I love me a good salad, but I sometimes get bored with them. Then I started to think of other things I loved (like fajitas) and thought, well, I could make that into a salad! So I did. It was yummy. Chicken Fajita Salad (for 2) Ingredients:
For garnish: Any and all of these are optional!
Method:
You can use this recipe to make for filling tortillas too. My gluten free son and I usually have the salad version, while my husband and the girls have a proper fajita with the wrap. Do you have any salad ideas you like, and would like to share? Please do! Have a great weekend!
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When Caleb was young, we were sure there was something not quite right. We couldn't pin-point it until he got closer to 12 months old, and he had missed some milestones, but there was more than that. Some of the early warning signs of Caleb's autism were that he didn't look/respond when his name was called. He didn't point, or wave hello or goodbye, and couldn't follow a gesture when we would point to something. Caleb didn't make noise to get our attention, and didn't "ask" for help or make any basic requests. He wasn't really babbling, or imitating sounds at all. He would say "bah" in a very particular, rhythmic way. He didn't refuse cuddling, but he never initiated it by reaching out to be picked up. Caleb also never seemed interested in having anyone near by to play with. You could be playing with him or not, and it didn't matter to him. He spent a lot of his time opening and shutting our cupboards. Caleb started in therapy because of a survey I filled out at an Ontario Early Years playgroup where a paediatric nurse was a special speaker/visitor. She gave all the parents a survey to fill in about their child (ages and stages survey), and I remember thinking, "Well, I might as well be honest!" The N.P. was reading the survey results off to the side of them room, and she came up to me and asked if we could talk privately. She was very kind, and I could tell she didn't want to alarm me, but she very gently asked if she could refer Caleb to a speech therapist, as well as an occupational therapist. I agreed, and within 3 months Caleb was going to both therapies. Being honest about what your child can and cannot do is important. You don't want to worry about every little thing, but you need to be aware of milestones that are being missed. A child who talks late doesn't necessarily mean they have Autism, you need to look at the whole picture of your child and where there are. The most important thing about Autism is getting help as soon as possible. Book an appointment with your family doctor, or paediatrician, and let them know your concerns, and that you would like to schedule and Autism Screening (a simple test of questions, and getting your feedback as a parent about your child). Even though diagnosing a child may take a while, you can still take advantage of the treatment options available to a child with developmental delays. Lastly, it's not your fault! Autism is not caused by forgetting to eat mass quantities of broccoli while pregnant, or forgetting to take your folic acid. It's not because you got pregnant without planning to, and felt some dread, it isn't because your child is being raised in the city and not the country, or whatever thing it is that makes you think , "If only I...." Autism is not the end of the world, it's just a different view of the world! Your child needs love, and warmth, and laughter, and crying, and all the things everyone needs-just be prepared to dish it out differently! It's easier for me to say now that my Caleb is 9 years old, but if I could talk to myself as a Mom when Caleb was 1, 2, 3, etc.....I would tell myself all of the above! Stop wondering, "if only" while looking back, and start looking forward, and have plans and hope for what might come for the beautiful child you've been given.
Time to use up some rotten bananas! These gluten free mini muffins (or you can make them full sized too) rise beautifully, taste great, and are easy to put together. Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Ingredients: 1 1/2Cups all purpose gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill) 1/2Cup packed brown sugar 1/2Tsp Salt 2 Tsp baking powder 1 Tsp Cinnamon (optional) 1/3Cup Butter or coconut oil, melted 1 large banana, mashed (roughly 1/2Cup) 1/3Cup Milk 1/2Cup Chocolate Chips Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease, or use muffin liners in muffin pan. 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon (if using). 3. In a smaller bowl mix the milk, melted butter, and mashed banana. 4. Add the wet to the dry, and mix just until moistened. 5. Fold in the chocolate chips 6. Scoop batter into mussing pan. I used my 2 tbsp scoop from The Pampered Chef to fill my mini muffin liners. If you're making regular sized muffins, fill 3/4of the way. 7. If making MINI sized: bake for 11-12 minutes If making REGULAR sized: baked for 20-23 minutes. Makes 24 mini, or 12 regular sized muffins. I like to make these mini so I can send them with the kids to school, and it's not some jumbo muffin they are likely to not have time to finish, and will just waste. They freeze really well, so bake 'em, put them away in the freezer when cooled (in a airtight container), and take them out as needed!
