Enjoy Life Soft Baked Bars: Chocolate Sunbutter & S'mores

Enjoy Life is one of the most prominent food brands designed for people with food allergies.  Its products are free of the 8 most common allergens (wheat, milk, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish).  They are also gluten-free and contain no genetically modified organisms (non-GMO).  

Get Allergy Wise was recently invited by Enjoy Life to try out their 100% Natural Decadence Bars, the company's newest line of allergy-friendly snacks.  These soft-baked bars come in boxes of five, perfect for sampling among Get Allergy Wise's collective brood of five kids.

The Natural Decadence bars are made in a dedicated facility that uses none of the top 8 allergens.  Most of Enjoy Life products are made in dedicated top-8 allergen-free facilities though you should double check your ingredient label (we always do anyway, right?) for specifics.  I say this because in the process of contacting Enjoy Life reps to verify the "freeness" of the bar-making facility, I was surprised to learn that the company's Plentils chips are made in a facility that also produces containing dairy.  The Plentils are made on a dedicated dairy-free line in a separate area of the facility but milk is handled elsewhere within the same facility.  I appreciated getting a prompt explanation from one of EJ's reps.  Batches of Enjoy Life products regularly go through testing for allergens to ensure that cross contamination has occurred.

We have our kids try two varieties of decadent bars, the chocolate sunbutter and the S'mores.  Oh, the sacrifices our kids make in the name of blogging!  We recorded their sometimes random comments below:

Our five Taste Testers:
T: 8 1/2 years old
R: 8 years old
L: 6 years old
C: 5 years old
A: 4 years old

First up: Enjoy Life Natural Decadence Chocolate Sunbutter Bars

How did the bars taste?  Did you like the flavor?
T: They were very chocolaty and melty.  The flavor was kinda too sweet for me.
R: They were sweet.  It was good and bad at the same time.  It was too sweet on some parts, and just right on others.
A: A little salty and sweet.  I liked them.
C: I liked it because the taste.  The taste means chocolate!
L: It's too good for me.  I like it very much!

What was the texture like?
T: It was sticky and they were very hard to chew.
R: It was bumpy and rough. 
A:  A little crunchy.

Where would you eat them?
T: Somewhere very cold like Antarctica because I didn't like the chocolate melting.
R: Anywhere.
A: At the playground.

When would you eat them?
T: At night because it is very cold and I like cold weather.
R: For dessert.
A: When would I eat what?  [The Sunbutter bars we were just talking about] Oh, lunch.

How do they compare to other snacks or bars you've eaten?
T: Compared to fruit, I didn't really like them.
R: Compared to Trader Joe's crunchy oats and honey granola bars (Irene's kids love these), I like the Enjoy Life ones.  They are 50/50 (meaning he likes them equally).

Would you recommend them to a friend?
T: I would tell some of my friends that are allergic to nuts that they might like it instead of having something else for a snack for lunch, breakfast, or a dessert at anytime.
R: Yes, cause they are very good.  

Next up: Enjoy Life Natural Decadence S'mores Bars

How does this S'mores bar taste compared to the Chocolate Sunbutter flavor?
L: I think I like the S'mores one more than the Sunbutter one because it's more chocolaty and I like chocolate.
T: I like this one better.  It tastes less chocolaty.
R: It tastes like chocolate.  I like it better, but both are good.
C: Good.  It's crunchy.  It's less chocolaty (than chocolate sunbutter bar).  It feels better.  The taste -- it feels better than the sunbutter bar.

Does it taste like a real (dairy-free) S'mores that you've had at camping?
C: Well, yes, it tastes a little bit like it.  It tastes like the graham cracker part.  It tastes pretty much like the marshmallow part.

Do you prefer the S'mores flavor, Chocolate Sunbutter flavor, or another type of bar?
C: I like the S'mores.

If we went to a birthday party, let's say I didn't bring you a safe cupcake.  How would you feel about eating one of these instead? 
C: Good!  I would eat it.


Irene also had a chance to sample the cinnamon bun flavor.  She liked the soft texture and the fact that there was no chocolate that might quickly melt all over her hands.  (Really, she's more concerned about chocolate all over her active boys' hands!)  While it didn't have the burst of cinnamon that one might expect from its name, the cinnamon bun bar was still tasty.  It had the most natural taste and reminded her of apple cinnamon oatmeal.  Although it contains slightly less sugar (11 grams per bar), the cinnamon bun bar didn't taste as sweet to her as the S'mores had.  The S'mores was a little too sweet for the grownups but the kids sure liked them!

Look for Enjoy Life Natural Decadence Bars in your local grocery and natural foods stores.  We have spotted them in Target stores, too.  We have seen them on shelves for roughly $5.00 per box of 5 bars.  These bars are not cheap --- but you are paying for the safety of snacks that are made in facilities completely free of the top 8 food allergens.  If you are a food allergy parent, you know from personal experience that feeding your family safely comes with a high price tag.  (If you are interested in more concrete figures, read a recent article about the cost of food allergies.)

