Last week I discovered some completely over-ripe, rotten banana's that were left in my fruit bowl from Easter. Now, in my house, either banana's last one second after I buy them or they sit in the fruit bowl and rot for weeks. It's a mystery as to when my kids can't get enough of the fruit and when they will be completely bored with it and forget the banana's are there. Apparently, this time it was the latter scenario. So, what do you do with nasty banana's? Make banana bread, of course!
It's been awhile since I've made banana bread. The last time I did, Doodle was still eating eggs. You can find that recipe here. If you can't have eggs, like Doodle, here's the modified version - including a few additions. I added in Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips to this batch to make a delicious treat and protein powder to sneak some protein and offset the sugar. The bread turned out wonderful and Doodle enjoys it during her school snack.
Vegan Banana Bread
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
4 T Dairy Free Shortening
1 1/2 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer
1 T warm water
3/4 Cup Almond Milk (or other milk substitute)
3 Cups GF Flour Blend
1/2 Cup Pea Protein Powder (substitute GF flour, if needed)
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 T & 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
3 over-ripe banana's - mashed
1/2 Cup Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 1 bread loaf pan.
2. Mix sugar, agave nectar, shortening, with a mixer. Whisk together egg replacer and warm water. Add to sugar/shortening and mix.
3. Add in almond milk and banana's with mixer.
4. Stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips until combined.
5. Split mixture between prepared loaf pans. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in loaf comes out clean.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Dad's Worksheets
Well, we've been putting a lot of time and energy into helping Doodle with math. She was doing OK most of this year - getting B's for her grades. Then 4th quarter hit and WHAM! nothing but F's on her tests. It was heartbreaking! Plus, she wasn't progressing on her Rocket Math - you know, those darn timed math tests that really have no basis in the real world. As frustrating as these tests are as a parent, it's a necessary part of first grade, so we went on the hunt for a good tool to help Doodle out.
In my quest, I found this amazing website from a Dad who was trying to help his daughter out. It's called Dad's Worksheets and you can find it here: Dad's Worksheets. The worksheets available on this site emulates the Rocket Math curriculum that Doodle's teacher uses in class. For Doodle, she just needs to get 20 problems done in a minute to move on to the next level. I say just, like it's no big deal. In fact, it's a huge deal to Doodle. She has spent the majority of the year trying to get off of level A. It seemed insurmountable to her.
So, we printed out the worksheets and practiced every single night. After some concerted efforts, she was able to rise to level B! It also took some bribery of a large stuffed bunny from the local store - but she did it! Then, she did it again! She passed level B in a very short period of time! This time motivated by the promise of a new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Hey - whatever it takes! Now we are working on level C with hopes of surpassing before school ends on May 17th. I'm sure she will do it.
In my quest, I found this amazing website from a Dad who was trying to help his daughter out. It's called Dad's Worksheets and you can find it here: Dad's Worksheets. The worksheets available on this site emulates the Rocket Math curriculum that Doodle's teacher uses in class. For Doodle, she just needs to get 20 problems done in a minute to move on to the next level. I say just, like it's no big deal. In fact, it's a huge deal to Doodle. She has spent the majority of the year trying to get off of level A. It seemed insurmountable to her.
So, we printed out the worksheets and practiced every single night. After some concerted efforts, she was able to rise to level B! It also took some bribery of a large stuffed bunny from the local store - but she did it! Then, she did it again! She passed level B in a very short period of time! This time motivated by the promise of a new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Hey - whatever it takes! Now we are working on level C with hopes of surpassing before school ends on May 17th. I'm sure she will do it.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Vegan Sugar Cookies
Doodle loves cookies. I mean LOVES cookies. She really could live on cookies alone, if I let her. I make them because, selfishly, they make an easy snack to send to school. However, I also know that if she has too much sugar and not enough protein, I'm in for a rough evening when I pick her up from daycare. She is not a girl who can handle sugar without protein. So, I buy a pea protein powder from Kirkman Labs that I sneak into almost everything I bake for her. I love Kirkman Labs because I know they are all about pure ingredients that don't contain any of the common allergens. Kirkman is also a huge proponent in using diet and supplements to cure autism. So, I buy many things from them and the protein powder helps me sneak protein into cookies without Doodle noticing. A win-win!
