (1 Tbls flax seed soaked in 3 Tbls hot water for 10 minutes). Or, omit the egg and make 2 flax gel recipes.
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup oil (I use coconut oil)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two loaf pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs, flax gel, water, oil and pumpkin on low speed until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 40-45 minutes (20 minutes for muffins).
- Remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and cool on wire racks.
Get creative with decorations… Here we used hazelnuts and flaked, unsweetened coconut!
- 1 1/4 cup Teff flour
- 1/2 cup Tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup agave
- 1 egg + 1 recipe flax gel (see above)
- 2 oz coconut milk
- 1/3 cup semi melted coconut oil
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 tsp unsweetened vanilla
Note: If making small shaped cakes like the train I made or cupcakes, bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. I used a coconut oil frosting made with 1 cup palm oil shortening, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/3 cup agave, and 1/4 tsp unsweetened vanilla. The only drawback to this frosting is that you have to keep it cold or it will melt. So, I decorated the cakes and then put them in the refrigerator. After the frosting set, I covered the cakes with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. You will have to take them out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving so that the frosting softens just a bit.
WildFlours GF Group… Meaningful Morning Ideas #3: GF Porridge Bars
First day of fall, 2011
How fitting that the first day of fall just happened to be our local farmers market day! So, yesterday we shopped for some pie pumpkins amidst our usual fruits and vegetables… then headed over to Trader Joe’s Market where everything smelled of apple cider! It was a crisp, cool morning as well… not something very normal here in the midwest in September.
I promised to have one last Meaningful Morning Idea for you this week. This one has been my favorite in the morning lately… gives me plenty of fuel for my morning and it is easy to prepare once a week!Gluten Free Porridge Bars can be served cold or warm. My favorite way to have this hearty morning gluten free cereal bar is toasted in a skillet with some olive or coconut oil. It gives the porridge a crispy texture and warms it through perfectly. You can add just about any combination of soaked, whole gluten free grains when making these. The key is to use enough water when cooking the grains to create the “porridge” consistency that will setup when it cools. Here is the recipe:
Gluten Free Whole Grain Porridge Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Whole Gluten Free Grain such as Amaranth, Corn grits, Millet, Brown Rice, or Teff – or any combination of these
- 3 cups water, fruit juice or milk of choice or a combination
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup dried fruit of choice, diced (such as apricots, raisins, dates, figs, prunes, cranberries, blueberries)
OR
- 1 cup Whole Gluten Free Grain such as Buckwheat groats, Oats (certified GF), or Quinoa (well rinsed) – or any combination of these
- 2 cups water, fruit juice or milk of choice or a combination
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup dried fruit of choice, diced (such as apricots, raisins, dates, figs, prunes, cranberries, blueberries)
Method:
- Bring water to a boil in a pot (you can also do this in a rice steamer if you have one). Rinse your grain first under cool water. Add your choice of grain or a combination to the boiling water. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until desired doneness. About 15-20 minutes is generally enough.
- While porridge is warm, stir in the pinch of salt and dried fruit of choice.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Spread the warm porridge into the loaf pan. Smooth the top, cool and then cover and refrigerate until the porridge is set. It will have a consistency like polenta.
- After the loaf has cooled and hardened, slice it, brush with olive oil and heat by sauteing, grilling or broiling. You may also just eat it cold from the loaf pan.
- Store extra slices in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to one week.
To make whole grains easier to digest, I soak them overnight in filtered water with 1 Tbls of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Just drain the soaking water (use a fine mesh strainer for the smaller grains like teff, amaranth, or millet) and add to the boiling water or liquids to cook. You may find that they cook up faster this way as well.
One last tip I have for the kids in the morning is to make yogurt popsicles. They will find this a fun way to start their day and you can load the popsicles with any combination of fruits and yogurt that you prefer them to have. Enjoy breakfast again and make the most of your mornings to set you and your family out right for the busy day ahead.
Gluten Free Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole
Some mornings I find it so hard to manage to get a good breakfast on the table in time for my crew to be able to sit down and eat before rushing out the door. Do you find yourself with this dilemma? If so, the following recipe adapted from Bob’s Red Mill should help with that!