My biggest hope for Enjoy Life bars is that they can find a way to fortify them with more vitamins, fiber, or protein without sacrificing their commitment to being safe of the top allergens.  I would love to see allergy-friendly bars that have the nutritional powerhouse of an energy bar!  Until then, our family will add Enjoy Life Natural Decadence Bars to the list of safe special treats to share with our other friends with food allergies or when I can't make a safe dessert myself.

Weekend Getaways: Food 101 for the Family with Food Allergies

For some, summer means travel.  I relish the lazy days close to home myself, but if we had the option to travel all summer long, I might very well consider it.  Unfortunately, for a food allergy family, traveling is a challenge with an enormous amount of planning involved.

With a severely food allergic child, I feel less and less comfortable eating out, especially when we're far from home.  I think I've got the Epinephrine to ER thing down pat when we're at home, but being on vacation with an allergic reaction is a different story all together.

So I try very hard to limit our restaurant eating and do as much preparing and cooking as I can.  We will be away this weekend for a rare mini getaway with the family, and although we will be within an hour from home, I still have a lot of planning to do.  Some tips to make the getaway more like a vacation and hopefully, less stressful:

1. If you can, book a hotel with a refrigerator at the very least, and for longer trips, some form of a kitchen or microwave is essential.  If there's no microwave in the room, there may be one available for use, like in the lobby.

2. Seek out the markets near your hotel before you go, and plan on making a few trips with a list of easy, allergy-friendly, low maintenance food options in hand.  Some forethought saves you time in the long run.

3. If there is a stove available, bring your own pots/pans and cooking utensils.  This cuts out the mystery and puts some of your cross-contamination worries at ease.

4.  Bring paper goods and disposable eating utensils.  No one likes to wash dishes on vacation, but this is especially important if all you have is a fridge.  An added bonus: kids can eat by the pool and not skip a beat!

5.  Bring drinks or water bottles and lots (and lots) of non-perishable snacks to pack for day trips, have by the pool, or satisfy a craving.  Some of our favorites are safe granola or breakfast bars, crackers, popcorn, fruit or fruit and gel cups (like Dole Fruit and Gel Cups), fruit leathers, seeds, and dried seaweed.

If you're a seasoned food allergy mama you likely already follow these guidelines religiously.  For those of you who might be starting out, know that you CAN have fun while on vacation.  And yes, we were the ones with the 8 grocery bags filled with food upon check-in, but we were also the ones who spent a fabulous 87 degree day by the pool.

Wishing you safe and happy travels this summer!

Superbowl Party Food - some favorite ideas

Superbowl Sunday is this weekend!

Okay, this is probably not news to the rest of you but Sarah and I are a little behind on things.  We were out of town for a couple days to attend a food allergy blogger summit hosted by Mylan Specialty, the makers of the EpiPen auto-injector.  Plus, the regular weekly schedule of school and afterschool classes continues while Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day have somehow creeped up on us.  And we barely recovered from winter break!

Superbowl is a great excuse to have a snack-filled party.  As an allergy mom, I try to get as natural as I can -- organic fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible or store-bought products with less processing and no preservatives -- so that I can know what's going into our bodies.  It's good practice, food allergies or not.  If you have other party guests with different food allergies, make sure you find out again what their exact allergies are.  (So many of my friends' kids have food allergies, it can be hard to keep track of what.)  Take extra precaution with washing all cookware and utensils and preparing and handling foods.  If possible, have an allergy-friendly table separate from other party foods, or extras that do not ever hit the shared buffet table (less chance of cross contact).  Keep recipes and all ingredient labels handy but be completely straight with your food-allergic guests on potential risks of exposure to other allergens.

The easiest way to cater (no pun intended) your party food to the game is to go for color.  The San Francisco 49ers' colors are scarlet (red) and gold.  And the Baltimore Ravens' colors are purple, black, metallic gold, and white.  Lots of natural food possibilities there, special thanks to the abundance of red and yellow fruits and vegetables and the Ravens having a pretentious four team colors.  (Ha ha, no snark there.)  You can make dishes with these foods or simply use them as garnish.

Red foods:
Berries, tomatoes, red bell peppers, paprika, red tortilla chips, ketchup, salsa

Yellow/Gold foods:
Lemon, banana, pineapple, mango, yellow bell peppers, corn, tortilla chips, mustard

Purple foods:
Blueberries, grapes, purple cabbage, purple kale, purple yams or potatoes

Black foods:
Seaweed, black olives, black grapes, black beans, safe chocolate chips or shavings (I love Trader Joe's semisweet chocolate chips which are milk-free.  They also sell milk-free dark chocolate bars.)

