The Tasty Alternative: October 2013

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Allergy-Free Wednesday Week 91: October 30, 2013

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.

What can I link-up on AFW?

We welcome allergy-free cuisine in any shape or form
Tips & allergy related articles/information are welcome
Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities all welcome
Rules & Guidelines *Please provide a link directly to your post (not your homepage).
Please provide a link back to our weekly blog hop somewhere in your post.
Please provide a description of your recipe, such as DF (dairy free), GF (gluten free), SF (sugar free), V (vegan), etc.
Recipes do not have to be free of all common allergens, just allergy-free in some way.
TWO weekly submissions max please.
Grab yourself a badge and help support Allergy-Free Wednesdays and the allergy-free community.
Entries that don’t comply with stated rules and guidelines will be respectfully removed.

Please leave a comment after you link-up and tell us about your weekly submission(s). We love to hear from you!

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest. You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work , or else has a broad license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).
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Featured Recipes & Highlights

Each week AFW features the most most popular recipe 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.

So without further ado...

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

Using Real Food to Heal Your Thyroid
From: Real Food Forager

And here are my favorite recipes/posts from last week:

Homemade Chocolate Pudding
From: Recipes to Nourish

Paleo Pillow Cookies
From: Nourishing Charlotte

Easy Pea-sy Cheesy Tuna/Salmon Casserole
From: Gluten Free Easily

Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________

Monday, October 28, 2013

Win a Copy of Ricki Heller's New CookBook: Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free + Review

I'm thrilled to finally share this review and giveaway with you today. I jumped at the chance to be part of Ricki's virtual book tour, as I am such a HUGE fan of Ricki and her amazing blog: RickiHeller.com. You've no doubt seen Ricki's new cookbook: Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free circulating the web and featured on many, many blogs.

This is a cookbook you NEED in your culinary library.

Let me ask you this...

Do you have a sweet tooth?

Do you enjoy desserts?

Are you trying to get white/refined cane sugar out of your life?

Do you suffer from Candida?

Do you often have intense sugar cravings?

Want to learn how to bake using natural, healthy ingredients?
Want to make healthy snacks for your children?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, then this book is for you.

What makes Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free different?
This is a book devoted entirely to desserts, breads, and treats.
All of Ricki's recipes are vegan and 100% free of: gluten, dairy, and cane-sugar.

Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free is a wonderful reference. Ricki shares her personal story and relationship with sugar from childhood to present day. She shares her low points and triumphs and her transition to permanent whole-food living without animal products and cane-sugar. Ricki states, "Today I enjoy a whole-food diet filled with delicious foods and no absence of treats."
If Ricki can do it, so can you! Let Ricki be your guide into a healthier lifestyle, let her show you how to have a positive relationship with the foods so often placed "off limits." Don't deprive yourself, celebrate food and celebrate health with Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free!

When reviewing a cookbook, I prefer to test several recipes and provide feedback for my readers, so continue reading for my recipe reviews. And at the end of this post you can enter to win your very own copy of Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free.

Recipe Review

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For the first recipe I could not wait to make her "Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies" (page 116). I haven't had sugar cookies in years, er, I haven't had sugar cookies that tasted this AMAZING in years. I cannot stress how close to traditional sugar cookies these taste in texture and flavor. The dough was easy to work with (I left it in the fridge over night), it rolled out perfectly the next day, the dough kept its shape, the cookies were light and flaky and BUTTERY (yes these vegan cookies tasted buttery), and they were the perfect sweetness level. I frosted these bad boys with Ricki's world famous Chocolate "Buttercream" Frosting (and I went crazy and ate like 10 cookies in one day). I would buy this cookbook for the sugar cookie recipe alone my friends, it's that good. I had such fun with my kids cutting out the shapes (pumpkins for Halloween of course) and frosting was a blast. Oh oh oh, this frosting. No words. Just make it and you'll see. I used tahini and was pleasantly surprised by how much I LOVED it in there (admittedly, I was skeptical at first) but Ricki knows her stuff and she is right on the money with her subs and suggestions).

