Re-Invented Recipe: Mildly Spicy Hummus with Hemp Hearts

Ok, so anyone on my facebook page knows that I promised a yummy hummus recipe! Let's face it, who wants to eat hummus with vague ingredient labels that costs well over $4 a container! We used to do that all the time, but not anymore....and you don't have to either!

Try this recipe and see if you still want that store bought stuff!

Mildly Spicy Hummus

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of garbanzo beans pre-soaked 

OR

1 can of garbanzo beans rinsed

2 tablespoons of hemp hearts

1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice 

pinch of sea salt (1/4 tsp)

2 tablespoons tahini

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder ( optional)

Cayenne pepper or hot sauce (to taste)

1/4 cup filtered/spring water

In a food processor blend the hemp hearts and tahini together with the olive oil.

Add in the garbanzo beans, blend for 1 min.

Add in the remaining ingredients except water. Blend until smooth.

Add in the water and blend 1 more time for 30 sec to 1 min.

Using a spatula, remove the hummus from food processor and place in a container. Serve with carrots, celery, or non-GMO blue corn chips!

A little side note:

I used freshly squeezed lemon juice from my juicer. I also used hot sauce instead of cayenne pepper as I haven't bought more recently. The hot sauce I used was Frank's Red Hot Original because it does not contain a lot of added ingredients. If you are looking for a starting measurement, try 1 tablespoon of hot sauce or 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, do a taste test once blended to see if you need more.
Make it to your taste buds liking!

I also used Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts, but any good quality hemp seeds should do. I have also made this with Nutiva.

If you want a plain hummus. omit the hot sauce/cayenne, and add maybe a little more lemon ( not a lot, like an extra tablespoon or so).

We make this hummus at least twice a week. It is delicious.

My friend Stacy had originally taught me how to make a basic hummus, then you all know how I am, I have to go and change things and add my little twist. But I wanted to give her a shout out and a thank you for teaching me....

Have you made your own hummus?

This hummus is less expensive than store bought and tastes wayyyyy better! It is so easy too!

Baby A eats it up so fast that there isn't always enough for Hubby and I!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

***

See my disclaimer page. Make all recipes at your own risk. Do not copy or use my recipe for profit, you do not have permission to do so. If you post my recipe on your blog/site/book please give me credit by linking back to this post. I spent many hours in the kitchen coming up with this recipe on my own. You saw it on Re-Inventing Lolli blog first.

Remember you saw these recipes first here on ReInventing Lolli blog :) If you use one of my recipes, please give me credit, as I work hard to come up with all of my recipes.

Always check labels for gluten free/ allergen free status before using any ingredients.

Be careful when handling sharp objects, never leave children in kitchen unsupervised.

Spaghetti Sauce Recipe You Won't Believe!! {GF/CF/NIGHTSHADE FREE}

This sauce is incredibly easy to make. 

It is gluten free/ dairy free/casein free/refined sugar free/nightshade free/tomato free....

and 100% delicious.

Baby A's favorite meals include pasta sauces, and I was nervous that I would not be able to cook food she liked when I had to go nightshade free! However, I had no need to worry because she devoured this immediately.

Ingredients:

Ground Turkey ( optional, we make meat sauce at our house)

Organic Carrots ( 30 oz, approx. 1 bag)

Whole Beets ( 1 can)

Red Onion 

1 tblspn Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fresh Mushrooms ( optional)

Black Olives ( optional)

Italian Seasoning ( to taste)

Black Pepper  ( to taste)

(We also use Cayenne pepper, it is a night shade though, however it is the only one that doesn't affect me, most likely due to the capsaicin)

Oregano ( to taste)

Turmeric ( to taste)

Garlic powder (to taste)

To make the basic sauce which can be used on pizza and other pasta dishes, here is what you do:

1. Chop and steam your carrots.

2. Place carrots and entire can of beets undrained into food processor ( if using fresh beets, please steam & add 1/4 cup water).

3. Pour in 1 tablespoon of organic extra virgin olive oil, and add in your seasonings to taste.

4. Puree the ingredients until they turn into a tomato like sauce.

If you are making the entire spaghetti sauce recipe on here, then you will set aside sauce for now.