Happy muffin making! When we moved into our new house two years ago, I knew the cupboard space could be an issue. I decided I wanted a hanging pot rack, but I couldn't find one that suited our house and style, and also our budget! Why are ugly, hum-drum hanging pot holders so darn expensive?!? So, I kept an open mind, and finally this past summer I found the perfect hanging pot holder for us. An antique sled for $15! Woot woot! My husband was skeptical though....very skeptical.... I bought the rope and hardware I would need (when I told the guys at the local Home Hardware what it was for they were skeptical too...geepers, some men haven't a spark of imagination!) I needed to spray paint the hardware because I didn't want it to be shiny silver. Then, when my Dad was visiting one weekend, we got to work! We had to drill a lot (a LOT) of holes into my ceiling because this old house does not have "regular", evenly spaced beams. So, we drilled to make sure we were putting the eyelets into beams (ya know, so the pot rack didn't come crashing down on our heads!) I love the finished product! And, my husband even thought it was kind of awesome. I am so happy that I found this sled, and that I didn't just buy the first thing I saw from Bed, Bath & Beyond. It's original, it goes with our beautiful old house, and I love to re-use stuff!
Have you ever given something a totally different job than what it was intended for? Tell me about it! I am always interested in new & creative ideas! Monster cookies are not (despite what my Caleb thinks) for Cookie Monster only. They are, however, a wonderful peanut-butter, oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips and M&M's though. But I was looking at some mini chocolate bars we got during Halloween, and wanted them used up sooner than later, so I didn't wind up eating them all! I used a Monster Cookie recipe I already had, only I used chopped up chocolate bars in with the M&M's and chocolate chips. Monster Chocolate Bar Cookies Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups creamy or chunky peanut butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup granulated white sugar 1/2Cup butter, room temperature. 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 Cups of: chopped mini (or full sized) chocolate bars (make sure they are wheat free, unlike the Twix bar in the photo I took. I didn't use it), M&M's, and chocolate chips. Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Set aside. 3. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats and the baking soda. Set aside. 4 Using an electric mixer (or stand mixer), in a large bowl, cream the peanut butter and butter with the sugars. 5. Add the eggs and vanilla, then add the oats and baking soda. 6. Using a spoon, stir in the chopped chocolate bars, M&M's, and chocolate chips. 7. Using a scoop, or heaping tablespoons, drop the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. 8. Bake 10 minutes. Do not over-bake! The cookies will look underdone just out of the oven, but they continue to cook a little, and will be perfect! 9. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets until cookies are set, then put them onto a cooling rack. If you plan on storing these (they freeze really well!), be sure they are completely cool before packing them away. These cookies are another example that A: gluten free does not necessarily mean more healthy, and B: gluten free does not have to be boring and yucky!!! Give these a try to let me know what you think!
You say "po-tato", I say "faux-tato", I was home-schooled, I'm a little geeky. Let's move on!
So, potato soup is a very cost effective meal, and potatoes are not quite as bad as we are led to think. They are low in fat, high in fibre, high in vitamins C, B1, B3, B6 as well as minerals like potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. Then there's cauliflower. This veggie that looks like a brain has vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B9, as well as vitamin C. It contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K. It also has protein, and the minerals phosphorus, potassium, and manganese. Wowers.
So, who cares about these 2 white veggies? I do! Wanna know why? Too bad, I'm gonna tell you anyway! :)
If I was going to choose between the two, I would go for the cauliflower. Despite all of their good qualities, potatoes can raise your blood sugar really fast. They have a higher glycemic index than refined white sugar (the glycemic index {GI| provides a measure of how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a particular type of food) because of the way they are processed by our bodies. A baked white potato (no skin) has a GI of 98, while white sugar has a GI of about 60. Geepers. Cauliflower, however, has a very low GI of 15. This means it will have little to no effect on your blood sugar levels. Basically, eating a lot of potato will induce that same sugar crash as if you had eaten a Fun Dip!
So, let me introduce the "Faux-tato Soup"! This soup tastes like the potato version, only it will leave you feeling full, and keep your blood sugar in check so that you will feel happier when you are finished. And an hour after. No sugar crash!
(Roasted) Faux-tato Soup
Ingredients:
Method: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F 2. In a medium sized baking dish, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil. 3. Mix in the onions. 4. Place the cut head of garlic into the dish, cut side up. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on the garlic, and sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. 5. Put into oven and roast, for about 50 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft, and the garlic is very fragrant and soft (it will often start to pop out of the skin when it is ready). 6. Once roasted, remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Once cool, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skin and into the cauli-onion mix. Discard the skin. 7. Now, put about half the roasted veggies into a blender. Add about half of the broth, and blend. How much you blend depends on how thick/lumpy you want your soup. Empty blended soup into a medium sized pot. Repeat blending process with remaining veggies and broth. 8. Heat back up, and serve with the toppings!
The other day I used this cauliflower based soup as a cream base for a homemade cream of chicken soup (pictured below). I just added about a cup more broth, and the diced, cooked chicken. It was really good! So very good!
Just give this soup a try, and let me know what you think!