Next I made Raw Gingersnap Cookie Bon Bons (page 206). Filled with nuts, oats, cinnamon and ginger, these little bite size treats are fabulous. The coconut butter coating is sensational. My family really enjoyed these. For me the ginger was extra special. It's one of my favorite ingredients and flavors.

For a dinner party with friends I made Raw Frosted Lemon-Poppy Seed Squares (page 208). Let me just say this...a 7 year old boy at the gathering devoured these. His mom leaned over and said, "He's super picky...I cannot believe he is eating so many of those." Nuff said!

And finally, homemade Oatmeal Poppy Seed Scones (page 54). This was my first time making scones! Yes. You know I'm not a very adventurous baker so I appreciate Ricki's easy-to-follow recipes. I made a large batch of Ricki's All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Mix (page 22) which is awesome. This cookbook appeals to both the novice and seasoned baker. The scones were a hit with the family. I had to put a 2 1/2 scone limit on my 4-year-old son that night. The poppy seed flavor was subtle and pleasing.

Are you ready to win a copy of Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free!!!

Enter here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Pumpkin, Banana, Cranberry Muffins (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free, nut free)

I've been thoroughly enjoying all this baking. My house always smells awesome. No longer relying on store bought baked goods, we always have a muffin recipe on the ready for breakfast, snack, dessert...anytime. I've been learning a lot about gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free baking along the way. I've limited myself to just a few gluten free flours to make things easy (brown rice, millet, and sorghum) and using only tapioca for the starch. I have learned that psylum husk is a good sub for xanthan gum, and that coconut milk and applesauce keep egg-based baked good nice and moist. There are so many gluten free flours to explore. This is the fun of it - if think about it, compared to gluten baking, there are so many MORE possibilities with gluten free. I have one more muffin recipe to share (chocolate of course), then I will start my vegan baking adventure. Lastly, I will spend some time with grain-free, egg baking, then grain-free vegan baking.

I hope you enjoy this fall inspired muffin recipe.

Pumpkin, Banana, Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients:

wet
-2 eggs room temperature
-1/2 cup pumpkin puree room temperature
-3/4 cup ripe banana
-1/2 cup coconut sugar
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
-1/4 cup applesauce
-3 tablespoons full fat coconut milk
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-10 drops stevia

dry
-100 grams sorghum flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
-100 grams brown rice flour (3/4 cup)
-60 grams tapioca flour (1/2 cup)
-1 tablespoon cinnamon
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1/2 teaspoon psyllium husk
-1/2 cup dried cranberries

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (except the cranberries).

2. Next, in a large bowl, add in the eggs, banana, pumpkin, coconut sugar, coconut oil, coconut milk, applesauce, vanilla, and stevia. Beat on medium with a hand mixer for 30 seconds.

3. Add in the dry ingredients. Mix gently to incorporate then beat on medium with hand mixer for 15 seconds. Hand mix in the cranberries.

4. Fill batter to near the top of the muffin cups, add little pumpkin seeds for garnish.

5. Bake for 16 minutes.

6. Remove muffins from tin and cool on rack.

Makes 12 muffins

Notes:
*For wet ingredients use a 1 cup glass Pyrex for measuring.
*For dry, use metal measuring cups. And when measuring flours, spoon the flours into the measuring cup, then level off with a knife. Never pack in the flour.
*The muffins will stay moist for 3 or 4 full days at room temp in a container.
*I use these large baking muffin cups.

Ethan just LOVES to help mommy bake!!

And lastly on my list here to share before I move on to vegan baking are these chocolate cupcakes...

Here is a recap of my gluten free/dairy free/cane-sugar free recipes:

Banana Walnut Bread
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Coconut Blueberry Muffins
Strawberry Coconut Cake

Zucchini Chai Spiced Muffins

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Shared on: Whole Food Fridays, Lunchbox Love, My Meatless Mondays, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Allergy-Free Wednesday Week 90: October 22, 2013

Hello and welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW).

What can I link-up on AFW?

