Saturday, July 23, 2011

A Dairy Free Reminder....

Today Doodle came home from the neighbor's house just screaming in pain, complaining her stomach was upset. She had accidentally eaten popcorn at the neighbor's house with butter on it - a big NO - and now she was paying the price. At our house, I am so diligent about not allowing dairy to sneak into her diet because I know the consequences - but it's hard to control what happens at other people's house and popcorn is one of her favorite treats. At our house, I purchase Kettle Corn that is dairy free and Doodle is free to pop it herself and enjoy. Lesson learned, for her!

After a long nap, Doodle's stomach troubles were cured and we decided to make Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats for a snack this week. The recipe is so simple and I love that it adds a little bit of protein to an otherwise sweet treat.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

2 Tbsp Earth Balance Dairy Free Butter
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
40 to 50 marshmallows
1 box Gluten Free Rice Krispies

1. In a large pot, melt dairy free butter and creamy peanut butter over medium heat.
2. Stir in marshmallows. Continue stirring until completely melted.
3. Pour in Rice Krispies and stir until marshmallow mixture completely mixed in.
4. Pour into a greased 9" x 13" pan and spread evenly. Cut into even squares and serve.

Turning 7

We've had a busy summer and it's hard to believe that there are less than 4 weeks until school starts. Our Doodle is going into first grade and I'm trying to prep for this by stocking up meals in the freezer and adjusting her diet to exclude corn in the hopes she will have better luck paying attention this year. A summer filled with playing in the pool will soon turn to a busy fall filled with new teachers, new classmates, and homework. I'm confident this year that Doodle will keep up with her class better and make new friends. I've noticed over the summer that she has had an easier time making friends at the playground. She used to shy away from talking to other kids and sometimes wouldn't even play on the equipment if other kids were there. Now, she strikes up conversations with other children and forms friendships. It's so awesome to see her blossom!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Happy Birthday Doodle!

Doodle turned 7 years old and to celebrate we had a great lunch together (at her favorite joint - Hardee's) and then went to see Cars 2 in the theater. She has ordered up some vegan pumpkin waffles for dinner tonight and a vegan vanilla cake for dessert. Since we've gone egg free, I have considerably cut back on my baking for Doodle - it's not as easy as it used to be. Fortunately, there are some great recipes on the Internet and I found just what she needs for her menu.

The Gluten Free Goddess has a wonderful vegan Vanilla Cupcake recipe that I whipped up to bake a heart shaped cake for Doodle. You can find it here:

 http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/08/vanilla-cupcakes-with-mocha-icing.html

 I skipped the mocha icing and bought some dairy free frosting at the store. Hopefully Doodle enjoys here cake this year.

For the waffles - I have found a wonderful recipe that we all enjoy - they taste phenomenal! You can find the recipe here:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/09/gluten-free-pumpkin-waffles.html

We may top it all off with a trip to Cold Stone this weekend with Grandpa & Grandma where Doodle can enjoy a cup of Sorbet.

Enjoy!