Our recent schedule since I've gone back to work has left very little time for blogging, which makes me sad. It's left little time for showering and sleeping, too, which is another story. But I hope to keep popping in for updates as much as I can. I love this little space and am thankful for you (yes, you!) who takes the time to read it, time gaps and all. 

If you have a toddler in your house, you might be like me... when you come across an idea that actually works for your picky little one, you want to tell the world. Like getting your little guy or gal to eat squash or keeping him occupied for an entire hour. So act like you're getting a text from me with a link to these three little projects, a handful of our recent favorites. 

1. Squash waffles.

Liam's diet consists of three main food groups: waffles, Larabars (which he calls "bar snacks") and fruit (sometimes hummus and eggs make the cut, too). So when I came across this recipe for summer squash pancakes, I knew I needed to try it out to sneak a few veggies in without him realizing it.  The only thing I tweaked about the recipe was to use an all-purpose gluten free flour in lieu of whole wheat flour... and I made them into waffles instead of pancakes. They're Liam-approved, which is saying a lot, and they freeze well. 

2. Dinos in ice.
This idea has made the Pinterest and Facebook rounds, so you may have already seen it. Basically, throw some water, some little plastic toys (in our case, dinosaurs), and a little food coloring into a tupperware container and freeze it overnight. Then let your toddler use a variety of tools to dig and hammer and chop and try to figure out how to rescue the dinosaurs from the ice block. After being slightly confused initially, Liam loved this challenge and loved eventually pouring warm water on the ice block to rescue his beloved dinos. The project lasted much longer than I anticipated (nearly an hour!), which is a win for us.

3. Our little fox.

One of our nieces loves foxes, so when I saw this fox costume tutorial and pattern, Liam insisted we make a fox costume for her. We had Lanie model it, and we fell in love with her all over again. The pattern does seem to run a little small - it just barely fit on Liam's head, but fit 6-month-old Lanie just perfectly.

The best ever gluten free, dairy free bread.

For all my gluten free buddies out there who miss real bread as much as I do... this is as close as I've gotten to the perfect gluten free bread. I thought you should know.

We've been ordering Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend in bulk, and it's mainly just to make this bread. I'll whip up a couple loaves every week or two and we'll slice them and freeze them to use later for toast in the mornings, bread with dinner, or even to make bread crumbs. 

The recipe for the bread is printed right on the bag of flour, and I haven't made any changes to it, but I'll post it here as well. Try it! You will not be disappointed.

Granny's Gluten Free Oven Baked Bread

3 1/2 cups Namaste Perfect Flour Blend

1 1/2 cups milk (I use almond milk)

1 tbsp. cider vinegar

2 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. honey

1/2 cup cornstarch, arrowroot or tapioca starch

1 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 tbsp. yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1. Mix yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and set aside for 5 minutes. Warm milk, add oil, honey and cider vinegar. Beat eggs and add to milk mixture. Add yeast mixture to milk mixture and blend.

2. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and blend on medium speed with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Pour into well greased loaf pan. Cover loosely with sprayed plastic wrap and towel and let rise for 30 minutes in warm place. Preheat oven to 350°F. 

3. Cover loosely with foil tent to prevent over browning and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely.

Serving suggestion: slices best if allowed to cool completely first. Delicious warmed up and served with butter and honey!

Recipe: GF Pumpkin Cake.

via Instagram @whitneynewby

Is it a crime to post a recipe without a close-up photo of the finished product? Perhaps. But it seems like every time I bake this pumpkin cake, it's gone before I have a chance to take a real photo. This picture of Liam gobbling up his third piece straight out of the oven will have to suffice, at least for now.

This is a gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free recipe that I can feel good about feeding my toddler (and the rest of us). For the past five years, I've used Pamela's Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix for nearly all of my gluten free baking. But when a friend recently gave me a bag of Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend to try, I was hooked. While Pamela's contains a small amount of dairy, sugar, and tree nuts (almond meal), Namaste does not. I actually like the final product more, and it's less expensive. Score and score.

This recipe was adapted from Namaste's website, where I replaced the canola oil with coconut oil and the sugar with coconut sugar, which I also purchase in bulk from Amazon. The end result is a super moist, not overly sweet pumpkin-flavored quickbread that can easily be made into muffins or a bundt cake. You could also add chopped apples, chocolate chips, or a pecan topping to dress it up a bit.