White foods:
Shredded coconut, jicama, rice, safe cheeses (we love dairy-free Daiya Vegan Shreds which are free of the top 8 food allergens)


We have compiled some of our favorite food posts in case you need ideas for where to put that colorful garnish!

Snack stadium, version 1.0

Snack ideas
Last-minute Superbowl snack ideas
Superbowl Snack Stadium
Furikake Chex Mix
Colorful Couscous Salad
Healthful Allergy-Friendly Party Menu
Princess and the Pea Salad


Soups 
San Francisco fans, dress up your soups with your favorite red and yellow trimmings.  If you are safe with wheat and gluten, serve it hot San Francisco-style, in sourdough bread bowls.  Otherwise, slice your favorite safe bread and serve it on the side.

Corn and Chickpea Chowder

Potato Soup - Ravens fans, try making this soup with purple potatoes and replace the vegetable broth with water and additional safe milk of your choosing.
Corn and Chickpea Chowder
Butternut Squash Soup
Bean and Bacon Soup
Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup


Desserts
Layered Jell-o - change up the Jell-o colors to represent your favored team!
Chocolate covered confections - San Francisco is well known for chocolatier, Ghirardelli.  While many Ghirardelli offerings are not guaranteed milk-free, you can substitute your favorite allergy-friendly chocolate.  (Mine is Trader Joe's semisweet chocolate chips.)  Not exactly the same as Ghirardelli, but have you ever known a guest to complain about chocolaty anything??
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cupcakes 6 Ways

No matter what you choose to serve, have fun with it!

Product review: Plentils Crunchy Lentil Chips

Allergy-friendly company Enjoy Life Foods was one of our generous sponsors from last year's Food Allergies Rock concert event.  Recently the company reached out to us to see if we would be interested in trying out a new chip.  Would my milk-allergic, nut-allergic kids like to try some new snacks?  Um.  YES!!

Enjoy Life's newest addition, Plentils, is a line of snack chips that uses lentil flour as a key ingredient.  Like their other products, Plentils are free of the top 8 allergens -- milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts.  It is also gluten-free and free of any artificial flavors.

We received a sample of four Plentil flavors: margherita pizza, sour cream and dill, garlic & parmesan, and light sea salt.  Now, my kids have never tried a lot of the popular chip brands and flavors.  This is in part due to their food allergies and in part because I try to avoid buying a lot of junk food.  Never have the boys eaten Doritos or Pringles' or Lay's Sour Cream and Onion, snacks that were standard munchies in my husband's and my own teenage and 20-something years.  My kids were pretty excited to try Plentils.  Heck, I was pretty excited to try them!  I wanted to know if it was possible to have a healthier and allergy-friendly chip that was a flavor substitute for the usual party snack. 

The first two flavors we tried were the Dill & Sour Cream and Margherita Pizza.  Why these two, you ask?  Well, if you must know I used to love Sour Cream & Onion chips as a kid and my husband is a recovering Doritos addict.  My well-trained and ultra-cautious (bless his allergic heart) son, Ryken, kept asking me, "Mommy, are these safe?  It says 'cream' and 'pizza'...'parmesan'?!?!"  I read and reread the labels twice and gave the bags to him for his own inspection.  I have been having Ryken double check labels since he is a proficient reader and want to reinforce his responsibility in ensuring his own safety.  No milk, no nuts.

Sorry for the shirtless chip models.  It's been a sweaty September!

The safety check out of the way, we broke open the bags and away we munched.  The lentils were crisp and light although definitely thicker than a typical corn-based or potato-based chip.  Both varieties were flavorful without being too overpowering.  Ryken, who usually doesn't like most beans, was surprised that these contained lentil flour.  He rechecked the label in disbelief.  Plentils definitely didn't leave the same powdery residue that I remember from bright orange Doritos or flavored Pringles.  Overall, the kids liked the dill sour cream and the margherita pizza but, without question, they liked the pizza-flavored chips best.  My husband and I agreed that the pizza flavor was reminiscent of Doritos!

Incidentally I also sampled the Garlic & Parmesan flavor just before posting this review.  My first reaction: Funyuns.  And that's a good thing in my book!  

The seasonings made these Plentils looks like Cool Ranch Doritos.