Gluten Free Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole
Baked in the oven... gluten free oatmeal smells so great!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups GF Rolled Oats (certified Gluten Free Oats are available from Bob’s Red Mill, Trader Joe’s, Gluten Free Oats Company)
- 1 Apple, chopped
- 1 cup raisins, currants, dried cranberries, or other dried and diced fruit
- (optional) 1 cup sunflower seeds or walnuts
- 4 cups milk of choice
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbls butter
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbls ground cinnamon
Method:
- The night before, mix the first four ingredients together in a bowl and pour into a greased oven safe casserole dish.
- In a saucepan, stir together the last five ingredients until the butter melts and the sugar begins to dissolve. Cool to room temperature.
- Once the liquids are cool, pour over the dry ingredients in the casserole dish, cover and refrigerate until morning.
- When you wake up, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and then take the casserole dish out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter while your oven is pre-heating. If the oats have soaked up all the milk, add a little more to the casserole dish for baking. You do not want it to be runny, but it does need a little left over moisture for baking so the oats do not burn.
- Once the oven is ready, bake the gluten free oatmeal casserole uncovered for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rest of the moisture has been absorbed.
- Cool slightly. You can serve this with plain yogurt or additional fruit if you like. It is great on its own!
The awesome thing about this recipe is that you are free to go about your morning routine while breakfast is baking! And… the smell of the cinnamon and oatmeal will bring everyone to the kitchen ready for something great to eat to begin their day. You could even do this in your crock pot overnight. I set mine to “low heat” for 7-8 hours and fill it with everything, stirring well, just before I go to bed. The crock pot automatically switches to “warm” once the time is up and when we get up all we need are bowls and spoons! It makes a great leftover dessert topping for sundaes too.
Are you one whose digestive system cannot handle even certified gluten free oats? Try this same recipe with brown rice instead! You will need one cup of brown rice for the 4 cups of milk called for in the recipe and it turns out best in your crock pot! If you wish to bake it in the oven, be sure to use the soaking method I described above. Also, cover your baking dish while baking and you will probably need to adjust your baking time to be up to a half hour longer for the rice to fully cook.
Check back at the end of the week to find my third Meaningful Morning Gluten Free Breakfast Idea! I hope we are helping you to create good breakfasts to fuel your day.
WildFlours GF Group… Meaningful Morning Ideas #1: GF Breakfast Strata
Gluten Free Breakfast Strata
With the passing of summer, we are ready to get back into the routine of meeting monthly again. Last Sunday was our September meeting. Even though the busy-ness of life kept members away, I still wanted to share the ideas for making your breakfasts the best fuel possible for your day. I am not talking about the pancakes, waffles, bagel routine. The recipes I will share are far from the starch and sugary foods we associate with breakfast most of the time. While those are great occasionally, it should not be the norm. Gluten Free Meaningful Morning Ideas will come in three parts. The first is the awesome GF Breakfast Strata pictured above. Yes, you all missed out! Not to worry, here is the recipe…
Gluten Free Breakfast Strata
Mini GF Breakfast Strata... just bake them in a muffin tin instead!
Ingredients:
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cups milk or half & half
- 1/2 tsp mustard
- 1/8 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked) or chili powder
- A pinch of cayenne or black pepper
- A dash of nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Cups gluten free bread, cubed and dried in a 200 degree oven until crisp like croutons
- 4 ounces ham, cubed (about 1 cup) or 5 slices cooked bacon, drained and coarsely chopped (Optional)
- 1/2 cup cooked and very well drained mushrooms, or other vegetables (double the amount of vegetables and omit the meat for vegetarian) (Optional)
- 1 Tbls chopped red bell peppers (Optional)
- 6 green onions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) grated cheddar, or other cheese
Method:
- Oil non-stick muffin cups with bacon grease, butter or coconut oil. (Or you can use one large glass baking dish.)