1. Brown your ground turkey ( and red onions if using) and drain.

2. Add basic sauce to pan with the turkey. 

3. Add in black olives & mushrooms.

4. Cook until the mushrooms are soft or until the pasta sauce is done to your particular liking. I tend to cook the sauce on a low heat with the lid on for most of the time, and toward the end I take off the lid. Stir frequently. This should take approx. 30 min.

If you are only using the basic sauce, you can apply directly to pizza, or you can cook basic sauce for 30 min and put on your favorite gluten free noodles!

It's that easy!

I hope you like it as much as we do!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

See my disclaimer page. Make all recipes at your own risk. Do not copy or use my recipe for profit, you do not have permission to do so. If you post my recipe on your blog/site/book please give me credit by linking back to this post. I spent many hours in the kitchen coming up with this recipe on my own. You saw it on Re-Inventing Lolli blog first.

Remember you saw these recipes first here on ReInventing Lolli blog :) If you use one of my recipes, please give me credit, as I work hard to come up with all of my recipes.

Always check labels for gluten free/ allergen free status before using any ingredients.

Please use caution when cooking to not burn yourself and when chopping to not cut yourself. Do not let children handle sharp objects or the stove.

Easy, Healthy, Gluten free Pumpkin Pie!

What is Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, right?

Well, after looking at several recipes online, it was discouraging to see so many with a ton of questionable, unhealthy ingredients & loads of sugar!

So I decided that I was going to make a healthy pumpkin pie with no gluten, dairy, or refined sugar.

Pie Filling Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 (15 oz) can of pure pumpkin 

6 packets of stevia

2/3 cup organic honey

3 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 capful gluten free vanilla

1 can coconut milk ( full fat, organic)( I used Thai Kitchen)

Preheat oven to 400.

Beat eggs lightly, then add all remaining ingredients including pumpkin. Mix thoroughly.

Add coconut milk & blend lightly until mixed in.

Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 55 min or until done.

Pie Crust Ingredients:

1 cup of Brown Rice flour

1/2 cup of Garabanzo/Fava Bean Flour 

( I used Bob's Red Mill for both my flours)

** Pretty much any gluten free flours would work, I just like how the flavor turned out with this mix!

1 packet stevia

1/2 tsp  sea salt

1/2 cup earth balance

Mix together all ingredients except the earth balance ( in food processor)

Add in earth balance and pulse until it is lump looking.

Add in 1/3 cup water and mix until it becomes a dough.

Remove the dough and roll out into pie pan.

Coconut "Whipped Topping":

Leave one can of coconut milk in the fridge for several hours.

Drain out the excess liquid.

In a chilled bowl add the coconut ( thick part), 1 capful of gluten free vanilla, and 1 packet of stevia. 

Whip until resembles whipped topping.

ENJOY!

Be Happy Healthy and Strong,

Lolli

Warning: Whipped topping contains coconut, do not make if you are allergic to coconut.

See my disclaimer page. Make all recipes at your own risk. Do not copy or use my recipe for profit, you do not have permission to do so. If you post my recipe on your blog/site/book please give me credit by linking back to this post. I spent many hours in the kitchen coming up with this recipe on my own. You saw it on Re-Inventing Lolli blog first.

Remember you saw these recipes first here on ReInventing Lolli blog :) If you use one of my recipes, please give me credit, as I work hard to come up with all of my recipes.

Always check labels for gluten free status before using any ingredients.

GF/DF Frozen Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust!

Who isn't a fan of an ice cream pie?

Truth is though, if you have food allergies or are avoiding sugar, it can be hard to find a dessert that satisfies the taste buds.

Look no further, I have a tasty recipe!

Lolli's Decadent  Frozen Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust! 

Gluten free.

Dairy free. 

Refined Sugar free.

No oven needed.

You will need: 

 blender with ice cube setting 

OR 

food processor

and

pie pan

Crust:

1 cup garbanzo fava flour (Bob's Red Mill) 

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 packet of Stevia 

1/4 cup liquid coconut oil

Blend all of the dry ingredients.

Pour coconut oil into bowl with dry ingredients.

Lightly mix in circular motion with a spoon until the flour mixture has blended into coconut oil.

Place in pie pant and flatten.

Freeze for at least 15 minutes.