Since we went egg-free in our household, it's been difficult to make a decent sugar cookie. The dough just seems to crumble which makes for a bad sugar cookie experience. Well, I finally figured out the missing ingredient - apple sauce! I added apple sauce to my latest batch of cookies and they turned out wonderfully - no more crumbly dough. Here's the recipe:
Vegan Sugar Cookies
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 T pure vanilla
1 T egg replacer
3 T warm water
2 heaping T apple sauce
1 1/4 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour
1/4 pea protein powder (use extra sweet rice flour if you don't have this)
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1. Combine shortening, sugar, agave nectar, vanilla in a large bowl. Beat generously.
2. In a small bowl whisk together egg replacer and warm water until frothy. Add to sugar mixture and beat. Stir in apple sauce.
3. Combine sweet rice flour, sorghum flour, protein powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt in a bowl. Gradually add to sugar/shortening mixture while beating with a mixer. Mix well.
4. Form dough into 2 balls and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5. Sprinkle some sweet rice flour on a large, clean surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Repeat step 5 as necessary.
6. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool on baking rack. Frost with your favorite frosting once cool.
I store the cookies un-frosted in the freezer and take out one at a time for school snack. I add a bit of frosting, before sending to school, that I keep frozen in our freezer.
Since we went egg-free in our household, it's been difficult to make a decent sugar cookie. The dough just seems to crumble which makes for a bad sugar cookie experience. Well, I finally figured out the missing ingredient - apple sauce! I added apple sauce to my latest batch of cookies and they turned out wonderfully - no more crumbly dough. Here's the recipe:
Vegan Sugar Cookies
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 T pure vanilla
1 T egg replacer
3 T warm water
2 heaping T apple sauce
1 1/4 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour
1/4 pea protein powder (use extra sweet rice flour if you don't have this)
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1. Combine shortening, sugar, agave nectar, vanilla in a large bowl. Beat generously.
2. In a small bowl whisk together egg replacer and warm water until frothy. Add to sugar mixture and beat. Stir in apple sauce.
3. Combine sweet rice flour, sorghum flour, protein powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt in a bowl. Gradually add to sugar/shortening mixture while beating with a mixer. Mix well.
4. Form dough into 2 balls and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5. Sprinkle some sweet rice flour on a large, clean surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Repeat step 5 as necessary.
6. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool on baking rack. Frost with your favorite frosting once cool.
I store the cookies un-frosted in the freezer and take out one at a time for school snack. I add a bit of frosting, before sending to school, that I keep frozen in our freezer.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
My niece was telling me about the vegan carrot cake she made for my sister's 45th birthday in March. She said "It's GOOOD :) (yes 3 O's good)" and that's a direct quote! Well, I had lots of desserts planned for Easter that were not conducive to Doodle's diet, so I thought I would adapt the recipe shared by my niece and make it Gluten Free. The original recipe can be found here: Vegan Carrot Cake. I chose to make the cake into cupcakes, so I could freeze some and use them for school snacks.
Here's the adapted recipe:
1 cup Sorghum Flour
1 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1 cup Sugar
1/4 Brown Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3 cups Shredded Carrots
3/4 cups Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Orange Juice
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Coconut
1. Mix the sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
2. Add shredded carrots and oil and mix well with a spatula.
3. Add orange juice and mix well with a spatula.
4. Add raisins and coconut and mix well with a spatula.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners and scoop batter into liners. Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of cupcake comes out clean.
6. Cool on baking rack - frost with favorite frosting. (I cheated and used store bought!)
These cupcakes were delicious - Doodle even agreed to share one with the Easter Bunny, who thoroughly enjoyed every bite!
Here's the adapted recipe:
1 cup Sorghum Flour
1 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1 cup Sugar
1/4 Brown Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3 cups Shredded Carrots
3/4 cups Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Orange Juice
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Coconut
1. Mix the sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
2. Add shredded carrots and oil and mix well with a spatula.
3. Add orange juice and mix well with a spatula.
4. Add raisins and coconut and mix well with a spatula.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners and scoop batter into liners. Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of cupcake comes out clean.
6. Cool on baking rack - frost with favorite frosting. (I cheated and used store bought!)
These cupcakes were delicious - Doodle even agreed to share one with the Easter Bunny, who thoroughly enjoyed every bite!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Math Madness
Well, we are on the downhill side of first grade - where has the year gone? It seems that time really does fly when you have kids in school. This year, that has truly been the case. Every year that Doodle starts a new grade, I worry about how she will keep up with her peers, will she make friends, will she fit in on the playground, can she keep up. This year was no exception.
