Can You Eat Half An Organic Pineapple?

Of course you can! Rely on Solely for convenient, fast ... fruit!

Solely Fruit Jerky

Solely creates fruit jerky made with ONLY FRUIT...one or two ingredients per fruit jerky bar. Their products are NON-GMO and organic. They do not add sugars or preservatives to their products.

Solely works hand-in-hand with farmers and has created a network of Solely Certified Farms that produce clean, non-GMO, organic fruits and vegetables.

Pineapple with Coconut has a pineapple taste with a hint of coconut. It is a chewy fruit bar that is naturally sweet.

Love With Food Box LOVES to Give Back

I have enjoyed the Love With Food Boxes hat I have had! Each has been filled with delightful treats that have given me an opportunity to try new products of which I was not aware. I have become a regular purchaser of many of the products found in the boxes.

If you are looking for healthy subscription service that offers organic, all-natural or GMO-free snacks and are always free of trans-fats, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring or coloring, then look no further than Love With Food!

Holiday Altruism

This December, Love With Food has teamed with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s organic baking brand Foodstirs to benefit Alliance of Moms / Raising Foodies and Feeding America. Throughout the month of December, Foodstirs’ beloved seasonal treat, the Organic Molten Chocolate Chip Mug Cake, can be found in Love With Food by SnackNation’s Tasting Box (starting at $7.99 per month) and Deluxe Box (starting at $16.50 per month), which feature a selection of all natural snacks with clean ingredients. New subscribers can visit lovewithfood.com/freebox to get a free $25 snack box and $15 off any of their 6 month or longer plans. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Alliance of Moms / Raising Foodies as well as a donation of 1meal for every Tasting Box sold and 2 meals for every Deluxe Box sold to Feeding America.

If you are looking for last minute gift ideas or something to gift yourself, consider Love With Food and make your gift count ... double!

Gluten Free Pancake Recipes with a Red and Green Holiday Twist

I love recipes with variations, as you can tell. Recipes that are a blank canvas that can be made into the masterpiece of the day based upon what is fresh, my cravings, or a holiday theme.

This weekend I made two of my pancake recipes ... Holiday Style! I added red and green garnishes to create a festive plate.

Try these this holiday season to capture the holiday mood!

I modified my Gluten Free High Protein Pancake Recipe to simplify it. I made a 1:1 ratio of bananas to eggs and created my pancakes. I topped them with organic red raspberries, green pepitas, and walnuts. Pictured above/below is 2 eggs/2 bananas.

I made my Sunday Pancake Breakfast Recipe with a festive holiday color palette. I added fresh pomegranate seeds (red), pepitas (green), and walnuts.

My husband likes to sprinkle honey on his pancakes, I like to drizzle Sunbutter on mine.

Reduce Food Waste

Did you know that more than 30% of all of the food grown in the USA is wasted? 

One Solution: Promote Produce's Taste and Nutrient Value, Not the Look

We can LITERALLY make applesauce out of apples or jam out of irregularly shaped strawberries. In February of 2018 NPR had a story about a Netflix Chef named David Chang whose show Ugly Delicious teaches people how to turn ugly produce into culinary delights.

I make applesauce/fruit sauce out of imperfect fruit. My peach sauce recipe is attached here.  I make chia jam out of imperfect fruit too. My berry chia jam recipe is attached here.

In August of 2018 Forbes published an article by Andria Cheng which looks into the issue of retailers throwing away food because it does not "look" good.

People need to celebrate food for its nutrients and flavor. Picture perfect produce can be used on a fruit or vegetable platter. Produce that is misshapen can be used as ingredients in dishes which bring out the flavor and nutrients rather than the appearance of the product. Celebrate nature and its variety.

Plant a garden or cultivate a plant depending on the space you have. You can teach your children, neighbors, or coworkers about how great the food is when you share with them what you grow, even if it is not picture perfect. Start with your circle of influence. Convince them and they will begin to spread the message.

For more information visit Delicious Living

Cauliflower Soup

On my first trip to Europe I was served soup to start each lunch or dinner. The weather was cold and the warm broth was not only tasty but also comforting. Since that experience I have started to make sure to have soup on hand when the weather turns chilly. Soup is a satisfying comfort food that can be a main dish, side dish, or an appetizer depending on the recipe and your level of hunger.

Cauliflower soup is easy to make

STEP ONE

To make a pot of cauliflower soup all you need to add the following ingredients to a soup pot:

• 2 cups water
• 1 stalk celery- diced
• 1 large onion - diced
• 1 medium head cauliflower - diced

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

NOTE: I let my soup cool enough to blend in my VITAMIX. (I have found that if I add it right away the VITAMIX stalls.) An immersion blender can be used right away if time is of the essence. 