Pie Filling:

4 bananas ( frozen in chunks) 

3 (or more depending on your peanut butter craving) tablespoons of  an all natural peanut butter (I used Krema Natural)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup almond milk

Place bananas in blender, blend until smooth, add in peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and almond milk. Blend until smooth.

Pour into pie pan on top of crust ( you may have extra mixture depending on how big the bananas are & how much peanut butter you use). Enjoy the extra as ice cream.

Place pie in freezer for 4-6 hours.

When ready to consume, take out 10 minutes prior to serving to thaw enough to cut.

Enjoy immediately. 

When serving you can top the pie with a chocolate syrup found here.

I hope you like the peanut butter pie as much as we did!

Please adjust the peanut butter and chocolate amounts to suit your own personal taste! This is a very forgiving recipe!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

I worked really hard to come up with this recipe from scratch. Please give ReInventing Lolli credit if you use this recipe, if you repost, please ask permission. Remember you saw GF/DF Frozen Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust first on ReInventing Lolli!

Disclaimer here.

My Relationship with [Fast] Food (Part 3)

The bigger changes in my life...

My relationship with Fast Food had dwindled drastically. Hubby and I were only eating out occasionally now, and had given up soda all together. 

Our snacks were still junky and I was addicted to bread. I loved anything baked....bread, brownies, donuts, you name it. I also couldn't pass up a York Peppermint Pattie or a 3 Musketeers bar. 

Hubby had said " No way am I ever going to eat that bird seed sh*t" in the beginning, but this was all about to change for him too.

While getting healthier and moving more toward clean eating, I was getting sicker. Fast food made me sick, but healthy food made me sicker. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I felt like maybe I should give up on clean eating, seeing as how I was eating everything in sight and still losing weight. I weighed 89 lbs. I was exercising and not gaining muscle.

Then I saw a video on bodybuilding.com ( my new favorite site at the time), it was about a female bodybuilder who had Celiac. 

I didn't know what gluten was before this. So I decided to cut gluten & dairy out of my diet...on Thanksgiving 2009.

And long story short. I felt better. Actually, I felt the best I had ever felt in my life. I ate less, I gained weight ( I weighed 98 lbs. after being gluten free only a couple months). If you want to know more, then please click here. 

Around the same time, Hubby had revelations in his own life that caused him to start to look at what he was eating too. 

We started following the Eat Clean Diet. We ate more brown rice & only gluten free breads on occasion. Our snacks started to clean up too. We allowed ourselves 1 cheat snack a week. Just ONE!  We even started taking vitamins and supplements.

So now we were eating clean :) 

It felt good.

And guess what we still made more changes to our diet.

What? Could you get any healthier? 

YES.

And we did. 

Going to the "extremes" with healthy eating & feeling the best we ever had !! 

Part 4....Where we are now.

And then be sure to come back for Part 5, of how YOU can change your life!! 

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

GF/DF/SF/VEGAN Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Topping!

Do you crave ice cream, yet wish it were healthy?

Now you can have the best of both worlds. 

This is mine & my Hubby's favorite snack.

The crackle coat in the middle of hardening.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tblspns Natural Peanut Butter ( ours contains only peanuts!!)

2 tblspns Almond Milk or water ( this is for mixability)

2 frozen bananas

* Break bananas into chunks ( throw away peel), put in freezer safe container and freeze for 6 hours or longer. *

Directions:

1. Put water/ almond milk into food processor ( or blender that has ice cube setting).

2. Add bananas.

3. Add peanut butter. 

4. Place lid on blender/ food processor and blend or process until smooth.

It will get chunky, then smaller chunks, then fluff out into ice cream.

Topping:

There are 2 topping options.

1. Crackle Coat: Mix 1 tblspn coconut oil, 1 tblspn honey, and 1 1/2 tblspns pure cocoa powder. Mix until liquid. Pour on top of ice cream, instant crackled chocolate coat. Magic!! 

2. Chocolate Syrup: Mix 1 tblspn honey & 1 tblspn cocoa powder until it turns into a syrup ( it gets lumpy before it thins out, so keep mixing). 

If you are a VEGAN who doesn't eat honey, then use Agave Nectar instead. Adjust measurements accordingly.  If you want more or less syrup adjust accordingly. 

To make plain ice cream, just mix the water/almond mix with the bananas. That's it!! 

I hope you enjoy! 