GF Pumpkin Bread - adapted from NamasteFoods.com

1 cup Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend
1 cup Coconut sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. Coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 cup Canned pumpkin
2 Eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8" x 8" baking pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine sugar and melted coconut oil. With a wire whisk blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time.
3. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
4. Spread batter into prepared 8" x 8" pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

My go-to lunch.

I haven't always been in the habit of eating healthy lunches. But I've found that when I make the conscious effort to do so - instead of just popping a frozen pizza in the oven - my afternoon becomes immeasurably more productive. I also think I'm much more likely to make a healthy dinner if I've already eaten a healthy lunch.

For the past year, these lentil tacos have been my go-to meal on at least 2-3 days a week. I try to keep the ingredients readily available so they take less than 5 minutes to make, and they can be easily changed up from time to time. These also transport well in a packed lunch for work or a picnic.

I found every ingredient for these at Trader Joe's, where they stock delicious jalapeño hummus, the best cheddar cheese I've ever tasted (called "Unexpected Cheddar"), and pre-cooked lentils (found in the refrigerator section near the produce). These items are on my weekly grocery list because they make such an easy lunch and can obviously be used for lots of dinner ideas, too. This meal is also gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free, too, by nixing the cheese.

Lentil Tacos

Ingredients:
Corn tortillas
Lentils - you can cook your own or buy them pre-cooked
Jalapeño hummus - I'm pretty sure this one ingredient makes all the difference in flavor for this meal
Cheese - I like "Unexpected Cheddar" from Trader Joe's
Cherry tomatoes
Ripe avocado
Green onions

How to:
1. Heat 3-4 tablespoons of lentils per taco (either in the microwave or over the stove) until steamy. Heat the tortillas until soft.
2. Slather each tortilla with a generous tablespoon of jalapeño hummus.
3. Add warm lentils, sliced avocado, green onions, cheese, and whatever other topping you choose.
4. Enjoy!

Extra points for:
+ Grilling the tortilla (!!!) before adding ingredients
+ Adding a dollop of salsa or sour cream, and chopped cilantro
+ Drizzling with sriracha sauce for extra heat
+ Squirting fresh lime juice on top
+ Drinking Lemon flavored La Croix sparkling water

Almond Meal Cookies with Coconut, Chocolate, and Butterscotch.

It's been a while since I've posted any kind of gluten free recipe, and just one bite of these cookies is worth breaking the silence.

Shawn, upon taking the first bite, said to me: "I think these are the best yet."

Not only are they gluten free, they're grain free and can easily be made dairy free, too. Amazing!

I adapted this original recipe from Minimalist Baker based on what I had in my pantry, and added butterscotch chips, which (literally) fell out of the cupboard and (not so literally) begged to be added.

Just one word from me: YUM.

Almond Meal Cookies with Coconut, Chocolate, & Butterscotch

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups blanched almond meal flour
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips & butterscotch chips (I just poured a little of each into a 1/3 cup measuring cup until it was full)*
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*If you'd like to make this recipe dairy free, omit the butterscotch chips and use these dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Instructions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond meal, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg until uniform in color and doubled in volume.
3. Whisk in the coconut oil and vanilla, then add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or even overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place on parchment-lined baking sheet with 1-1/2 inch space in between each. Press down slightly to flatten a bit.
7. Bake until edges begin to brown, 7-10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

Let me know if you try these! I definitely plan to try the original recipe, too. They look too delicious.

January's meal plan.

Ok, friends. What you see below is my meal plan for the entire month of January. It won't take you long to figure out there's a whole lot of repetition (like eating goulash 7 times this month... yikes!). I knew the only way I'd stick with this crazy goal of not eating out one time was to make easy, familiar meals with ingredients I could easily obtain and could be used for multiple recipes. It's definitely more of a "winter" meal plan, and will change quite a bit as other foods come into season and the weather warms up. So far, we're 20 days into January and have eaten in for every meal. I've tried to add links wherever possible so that you can find the recipes I used (or at least similar ones). I hope this inspires you!

