My Kids Have Celiac, Now what?!

So it's official, all the tests for Babies A and B have come back and they both have Celiac Disease. 

We are still new to our gluten free journey so we are sharing our findings with you in our new Adventures in Gluten Free Series . We have started to make many of the accommodations per the Doctors request, like a separate toaster to prevent cross contamination of foods since Hubby and Sissy are still NOT gluten free. 

this toaster was only $16 at WalMart- so changes do NOT need to be expensive!

So here's some menu item updates that you may want to add to your repertoire: 

* We are obsessed with Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix 

blueberry pancakes. recipe on back of bag of Pamela's Mix. I just add whatever fresh berries I have on hand!

We have used it to make pancakes, muffins, scones, coffee cake and biscuits. All have been DELICIOUS. 


* We have connected with different companies via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest; and we scored THIS gem Sunday from Udi's Gluten Free Foods.  

 

picture from HERE

 I made our meatballs out of ground beef, salt and pepper, chopped spinach, 1 egg, shredded Parmesan, a few tablespoons of soy flour to make them easier to form.

I have NEVER claimed to be a food photographer ;)

*  Another night we tried THIS recipe I found on Pinterest, but the zucchini at our grocer that day did not look that great, so we substituted summer squash. Still came out good and all the kids ate it! <3 

And if you're wondering why I always have tinfoil under my food lol, it's because it was another method the Dr recc for avoiding cross contamination with NON GF items ;) 

And we have always enjoyed fruits and veggies regularly, so being GF has clearly not changed the girls snacking habits much : 

blackberries right out of the carton. Yep, that's about right ;)

yep, the blackberries that day were a hit! <3

Enjoy!

What is your favorite ALLERGY FRIENDLY website or FB page?

Adventures in Gluten Free series: Part One

Since our journey into the world of Celiac disease and eating gluten free, we have had to make some (albeit not too significant changes) to our diet. I would say our diet itself has not changed dramatically, but paying attention to cross contamination is what we find most challenging thus far. I'm assuming (and also hoping) this gets easier with time and more knowledge! 

from www.piecesofamom.com

So, here are our faves so far in the categories of products and recipes. As we continue with this series, I will post more pictures (although admittedly I am NOT a food photographer ;)) and more complete recipes HERE for easy access. 

My hope with this series is that others with allergies or Celiac disease will benefit from the products and recipes here to feed their families gluten free, and on a budget <3 

Top 5 Necessity Products for our family of 6: 

1. fruit of all kinds, we are trying to stick more now than ever, with what is in season as to add some variety to our menu!
2. veggies. frozen are cheaper and contain the same, sometimes even better, nutrients. The only fresh we stick to are arugula for salads and baby carrots- a kiddo fave <3 and then whatever I might need for a particular recipe, of course!
3. meat. we buy organic when we can- cage free, grass-fed all that stuff. but sometimes, it's just not economical and Gluten Free can be expensive. So we are not below taking advantage of the managers' special!
4. Pamela's Products Baking and Pancake mix: we make everything with this! Pancakes, scones, coffee cake, biscuits- you name it! and it all has been DELISH <3
5.  Annie's microwavable Mac n Cheese (yes, we have 3 under 5, this is a necessity ;))

Top 5 DELISH treats or premade wonders we have discovered thus far: 

1. Larabar, preferably the choc chip cookie dough which is a house FAVE
2. cooksimple dinners made easy!
3. Visalus shakes adult and kid friendly, FULL of protein and nutrients, DELISH, easy and GF!
4. Trader Joe's Gone Bananas- dark chocolate covered banana slices FROZEN
5. Cabot Greek Vanilla Bean yogurt

Top 5 recipes I have made so far that the WHOLE family has liked! 

1. Garlic & Feta Baked Shrimp  OMG YUM is all I can say! 
2. Polenta Lasagna : I modified this recipe a bit though, and used ready made polenta and just made a "standard lasagna" replacing the noodles for "disks" of polenta. I used marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and arugula within my layers and it was delish! a bit watery, and I'm not sure why still, but next time I'll try less sauce. (we served this at a dinner party with other non-GF ers and everyone loved it!) 
3. Lemon & Thyme mushrooms, I served ours over polenta and cooked spinach
4. Caprese quiche: I just made a crust less quiche with 8 eggs, a splash of milk, goat cheese, basil, and 1 tomato. YUMMO breakfast/brunch idea and everyone had seconds for dinner with my stand-by sausage in the crock pot (pkg of mild Italian sausage in marinara sauce. place in crock pot on low for 6- 8 hrs)  mmmmmm....
5. Parmesan Baked Tomatoes  make an incredible side dish or quick lunch!  


 Now, share your FAVORITE recipes, sites, blogs, PINS, anything GF here! Then go and get cooking!! :) 

What makes you interested in GF cooking/foods? Are you gluten intolerant, trying to lose weight, have Celiac Disease???? Other reasons???? 

and What would you like to get out of our Adventures in Gluten Free Series?