STEP TWO

Gather the following ingredients:

• 2 TBSP flour - I use gluten free flour (Bob's Red Mill 1-1)
• 2 TBSP butter or vegan alternative
• 1 cup broth - I use low sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup milk of choice - I use almond milk

Remove the ingredients from the pot and blend in VitaMix.
Melt the butter in the pot then add the flour and mix until thickened.
Add the broth and stir until combined/flour dissolves and rolling bubbles begin to form.
Add soup mixture to rue and stir to combine.
Add milk and stir

Serve ... garnish with salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
Options: add seeds or bread crumbs ( I use gluten free) to the top for additional texture 

Cauliflower soup does not take much time

You can complete the dish in less than 30 minutes ...  or more ...  if you wait to let the mixture cool. 

This recipe is versatile

I use this recipe for Broccoli Soup too!

No Waste

It is important to make the soup without WASTE. If your cauliflower head has green leaves still attached, remove the leaves and use them in another dish like a stir fry.

Carrot Soup

Carrot soup is easy to make! 

It is a satisfying side dish or meal itself! 

Soups are a staple in our home when the weather begins to get cold. a warm soup is satisfying, calming, comforting, and nourishing. Serve the soup as a side dish or as a meal. It goes well with a sandwich, panisse, or cheese and crackers.

Why Carrots? 

Carrots are considered one of the world's healthiest foods. Including carrots in your diet provides you with beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants. Try to pick carrots that are firm, smooth, straight, and bright in color. (Do not throw away the stems ... they can be used in other dishes!) To keep the nutrients in your carrots after purchase and before cooking, store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag to hold in moisture. 

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs carrots
1 large onion - I like to use Vidalia
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp tarragon ... extra for garnish when serving
4 cups broth - I use low salt vegetable broth

Instructions:

• Dice the onion and carrots
• Add diced onion to a pot with the butter
• Sautee until the onions are translucent (2-5 minutes depending on size of cut)
• Add carrots and tarragon ,reduce heat, and cover.  Stir after 5 minutes. 
• After 10 minutes with the carrots in the pot, add the broth and bring to a boil. Once a boil is achieved, reduce heat and cook until the carrots are soft (about 10 minutes). 
• Use an immersion blender to puree or wait till the soup cools enough to add to the VitaMix to puree.

Serve:

Sprinkle tarragon on top or sprinkle pepitas, black pepper, gluten free bread crumbs, or sesame seeds

Gluten Free Holiday Meal ... Surprising Sources of Gluten

If you are new to a GLUTEN FREE DIET or are welcoming someone into your house to share a meal and need to figure out what is gluten free that you can prepare, this list will provide you with some ideas of what to avoid. The dictionary defines gluten as a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with Celiac Disease. I will help you gain more specificity about what to avoid. For me, eating gluten free is about what I CAN eat; it is not about what I cannot.

When I first started eating a gluten free diet the choices were limited, many were packed with sugar, and the prices were very high. Today, there are more choices, products are more nutritious, and the prices have moderated. 

Yes, you CAN have Thanksgiving without gluten!

Surprising Places Gluten is Hiding:

1. Licorice - read the label. Some brands use wheat flour for the consistency.
2. Flavored Potato Chips - wheat starch may be a part of the flavoring to bind the flavors to the chip. A potato chip is gluten free, until this process. 
3. Worchestershire Sauce - often contains malt vinegar which is made from barley. Ask your server in a restaurant to make sure the Caesar Salad is OK for you. At home, use a product made from distilled white vinegar. 
4. Sushi - the sushi itself is gluten free. The soy sauce is not. Make sure yours is not made with soy, or a gluten free soy is used. 
5. Miso - May be made with barley, rice, or beans. Check labels to make sure you purchase a product made with rice or beans. 
6. Seasoning Mixes - As mentioned above with the potato chips, many seasonings include wheat so you need to read the label. NOT ALL seasoning mixes have gluten, but all are worth the read. 
7. Deli Meats - some contain fillers and flavorings with wheat. Read the labels to make sure you are getting a product you can eat. Many store clearly label the gluten free products on the shelf.
8. Salad Dressings - many use wheat or barley to create a thick consistency. Check the labels. You can always use oil and vinegar!
9. Sausage, Meatballs, Burgers - many pre-made meat products contain fillers to "stretch the dollar" and help increase profit. Read the labels and ask servers in a restaurant. At home, you can control the fillers used to "stretch your dollar" and use gluten free bread crumbs, gluten free oats, or ground flx seeds. 
10. Rice Mixes - rice is gluten free but many packaged or restaurant prepared rice mixes contain pasta. Read labels and ask servers!
11. Medicines - many medicines include gluten in the formulation. Read labels, check with a pharmacist, or contact the manufacturer. 
12. Personal Care Products - read the labels to avoid exposure to gluten. 

What are Common Sources of Gluten?

You can do a search online and find lists and lists. People have even created extensive lists of safe candy for holidays. Some of the most common include:

• Wheat ... cracked wheat...wheat starch...wheat bran
• Barley
• Bulger
• Rye
• Couscous
• Faro
• Einkorn
• Kamut
• Matzo
• Semolina
• Spelt

For more information read 10 Surprising Gluten Containing Foods at Delicious Living.