As always if you have gluten/dairy or other allergies, please read the labels on the back of every ingredient used. This recipe contains nuts so do not make if you have a nut allergy.

In addition, please be safe in the kitchen and use care when handling sharp objects.

I worked really hard to come up with this recipe from scratch. Please give ReInventing Lolli credit if you use this recipe, if you repost, please ask permission. Remember you saw GF/DF/SF/VEGAN Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Topping first on ReInventing Lolli!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Cooking for a Celiac Guest.

It can be hard to cook for company if you don't know how!

This is a dilemma facing many people with Celiac disease when visiting a friends house for dinner or going to a party.

It is not only nervewrecking for the person with Celiac disease, but the host as well!

I would like to share with you a few tips if you are the host to someone with gluten and dairy allergies. 

My gluten and dairy allergies somewhat severe & include cross contamination.

So! Here is how to cook for me if I were coming over for dinner.

Step 1:

Wash your hands, counter tops, and any utensils you will be using to cook my food.

Step 2:

Verify that all utensils are non porous. Porous materials can absorb gluten from other foods and cross contaminate someone with Celiac. 

Acceptable utensils are metal, glass (bowls & baking dishes), and plastic.

NOT acceptable materials are: wood, baking stones, stoneware baking dishes, etc.

Step 3: 

Make sure that you prepare the gluten free/ dairy free meal BEFORE any other meals. This limits the chance of cross contamination & will make the process MUCH easier on you! There will be no guessing " did I wash my hand after making sandwiches?"

Step 4:

Know what ingredients are okay to use~! Ask your guest what brands are okay, not all brands are created equal. For example: One sloppy joe sauce may contain gluten while another may not. It is always best to ask.

Make sure that the items say "gluten free" on the label, this takes the guessing out of the situation. If there are dairy allergies, make sure that there  are no milk ingredients or milk allergy warnings on the label.

Here are some general guidelines for what is safe & what is not: 

The following make me extremely sick/ are unsafe:

Wheat. Barley. Oats. Rye.flour, egg noodles, beer, MSG, sauces thickened with flour, tamari, soy sauce,teriyaki, matzo, couscous, bulgar, seitan, wheat germ, caramel coloring, "natural flavors;' bouillon cubes,chicken or soup stocks, malt, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, natural/artificial flavorings, general starches, maltodextrin, malt vinegar, packaged spices that come in bulk, and anything whose ingredients are not known.

I am also allergic to dairy so please no cheese, milk, or butter on my food.

 Anything with casein, lactose or any milk proteins are also unsafe. 

Again these are basic guidelines.

 Step 5:

Check your cooking surfaces. 

If using the oven, cover your pan with aluminum foil, this prevents cross contamination between the glutened pan & the non-gluten food. In addition DO NOT cook anything with gluten on or in the same pan. This with make the non-gluten food glutened and then you will have wasted your time.

If grilling out. Use a separate flipper for the non-gluten food than for the gluten food.

Make sure to have a dedicated area on the grill for the non-gluten food, this area must be covered in aluminum foil (again to prevent cross contamination).

Step 6:

Once the gluten free dairy free food has been cooked, please make sure that it does not come in contact with other food that may have gluten or dairy.

Taking these steps to make sure that a meal is gluten free (and/or dairy free) for an guest with Celiac is very important, and very much appreciated. A key to remember is that even the tiniest speck of gluten can make some people with Celiac very sick, so always use caution when making food for a Celiac guest.

There are different levels of gluten sensitivity in different individuals, so it is always best to be safe if in doubt. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about how to make gluten free food!

♥ 

Lolli

Want to learn more about Celiac?
Check out these links.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001280/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319
http://www.celiac.org/
http://www.celiaccentral.org/Celiac-Disease/21/


*Disclaimer: This is not an attempt to treat, diagnose or give advice regarding any disease. This is purely for entertainment purposes only. These are things that have worked for me personally in my own life, I am only sharing my own life experiences. As always talk to your Dr when dealing with an illness. In addition, these are not my photos they are photos gathered from around the web for illustrative purposes only.*

Raw Food is Inspiring ♥

In dealing with food allergies as well as searching for the healthiest, yummiest, and easiest recipes...I have run across a lot of raw food recipes.

Raw food has peaked my interest.
 Granted, I like chicken & eggs way too much to become vegan,  but I do think that  there is a place for raw food in my life. 