- In a mixing bowl with a spout, whisk together the eggs, milk or half & half, mustard, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Evenly distribute among the muffin cups, in order, half each of the bread cubes, meat (if used), vegetables, green onions, cheese, optional bell peppers (if used), and the milk/egg mixture. Repeat. (Note: if using mushrooms, sauté them first before assembling the strata)
- Cover the muffin cups with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle position. Bake for 15 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the muffin cups used (or 50-60 minutes for a large baking dish), until the tops are lightly browned and the eggs set. Allow the mini strata to cool in the muffin cups for five minutes, then remove from the pan and serve.
To make a dairy-free, egg-free (vegan) version, substitute the following ingredients for the milk and eggs and then continue with the recipe:
- 3 Cups milk (soy, rice, almond, hemp, coconut)
- 6 ounces silken tofu or Tofutti cream cheese
- 3 Tbls flax meal
- 2 Tbls oat flour or 1 Tbls coconut flour
- Note: Don’t forget to use your favorite dairy free cheese as well in place of the cheddar
- Assemble the bread and vegetables the night before, portion into pan as directed above, cover and refrigerate. DO NOT add the wet ingredients at this point.
- In the morning, blend the milk, tofu, flax meal, oat flour or coconut flour, salt and the spices in a blender until smooth. Then pour over the bread cubes/vegetable mixture.
- Bake as directed above. If you would like a bread free alternative, try grated potatoes instead of the bread cubes.
Over the next few days this week, I will share the other ideas I have for fueling your day on a gluten free diet. There are plenty of nut free, egg free and dairy free options or substitutions as well that I promise to share if you have other food challenges. Hopefully, you can find some new ideas for the best meal of the day… please don’t skip it! If you are one who frequently skips breakfast, there is a great article by Jen Allbritton on the Weston A. Price website that you might want to read. Jen details how adequately fueling up in the morning provides us with many benefits, specifically the ability to think better, have more energy and control our weight. She also provides many more ideas for meaningful morning options that will sustain you and your family until lunchtime! Check back for my second Gluten Free Meaningful Morning Breakfast idea this week!
Gluten Free Snacks... on a Stick!
I know I am a bit behind in my series… it has been quite busy around here with our new routines! So, today I decided to share an easy snack you can have prepared for your loved ones when they jump off the bus. “Snack On a Stick”, gluten free and nutritious! You can even let the kids do the assembly as part of the fun. I try and offer a fruit sauce or dressing for dipping to get them into eating the veggie options that I put on the plate as well. If you join in the fun, you might just be surprised by what they are willing to eat!
Gluten Free Snack On a Stick
This is our version of GF Sandwich fixings on a stick, complete with a mayo dressing for dipping!
Ingredients:
- Gluten Free Bread Cubes
- Torn lettuce or spinach pieces
- Chicken or Ham, cut into bite sized pieces
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cucumber slices
- Cheese cubes or curds
- Cut up fruit such as bananas, apples, or strawberries
- Ranch dip, Mayo, Yogurt or applesauce
- Thin skewers or stirring straws
Method:
- Place each ingredient in either a small dish or on a serving platter in it’s own space.
- Provide each person with a plate and some skewers or straws to assemble their own snack. Allow them to choose the items they want on their stick or assemble it for them.
- Provide several dishes of dipping sauces such as the mayo, ranch dip, yogurt or applesauce.
GF After School Snacks, Part 3... Pizza Scones!
Last week marked the beginning of the 2011 school year for our District. Even though there were only three school days, it sure seemed like a long week. We were able to get in one last summer get-together with friends before the big day arrived. I tried to be prepared for the morning routine again, but it always seems there is a new twist every year. This year, it is middle school. I can hardly believe we have reached this milestone. I am very unprepared for this new venture… but it is upon us anyway, so here goes!
I was finally able to get around to another “after school snack” recipe today. Actually, I did a lot of cooking and baking this weekend. Just trying to catch up and stay ahead of the game with all the learning going on again. It always seems to make our bodies hungrier! Not too long ago, I saw a recipe on Family Fun’s website for “Pizza Scones”. The idea intrigued me, so studied my recipe for GF breakfast scones a bit to see how I could tweak it for something more savory. The result was an awesome gluten free gem that will be perfect for tomorrow afternoon when the bus arrives!