RealMama Week: Cheap Eats does NOT mean low Quality :)

    RealMama Week, Day 2 

guest post provided by Michelle Collins from The Economical Eater

I eat, I cook, I write, I blog, I don't eat meat - and I have barely any money to spend on anything besides bills and student loans. Growing up in a family of six with a budget to stick to, I learned to appreciate good food enjoyed around a full table without spending a lot of money.

 Quick, Delicious, & Inexpensive Family Pantry MUST Haves for a Great Dinner EVERY Night of the Week:

Anyone who knows me knows that I am cheap. I pay attention to serving sizes strictly in order to not waste food/money, I have never left a room without turning a light off (only in order to keep my electric bill low), and I will wait to fill up my gas tank until my car is literally running on fumes. 

Michelle Collins, aka The Economical Eater

    When it comes to food, though, I am probably the cheapest – but it has been proven to me time and time again that affordable food does not have to mean low quality. Eating an affordable diet also does not mean you have to compromise variety or nutrition. Whether you live alone, have a family or a roommate, there are some essential items to have on hand at all times in order to make balanced, flavorful, simple meals throughout the week: 
 
* Black beans: I always have at least one can of black beans in my pantry at all times. A can of Stop & Shop’s organic black beans are $0.99, and I use them all the time in vegetarian tacos/burritos, scrambled eggs, and homemade black bean burgers.

Black bean burgers

Eggs: This might seem like a no-brainer, but eggs aren’t just for breakfast anymore. I love making egg sandwiches for a simple, protein-filled dinner, and I also enjoy hard boiling eggs to incorporate in salads throughout the week – or to make egg salad, which goes a very long way for how little it costs to put together at home.
 
Frozen vegetables: Frozen veggies provide an easy, affordable alternative to getting your daily dose of vegetables. They’re not only great to incorporate in a weeknight pasta dish, or for toppings on a homemade pizza, but they also provide a quick side dish to any meal – and a perfect accompinament to a weekend morning omelette. I love having spinach and peas on-hand especially, since they are so versatile. 
 
Chickpeas: Roasted chickpeas are incredibly easy to make, and make a delicious, healthy snack that keeps well in a sealed container. Making your own hummus is also a lot cheaper than buying it at the grocery store (chickpeas cost about $0.99 since, too), and if you like Indian food, a simple dinner of chickpeas, some frozen vegetables and a slew of spices (served with some warm Naan) is simple, inexpensive and satisfying. 
 
Quinoa: One box of quinoa goes a very long way. Quinoa is not only chock-full of protein, it is also extremely adaptable. For a tasty twist on a classic dish, try these quinoa "meat"balls, or make a simple summer dish of quinoa, crumbled feta cheese and grilled zucchini. 

Quinoa 'meat' balls

    Of course, there are many other affordable kitchen essentials that come in handy, but these are some of my favorites. It’s always great to know that with a few shortcuts – and just a few dollars – you and your family can eat well-balanced, nutritious meals every day of the week.

* NNM Note: Ironically, ALL of the items mentioned here in the post by Economical Eater are all ones provided by your local WIC office (well, minus the quinoa) :) 

* Find and 'Like' The Economical Eater on Facebook

* Follow The Economical Eater on Twitter 

* and keep up with all her great recipes and restaurant finds on her blog 

 What are some items/ingredients you always have in your kitchen? 

Crafty Mama: "Pinspired" Projects Edition

 I figured I should share some of my recent projects in hopes that they might assist you in later quick, budget friendly recipes or gift ideas! I shared some of my Thanksgiving recipes and craft ideas HERE.

Here is the NNM Holiday Gift Guide from 2012: 

The last few years we have taken to making homemade gifts for our family. Last year we re used our milk bottles to house our easy granola

The year before that we made heart felt individual ornaments 

Holiday Gift Guide 2012 

This year, the kids made snowflake ornaments out of Popsicle sticks. Somehow, I failed to get a picture of our finished product; but they were like the ones you made in school that looked like this: 

photo credit: mama jenn blog

We used pipe cleaners as the ornament hanger and used permanent markers to write our names on the back. 

My sister is getting married this year, and her and her fiance love Crate & Barrel. I was able to score a setting for 4 from a local yard sale site on Facebook a few months back. The lady I bought it from threw in some extra place mats, so I used those and some inexpensive, washable fabric paint (which was used for multiple gifts as you'll see) to personalize them for my parents and the in laws. 

place mat and fabric paint

For hubby, who is an avid poker player, I decided this idea from Pinterest was perfect! I just used a hole punch and a pipe cleaner to tie them all together. Total cost? A $2 deck of cards ;) and a WHOLE LOT OF LOVE <3 

For the older kids; Spiderman, Baby A, and my niece Phia, I used the kids crayon stubs to make crayon disks. I got the idea and instructions HERE  

After baking at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes, they were done! The "gift bags" were leftover from the $2 pack of red paper lunch bags we got to make our advent bags. I also grabbed a coloring book for each child from the $1 bin at Target. 