Here are some pictures of some amazing raw food desserts:

http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-orange-chocolate-cheesecake/

http://www.busy-vegan.com/raw-food-desserts.html

http://youngonrawfood.com/very-decadent-dark-cacao-milkshake/

http://www.rawfoodrecipes.com/recipes/raw-mint-oreo-cookie-blizzards.html

(to make GF use GF oats)

There are so many desserts and meals that I think would be so much fun to make!
I am hoping to post more about raw food in the future!

Healthy CAN be tasty :) 

♥

Lolli S

RAW REVOLUTION (Review)

Hubby and I recently went to Vitamin Shoppe to pick up baby vitamin drops & coconut oil. 

While we were there we picked up some Raw Revolution Organic Live Food Bars. 

Let me just say: These ROCK!

The flavor we bought was Chocolate Cashew.

Here's some facts from the packaging (flavor I ate) & website:

Raw Kosher Pareve

91. 7%  raw

Vegan

Free of preservatives

Gluten free

Dairy free

Soy free 

Wheat free

Free of peanuts 

Free of animal products

Organic

Talk about a healthy snack! Not to mention the chocolate cashew flavor tastes like chocolate!

Here are the ingredients for the Chocolate Cashew Flavor from their website:

" INGREDIENTS: CASHEW, DATES, AGAVE NECTAR, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, ALMONDS, SPROUTED FLAX SEED"

Some of their other flavors are:

Spirulina & Cashew

Chocolate & Coconut

Coconut & Agave Nectar

Apple Cinnamon

Lemon Dew

& more!

Check out their website: 

http://rawrev.com/

♥

Lolli

* I am not associated with Vitamin Shoppe or Raw Revolution in any way. I was in no way compensated for this review. All statements are true at the time this post was written. All opinions are truly my own. Always verify ingredients before consuming a product, especially with food allergies. The photo is not my own, it is linked from the rawrev.com website.*

PureFit Bars (Review)

My mom introduced me to PureFit Bars the other day.
The two kinds she gave me are Berry Almond Crunch & Chocolate Brownie.

What I Love About These Bars (according to package):
Gluten free
Dairy free
18grams of protein
Low Glycemic
Delicious!!

I have always been a protein shake person, but it's nice to have bars that you can grab and take with you in the car or stash in your purse!
These are it!! They have great flavor and are soft & chewy!

Thumbs up for PureFit Bars!

The great flavor & nutrition packed in these bars keeps me reaching for them first when I want a snack.

Thanks Mom for introducing me to my new favorite protein snack!

Check out their website: http://www.purefit.com/
❤


 Lolli 

• I was not compensated for this review. This review is on a product I already own. All opinions are true & my own.•

Superbowl Snack: Buffalo Wings, Healthier & Gluten Free!

Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins (16-20)
1 cup Hot Sauce
(I'm using Frank's Red Hot)
2/3 cup GF/DF margarine
(like Earth Balance)

Directions:

In a large crock pot combine hot sauce & melted margarine.
Add wings & gently mix.
Place in fridge overnight OR skip this step and go straight to cooking.
Cook in crock pot low 8-10 hours or high 6-8 hours.

Cooking time varies for different slow cookers & depending on the number of chicken pieces. Make sure food is cooked & verify all ingredients are allergy free before consuming.

Enjoy!!

♥
Lolli

Gluten Free Meatloaf (Slow Cooker)

A family favorite in our house is meatloaf.

If you like using your slow cooker, then this meatloaf recipe is for you!

This is a gluten free dairy free slow cooker recipe. 

To make egg free simply omit the egg.

Ingredients:

1 egg

2 lbs ground turkey

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 small onion chopped

1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup natural/organic ketchup

1 cup cooked brown rice

Salt, pepper, and italian seasoning to your own taste.
*I use a pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, tblsp of italian seasoning.*

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Place in small slow cooker.

Top with tblsp of ketchup.

Cook on HIGH 4-6 hours or until done.

Serve with a smile!

❤

 Lolli

( When cooking gluten free be careful to read labels & make sure the products you are using are truly gluten free. In addition always make sure food is cooked through & be careful with knives & hot surfaces. Always cook with caution.)

Outback Steakhouse...Dinner Out= Success!