January 1
Lunch: Tuscan white bean soup + salad (save leftover soup in freezer)
Dinner: Goulash + salad + homemade applesauce

January 2
Lunch: Leftover goulash + salad
Dinner: Roast chicken with carrots & onions, brown rice (+ make homemade chicken broth with leftover chicken & bones)

January 3
Lunch: Sweet potato chili (from freezer)
Dinner: Lemon chicken stew* (using homemade chicken broth) + salad

* Substitute brown rice for the orzo to make it gluten free

January 4
Lunch: Leftover lemon chicken stew
Dinner: Cabernet pot roast in crock pot*, roasted potatoes, green beans

* I buy the Cabernet pot roast from Trader Joe's, sear in olive oil on both sides, then cook in crock pot on high (with a cup of water) for 4 to 5 hours. Comes out tender and flavorful every time.

January 5
Lunch: Roast tacos* + homemade guacamole
Dinner: Pepperoni/mushroom pizza (using this gluten free pizza crust mix ) + salad
* After we're done with the pot roast from the night before, I add some Mexican seasonings (cumin, oregano, garlic, cayenne) and let it marinate overnight. Then I heat the roast, put it in warm corn tortillas, and add guacamole, cheese, salsa, and cilantro.

January 6
Lunch: Leftover pizza + salad
Dinner: Lentil tacos* + fruit smoothies (frozen berries, frozen mango, orange juice, and kale, blended)
* The lentil tacos I make consist of a corn tortilla slathered with jalapeño hummus + warmed lentils + cheese + cilantro + avocado. They're a staple, especially when Shawn is out of town or working late and I'm just making an easy meal for myself.

January 7
Lunch: Tuscan white bean soup (from freezer)
Dinner: Sweet potato chili (from freezer) + salad

January 8
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Goulash + salad + homemade applesauce

January 9 
Lunch: Leftover goulash + salad
Dinner: Roast chicken with carrots & onions + quinoa (+ make homemade chicken broth with leftover chicken & bones)

January 10
Lunch: Chicken pasta with sautéed onions, sundried tomatoes, broccoli, white wine, & parmesan
Dinner: Lemon chicken stew + salad (using leftover broth)

January 11
Lunch: Leftover lemon chicken stew + salad
Dinner: Cabernet pot roast in crock pot, roasted potatoes, sautéed asparagus

January 12
Lunch: Roast tacos with homemade guacamole
Dinner: Tomato soup (I don't add the heavy cream) with homemade croutons + salad

January 13
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup with gluten free noodles, using homemade broth (add leftovers to freezer)
Dinner: Pepperoni/mushroom pizza + salad

January 14
Lunch: Leftover pizza + salad
Dinner: Baked chicken strips, quinoa, green beans

January 15
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Black eyed pea + collard green soup + salad

January 16
Lunch: Leftover soup + salad
Dinner: Chicken pasta with onions, sundried tomatoes, broccoli, white wine, & parmesan

January 17
Lunch: Leftover chicken pasta
Dinner: Roasted salmon, quinoa, green beans

January 18
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Cabernet pot roast, roasted potatoes, green beans, salad

January 19
Lunch: Roast tacos + guacamole
Dinner: Goulash + salad

January 20
Lunch: Leftover goulash + salad
Dinner: Tuscan white bean soup

January 21
Lunch: Leftover Tuscan white bean soup
Dinner: Sweet potato chili (from freezer)

January 22
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Lemon chicken stew

January 23
Lunch: Leftover lemon chicken stew + salad
Dinner: Roasted salmon, asparagus, brown rice

January 24
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup (from freezer) + salad
Dinner: Apple cinnamon pancakes + omelettes

January 25
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Black eyed pea + collard green soup + salad

January 26
Lunch: Leftover soup + salad
Dinner: Chicken pasta

January 27
Lunch: Leftover chicken pasta
Dinner: Tomato soup + homemade croutons + salad

January 28
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup from freezer
Dinner:  Pepperoni/mushroom pizza + salad

January 29
Lunch: Leftover pizza + salad
Dinner: Tuscan white bean soup

January 30
Lunch: Leftover Tuscan white bean soup
Dinner: Roast chicken, carrots, onions, potatoes

January 31
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Goulash + salad

A couple more things...
For breakfasts...
Shawn makes and eats the same breakfast every day: 3 eggs, over easy; two pieces of gluten free cinnamon raisin toast; a smoothie (frozen mango, frozen berries, kale or spinach, and orange juice); and tea or coffee. Liam and I split 3 scrambled eggs, frozen gluten free waffles/pancakes (or sometimes oatmeal for me), juice, and hot tea.