Enjoy Life's product website discusses the use of lentils to create a more nutritious snack.  The company touts lentils as an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals including folate, thiamine, and iron to name a few.  However, in checking out the nutritional information on the Plentils packaging, there was very little listed about the mineral and vitamin content.  The standard calcium, iron, vitamins A and C are listed but there is only 4 percent of iron per 1-ounce serving size.  I was surprised to see that the chip doesn't have a lot of fiber (1 gram per serving) and it contains 6 grams of fat and roughly 130 calories per 1 ounce serving.  Each serving contains 3 grams of protein compared to 2 grams in Dorito's or Lay's Potato Chips.  It is true, as Enjoy Life's website states, that the fat content is roughly 40 percent less than that of potato chips.  However, Plentils' calorie count and fat are only slightly less than Doritos.  Just because it uses lentil flour does not mean Plentils should be regarded as a health food; but they are a bit healthier that the other chips out there in part because of its natural flavors.

Overall, we liked Plentils and think Enjoy Life succeeded in creating a safe and appealing snack chip.  Subtle and tasty, Plentils will be a nice option for a special treat or party food for my kids.

On the trail: in search of allergy-friendly granola bars

Our family had a blast camping over the weekend.  There's just nothing like a warm fire, S'mores, homemade scones, and seeing kids involved in endless fun activities that only involve trees, sticks, a few wheeled toys, a couple of hills, and an endless supply of dirt.  It's totally worth the five loads of laundry!

It is confirmed: a hill of dirt is even more engaging than a cardboard box!

Camping gave me the motivation to test-drive and tweak some more granola bar recipes.  While I really liked the last year's granola bars, a substantial portion of the ingredients was wheat-based.  I have been trying to cut down on my gluten/wheat intake.  I get bloated from eating pasta and a few months back suffered debilitating abdominal pain after eating foccaccia so I've been careful to add other healthy gluten-free grains into the mix.  Instead of trying to figure out substitutions for last year's granola recipe, I figured why not explore some new alternatives?

Granola bars without the dried cranberries

I found a very handy granola recipe on the fAnnetastic food blog, a nice site for recipes and tips for a healthy lifestyle.  Blogger Anne's recipe was already vegan and gluten-free.  I tweaked it a little to make it nut-free and reduced the amount of dried cranberries, which I found to be overwhelmingly sweet.  I used quinoa flour instead of the suggested garbanzo flour since that is what was in the pantry.  Quinoa flour added a nice slightly nutty (without the nuts!) taste which was nice for the earthly, natural taste of granola bars.  Both quinoa and garbanzo flours are protein-rich so whichever option you choose will be a nice addition to your bar.

The original recipe called for 2/3 cup of dried cranberries.  In my recipe below I reduced the amount of dried cranberries that the original recipe called for because I found the granola bars overly sweet.  Many of my camping friends didn't mind the full 2/3 cup of cranberries though!  In a second batch of granola bars I omitted the cranberries although and just used roasted pumpkin seeds and semisweet chocolate chips.  This was just right for me.  :)

GFCF Vegan Nut-free Granola  Bars
Adapted from the recipe for vegan & gluten free granola bars from fAnnetastic foods. 

2 Tbsp flaxmeal + 6 Tbsp warm water, mixed
1 3/4 cup gluten-free oats
1 cup quinoa flour
1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds or pepitas
1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips  (I like Trader Joe's.  For soy-free, use Enjoy Life chips, mega chunks, or mini-chips.)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup maple syrup  

1. Mix flaxmeal and warm water together.  Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, toss together all the dry ingredients
3. Add sunflower seed butter and maple syrup to dry ingredients.  Combine well.  Then flatten mixture into a 13"x9" rectangular pan using a nonstick cooking utensil.  (I use a rice paddle -- perfect!)  I actually do not fully cover the pan, achieving an 11"x9" or 12"x9" rectangle-shape instead.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Let the pan cool completely before using a sharp knife to cut into bars.  Makes about 12-15 bars.

I also tried fAnnetastic's no-bake granola bar recipe.  Mine didn't hold together -- it could have been because I used maple syrup and sun butter in place of brown rice syrup and peanut butter -- but the resulting granola hash is a really tasty breakfast cereal or yogurt companion.  I saw a lot of other healthy, not-overly-hard recipes on the fAnnetastic blog that piqued my interest.  I will definitely be back to the site to try out more!

My Mother's Day Wishlist

Seeing as Mother's Day is a few days away, we're going to keep things simple this year.  I started to think about what I would really like to do or have for Mother's Day, and came up with a few ideas that any husband-led band of kids should be able to achieve.  And truly, guys, we love stuff that comes straight from the heart.


1. Pack a picnic.  Um, just to clarify, packing a picnic...requires much more planning than going on a picnic.  This weather we're having (early Indian summer, please stay with us...please please please!) just screams picnic, but somehow, well let's face it, I am always the one to pack the picnic foods.  Got to have everyone's favorites--soybutter sandwiches, no jam on this one, cut in triangles not squares, etc.  If just for one day, I could sit back and enjoy the meal without the chaos that is sure to ensue in the minutes before screaming "Shoes on everybody now!" that would make for a pretty special Mother's Day.  Just sayin'.  
       
