Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Allergy Free Wednesdays Week 41: October 31, 2012

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 six other fabulous allergy-free bloggers.  Your weekly submissions will be shared on all 7 blogs!  Check back each week for reader favorites and recipe highlights.  

 Before linking up - PLEASE click HERE to review rules, guidelines, and legal information.  Thank you!  
_________________________________
Featured Recipes & Highlights

Each week AFW features the three most popular recipes from the previous week, and the six AFW hostesses will highlight their favorites.  Please note that your submission must contain a link back to our Allergy-Free Wednesday's Blog Hop in order to be featured.  Click HERE for last week's entries and the appropriate back link.  

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Fudgy Mug Cake 
   From: Writing in White 


And here are the three fabulous recipes/posts I chose to highlight:

Dairy Free Pumpkin Spice Creamer
 (Dairy free & Vegan)   
From: The Coconut Mama 

Organic Banana Nut Bread
(dairy free, grain free, SCD)
From: Whole Lifestyle Nutrition 
  
Why We Don't Get The Flu Shot
From: Real Food Eater 
*
Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!
And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________
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Posted by Amber at 6:52 PM 18 comments
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Allergy-Free Wednesdays Week 40: October 24, 2012

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 six other fabulous allergy-free bloggers.  Your weekly submissions will be shared on all 7 blogs!  Check back each week for reader favorites and recipe highlights.  

 Before linking up - PLEASE click HERE to review rules, guidelines, and legal information.  Thank you!  
_________________________________
Featured Recipes & Highlights

Each week AFW features the three most popular recipes from the previous week, and the six AFW hostesses will highlight their favorites.  Please note that your submission must contain a link back to our Allergy-Free Wednesday's Blog Hop in order to be featured.  Click HERE for last week's entries and the appropriate back link.  

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Paleo Apple Squash Muffins 
   From: Fresh 4 Five


And here are the three fabulous recipes/posts I chose to highlight:

Aunt Nettie's Chicken Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Garlic
(grain free, dairy free)
From:  My Big Fat Grain Free Life 

 Chocolate Almond Milk
From: Gluten-Free Cat
  
Flourless Egg Free Nut Butter Cookies
(with a secret ingredient)
From: Gluten Free Easily (GFE)
*
Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!
And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________
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Posted by Amber at 6:18 PM 14 comments
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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Ode to Cafe Gratitute: Part 1 ~ The Community Bowl (Kale, Black Beans, and Rice with a Cashew Cream Sauce)

I learned about Cafe Gratitude a few years ago and it has been my favorite restaurant ever since.  The closest location is about 50 minutes away, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing, because if CG was located in my town, I would need to find an evening and weekend job just to pay for my addiction to their food.  Nearly every time we travel to the Bay Area/San Francisco we stop at CG.  And every time it's a delightful treat.  Not only do they serve amazing organic vegan (and raw) cuisine, but they are also a green/sustainable establishment.  They grow their own food at an organic farm just about 25 minutes from our house.  I have such a love affair with this restaurant.  I want to live there (I know, weird).  I'm just a total sucker for earth loving, progressive, friendly, crunchy folks.  Because I can't eat there for every meal (like I dream about) I make many of their recipes here at home.  Today I'm sharing a dish called the Community Bowl that I always get for the kids when we stop by the restaurant.  They love it and it makes a great dinner.  

(An article in the Huffington Post published October 21, states that Cafe Gratitude will be closing all their Northern California locations due to "aggressive lawsuits" brought about by current and former employees).  

Noooooooooo!!! Well, this just sucks.  First I feel badly for the owners.  I don't know all the details to this story and don't know if they did something illegal, but it's unfortunate these great restaurants are closing.  Really unfortunate.  At any rate, I look forward to sharing some of my favorite dishes and recipes with you over the next few months.
  The Community Bowl
(Kale, Black Beans, Rice and Cashew Cream Sauce) 

Ingredients:
-1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped (we like Dino Kale)
-2 cups brown rice 
-3 cups prepared black beans (soaked and boiled) 
-3/4 cups cashews, soaked 4-6 hours
-1 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
-1/4 to 1/2 cup filtered water (or more if needed) 
-1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt 

How To:
1.  Cook the two cups brown rice as directed
2.  Use plain prepared black beans OR saute the black beans with some oil, a splash of water, dash of salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules (I prefer this method)
3. Use plain kale OR saute with a little water and salt to soften greens (my kids prefer kale on the soft side, as it can be a little tough)
4.  In a blender, add the soaked cashews, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Blend.  Add more water to create creamy consistency.  And then taste.  This is were you add in more salt and lemon juice to taste.  What you are looking for is a creamy, slightly tart sauce.  In the restaurant they serve this dish with a garlic tahini cashew based sauce that is amazing, but too spicy for the kids, so when I order it I just ask for the cashew cream sauce.  

