TJ-safe cake mix!!!

And not at a crazy price either!! (Retail at $5.49 a box)

After repeatedly seeing a commercial for those cake pop trays on Sprout this morning, TJ was crying for cake pops. (Before being diagnosed, I used to make them ALL the time for him.) IT was early & we were both in our pajamas, as you see, but we worked together to mix the batter.

You MUST try Cherrybrook Kitchen gluten-free vanilla cake mix. Believe it or not, it is sold in Stop & Shop (I am so thankful that they opened up near me! It's great to have another alternative to the small health food store, which I love to support, but can't always afford to!)

TJ helped me prepare the batter- it calls for water and butter, but gives applicable substitutions if you can't have real butter (like TJ.) Instead of using oil or applesauce, we actually used his butter (the Earth Balance soy-free spread) and it was delicious. We used a mini-muffin tin. I didn't frost them (I wanted to save the frosting for another time since it is a bit pricier than Duncan Hines!) TJ ate about 5 of them before I made him stop! I didn't want a tummyache!

Delicious butter spread

Earth Balance Soy-Free Spread

This is what we use in place of butter for all of TJ's cooking. It tastes like butter but has the texture of margarine.

Haven't posted in a while....

We have been so caught up in life that this blog has been an afterthought. I will try to be more diligent with posting recipes, especially since we have discovered a bunch of great ones!

Our latest interest is with quinoa. It is so delicious and can work in so many ways. TJ, my baby with EOE loves it, and for me, a diabetic, it is great too. So I plan on posting those recipes here soon too. :)

Keep checking back for updates!!!

Book: Eat Like a Dinosaur

Someone mentioned this book to me, and I wound up pre-ordering it. It sounds like an interesting read. I will post more about it here when I get it. (It doesn't come out until March 20, 2012.)

This is Amazon's description:

Don't be fooled by the ever-increasing volume of processed gluten-free goodies on your grocery store shelf! In a world of mass manufactured food products, getting back to basics and cooking real food with and for your children is the most important thing you can do for your family's health and well-being. It can be overwhelming when thinking about where to begin, but with tasty kid-approved recipes, lunch boxes and projects that will steer your child toward meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and healthy fats, Eat Like a Dinosaur will help you make this positive shift.

With an illustrated children's story describing the paleo diet, and colorful, mouthwatering photographs of recipes without grains, dairy, soy and refined sugar, this book is written for children. For those with food allergies, the top 8 allergens have been visually marked on each recipe for children to self-identify recipes that may contain eggs, nuts, fish, or shellfish.

Parents needn't panic! Details on the tools and products your family needs to get started have been provided, as well as an assortment of tips to help you along the way. Eat Like a Dinosaur will inspire your entire family to shop for new ingredients and get into the kitchen together. Let Matt and Stacy, the Paleo Parents, show you how to make the transformation in your family's life. With positivity, practicality and an appreciation for the fact that even the healthiest children sometimes want cupcakes and chicken nuggets—this book simply provides healthier ways to give kids the foods they love.

Hash Browns ala TJ

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, peeled & shredded coarsely (I used the large part of a grater, but this would've been tremendously easier using a food processor!)

1/4 small onion, grated

Cinnamon, to taste (I used a good sprinkle on top of the mixture in the pan)

Butter substitute (we use Earth Balance- the one that is soy-free, dairy-free, etc.)

Brown sugar (about 1 tbsp)

1. Shred sweet potato & onion into a bowl. Take about 1 cup for this recipe, and put the rest away for another day.

2. Melt 2 tbsp butter in frying pan.

3. Add potato/onion mixture and cook until tender.

4. Sprinkle cinnamon on top (to taste, but I put a good amount on top of the mixture) and mix. Add brown sugar (to taste, but I used about 1 tbsp) and mix again. Cook until fragrant and all ingredients are soft.