Baby Einstein videos have been under fire for the last few years. Where once they were considered educational to children, they are now being said to cause Autism (yes you read that right). Disney (who now owns baby Einstein) even offered a refund to people who wanted it. In a quote from Psychology Today regarding this video series, "research has found that, although infants become engrossed in these videos, they offer no intellectual benefit" And on a blog called "Dr. Clark's Brain Based Blog", this Dr. talks about how any screen media is harmful to children, especially children with an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and how they should be avoided at all costs. He says it entrances them, not engages them. As a mother of an autistic son, who, as a baby/toddler/pre-schooler was non-verbal, troubled, and difficult to live with, I have to disagree with both of these ideas. Having something we could count on to help keep Caleb grounded when we were entering into "freak out" territory (especially during the Christmas season, and visiting so many people), was priceless. A child with Autism has a life that is constant stress, and to find something that clearly helps him to relax, sit and smile, and even (gasp!) zone out a little is, in my opinion, worth it's weight in gold. Caleb first watched "Baby McDonald", a Baby Einstein video about farming, at around 12 months, and he was enthralled. But, more than that, he was excited! He spent a lot of time with me outside teaching horseback riding lessons, and he was learning the words to all the things he was seeing, only in a fun, relaxed way. Caleb can recite poetry from Shakespeare, Tennesee Williams, and Robert Frost (among others) because of the videos (and reinforcement from the books). He hears and recognizes classical music from composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Grieg, Mozart, and many others. All from watching the videos. No intellectual benefits? I'm no researcher for Psychology Today, but I'd say those things are intellectually beneficial. There is a catch though....he watched them, in large part, with us. The Baby Einstein videos were meant to be used "as an interactive tool" (as creator, former teacher, and stay-at-home Mom) Julie Aigner-Clark says in the opening of some of the older videos. As a parent, we are given our children to raise the best we can. Mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, in all ways. And sometimes (aka-most times!), that requires some help. If a video is something that I can use as an "interactive tool" (interactive meaning I am also involved, and interacting), than I will use it. Did I use it as a child-minder sometimes? Yup, I sure did! Momma needed a shower once in a while! The idea that an extremely complex disorder like Autism can be caused by a child's video is as ridiculous as when they first thought Autism was caused by "refrigerator mothers" (mom's who appeared cold towards their child). P.S. What they found in later years was that Mothers appeared cold because they didn't know how to be loving to a child who couldn't let them into their world. Perhaps in a few years some brilliant scientists will discover that, instead of Baby Einstein causing Autism, kids who already had it just liked the videos because they are not fast-paced, have pleasant music, a calming narrative, and structured lessons. Just a thought. Being a parent requires some sense, and if you feel something your child does is harmful to them, work on stopping it. But if something that your child clearly loves and is learning from is suddenly under attack for being "bad" in some way....use your sense. Don't just jump on the bandwagon mindlessly. Evaluate your situation, educate yourself, and watch your child. Most of all, don't let it make you feel guilty. When people tell me (and they still do), "Oh, your son liked Baby Einstein? Did you know they found out it causes Autism?", I could feel guilty. "What? I caused my son's Autism that now effects every single thing he does, at every single moment of the day, and will effect him for the rest of his life? Not to mention the impact it has had on our whole family! I did that? With a video?" I could feel guilty and stay up at night wondering if I "gave" Caleb his Autism because I let him watch Baby Einstein as a young, impressionable boy...but I won't.