For snacks around the house... 
We eat a whole lot of fresh fruit (bananas, clementines, apples, strawberries, grapes), some dried fruit (dried mango and cherries), a few chips to go along with meals, and I drink a lot of tea (green, black, white, and herbal).

For Liam... 
He's at the age - 14 months - where he's able to eat what we eat, for the most part. I don't buy or make special baby food as I want him to become accustomed to eating with us at the table and learning to try new things. He definitely has opinions about what he likes and doesn't like, but he's a fantastic eater so far.

PS - I promised a Sponsor Giveaway post today, but am needing to postpone that until next Monday, the 27th. Check back then for a sweet giveaway!

Chocolate "ice cream" for littles.

Our little guy, Liam, is 14 months old and is just getting to the age that he's eyeing my dessert. And if you let him try something sweet before he finishes the rest of his meal, it's pretty hopeless that he'll want anything else. So instead of loading him up with sugar, I've started to make him his own "dessert" that's made only with frozen bananas and cocoa. It has all the qualities of a great soft-serve ice cream, but this one is completely guilt free. It's also easy to make in just a few minutes at home, has no refined sugar, and is gluten and dairy free. Can't beat that!

Here's how I make it (to serve 2):

Ingredients: 
2 ripe, frozen bananas*
1 tablespoon cocoa (optional)

1. Break bananas into fourths and pulse in food processor or high speed blender until bananas are chopped into small pieces.
2. If using cocoa, add it to the bananas now.
3. Turn the food processor or blender on high for 2-3 minutes until bananas have the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

That's it! This would also be a great recipe to serve to a brand new mom who may be looking to limit her sugar intake but would love something sweet.

**I'll give this disclaimer: If you don't like bananas, you will not like this. Shawn is totally repulsed by them, so this looks like the worst idea ever to him. But if you like them, you should totally try this. :)

Gluten free croutons.

When I first cut gluten out of my diet five years ago, I had major cravings for the baked goods that were now off limits. I missed hot bagels, gooey chocolate chip cookies, and blueberry muffins and I even had a dream about eating a croissant once. But croutons? Croutons weren't something I missed. They were an easy thing to cut out of my diet without a second thought. 

Five years later, however, I'm starting to miss them. The bit of saltiness and crunch they add can do wonders for an otherwise texturally bland spinach salad. And from what I've recently discovered, they're so easy to make. I use Udi's gluten free whole grain bread for these, but any gluten free sandwich bread will work well. The recipe is very simple, it almost feels silly to share it, but here we go.

Croutons for Two 

3 slices gluten free sandwich bread (the end of the loaf works great!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Dash of salt

1-2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice 3 pieces of gluten free sandwich bread into cubes and place on baking sheet.

2. Drizzle bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil.

3. Add one dash of salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper.

4. Add 1-2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese. Use your hands to toss the croutons, making sure each piece of bread is coated with oil and spices. Bake for 7-8 minutes in preheated oven, stirring them around once to help them brown on all sides. 

I like to make these fresh as they only take a few minutes while I'm getting the rest of the salad together, but they can also be stored in an airtight container in the pantry for a week or so.

Tuscan White Bean Soup.

This soup has become a staple during cooler months. It's flavorful, very filling, and naturally gluten- and dairy-free. I've made it for three winters now, but with more frequency than ever in recent weeks as we've discovered it's Liam's very favorite food. He'll spit out pieces of chocolate cake, but he'll eat bowl after bowl of this. Go figure. I like to double the recipe to save in the fridge for easy lunches. It also freezes well.

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale

Adapted from A Lovely Morning

1/4 cup olive oil

3 medium size yellow onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

2-3 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes in juice

3 15-oz. cans white cannellini beans

A few handfuls of chopped Tuscan kale, de-ribbed

Pinch of red chili flakes

Salt & pepper

1. Cook chopped onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat with a pinch of salt until soft, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and rosemary, then add carrots until the mixture is soft and fragrant, about 5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper as you go, tasting the mixture along the way.