Birthdays 2013: 

Hubby's gift was inspired by this PIN  

 

Walk a Little Slower Daddy

I was able to get a 2pk canvas for $7.99 at Michaels' Craft Store, and then we just used the fabric paint we had on hand, a permanent marker, and leftover raffia from our holiday ornament wrapping. 

And now I have another canvas left to use for a later project! 

Sissy's gift was inspired by this PIN  

make up magnet board

We scored a baking dish and some magnets at the same craft store, and just used super glue and the same fabric paint at home. Spiderman saw the little wooden accents, which we just super glued on, for $0.49 each in the scrapbook section! 


And finally, recipe FUN: 

Today we made our own bread to have with just a family size can of tomato soup for dinner... 

crusty whole wheat bread , easy!

 
I'd say it was a success! ;) I only altered the recipe by using whole wheat flour in lieu of white flour. I think next time I'll use a less grainy flour, like almond flour though to make the bread a bit less dense. 

We had flour in the pantry, and always have sea salt; so total cost? $1.99 packet of yeast. Result? An entire loaf of bread which fed 4 of us for dinner, 2 slices each! <3 

Last night I also used up some ripe bananas, but realized I had no loaf pan- so improvised and used this recipe to make muffins. What I liked about it is that it uses honey and applesauce instead of sugar and oil! 

Mine look dark because, again, I use whole wheat flour. They are good, but dense due to the whole wheat flour and the applesauce. Total cost? NOTHING because I was using up stuff we had! <3 Perfect. 

What are some of your favorite budget friendly, easy projects??? Food or otherwise?? 

Find NNM on Pinterest @mymackey

 

Holiday Season is Upon Us!

Just as we did last year, our family hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year for my parents, siblings, and our friend Ali.

We kept the meal budget friendly by not purchasing enough food to feed an army. We prepared a variety of small dishes, so that everyone could enjoy, without having enough leftovers to feed 10 families, or worse, throw it all away!

This year's meal consisted of:

fresh turkey, 22lb.   $16

tofurkey with stuffing, compliments of Trader Joe's (for my sister and her soon-to-be hubby) 

stuffing, stovetop  $3

(I always add an onion and a few apples to keep it moist and fresh!) 

carrots and parsnips  $3

mashed potatoes 

sweet potato tartlets

baked apples

one bottle of red, and one bottle of white wine ($3 each, compliments of Trader Joe's) 

I asked everyone to bring a dish, so my sister contributed stuffed mushrooms, vegetarian stuffing, and wine. My parents brought more wine, squash, and a pumpkin pie, my brother brought his world-famous banana cream pie, and our friend Ali brought her amazing-to-die-for brownies! 

 Budget Friendly Tablescape:

* borrowed tablecloths
* used Christmas "china" ;)
* centerpiece was compliments of our friend Ali and her mom!
* I bought the candles for $2 for a pack of 12. I re used old wine bottles and some raffia to make the candle holders

Budget Friendly NEW recipes:

Here are the recipes of some of the new items from this year. I found all the recipes via Google or Pinterest, using items I already had in my pantry and fridge: 

Sweet Potato Tartlets (these came out AMAZING btw) 

Ingredients: 

oranges                                                    1 tspn vanilla extract

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes                  1 c softened butter

1 c sugar                                                 1 tbspn orange zest

1/4 c orange juice                                   1 c brown sugar

2 eggs                                                  1 c nuts (I used carmelized, flaxseed coated walnuts for $3/bag)

1/2 tspn whole wheat flour

To make: 

* cut the oranges in half and "core" them so you just have the shells

* combine the sugar, OJ, sweet potatoes, eggs, vanilla, 1/2 c butter, and orange zest

* spoon into shells in deep casserole dish or as you'll see I used- a cupcake pan) 

* in small saucepan, over MED heat combine remaining butter, brown sugar, flour and nuts

* cook until sugar dissolves in butter and spoon over oranges

* fill casserole dish with about 1/2 in of water 

COOK AT 350 for 30 min. 

BEFORE

AFTER

Pear and Goat Cheese Appetizer: 

Ingredients; 

cracker of your choice (I used raisin rosemary crackers from Trader Joes) 

goat cheese

honey

bartlett pears

To make; 

* spread crackers over serving dish

* top each with a slice of bartlett pear and crumbled goat cheese (I used honey infused goat cheese) 

* drizzle honey over top and SERVE

DELISH! 

Baked Apples: 

Ingredients; 

apples

1/4 c brown sugar

2 tbspn butter

1/4 c nuts (I used another bag of the carmelized, flaxseed coated walnuts) 

1 tspn cinnamon

1/2 c apple juice 

optional- 2 tbspns orange liquor 

To make; 

* core apples

* mix everything but the juice and fill the cored apples

* place in crockpot on HIGH for 3 hours

* cover with apple juice (and liquor) before covering

BEFORE

AFTER. Apple pie without the guilt!

 * you can serve these by themselves, topped with whipped cream, or topped with Noosa Honey yogurt! YUM! 

Enjoy!! How was YOUR Thanksgiving?? Did you try any NEW recipes??