Gluten Free Pizza Scones
Ingredients:
- 8.5 ounces (about 2 cups) gluten free flour blend (I use this blend for scones: 7 1/8 oz Brown Rice Flour, 2 3/4 oz Sorghum Flour, 4 oz Potato Starch Flour, 1 1/2 oz. Tapioca Starch – mix well and store in an airtight container)
- 3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) fine or medium grind corn meal
- 2 Tbls baking powder
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2.5 ounces (about 5 Tbls) cold butter, cut into small pieces (or cold palm shortening for dairy free)
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, seeded (you can also use diced sun-dried tomatoes if you have them, just make sure to soak them in hot water for a minute and then drain before adding to the recipe)
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded mozzarella or dairy free equivalent
- 1/3 cup finely chopped pepperoni, or other pizza topping (such as diced ham, green pepper, mushrooms or black olives)
- 1/2 cup Flax Gel (2 Tbls ground flax seeds, mixed in 6 Tbls hot water)
- 3/4 cup of buttermilk (for dairy free, mix 1 Tbls apple cider vinegar with 3/4 cup rice milk or other dairy free milk of choice)
- extra rice milk and some parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the flax gel by mixing the 2 Tbls ground flax seeds with 6 Tbls hot water. Set aside to thicken while preparing the rest of the ingredients. At this time, if you are using a dairy free buttermilk, make sure to mix the apple cider vinegar with your milk of choice and set that aside as well.
- In a large bowl, mix the gluten free flour mix, cornmeal, baking powder, xanthan gum, basil, oregano, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, combine the tomatoes, cheese and pepperoni (or other toppings).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flax gel and buttermilk.
- Add the pizza toppings mixture and the flax/buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spoon or your hands until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Do not over stir or your scones will be hard.
- Lightly flour your work surface with extra GF flour blend and turn the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Knead the dough just briefly to get it to pull together. Gently shape the dough into two rounds, flattening slightly. Slice each round into four wedges.
- Place the wedges on your prepared baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Brush with a little rice milk and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese if you think of it.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Gluten Free Cheese Stars... a crispy, salty treat!
You can turn gluten free tortillas into a great after school snack with these easy recipes. I suggest using either a rice or corn based tortilla. Or, you could use a homemade gluten free flat bread (such as my favorite from blogger Kate Chan’s Gluten Free Gobsmacked site recipe for Sandwich Wraps) if you have that on hand. For the star shaped crisps, you will need two star-shaped cookie cutters, one slightly smaller than the other. Or any simple shape will do!
Gluten Free Cheese Stars
Ingredients:
- Gluten Free Tortillas (Rice, Corn or Flat Bread)
- Cheese Slices (This works best with provolone or cheddar, but you can use an alternative cheese. In the picture above, I used Galaxy brand Vegan Rice Cheddar slices. While they do not really “melt” like cow’s based cheese, the slices work just fine and “meld” to the tortillas perfectly!)
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt, Paprika, or Chile Powder (optional)
Method:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
- Using the larger cookie cutter, cut out stars from the tortillas. It’s easy for kids to do if you have them use a rolling pin to roll back and forth (firmly and slowly) over the cutter placed on top of the tortilla.
- Brush lightly with olive oil and transfer to prepared cookie sheet.
- Use the smaller cookie cutter to cut out an equal number of cheese stars from the cheese slices and place them atop the tortilla ones.
- Bake the stars for 8-10 minutes or so until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the stars with salt, chili powder or paprika and let them cool before serving. They will crisp up even more as they cool.
You can also make a sweet variation of these stars by omitting the cheese and sprinkling the tortilla shapes with cinnamon sugar. It makes a really great treat and reminds me of crispy, fried wonton’s that some asian restaurants serve as an appetizer!
Gluten Free Quesadillas are even easier! You can have these tasty “pick-me-up” snacks ready in under 10 minutes with just a few ingredients. I like using leftovers such as grilled chicken or taco meat for filling to give a bit more protein power.