We welcome allergy-free cuisine in any shape or form
Tips & allergy related articles/information are welcome
Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities all welcome
Rules & Guidelines *Please provide a link directly to your post (not your homepage).
Please provide a link back to our weekly blog hop somewhere in your post.
Please provide a description of your recipe, such as DF (dairy free), GF (gluten free), SF (sugar free), V (vegan), etc.
Recipes do not have to be free of all common allergens, just allergy-free in some way.
TWO weekly submissions max please.
Grab yourself a badge and help support Allergy-Free Wednesdays and the allergy-free community.
Entries that don’t comply with stated rules and guidelines will be respectfully removed.

Please leave a comment after you link-up and tell us about your weekly submission(s). We love to hear from you!

_________________________________

Featured Recipes & Highlights

So without further ado...

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

Grain Free Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
From: The Tasty Alternative

And here are my favorite recipes/posts from last week:

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
From: Ricki Heller

Chicken Burgers with Grilled Pears
(AIP)
From: My Big Fat Grain Free Life

Asian Chicken Slaw Salad
From: Not Missing a Thing

Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Butternut Squash Coconut Hemp Smoothie

Oh boy, folks, this smoothie is incredible. It's thick, creamy, and not icy (my three musts in a smoothie). I don't know about you, but I use pumpkin and butternut squash interchangeably. Truthfully, I find butternut squash is much sweeter than pumpkin and I love it in desserts. It's fun to mix it up though, as I feel like pumpkins are taking over my life. Ha ha. A delicata would also be great in here! They are perhaps my favorite squash of all! My son slurped this down for his morning snack and off to play. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I like to make smoothies for a little pre-breakfast pick me up. Be adventures and try the many different varieties of squash available this time of year. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Butternut Squash Coconut Hemp Smoothie

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup filtered water

-1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

-1/2 cup baked butternut squash

-1/2 cup ripe banana (1 medium)

-2 tablespoons coconut nectar (honey or maple syrup)

-1 tablespoon raw hemp seeds (optional)

-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (more to taste)

-1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
-3 ice cubes*

How To:

1. Add everything to a blender and blend until the ice cubes are properly crushed. The smoothie should be chilled, but not icy. If you like icy smoothies, than by all means, add in more ice.

Notes:

*I use these for ice cubes - I purchase at a store in town, but they can also be found online.

*Use any protein source or powder in place of the hemp, or just omit.

*In place of the ice cubes, freeze the banana (cut up first) over night and add an additional 1/4 cup of water or coconut milk.

*Want to start with pumpkin in your smoothie? Try my Chocolate Pumpkin Hemp Smoothie or Pumpkin Coconut Almond Smoothie.

Shared on: Wellness Weekend, Whole Food Fridays, Whole Food Fridays, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Healthy Vegan Friday Lunchbox Love, My Meatless Mondays, Fat Tuesdays

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Allergy-Free Wednesday Week 89: November 16, 2013

Hello and welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW).

What can I link-up on AFW?

We welcome allergy-free cuisine in any shape or form
Tips & allergy related articles/information are welcome
Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities all welcome
Rules & Guidelines *Please provide a link directly to your post (not your homepage).
Please provide a link back to our weekly blog hop somewhere in your post.
Please provide a description of your recipe, such as DF (dairy free), GF (gluten free), SF (sugar free), V (vegan), etc.
Recipes do not have to be free of all common allergens, just allergy-free in some way.
TWO weekly submissions max please.
Grab yourself a badge and help support Allergy-Free Wednesdays and the allergy-free community.
Entries that don’t comply with stated rules and guidelines will be respectfully removed.

Please leave a comment after you link-up and tell us about your weekly submission(s). We love to hear from you!

_________________________________

Featured Recipes & Highlights

So without further ado...

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

Healthy Fun Size Snickers Bars
(vegan, grain free)
From: Oatmeal with a Fork

And here are my favorite recipes/posts from last week:

Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips
From: The Healthy Maven

Keep Germs at Bay with Immune Boosting Jam
(grain free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)
From: Whole New Mom

Apple Cinnamon Bars with Vanilla Coconut Frosting
From: Sweetly Raw

Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________

Monday, October 14, 2013

Last Chance To Purchase The Harvest Your Health Ebook Bundle - Sale Ends Today (71 Ebooks for only $37)

That's right!
71 ebooks for only $37

To purchase click here

For one week only, this incredible collection is available for 97% off retail value! You pay just $37!

