Banana Pumpkin Muffins (allergy friendly)

This one I made up myself to give to my 9 month old who is so excited to self feed!

Banana Pumpkin Muffins

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 ripe banana, mushed
3/4 cup maple syrup
4 eggs OR 3 TBS flax meal mixed with 3/4 hot water - whisk, set in fridge 10 minutes
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
Teff flour and
millet flour in about a 1:3 ratio (no I didn't measure - just make it to be like muffin mix consistency)

Combine wet ingredients, beat to combine.  Add flours a little at a time until desired consistency is achieved (thick, but pour easily). add the rest of the dry ingredients.  Beat to combine.  Pour into greased muffin tins.  Bake 350 for 35 minutes.  Makes about 12 muffins.

Rockin' Chocolate Chip Almond Cookie Squares (Blondies)

Stumbled across this on the internet and it is great!  So easy!

Rockin' Chocolate Chip Almond Cookie Squares (Blondies)

1/4C butter (we used dairy/soy free Earth Balance)
3/4C almond butter (Barney's Brand is made in a dedicated almond facility)
2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs for vegan version)
3/4C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4C millet flour
1 tsp baking powder (corn free - 1/2tsp cream tarter + 1/4 tsp baking soda)
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips (Good Life Brand)

preheat oven to 350.  Grease 8x8 pan. Beat butters together until creamy.  Add eggs, sugar, vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix into wet ingredients until combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Bake about 25 minutes.  Let cool 45 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Allergy Friendly

Stumbled on this online somewhere.  Pretty good.  Not amazing, but easy!  Could use pork also.  I actually think this would taste better using dark meat.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Allergy Friendly

2 TBS Ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 TBS coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2LBS chicken cubed
2TBS cornstarch/2TBS cold water OR 2tsp arrowroot powder/2ts water

Whisk to combine first 5 ingredients in a 4-6qt crockpot.  Add chicken.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5.  With a slotted spoon, remove chicken.  Whisk in cornstarch or arrowroot powder mixtures.  Cook on high 15-20 minutes to thicken.  Put chicken back in.  Serve over rice with steamed broccoli.   

easy and amazing biscuits

This is another Cooks Country hit. I love to have biscuits for dinner every once in awhile. Throw some butter and honey or butter and jam on a hot biscuit and I am in heaven. And so are the kids. Win win, right! Well the recipe I used to use had to be rolled out and cut. They were huge, beautiful biscuits.... But bland. I got my Cooks Country magazie the other day and thought I would give these a go. So good!! And EASY!!!!  I used the large scoop from Pampered Chef to drop them on the cookie sheet with the Sil-Eco on it. So easy. You must try them!

Cooks Country Soft and TenderBiscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 TBS sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup mayonnaise (full fat)

1. Preheat oven to 450 and make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven.
Line a bakingsheet with parchment or a silicone mat (i have one I love called Sil-Eco on Amazon). Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk milk and mayo together in a separate bowl. Stir milj mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
2. In this step CC has you use a greased 1/4 cup measure. I used a heaping large scoop which I thought was easier. Anyway, drop scoops of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until tops are golden about 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking (I forgot this step and they were still fine). Transfer to wire cooling rack and let cool 5 minutes  (or not). Serve.

Thai Peanut Chicken

This recipe is from Pillsbury Slow Cooker Recipes which a great book. I changed it slightly as you will see. It feeds about 4-6 adults

Thai Peanut Chicken

8 bone in chicken thighs, about 2 LBS (4 small/med size chicken breasts)
3/4 cup hot chunky salsa (1 cup medium)
1/4 cup peanutbutter (1/2 cup, chunky if you have it)
2 TBS lime juice
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp grated ginger (1/4 tsp ground if in a pinch)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Chopped cilantro

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.  In a bowl combine salsa, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and ginger.  Mix well.  Pour over chicken (could place chicken and mixture in a freezer bag and freeze to cook later.  Add a couple hours to cook time if frozen)

2. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. 

3.  Shred chicken (the recipe says to take it out and shred, but I just use two forks and shred it right in the crock.  It is usually so tender it just falls apart).  If you use dark meat, you will probably need to skim the fat.  Otherwise, mix chicken and sauce and serve over rice.

Chocolate Peanutbutter Oatmeal Bars

Chocolate Peanutbutter Oatmeal Bars

Mix well
14oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup peanutbutter (we used crunchy)
In a separate bowl sift
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Stir in
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar
Cut in
3/4 cup butter, softened

In a greased 9x13 press down 1/2 oat mixture. Top with peanutbutter mixture. Top with chocolate chips. Top with oat mixture.
Bake 350 for 20 minutes or a little more. Do not over bake.

Quick and really yummy.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies (made with beans!)

Since I don't have a food processor (such a sad thing) I used a potato masher for the beans.  It worked out just fine although a food processor would be ideal.  You will have to use a little water to get the beans to a mashed potato consistency.  They are cake-like and yummy.

Chocolate Chocoate chip cookies using beans

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 cup pureed great northern beans (or other white bean)

1/4 white sugar

3/4 brown sugar

1 3.5oz package sugar free chocolate pudding mix (or regular I just had this and saw no other use for it! Could also use vanilla and use vanilla extract instead of almond)

1 tsp almond extract

2 large eggs

chocolate chips

nuts (optional)

preheat oven to 350

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream together butter, pureed beans, and sugars until fluffy.  Beat in pudding mix. 

Add eggs one at a time.  Add extract.  Fold chocolate chips.  Using a medium scoop, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.