Easy GF Quesadillas, warm and satisfying after a long day at school!
Gluten Free Quesadillas
Ingredients:
- 2 Corn tortillas per quesadilla
- Shredded Cheese (You can use any cheese you prefer, such as mozzarella, cheddar, colby jack – I would not use a really hard cheese like parmesan though. This works just as great with dairy alternative cheeses.)
- Optional: grilled chicken cubes, diced and cooked hot dogs, diced green peppers or onions, pepperoni slices, black olives, pineapple tidbits, etc.
- Heat a dry, non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Place one tortilla per quesadilla on the hot pan. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the tortilla, being careful to keep the cheese on the tortilla. Add any optional ingredients you wish and a little more shredded cheese on top of that.
- Top with the second tortilla and press with a spatula or the palm of your hand (careful not to burn your fingers!). While the bottom tortilla heats up, the cheese will begin to melt and the top tortilla will stay in place.
- After a few minutes, check to see if some of the cheese has melted. When it has, use the spatula to flip the tortilla over to warm the top side and melt the cheese the rest of the way. The tortilla you placed on the pan first will appear smaller than the second one! This is normal. After flipping, the second tortilla will also crisp and shrink in size a bit to make your quesadilla uniform on both sides.
- Cook the quesadilla on the second side for a few minutes and then transfer to a cutting board. Slice into 4 triangles and serve alone or with salsa for dipping.
Gluten Free Banana Muffins... Oh heavens!
Just looking at that picture… can’t you smell the banana muffins! In the early morning light of my kitchen, these got everyone up and going earlier than I really wanted. But, to enjoy them warm out of the oven was true heaven! Hummmm… maybe they would be good on the first day back to school? I know, since August is here it is time to start gearing up for the school days again and life with set schedules and routines. Only a few more lazy weeks of summer left…
Over the next few weeks, I would like to share some of my “converted” recipes that I like to have on hand for after school/work/activities snacks. These Gluten Free Banana Muffins are one of those great energy booster snacks. I make a double batch when I have enough ripe bananas and put at least half of the muffins in the freezer for sensible snacking at a later time. They are easy to thaw in a lunchbox, backpack, or even quickly in the toaster oven! Just click on the link above to find the recipe (or visit our Recipe Archive). Last week, I shared one of our new favorites with you… those “PB&J” Bars made with Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Oats, Sunbutter and your favorite fruit jelly. Those are definite pick-me-ups at the end of a busy school day that I plan to have on hand!
So, visit often this month and see what we are snacking on as our family gets ready to head back to school. Here are some of the snacks I have planned, (the first 4 are some you may want to revisit if you missed them):
- GF Banana Muffins
- GF “PB&J” Bars (nut free if using sunflower seed butter!)
- GF Snack Mix
- GF Rice Crispy Bars
- GF Pepperoni Muffin Bites
- GF Cheese Stars and Quesadillas
- GF Snack Cones
- GF Cheeseburger Bread
- GF Pizza Scones
- Veggies and Dips
- GF Pinwheel Wraps
What do you do for your crew when they arrive home, hungry after a full day of learning or working? Share your ideas with us! We would love to hear from you!!
I just got back from a great weekend on the West coast. My sister got married and so I went out to California to help with the wedding. I must say, it has been quite some time since I have set foot aboard an airplane. Boy have things changed! Excuse my “shock and awe” but there were a few things that really caught my attention!
- How much food people carry onto the airplane and how little food is served by the airlines.
- The abundant use of electronic devices and passengers reluctance to put them away when asked! I think the pilot only had one tire on the runway touching down when the entire plane errupted into furious cell phone use.
I flew two different airlines this last weekend, Southwest and American Airlines. For those of us who have to be careful with nut allergies and other food issues, it was difficult to navigate all around. So, from that standpoint, things have not changed. I received two bags of peanuts and numerous offerings of gluten-laiden pretzels/chips on my Southwest flight. This did not surprise me as their advertising campaigns typically revolve around “nuts”. They did have a statement on their website as well that their flights are not “free from” specific allergens. So, fly at your own risk on these planes! As for American Airlines, they just didn’t serve anything… and charged extra for everything but the seat I already bought! So, no danger there from the airline; however, people brought their own munchies… you get the picture. If you do take the risk and get on an airplane, here are my suggestions for navigating the allergy challenges:
- Follow suit and B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Snack). If an airline does serve something, you can bet they will not have what you need anyway. Just don’t expect to get through security with liquids!! Purchase your own bottled after you go through security if you can and before you board the plane.