Some picnic ideas:

• Cut up fresh fruits.  Add a special twist for Mom by dipping strawberries into chocolate 
• Cut up fresh veggies with a favorite, allergy-friendly dip, like Spinach Dip or Hummus
• Cooked corn on the cob
• Favorite allergy-friendly sandwiches, made special with sandwich shape cutters, or cut into small triangles
• Edamame
• Favorite snacks, like popcorn, Furikake Chex Mix, Granola Bars
• Allergy-safe sweets, like Irene's Coconut Cookie Bars, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, or Blueberry Scones

2.  Family Portrait.  It doesn't get much cuter than this.  Have your kids draw family portraits using bright markers, oil pastels, or a combination of markers and watercolors.  Put a frame on it for an added touch.  If all else fails, any piece of original artwork will be much loved.

Artwork by Tristan, using oil pastels

3.  Breakfast in bed.  Classic.  I guarantee you, this never gets old.  Have your kids design a menu of items that will be served.  Let older kids pour the milk, cereal, and juice, have little kids pull out plastic plates or trays.  Try yogurt parfaits or fruit smoothies for an easy, healthful option.  After sleeping in a few hours, mom will be hungry.

4.  Family Tree.  Create a family tree and have your kids add names, draw pictures, or glue on photos.
   
5.  Video.  Compile all of that video you have of the kids and create a simple movie.  Mom will be reminded of how it's all worth it.

6.   Acrostic.  Spell "Mommy" down the left side of a piece of paper and let older kids fill in a poem about mommy.

7.   Clean.  Clean up a part of the house that is notoriously messy or cluttered.  She won't even mind being awoken by the sounds of the plates clattering or the vacuum roaring!

8.   Coffee Filter Flowers.  Last year we made tissue paper flowers for the moms in our lives, and this year I wanted to try these coffee filter flowers.  To make them a bit more kid-friendly to make, I used scotch tape to attach the top and bottom coffee filter to a cake pop stick, and cut a slit through a layered batch with a scissor.  The kids had fun scrunching and squirting a water/beet juice mixture with a spray bottle.  Just be careful!

9.   Gift Ideas.  It's rare that my husband and I agree on what a romantic, lovely, useful gift looks like.  It took some thinking, but here are my picks for those of you who feel you must go out and buy something. Hey, nothin' wrong with that!

• Jane Iredale Sugar & Butter.  A lip exfoliator/lip balm all in one.  Organic brown sugar on one side exfoliates, while the tinted lip plumper moistens and gives a bit of shine.  Gluten-free, but contains macadamia nut oil.  
• Keurig Single Cup Brewing System  I don't understand how I ever lived without my new coffee maker.  Brews one cup at a time, so the babysitter, mother-in-law, or any visitor can have a cup of freshly brewed coffee in minutes.
• Silpat Silicone Cookie Sheet Liners  In lieu of parchment paper, it's a fantastic pan liner for baking cookies every time.  I use it to roll out dough, too, and it's perfectly nonstick.  
• Statement Necklace A statement necklace is just what its name says it is--it's a necklace that makes a statement.  I handpicked this Stella and Dot one at a fundraiser for my Mother's Day gift--what a win-win.  This Tessellate Necklace from J. Crew goes into my queue of must-haves.  Ahem...
• Skip Hop Central Park Blanket and Cooler Bag.  The creme de la creme of picnic blankets.  Water resistant, folds up with carrying strap, and comes in super cute colors.  Comes with a cooler bag now.  They've thought of everything, haven't they?
• Takeya Classic Glass Water Bottle in fuchsia and black.  Not only does it looks awesome, will hydrate you throughout the day (and you know how dehydrated us moms get!), it's made of glass so no more chemicals with my water, thank you very much.  Comes with a cool silicone sleeve in a variety of colors.  
• Fillmore Bake Shop Macarons  I try not to rope myself into falling in love with too many sweets shops that sell stuff that none of the kids can eat, but a girl has to have her sinful delights (all kept in my top cabinet, above the fridge).  My lovely sister-in-law (thanks Theresa!) brought a box of these over to me the other day, and they were absolutely heavenly.  Aaah.  So many flavors, so little time.  

The key to winning mom's heart on Mother's Day is to remember that you've already won her over.  But being extra thoughtful and kind to each other will really make her day.

Happy Mother's Day ladies!  Enjoy!

Product Review: CJ Mini Wontons (Chicken and Cilantro)

I pride myself in staying well even when the whole clan is sick.  There I am, wiping up noses all day, tossing out wads of dirty tissues, getting coughed at--yes--in the face, and not getting sick. 

Well, last week was not one of those weeks.  A fever, chills, and body ache knocked me out for four whole days, and little by little, I watched as the contents of the fridge and freezer dwindled, leaving behind several small plates of leftovers, many of which had become unrecognizable, some expired fruits and veggies, and a few bags of food I keep in the freezer just in case. 