2. Add tomatoes and juice, along with a pinch of red chili flakes. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add beans and their broth and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer, then use a potato masher to mash some of the beans. If you like an even smoother consistency, you can use an electric hand blender. Finally, stir in the kale. Add salt and pepper, if necessary, and (if you aren't on a dairy-free diet) garnish with sharp parmesan or cheddar when serving. It tastes even better the next day.

PS - The kitchen help… 

Eating gluten free at friends' homes.

Imagine this scenario with me... 

You have to eat gluten free (due to Celiac or a gluten intolerance) and you're invited over for dinner at a new friend's house. You'd love to accept, but you hate being high maintenance. You know the person may have no clue a.) what gluten is, and b.) how to make a meal that's safe for you to eat. It's the predicament I've found myself in, so I've come up with this basic list that will help them when thinking about what to prepare. It is by no means exhaustive, but it's a great place to start for people who have no idea what gluten is or how to avoid it. If you find yourself in the same predicament, feel free to copy and paste this list into an email! It's also really helpful to offer to bring something.

Here are some foods that are naturally gluten free: 
Corn, rice (white rice, brown rice, basmati rice), potatoes, quinoa
Fruit
Vegetables - as long as they don't have sauce or breading (grilled or sauteed or steamed is all fine!)
Any meat
Any fish/seafood
Eggs
Nuts, seeds, dried fruit
Beans, legumes/lentils
Any oils
Jello products/puddings
Sugar, maple syrup, honey
Any drinks 
Any spices

There are only three things I cannot eat: wheat, barley, and rye. Unfortunately, there are LOTS of foods with these ingredients: any breaded/floured meat or vegetables, soy sauce (which contains wheat), bread, muffins, pasta, cake. 

There are some things that are "maybe" foods: soups and sauces. Sometimes wheat has been used to thicken them, which makes them risky if they aren't homemade.

Really, the simpler the better. A roasted chicken with herbs, vegetables, and mashed potatoes would always be safe. Salads (without croutons) are great. All of that is naturally gluten free. If there are questions about specific ingredients, it's safest to look on the food label and near the bottom of the ingredient list, you should be able to see "contains wheat" if it does. It doesn't have to say "gluten free" on the label to be gluten free - lots of foods are naturally gluten free and aren't labelled as such.

Thank you again for accommodating me! You are a blessing.

Gluten free in Raleigh.

Ok, ok. I know we've officially been here for 5 days, but we've already gotten to experience some delicious gluten free food here in Raleigh that I can't help but share. (We made several trips to the area before moving here, so we haven't eaten at all these places in 5 days, don't worry.) We're lucky enough to have our brother and sister-in-law here in town who have already eaten their way through Raleigh and now they serve as our guides through Raleigh's impressive culinary scene. We'll take it.

Source: Escazu Chocolates

Escazu - This quaint artisan chocolate shop makes the top of the list because we're already regulars. I think we've been there at least 5 or 6 times. It's getting a little ridiculous how much we're there. It's a chocolate shop that roasts and grinds their own chocolate on antique grinders in the store, and their ice cream push pops are to die for. We choose the dairy free coconut chocolate push pop every time. These many, many five star reviews tell the truth. It really is that good.

Source: Goodnight Raleigh

Busy Bee Cafe - This one is located in downtown Raleigh, and while there isn't a separate gluten free menu, they are happy to accommodate a gluten free diet. They serve local, in-season, farm-to-table style foods with an always changing menu. We loved the rooftop deck on a summer night a couple weeks ago. Fresh and delicious.

Source: Shaba Shabu

Shaba Shabu - While we've only had take-out from here, their Pad Thai was delicious and gluten free.

Source: Lilly's Pizza

Lilly's Pizza - This local pizza place is in a great location near historic Five Points and has a fun local atmosphere with local art covering the walls. Their gluten free crust wasn't my favorite, but the toppings were delicious and the salads were surprisingly good.

Source: WRAL.com

Coquette Brasserie - In beautiful North Hills, Coquette serves traditional French cuisine and was happy to offer gluten free options. We had Sunday brunch there and the omelette with sage sausage and goat cheese was excellent. The atmosphere is hip and fancy, and would be perfect for a date night without the baby.

Source: The Bento Box

Last but not least, The Bento Box in Wilmington, NC was a new find for us today. We headed out to the beach, which is only 2 hours from us now (yeah!!), and there were lots of gluten free items on the sushi and Thai menus. Their Pad Thai was one of the best we've ever had.