We don't eat out often at all. 

For birthdays though, we like to have a meal out & celebrate. 

This year for my hubby's birthday we went to Outback Steakhouse. What a positive experience we had! The particular location we went to had competent staff who CARED and went to great lengths to make sure that I could eat my dinner. 

The manager even peeled the label off of the bottle of oil that they use to roll the potatoes in, and brought it out to me so I could read it.

Did I mention our waitress was in school to be a nutritionist and took great interest in making sure I could have a great meal experience?

The manager came out to talk to us and assured us of the gluten free dairy free status of my meal! He himself made sure that my meal was prepared completely by itself, away from chance of cross contamination.

Talk about going above and beyond.

Best thing is, I didn't get glutened! I didn't wake up the next day with stomach pain or discover weird rashes later on. Everything turned out fine! What a relief!! 

What were some steps I took to make sure I could enjoy a meal out?

1. I brought my own gluten free/ dairy free "butter" & sour cream.

2. I brought my own salt and parsley for my potato.

3. I also brought along a sheet that I typed up explaining my gluten & dairy allergies, the waitress took this back to the chef.

It was easy!! 

I will definitely go back to Outback!! 

THANKS OUTBACK for making our dinner a great one!

Check out Outback Steakhouse's gluten free menu here.

Steak, steamed broccoli, and a baked potato! Delicious!

♥
Lolli

*These are all personal opinions of the blogger. I was in no way compensated for this review. I am in no way associated with Outback Steakhouse. All opinions are from my personal experience at a particular restaurant location. As always, please use care when dining out with food allergies, and take all precautions to keep from having an allergic reaction. Eat out at your own risk.*

Recipes That Caught My Eye!

Happy Monday Friends!

I hope that all of my readers have an amazing week!

Since Monday is a good day to make grocery lists, I thought I would share some links to some recipes I want to try!

• http://realsustenance.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-or-pie-free-of-glutendairysoycorneggsnutssugar-and-grains-paleo-vegan/

• http://www.thewholegang.org/2011/10/whole-grain-penne-rigate-pasta-with-chicken-and-pancetta-tomato-sauce-recipe/

• http://www.thesensitivepantry.com/the-sensitive-pantry/2011/5/22/deep-dark-chocolate-muffins.html

• http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/12/get-your-hummus-onits-party-time.html

( I have been wanting to make my own hummus for a while now, so I added this to my  "to-try" list!)

What recipes have you been meaning to try? Do you have a "go-to" recipe site?

With the holidays around the corner, lots of moms are getting there aprons out and ovens ready! Are you armed with some tasty recipes for holiday treats?


❤
Lolli

A Few of My Favorite GF Snacks!

These are just a few of my favorite gluten free snacks:

RiceWorks Chips! All are gluten free, most are dairy free with except of the cinnamon & the parmesan flavors (according to the RiceWorks FAQ).

Enjoy Life Snacks are gluten free, dairy free, nut free! I like several of their snacks.

The chocolate chip cookies & their snack bars are great too!

I love that these Glutino pretzels are gluten free/ casein free!

These are great with hummus~!

My favorite hummus!

These are great to throw in the purse for a gluten free protein snack!

What are some of your favorite "on-the-go" snacks?




❤

Lolli

GF/DF Pomegranate Beef Recipe (Slow Cooker)

A while ago I decided I wanted to change things up with our menu, so I asked my hubby for meal ideas....

and he came back to me with this recipe!
 Let me say, it's my new favorite!

The inspiration for this meal, came from here. 

*Note: The original recipe contained golden raisins which are treated with sulfur dioxide. I substituted with regular raisins, and it turned out great.*

Ingredients:

1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, sliced 
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp Herbs de Provence

1 tsp dried minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
2 1/2 to 3 lbs beef roast 
1 can (14 oz)  unseasoned crushed tomatoes 
1 cup 100% pomegranate juice 
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tblsps pure maple syrup 
1/2 cup raisins

Directions:
I used a large slow cooker. Put onions and olive oil into the slow cooker. Place beef in bottom of slow cooker.  Rub all the seasonings into the beef. Then add the can of crushed tomatoes, pomegranate juice, syrup, and balsamic vinegar.Throw the raisins in last on top.

Cover and cook on High for 6-8 hours.