 Start by mixing the kale and black beans
 Then add the rice 
 And finish with the cashew cream sauce
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Meatless Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Raw Foods Thursday, Keep It Real Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, Whole Foods Friday, 
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Posted by Amber at 10:04 PM 18 comments
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Allergy-Free Wednesdays Week 39: October 17, 2012

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 six other fabulous allergy-free bloggers.  Your weekly submissions will be shared on all 7 blogs!  Check back each week for reader favorites and recipe highlights.  

 Before linking up - PLEASE click HERE to review rules, guidelines, and legal information.  Thank you!  
_________________________________
Featured Recipes & Highlights

Each week AFW features the three most popular recipes from the previous week, and the six AFW hostesses will highlight their favorites.  Please note that your submission must contain a link back to our Allergy-Free Wednesday's Blog Hop in order to be featured.  Click HERE for last week's entries and the appropriate back link.  

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Inflammation: Your Worst Enemy  
   From: Real Food Forager 

And here are the three fabulous recipes/posts I chose to highlight:

Carob Pudding 
(dairy free, cane-sugar free, vegan)
From:  Laura's Gluten Free Pantry 

Spicy Pumpkin & Butter Bean Soup with Sumac 
(vegan & gluten free) 
From: The Fussiest Eater 
  
Cinnamon Apple Muffins 
(grain free)
From: Cooking Gluten and Dairy Free 


*
Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!
And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________
 
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Posted by Amber at 6:55 PM 24 comments
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Raw Strawberry "Cheesecake" (Method #2)

In August I shared a raw cherry "cheese" cake.  In this recipe cashew butter was used to make the filling.  In this next version, the cashews are soaked.  The final verdict for me between these two recipes?  I prefer the soaked cashew method. The filling really mimics traditional cheese cake.  It was light and creamy.  But again, I haven't had real cheese cake in years, so my memory of this dessert is a little foggy, but I can tell you that I prefer this method over the use of cashew butter.  My children and husband loved them both equally.  But I happen to live with three hopeless dessert/sweet fanatics, so they will eat anything I put in front of them that resembles cake.  Good for me, right.  Let me know if you get around to making any raw "cheese" cakes.  I really enjoy them and look forward to experimenting with different ingredients.  Yes, pumpkin is definitely on the list.  
Raw Strawberry "Cheesecake"
Inspired by nearly all the raw "cheesecakes" from Heather @ Sweetly Raw   

Ingredients:

Crust
-2 cups raw walnuts (soak and dry for optimal digestion)
-1 cup pitted and chopped dates (make sure they are soft and at room temp)
-2 teaspoons coconut oil 

Filling
-2 cups raw cashews soaked 4 - 6 hours
-1/3 cup honey (vegans use maple syrup or 30+ drops of vanilla or plain stevia) and add more if you're a sweet tooth. 
-1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid state) - I use Tropical Traditions Golden Label Virgin 
-1 tablespoon vanilla 

Strawberry Sauce
-8 ounces fresh strawberries (frozen then thawed for off season) 
-1 tablespoon honey (vegans use maple syrup or 7 drops plain or flavored stevia)
-1 teaspoon liquid coconut oil 

How To:

1.  For crust: in a food processor pulse walnuts a few times, add in dates and coconut oil.  Blend until well incorporated.  I used an 8 inch spring form pan.  You can put some wax or parchment paper down on the bottom if you wish.  Press walnut and date crust mixture into pan.  

2. For the strawberry sauce: in a blender (food processor or high speed) blend the strawberries and honey until smooth.   

3.  For the filling: in a food processor, add cashews, honey and vanilla and start blending, drizzle in coconut oil.  You can make this in a food processor or high speed blender, just take note that a high speed blender will yield a smoother texture.  Add mixture to the crust and smooth out.  Then top with about 1/2 of the strawberry sauce.  