DETAILS:

-These sale prices are ONLY for one week, so take advantage NOW!
-All books are emailed to your inbox. You can download the PDF files on to your computer, or into any e-reader like Kindle, Nook, etc.
-You can click on each book title to learn more about the book.
-You will also receive a PDF file with all your coupon codes and directions to sign up for the e-magazines included!

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Please take a moment to scroll through ALL the items included in this offer. Below is a list of all the ebooks, meal plans, online magazine subscriptions and discount codes included in this once in a lifetime offer.

Here is what you'll get:

*
Use the links to obtain more detailed information on each specific category or book.

Cooking/Preparing Paleo Food

Paleo Everyday ($8.99) by Heather
Paleogasm ($30) by Camille Macres
Paleo Snack Recipes ($17) by Suz Crawt
Paleo Chocolate ($4.99) by Ben Hirshberg
Paleo Ice Cream ($5.99) by Ben Hirshberg
Gluten Free Pancakes ($4.99) by Jolene Sloam
The Grain Free Lunchbox ($9.95) by Jolene Sloam
30 Day Intro to Paleo ($20) by Bill & Hayley Staley
A Paleo Pumpkin Thanksgiving ($5) by George Bryant
Toadally Primal Smoothies ($9.99) by Todd Dosenberry
Baking with Coconut Flour ($18.95) by Starlene Stewart
Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat ($14.95) by Melissa Joulwan
FastPaleo Top 100 of 2012 with bonuses ($14.97) by James Gregory and Ute Mitchell
Primal Tightwad: Maximizing Your Health On a Minimal Budget ($14.95) by Carolyn Rush
The Modern No-Nonsense Guide to Paleo: Shopping, Kitchens, Lunches ($10) by Alison Golden

Cooking/Preparing Real Food

Crock On Cookbook ($5) by Stacy
Crazy for Kale ($5.99) by Hallie Klecker
Super Cruciferous ($6) by Stormy Sweitzer
Real Food Hits the Road ($14.95) by Millie
Apartment Gardening ($5.95) by Jami Leigh
Restocking the Pantry ($10) by Kresha Faber
Just Making Ice Cream ($12) by Marillyn Beard
Broth: Elixir of Life ($12.97) by Patricia Lacoss – Arnold
Raw Fed Cats: Feeding Cats a Diet of Whole Raw Foods ($9.99) by Linda Zurich
Back to School Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes ($4.99) by Stephanie Brandt Cornais
The Veggie Book: How to Pick, Prepare and Plate ($9.95) by Danielle Tate, Debra Worth, Sara Shay and Kayla Grey

Meal Plans

3 months of Paleo Meal Plans ($29.97) by Deliciously Organic
4 months of Plan to Eat Meal Planner ($19.80) by the Plan to Eat team
2 months of PrimalPal Membership ($9.99) by Chad and Chris (with several contributors)

Personal/Home Care (Skin, Hair, Teeth, Cleaning)

Clear for Life ($27) by Seppo Puusa
Salve Made Simple ($7.95) by Jennifer
My Buttered Life: Gift Edition ($5) by Renee Harris
Cure Your Skin Compulsions ($19.95) by Tracy Raftl
Natural Cleaning ($15) by Katie – The Wellness Mama
Ultimate Secrets to Acne Freedom ($29) by Tracy Raftl
My Buttered Life: Summer Edition ($5) by Renee Harris
Simple Scrubs to Make and Give ($3.99) by Stacey Karen
Homemade Health and Beauty ($4.99) by Sandra Calixto
My Buttered Life: Personal Care Edition ($5) by Renee Harris
Questions to Ask Your Dentist Handbook ($29) by Will & Susan Revak
The Holistic Mama’s Guide to Homemade Skincare ($19) by Roxanne King
Tips and Tricks to Remineralize and Repair Your Teeth ($12.95) by Ramiel Nagel
Awaken Your Roots: Secrets of a Master Hair Shaman ($29.95) by Anthony Morrocco