Serve over a bed of brown rice.

This turned out amazing! The house smelled so delicious! It was so tasty I forgot to take a picture of it on my plate for you all! Hubby and I devoured it. I loved how easy this was and will definitely make this again. 
It does make a lot of sauce! I am thinking we will try shredding the meat in the crockpot next time to soak up a little more of the sauce.

I hope you like this recipe as much as we did!

❤

Lolli

* As with all gluten free dairy free recipes, please be sure to read labels carefully. Companies can change ingredients from time to time, so be careful when selecting your ingredients. When cooking, please be careful not to burn yourself, and use caution when handling sharp objects. Make this recipe at your own risk. Use common sense.*

Gluten Free Dairy Free Pasta Salad.

Easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad

(Gluten Free/Dairy Free)

Serves:  8 approx.

Ingredients I used.

Ingredients:

3/4 of a cup GF italian dressing (I used Wishbone)

8 oz. GF brown rice twist/spiral pasta, cooked, rinsed with cold water, and thoroughly drained.

1 can of artichoke hearts

1 jar of roasted red peppers, sliced

1 can of sliced black olives, drained

1 cup of pepperoni ( I used Hormel's mini pepperoni's)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, fully cooked, cubed.

(Optional) 1/4 cup of Daiya Mozzarella Shreds (or other gluten free/ dairy free cheese)

All but chicken & pasta.

Directions: 

1. Put all ingredients into a large bowl.

2. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

3. Chill.

Serve chilled.

Finished pasta salad!

* As with all gluten free dairy free recipes, please be sure to read labels carefully. Companies can change ingredients from time to time, so be careful when selecting your ingredients. When cooking pasta and chicken, please be careful not to burn yourself, and use caution when handling sharp objects. Make this recipe at your own risk. Use common sense.*



I worked really hard to come up with this recipe from scratch. Please give ReInventing Lolli credit if you use this recipe, if you repost, please ask permission. Remember you saw this recipe  first on ReInventing Lolli!

Be Happy, Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

What Gluten-Free Is To Me.

My journey toward gluten-free started years ago when I was in high-school. Through most of my life, I remember being sick. Things got worse in high-school when I could barely walk up the stairs, and even fell down the stairs on occasions because I was so weak. I would fall asleep in classes that took place after lunch, not because I was lazy, but because I was sick. Needless to say, it resulted in poor grades. 

I went to several Dr.'s and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. 

Fast forward to when I was 21. I found myself in a constant state of inflammation, I always had hot flashes, weakness, tiredness, stomach upset, and the worlds worst heartburn! I ate Tums like candy. Still Dr.'s dismissed me. Things continued to get worse over the next couple of years. Even worse when I got "healthy", I started eating whole foods, among those was ....whole wheat products.

This is where everything took a turn for the worse.
I could not make it through the day on less than 14 hours of sleep, dizzyness, insomnia ( sounds weird for someone who slept so much), major stomach pain & other issues ( we'll skip the gory details), and a pesky rash that kept spreading up my back...and itched like a mosquito bite....I dealt with this and more every day.

The final breaking point was when I would go to bed at night, and feel like my ribs were breaking underneath me when I laid down. I was too weak to lift a laundry basket of clothes ( even though I worked out 5 days a week!). I kept losing weight (down to 89 lbs.) and was losing hair. Not to mention, every time I ate I thought I was going to hurl. I couldn't finish a meal, but I was constantly famished.

Thanksgiving 2009, I went gluten free. My life has changed dramatically. All the symptoms above...GONE. My body has healed itself & continues to get stronger all the time. I now have energy for my daily tasks and my workouts, 3-5 times a week!

I eat whole foods, but without the wheat, barley, rye, and oats! I have never felt better!

Only thing is, I also have to be dairy free, casein (a protein which is found in milk) reacts in my body the same way as gluten. In addition to that, I cannot touch anything with gluten or casein in it, or use any body products with it. Otherwise I get that pesky rash which takes months to go away...and I dare not use shampoo with these ingredients or my hair will fall out again.

People say they cannot believe what I go through.....to me, it's no big deal. I like my new life without allergens- I am healthy! And there are so many amazing gluten free products to choose from!

Are you gluten free? What's your story? Do you know someone who is gluten free?

♥

Lolli