- Be prepared with something to wipe down your seat area. Try and get the places you know you or someone else will touch such as the armrests, tray table, and seat back. I brought Kleenex ToGo moist wipes and this worked great. Got a few weird stares but no questions or complaints. If you are really concerned, bring a small bed sheet to cover your seat. We did this for one of our children once and it was great peace of mind.
- Communicate ahead by calling the airline and letting them know of your allergy issues. Then, when you get on the airplane, tell the steward/stewardess as well. Especially if you have a nut allergy and are concerned. Not all airlines will provide a nut free flight anymore.
- If you have small children, call ahead and ask for early boarding so that you can attend to their seat without holding up the other passengers.
- Eat a good meal ahead of time so that you are not hungry. I also suggest looking into allergy friendly restaurants at your destination before you fly so that you have at least one or two options you can go to right away if you are in need of something safe to eat when you leave the airport.
If you need some ideas for what snacks to bring on your trip, check out our Recipe Archive for snacks that would travel well such as: snack mix (make it nut free if you need), “PB&J” Bars, and Rice Krispie Bars. My experience was overall good with each segment of my trip. Things really have changed and security is a wait wherever you go. Just be prepared and try to remain calm even in the midst of surprise! There will be surprises… that is a given!
Gluten and Nut free "PB&Jelly" Bars
Wow, was it a hot week at camp last week! For those of you who were out and about in the Midwest, we sure did have our fair share of hot, humid weather. Campers at our local church found all kinds of ways to keep cool. It was a challenge for the volunteers to keep up with the energy of the kids in all that heat! Every morning, the church staff provided volunteers with a quick, energy boosting snack of juice/coffee, fruit and snack bars (the typical pre-packaged cereal bar kind). So, I brought along a new favorite for our family… gluten and nut free “pb&jelly” bars. I shared them at the snack table with others that were looking for a gluten free “bar” option. While I realize they could have chosen a piece of fruit, these bars also pack the protein needed to keep a body going for the long haul… running after kids that is!
I received several requests for the recipe, so I thought I would share it here. This recipe has been a great after school, before sports practice, and even dessert snack. I opt for unsweetened sunflower seed butter and have lowered the sugar as much as I could in this recipe. The jam more than makes up for it! While I aim to keep our house nut free due to allergies, you could definitely use regular peanut butter in this recipe if you are able to have it. Enjoy!
“PB&Jelly” Bars, Gluten and Nut Free
"PB&J" Bar... a "star" for sustaining energy power!
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend (use one without xanthan gum or follow the link for my GF blend)
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats (check out Trader Joes new GF Oats!)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (you can use Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening as well for dairy free)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, not packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (egg replacer also works fairly well)
- 1 1/2 cups creamy or crunchy Sunbutter (I use the unsweetened version but any of their sunflower seed butter will work well. Or you can use a nut butter you prefer, such as almond, cashew, hazelnut, peanut, etc.)
- 1 8 oz. jar seedless jam, such as strawberry or grape (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds, toasted and coarsely chopped
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan (or two 8×8 square baking pans) with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, mix the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using the paddle attachment for an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the vanilla, eggs, and Sunbutter. Beat until well blended. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until a soft dough is formed.
- Spread two thirds of the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan. Then spread the jam evenly on top. Scatter small mounds of the dough over the jam layer and sprinkle with the chopped sunflower seeds. I chose to press the remaining amount of dough flat on a piece of waxed paper and used a small star cookie cutter to make star shapes and placed these all over the jam layer. You could use any shape cookie cutter for this step if you prefer.
- Bake the dessert in the 350 degree oven about 45 minutes until golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack completely before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container.