Fertility, Pregnancy, Babies, Children, Motherhood

First Bites ($9.99) by Hilary Kimes Bernstein
Birth Control Unlocked ($14) by Stefani Ruper
Fertilise Yourself ($19.95) by Natalie Kringoudis
Fertility Yoga Program ($9.99) by Hethir Rodriguez
Eat Your Way to Parenthood ($35) by Gabriela Rosa
My Buttered Life: Baby Edition ($5) by Renee Harris
A Practical Guide to Children’s Health ($17.95) by Kate Tietje
From Maiden to Motherhood ($6.99) by Stephanie Brandt Cornais
Mother’s Little Herbal Helper and Home Remedies ($12.50) by Natalie Vickery
Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus videos! ($30) by Wardee Harmon & Jami Delgado

Inspiration

The Paleo Miracle ($19.99) by Joe Salama
Primal Deliverance ($14.97) by James Gregory
Building Incredible Willpower by Dean Dwyer ($25) by Dean Dwyer

Fitness

Bodyweight Overload ($19.99) by Todd
Run with No Pain ($17) by Ben Greenfield
Sandbag Training ($6.99?) by Ben Hirshberg
Dog Yoga with The Lightfoot Way ($10) by Allison Culver
Everyday Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness $20 (1 month for 1 penny) by Sarah & John Fragoso and Jason Seib

Intentional/Simple Living

25 Intentional Days ($25) by Andrew Miller
Inside-Out Simplicity ($2.99) by Joshua Becker
One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler ($5) by Tsh
Simple Living: 30 Days to Less Stuff and More Life ($2.99) by Lorilee Lippincott

Informational

Diet Recovery 2 ($9.99) by Matt Stone
The Vegan Solution ($9.99) by Matt Stone
Exuberant Animal ($9.99) by Frank Forencich
Common Sense Health ($8.95) by Laurie Neverman
Change Your Body, Change the World ($9.99) by Frank Forencich
A Brief Guide to Intuitive and Mindful Eating ($2.99?) by Ben Hirshberg
21 Life Lessons from Livin’ La Vida Low Carb ($15) by Jimmy Moore
Sow, Planting the Seeds for Health, Well Being and a Superhero Life ($5.55) by Joe Rignola

Detoxify

21 Day Paleo Cleanse ($25) by Neely Quinn
Detoxification: 70 Ways to Cleanse, Clear & Purify Your Body, Space & Life ($9.99) by Linda Zurich

Online Magazine Subscriptions

Paleo Magazine (12 months – 6 issues) ($29.95) by Cain
Paleo Living Magazine (3 months – 7 issues) by Jeremy Hendon
Healthy Recipes Magazine 3 Month Trial (7 issues) by Jeremy Hendon

Discounts

The Bos Life – Meat (explanation coming soon)
10% off OraWellness
25% off Squatty Potty
20% off Chomp Sticks
15% off Louise’s Foods
10% off Culture for Health
10% off Paleo on the Go
20% off Primal Pit Paste
20% off Tisano Chocolate
20% off Vintage Tradition
30% off Kasandrinos olive oil
15% off Nikki’s Coconut Butter
50% off PrimalPal for 6 or 12 months
$65 off PaleoFit/PaleoPlan for 12 months
$100 off 12 month package from Dietitian Cassie
20% off Wild Mountain Paleo Store – Seafood isle
15% off Redmong Trading (real salt, earthpaste, etc)
$30 off a $100+ purchase from PrimalBlueprint.com

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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Allergy-Free Wednesday Week 91: October 30, 2013

Monday, October 28, 2013

Win a Copy of Ricki Heller's New CookBook: Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free + Review

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Pumpkin, Banana, Cranberry Muffins (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free, nut free)

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Allergy-Free Wednesday Week 90: October 22, 2013

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Butternut Squash Coconut Hemp Smoothie

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Allergy-Free Wednesday Week 89: November 16, 2013

Monday, October 14, 2013

Last Chance To Purchase The Harvest Your Health Ebook Bundle - Sale Ends Today (71 Ebooks for only $37)

Cooking/Preparing Real Food

Meal Plans

Personal/Home Care (Skin, Hair, Teeth, Cleaning)

Fertility, Pregnancy, Babies, Children, Motherhood

Inspiration

Fitness

Intentional/Simple Living

Informational

Detoxify

Online Magazine Subscriptions

Discounts

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