From the depths of a usually overpacked freezer, I pulled out the Korean dumpling-inspired CJ  Mini Wontons (Chicken and Cilantro) I picked up at Costco on my last visit.  On almost every grocery shopping trip, I find myself pulling a few new-to-me products from the shelves and reading the ingredients, in case one would make a good candidate for a new staple at our house.  I especially love finding healthy frozen foods.  If anything makes my life easier, it's foods like this--not having to sacrifice taste, healthfulness, or cooking time is a real treat.

CJ Mini Wontons

Pros:

• They are free of egg, dairy, nuts, and shellfish--perfect for my food allergic kids!  (Note: they do contain wheat and soy)
• They cook up quick and easy.  Just pan fry with some oil and steam with a bit of water, or boil, or even microwave!
• My kids, my husband, and I all loved the flavor and texture of these dumplings
• They contain no artificial ingredients
• They are bite-sized, so make a great snack or meal
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Sauce is not included in the bag, but there is a recipe for one on the back of the bag
• One of my kids noted that the dumpling was "spicy," but almost everything is spicy to him

No egg, dairy, nuts, or shellfish

So the next time you're at Costco, look for these in the freezer section.  They're definitely worth a try, and have officially become a staple in our freezer from now on.

Last Minute Super bowl Snacks

Yes, my beloved Niners have fallen.  But the show must go on, and we mustn't attend a Superbowl party empty-handed.  With that in mind, here are some easy, allergy-friendly, and crowd-pleasing options for your Superbowl Sunday:

Hummus Dip

Guacamole and Hummus Dips: Everyone loves a good dip!

Cranberry Avocado Salsa: A twist on the traditional favorite.

Superbowl Snack Stadium: For the ultimate in Superbowl snacking!

Superbowl Snack Stadium

  Knorr Vegan Spinach Dip: So delicious, no one will know it's dairy and egg free!

Corn and Chickpea Chowder: Whip up some chowder in your slow cooker. 

Furikake Chex Mix: Easy and fast to prepare, but so addictive!

Kale Chips: No guilt munching on a vitamin-rich superfood!

Slow cooker barbecue chicken on Milton's Gourmet buns

Barbecue Chicken:  With some light prep in the morning, you'll have a tasty, easy main meal for game time.  Pair it with your favorite safe hamburger bun.

Want more?  Find even more snack ideas!

Take-out Options:

Chipotle Burritos
Allergy-friendly Chipotle is offering half off burritos on your online or fax pre-order or 6 or more Burritos-by-the-Box on Superbowl Sunday only.  Plan ahead and get in on this deal.  Check out Chipotle's website for their at-a-glance guide to allergens in their menu.

Chicken Wings
Call Hot Sauce and Panko in San Francisco to order half or whole trays of chicken wings.  They use wheat in their panko batter, but no nuts, dairy, or egg go into the fryer.  We order trays of Naked Wings--crunchy, hot, moist.  Try one of their other 12 varieties (but ask about allergens in their sauces first)--SO good.  They will only take phone orders for Superbowl Sunday, so get dialing before the wings run out.

Superbowl snack stadium -- Trick out your game day foods!

Superbowl Sunday is coming up!  Whether or not your favorite team made it to the bowl or even if you're not big on football, Superbowl is still a good excuse for an afternoon of snacking, silly commercials, and just plain being happy with friends and family.

I was searching the internet for game day snack ideas when I came upon this football stadium built of junk food on HolyTaco.com.

Whoa.

This thing was seriously a work of art.  I was completely blown away by the cleverness and level of detail even if I was kinda disgusted at the same time.  (See the Twinkie-bacon grandstands.)  Read the entire hilarious post at HolyTaco and you too will be just as conflicted as my mind and arteries.

While HolyTaco's stadium was over the top with junk food, it gave me the inspiration to try my hand at creating my own snack stadium.

Because of my kids' food allergies, I had to substitute some of the original ingredients for safe foods.  I also replaced some of the heavily processed foods and meat products with healthier choices.  The stadium I made was milk-free and nut-free.  Some of the snack chips do contain gluten or soy but you can use your favorite safe snacks instead.  Tofutti's Sour Supreme imitation sour cream contains soy and, according to their website, may contain traces of gluten from the manufacturing of the added flavors.

Below are the ingredients that I used.   While I often like to make homemade guacamole and hummus, I bought ready-to-serve stuff from Trader Joe's to build the stadium.  The Trader Joe's guacamole has a smoother consistency than my homemade guacamole, and that worked well for the football field although next time I'll mash in a couple more avocados to make the field thicker for holding the carrots.  Definitely have extra guac or avocados on hand.  If you are having a huge party, definitely double the recipe and use a deeper pan.