Doodle, of course, has surprised me and done exceptionally well in school. She really loves it. This year, however, she has met her arch nemesis - Math! She has struggled all year, but still scored well on most of her tests and came home with B-, B, and B+. It seemed she was improving, that is, until this quarter hit. She has brought home 2 F's in a row! On her quarter review test, she missed simple things that she had mastered months before. I think that I was more devastated than she was when she brought home the test. My heart just breaks that she has to struggle so hard in this subject.
So, as with most things, I'm on a mission to make it better. I felt like we had tried most things: flashcards (didn't help), online games (she liked, but didn't help make progress), a Toy Story math book (helped some), and I even resorted to bribery. So, I decided to get out my Cri-Cut machine and make my own version of flashcards. First, I cut out some tags, then glued numbers to the tags and different colored stars representing the numbers to give her visual cues. I started real simple: 1+2, 3+1, 4+1, just to help her get through her Rocket Math timed tests. Then, I created tags with numbers from 0-9 with touch points that represent the number and help her count. I'm teaching her to use the number to help her figure out the math problem. The number 3, for example, had three different points, so she can use the points to count and come up with the answer. This seems to be helping.
Also, a friend suggested we try hide and seek math. I hide 5 flashcards and she has 5 minutes to find the flashcards, bring them to me, and give me the answer. She really likes this game and it seems to be helping. I imagine, however, that we will continue this routine right through the summer months so we don't take a step backwards. I know second grade will be even more challenging with math.
Doodle, of course, has surprised me and done exceptionally well in school. She really loves it. This year, however, she has met her arch nemesis - Math! She has struggled all year, but still scored well on most of her tests and came home with B-, B, and B+. It seemed she was improving, that is, until this quarter hit. She has brought home 2 F's in a row! On her quarter review test, she missed simple things that she had mastered months before. I think that I was more devastated than she was when she brought home the test. My heart just breaks that she has to struggle so hard in this subject.
So, as with most things, I'm on a mission to make it better. I felt like we had tried most things: flashcards (didn't help), online games (she liked, but didn't help make progress), a Toy Story math book (helped some), and I even resorted to bribery. So, I decided to get out my Cri-Cut machine and make my own version of flashcards. First, I cut out some tags, then glued numbers to the tags and different colored stars representing the numbers to give her visual cues. I started real simple: 1+2, 3+1, 4+1, just to help her get through her Rocket Math timed tests. Then, I created tags with numbers from 0-9 with touch points that represent the number and help her count. I'm teaching her to use the number to help her figure out the math problem. The number 3, for example, had three different points, so she can use the points to count and come up with the answer. This seems to be helping.
Also, a friend suggested we try hide and seek math. I hide 5 flashcards and she has 5 minutes to find the flashcards, bring them to me, and give me the answer. She really likes this game and it seems to be helping. I imagine, however, that we will continue this routine right through the summer months so we don't take a step backwards. I know second grade will be even more challenging with math.
Friday, October 14, 2011
First Quarter of First Grade
It's been a long first quarter of first grade and so my posting has gotten sporadic. Doodle's grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized recently - so life has been hectic around our house.
The good news for us is that Doodle is doing well in school. Her teacher reports that she is able to pay attention in class this year and has made some friends. She is a wiz at spelling - one of my big worries at the beginning of the year. She has gotten only one word wrong total on 8 tests - that's 79 out of 80 correct! She was also placed in the top level of her class for reading - she is an amazing reader and I'm so proud of her!
Math is proving to be more difficult for Doodle. While she is a great reader, it's really hard for her to read a math problem and translate that into an action of what she needs to do to solve the problem. Maybe I'm getting old, but I don't remember having to tackle story problems in the first grade. The great news for this week, however, is that Doodle aced her math test! She was able to complete her math homework without assistance and got all of the problems correct - then she aced her math test this week. Maybe something is starting to click.