Don't let other people who don't know you, or your child, or your situation tell you what you caused, or how you caused it. Trust yourself as a parent, and fix it, or move on. Caleb no longer watches Baby Einstein. Why? Because he's nine years old, and that would be ridiculous! It was meant for a season in his life, and I would consider it's worth in regard to reducing his stress, and educating him, invaluable. I wouldn't trade the times he watched it for anything. Not even a refund. These bars.....these bars!!! Gosh, they are so yummy, so easy, and gluten free! People who know me know that my favourite food group is s'mores, so new and interesting varieties of the campfire treat are always welcome in my house! I promise that no-one will know (except you) that these are gluten free. S'more Macaroon Squares Ingredients:
For the topping:
Directions: 1.Preheat your oven to 325 degrees f, and line an 8"x8" baking pan with parchment and lightly grease with cooking spray, or by using your fingers to spread some butter around. Give your parchment some extra "handles" on the sides so you can lift the squares out of the pan to cut and serve them later. 2. In a large mixing bowl combine the coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Set aside. 3. In a separate, smaller bowl combine the egg white, the melted butter (or coconut oil), and vanilla. If using coconut oil, it may start to harden in this mix if your egg white is cold. No worries. 4. Mix wet ingredients into dry, and stir until it is well blended. 5. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking pan and bake for 23-25 minutes, until golden brown on edges. 6. Turn off your oven and remove the baking pan. 7. Now, evenly distribute the chocolate chips over the crust, top with marshmallows and sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips. 8. Return the pan to the oven so the chocolate will melt, and the mallows get soft, about 10 minutes. Then, turn the oven to broil (on low) for 3 minutes, keep your eye on it now, you don't want the mallows to burn! Once the mallows look perfectly toasty, remove the bars from the oven, and let cool completely. Using your parchment overhang as handles, gently pull the squares out of the pan, and put onto a cutting board. Slice using a hot knife and serve. Try them and let me know what you think! I have been known to not let my kids do something because of the mess....but I usually regret it. After all, isn't part of being a kid about getting messy? I mean, you're a kid, you're just learning! Jumping into puddles, sticking faces into the ice cream bowl because they are being a dog, painting a picture (and also their arms, and face, and shirt...). How about getting dressed into 40 different costumes in one day, and leaving each costume in a different spot when finished, or jumping on the trampoline with all the cut grass they collected off the lawn? Children learn by doing, touching, tasting, smelling, hearing, and sometimes (most times!), by making a jumbo mess! I feel that giving your child the chance to be a child does 2 things: One, it fosters creativity. A child thinks, lives, and breaths creativity. They are not bogged down with "it might not work", or "it will be too hard", they just go for it! If parents (or caregivers) are forever shushing, and shutting down a child when they try to explore, that child will ultimately learn not be able to think creatively. Secondly, it presents opportunities for the child to learn about cause and effect. If they destroy the house by leaving costumes everywhere (in case you haven't figured it out, this happens regularily in our house!), then let them gather those costumes back up, and put them away. That's a big job for a little kid. If they jump in puddles, but forgot to ask if it was o.k. first, and ruin their favourite pants, that's o.k. They learn that fun can be fun, but it also (often) includes some work. That is a life lesson. As a stay at home Mom, one my "jobs" is to keep our house livable, so I can get up-tight about the mess. But what keeps me in check is knowing that when I was a child, I was forever making a crafty mess, or dressing up, or getting filthy outside, and it was wonderful! I grew up, and stopped doing those things (well, I still do them, but in a grown-up way), and my kids will stop too. I would rather them explore every inch of our property, jump in every puddle, climb every tree, and try on every costume, because sooner than I want, it will be over. Being a child is beautiful, and doesn't last forever, so nourish the experience, and ignore the mess!
I can't remember exactly when I found this recipe, but I do know it's from something called "Everyday With Sara Carey", and she is the editor of Everyday Food Magazine, which is the food magazine from Martha Stewart. These fudgey cookies are flour free (wheat free & gluten free), are so simple to make, and only have 5 ingredients (6 if you add nuts). The "flour" in these is the cocoa powder, and the use of icing sugar. The only wet ingredients in this cookies are the egg whites. I know, crazy-town. The even better part is that you don't need to whip the egg whites or anything-just add them in! My separating eggs trick? Well, first of all, they are easier to separate when they are cold. If a recipe calls for room temperature egg whites, separate them when cold, then leave covered in a dish to come to room temp. My other tip? Use 3 bowls for separating! One bowl is for yolks and "mess-ups" (the eggs that you don't separate properly), one bowl is for the immediate white you have separated, and the last bowl is where you are putting your wet ingredients (so, you dump each egg white as you go). That way if you have a recipe that calls for a bunch of egg whites, you don't get to the last egg, only to have some yolk get in there, and you have to scrap the whole lot. 3 bowls. Do it. Flour Free Double Chocolate Cookies Ingredients:
Method: 1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment. 2. Mix dry ingredient until blended 3. Add egg whites, and slowly work away at blending. It can take a while for the egg whites to start to work into all that dry stuff. The dough will be thick, but still scoop-able. 4. Scoop, or drop by heaping tablespoons onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. 5. Put both sheets in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. **At the 10 minute mark, rotate the cookies sheets so that the bottom one is on top, and the top on the bottom** The cookies are done when they begin to crack open. 6. Let cool for a few minutes before moving onto a cooling rack. **Note: If you double this recipe, you will need to add an extra egg white (so, instead of 8 egg whites for a doubled recipe, add 9 egg whites). These are always enjoyed by gluten free and gluten lovers alike! And, gosh, you can't beat how darn easy they are to make!
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Hi, I'm Amy-Lyn! I am the lady behind this here blog! I live in the sticks with my animals, my super handsome husband, and my
3 amazing kids! Here you'll find things from recipes (gluten-free, paleo, and strait up junk food!), DIY ideas, thoughts on raising a son with autism, and whatever else pops into my brain! : ) Read more about me by clicking here! Want to Stay Connected?
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