I used salsa for an end zone but you should try refried beans instead or at least use a strong base for your goal posts.

You'll see in the photos that I used salsa in one of my end zones.  Logistics-wise, this wasn't successful as it was too thin to support the celery goal post.  In my recipe, I suggest using refried beans instead.  Also, try anchoring each goal post into a chunk of tofu or cheese to offer even more stability.  And jicama might be an easier food to work with than celery so I included a mention of that in the post. 

Superbowl Snack Stadium
adapted from HolyTaco.com's 2009 Greatest Snack Food Stadium

12" x 8 1/2" x 1 3/16" aluminum foil pan
Pointed toothpicks
Skewers
Plastic baggie or icing bag

The field:
Minimum 16 oz. of guacamole
1 can of refried beans
12 oz. container of sour cream or milk-free sour cream (I used Tofutti sour cream)
10 oz. hummus (double check ingredients for any potential allergens)
2 stalks celery, cut into half lengthwise, or 10 pieces of jicama, cut into 1/2-inch thick sticks
Block of extra firm tofu or safe cheese

The players:
1 to 2 dozen baby carrots, cut in half  (If you are double the recipe, you can probably keep them whole)
At least 5 sugar plum tomatoes, cut in half
At least 5 whole olives, cut in half

Stadium and fans:
A pan or box a little wider all around than the pan used for the field
Your choice of safe snacks - I used popcorn, tortilla chips, and Trader Joe's Veggie Sticks (contains wheat starch)

1. Place aluminum pan into larger pan.  
2. Evenly spread guacamole in the middle of the smaller pan, leaving a rectangular section at each size for the end zones.
3. Spread in refried beans for one end zone.  Spread in hummus for the other.  Make sure your "field" is level and smooth.
4. Put about 1/4 cup of sour cream into icing bag.  If using a baggie, add the sour cream to one corner and cut off the corner's tip to create your own icing bag.  Make sure all your sour cream is packed into the corner and then carefully squeeze out your yard lines onto the field.
5. Assemble goal posts by using toothpicks and celery or jicama.  The vegetables may split with the pressure of the toothpick so you had to be gentle and gradually screw in the toothpicks the first time.  I cut out toothpicks in half and used the pointed end to carefully bore out the holes where the toothpicks would be.  I used 4 pieces of celery for each goal post.  Right before serving, anchor your goal post into a chunk of tofu or safe cheese and pop the posts into the end zones.
6. Add the cut baby carrots onto the field.  (I used the wider ends to anchor them.)  This is where I got my football-loving husband involved.  He had a great time creating a play with the carrots!  If a football novice is assembling, remember that it's 10 players on the field from each team.  Add olive halves and sugar plum tomato halves to create helmets.
7. Add your stadium fans!  Carefully pile in chips, crackers, pretzels -- whatever floats your boat!  If you are avoiding gluten, tortilla chips and popcorn are great choices.  I used some homemade "cheesy" vegan popcorn.  I loved how it added movement to the display.  You can almost hear the roar of those kerneled fans!
8. Set up your goal posts.  Experiment -- it might take a few tries and a couple different chunks of tofu or cheese to get it sturdy.  Now you're ready for the game!

Enjoy your Super snacks!

As you can see, I didn't attempt to construct the grandstands.  Truth be told, it was the afternoon before our Chinese New Year feast and I didn't want to spoil our appetites on snacks!  If you are planning a huge party and want to build out your stadium the way that HolyTaco.com did, think about using your favorite hot dogs and safe buns to recreate the Twinkie tiered seating.  I'm thinking a perimeter of homemade tamales or hot dogs -- single layer for the lower grandstand and and skewer-connected, double-stacked tamales or hot dogs for the higher level.  Milton's Gourmet White is a milk-free bun (contains wheat, soy).  Udi's Gluten-Free sells gluten-free, milk-free hot dog buns (contain eggs).

I had a lot of fun making the stadium.  It's too bad we have no plans for Superbowl Sunday and no TV reception (we got rid of cable service and have lived off Hulu.com years ago) or else I'd love to do this again and built out the stadium even more.

Send us your photos of your game day spread!  Or better yet, join us on our Facebook page and share your photos on our wall!

49er Furikake Chex Mix

I know I promised you more Chinese New Year recipes, and I swear they're in the works, but I had to address something a bit more urgent for us San Franciscans.  I mean, we'll celebrate Chinese New Year for another three weeks, but the 2012 NFC Championship will only come around once.  In our fair city.  On Sunday afternoon.  Incredible!