I don't know if other parents with autistic children experience the incredible ability for their child to procrastinate? Doodle is a master procrastinator and it makes school mornings tough on me. This past weekend I devised a new system to help my mornings go smoother. I made tags with pictures of the activities she needs to do in the morning: Get Dressed, Brush Teeth, Eat Breakfast, Put on Shoes/Coat. Then I hung up 2 hooks - I Can Do It and I Did It. She moves each tag from the I Can Do It hook to the I Did It hook after she completes each task. This week she was up and dressed in record time. I didn't have to nag her about anything. I'm not sure how long it will last, but it sure made for a much easier morning this week.
The good news for us is that Doodle is doing well in school. Her teacher reports that she is able to pay attention in class this year and has made some friends. She is a wiz at spelling - one of my big worries at the beginning of the year. She has gotten only one word wrong total on 8 tests - that's 79 out of 80 correct! She was also placed in the top level of her class for reading - she is an amazing reader and I'm so proud of her!
Math is proving to be more difficult for Doodle. While she is a great reader, it's really hard for her to read a math problem and translate that into an action of what she needs to do to solve the problem. Maybe I'm getting old, but I don't remember having to tackle story problems in the first grade. The great news for this week, however, is that Doodle aced her math test! She was able to complete her math homework without assistance and got all of the problems correct - then she aced her math test this week. Maybe something is starting to click.
I don't know if other parents with autistic children experience the incredible ability for their child to procrastinate? Doodle is a master procrastinator and it makes school mornings tough on me. This past weekend I devised a new system to help my mornings go smoother. I made tags with pictures of the activities she needs to do in the morning: Get Dressed, Brush Teeth, Eat Breakfast, Put on Shoes/Coat. Then I hung up 2 hooks - I Can Do It and I Did It. She moves each tag from the I Can Do It hook to the I Did It hook after she completes each task. This week she was up and dressed in record time. I didn't have to nag her about anything. I'm not sure how long it will last, but it sure made for a much easier morning this week.
Friday, September 2, 2011
First Two Weeks of First Grade
Well we've officially wrapped up 2 weeks of school today. Time sure does fly! Doodle has settled into First Grade quite nicely and is doing wonderful. Last night we had parent night at her school and I touched base with her teacher. I had my concerns about Doodle's ability to focus and keep up with her class, especially since she is no longer on an Individual Education Plan this year and receives no special services. The teacher was happy to report that for the most part, Doodle is keeping up and hasn't had nearly the attention issue she struggled with last year. That's great news! I hope it continues throughout the year.
I'm wondering if she is focusing better this year because she is more mature or if it is because we modified her diet again and removed corn? I've read many articles that list yellow foods as one source of ADD/ADHD.So, we decided to take Doodle off of corn this summer and see how she reacted. This one was a bit harder to implement, since we typically ate mixed vegetables that included corn at every dinner - and Doodle LOVES corn. I now have to buy beans, peas, carrots separately and make my own mixed vegetables for dinner. She sometimes complains that she really wants to eat corn again, and I feel bad as a parent that I have to keep removing from her diet all of the foods she loves: dairy, eggs, and now corn. She is a trooper about it all, however. Her teacher said she is very good about saying what she can and cannot eat at snack time. She's probably the only child in her class who understands the ingredients in the food she can/cannot eat.
To determine if Doodle truly has an issue with corn, I really should re-introduce it into her diet for a few days and see what happens. Do I dare? I don't want to send her backwards in school if she is doing so well - maybe we'll wait until a holiday break and try it then. I'll let you know how it turns out.
I'm wondering if she is focusing better this year because she is more mature or if it is because we modified her diet again and removed corn? I've read many articles that list yellow foods as one source of ADD/ADHD.So, we decided to take Doodle off of corn this summer and see how she reacted. This one was a bit harder to implement, since we typically ate mixed vegetables that included corn at every dinner - and Doodle LOVES corn. I now have to buy beans, peas, carrots separately and make my own mixed vegetables for dinner. She sometimes complains that she really wants to eat corn again, and I feel bad as a parent that I have to keep removing from her diet all of the foods she loves: dairy, eggs, and now corn. She is a trooper about it all, however. Her teacher said she is very good about saying what she can and cannot eat at snack time. She's probably the only child in her class who understands the ingredients in the food she can/cannot eat.
To determine if Doodle truly has an issue with corn, I really should re-introduce it into her diet for a few days and see what happens. Do I dare? I don't want to send her backwards in school if she is doing so well - maybe we'll wait until a holiday break and try it then. I'll let you know how it turns out.
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