4.  After assembly, place in freezer for at least 4 hours, then you can remove from spring form pan and transfer to fridge.  The cake will get soft in the fridge, so keep it in the freezer if you want a very firm cake.  I liked it on the softer side so I stored it in the fridge.  
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Meatless Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Raw Foods Thursdays,  Keep It Real Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, GAPS Friendly Friday, Whole Foods Friday, 
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Posted by Amber at 8:37 PM 16 comments
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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Allergy-Free Wednesdays Week 38: October 10, 2012

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 six other fabulous allergy-free bloggers.  Your weekly submissions will be shared on all 7 blogs!  Check back each week for reader favorites and recipe highlights.  

 Before linking up - PLEASE click HERE to review rules, guidelines, and legal information.  Thank you!  
_________________________________
Featured Recipes & Highlights

Each week AFW features the three most popular recipes from the previous week, and the six AFW hostesses will highlight their favorites.  Please note that your submission must contain a link back to our Allergy-Free Wednesday's Blog Hop in order to be featured.  Click HERE for last week's entries and the appropriate back link.  

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Gluten Free Hamburger Buns  
   From: Allergy-Free Alaska 


And here are the three fabulous recipes/posts I chose to highlight:

5 Ingredient Pumpkin Fudge 
 (with vegan condensed milk)
From:  Oatmeal with a Fork 

GFE Virtual Gluten-Free Support Group September 2012 ~ Eleina Hayes-Espigh: Benefits of Thermography 
(a must read)
From: Gluten Free Easily  
  
Raw Avocado Lime Cheesecake
From: Sweetly Raw
*
Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!
And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________
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Posted by Amber at 6:45 PM 1 comments
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Allergy-Free Wednesdays Week 38: October 10, 2012

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 six other fabulous allergy-free bloggers.  Your weekly submissions will be shared on all 7 blogs!  Check back each week for reader favorites and recipe highlights.  

 Before linking up - PLEASE click HERE to review rules, guidelines, and legal information.  Thank you!  
_________________________________
Featured Recipes & Highlights

Each week AFW features the three most popular recipes from the previous week, and the six AFW hostesses will highlight their favorites.  Please note that your submission must contain a link back to our Allergy-Free Wednesday's Blog Hop in order to be featured.  Click HERE for last week's entries and the appropriate back link.  

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Gluten Free Hamburger Buns  
   From: Allergy-Free Alaska 


And here are the three fabulous recipes/posts I chose to highlight:

5 Ingredient Pumpkin Fudge 
 (with vegan condensed milk)
From:  Oatmeal with a Fork 

GFE Virtual Gluten-Free Support Group September 2012 ~ Eleina Hayes-Espigh: Benefits of Thermography 
(a must read)
From: Gluten Free Easily  
  
Raw Avocado Lime Cheesecake
From: Sweetly Raw
*
Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!
And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________
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Posted by Amber at 6:45 PM 9 comments
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Sunday, October 7, 2012

Culinary Creativity Cookbook Winner Announcement.


A big thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway.  You can see my review of Dawn's cookbook and giveaway here. 

Random.org was used to generate the winning number.

The winner is: Kira Russell (entry #7)!
Congratulations!!! 

You have 72 hours to contact me in order to claim your prize.  If I don't hear from you within the specified time, I will choose another winner.  

Thank you and congratulations, and enjoy this amazing cookbook.  

--Amber 


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Posted by Amber at 8:03 PM 2 comments
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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Allergy-Free Wednesdays Week 37: October 3, 2012

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 six other fabulous allergy-free bloggers.  Your weekly submissions will be shared on all 7 blogs!  Check back each week for reader favorites and recipe highlights.  

 Before linking up - PLEASE click HERE to review rules, guidelines, and legal information.  Thank you!  
_________________________________
Featured Recipes & Highlights

Each week AFW features the three most popular recipes from the previous week, and the six AFW hostesses will highlight their favorites.  Please note that your submission must contain a link back to our Allergy-Free Wednesday's Blog Hop in order to be featured.  Click HERE for last week's entries and the appropriate back link.  

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Primal Crack Brownies 
   From: Writing in White 

I am sick this week with a UTI and E-Coli infection.  Feeling really miserable.  I've chosen some comfort foods that looked yummy even though I have a fever of 103 degrees.  Feeling totally BLAH! 

 And here are the three fabulous recipes/posts I chose to highlight:

Cherry Almond Pudding Parfait 
From:  Sweetly Raw 

Creamy Mango Shake  
From: Green Thickies 
  
Organic Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
From:  Whole Lifestyle Nutrition
*
Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!
And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________
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Posted by Amber at 6:50 PM 10 comments
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