I have two brothers.  Therefore, I was forced to watch games every Sunday growing up (or at least they were in the background while I played with my dollhouse).  There was church.  There were football games.  Then dinner and bed.  So for all you Niner fans who've waited patiently for this day, don't make the same mistake I did--30 minutes before last week's game I tried to get takeout on Clement St. along with everyone else grabbing something to munch on while watching the game.  Get to the market.  Buy the ingredients.  Make the Furikake Chex Mix.  You know you want to...

And unlike the traditional Chex snack mix, this one doesn't contain nuts (note: Furikake and soy sauce do contain soy)!

49er Furikake Chex Mix (from my friend Sarabeth, who reminded me of the existence of this delicious and addictive snack!)

Wheat, Egg, Dairy, Nut Free

Ingredients

½ cup Earth Balance margarine

½ cup sugar, heaping

½ cup white (light) corn syrup

2 T. soy sauce

2 -- 12oz. boxes of Crispix or 1 box corn Chex 1 box rice Chex (I use which ever is cheaper)

½ bottle of Furikake (I like to use the Nori Komi Fumi flavor because some other ones have fish in them)

1 large roasting pan or two sheet pans

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 250*

Put cereal into large foil-lined roasting pan and set aside (use large bowl if using sheet pans).

Melt margarine, sugar, corn syrup, and soy sauce in small sauce pan or pot stirring until dissolved. 

While you're waiting for mom to mix the cereal and syrup mixture in the other pan, sneak a few bites of cereal.

Pour syrup mixture over cereal and mix gently. Sprinkle furikake evenly over cereal and mix well, gently. Stick pan into oven and bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. (If using two sheet pans, distribute cereal equally and then bake following same baking instructions.)

I know, I know, not the healthiest of snack ideas...but in small doses guarantees to be a crowd pleaser.  For some other NFC Championship-worthy ideas, check out Irene's allergy-friendly recipes for hummus and guacamole, or make a batch of kale chips.  Go Niners!
 

Cranberry Avocado Salsa

Still searching for more easy, festive appetizers for your Thanksgiving meal?  Do you have extra cranberries that haven't been earmarked for your cranberry sauce or apple cranberry crisp?

I was pleasantly surprised with Martha Stewart's recipe for cranberry avocado salsa.  I know I shouldn't be surprised that a Martha creation is fabulous but I was skeptical when I saw honey as one of the ingredients.  I made a couple of changes -- I added tomatoes to make it chunkier, more red onions, and omitted to jalapeno to make it more kid-friendly.  Because my avocados were super ripe, it was hard for them to hold their shape when I tossed the salsa together.  The result: my cranberry avocado salsa turned out more like cranberry guacamole.  It still was delicious but if you want yours to stay a salsa, I suggest adding the avocado chunks at the end or cutting bigger, more robust pieces (about 1/3-inch chunks).  These changes made a difference when I made the salsa a second time.

This was my first attempt.  The avocado was a bit smushed.

Definitely have more of everything on hand so you can find your perfect balance!

Cranberry Avocado Salsa
Adapted from Martha Stewarts's cranberry avocado salsa recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup red onion
2 Tbsp honey
1½ Tbsp fresh lime juice
generous 3/4 cup cranberries, cut in halves
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar plum tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
2 packed Tbsp of fresh chopped cilantro
2 ripe avocados, cut into 1/3-inch chunks
Sea salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)

1. Whisk together onions, honey, and lime juice in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in cranberries, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Toss until well-coated.
3. Add in avocado chunks.  Gently toss to combine.
4. Season with sea salt if desired.

Wishing you a restful, reflective, and reactionless holiday with your loved ones!

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Kale Chips: A Healthy Allergy-Friendly Snack

We've been living the small town life for the last few weeks of summer--and enjoying every minute of it.  In Pacific Grove, they have a Farmer's Market on Central Avenue outside the Natural History Museum.  I am a bit of a Farmer's Market fanatic.  I firmly believe that if anything is going to get my kids to eat more fruits and veggies, it's fresh organic produce from a farm--or just as good, from a Farmer's Market.

In addition to blueberries, strawberries, nectarines, pluots, beets, and cilantro, I just had to pick up some kale.  And even though I have limited experience cooking it, I knew I would find a suitable recipe online.  Kale Chips.  I was skeptical, but am now a believer.

SO easy your kids can do it.  All you do is trim or tear the kale into bite sized pieces from the thick stem, wash and dry,

spread out on foil-lined pan,

toss with olive oil and sprinkle salt (I also added some garlic powder at my girl Michelle's suggestion and it was yum),

and into a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until crispy (mine took 14 minutes).

The texture was sort of similar to roasted seaweed, and there was a slight bitter aftertaste, but I'm convinced that if they're hungry enough, they won't notice it.  :)

Result?  We finished the bowl easily.  Two of the kids and I.  Perfect for munching on before dinner when hungry stomachs are rumbling. 

Warning: kale chips can be really addicting (which might not be such a bad thing!).