Uncategorized Archives - Page 4 of 44

The Grain-Free Family Table: Photo Tour & Book Review

A couple of days ago, I finally received a very special cookbook I’ve been waiting for all year – The Grain-Free Family Table written by my dear friend Carrie Vitt at Deliciously Organic. It’s such a beautiful treasure overflowing with both wisdom and delicious recipes. That’s why I can’t help but gush over how much I love it, and of course, my sweet friend Carrie!

In fact, ever since Carrie mentioned that she was working on a new book, I’ve been eagerly awaiting it’s arrival for several reasons:

• As you can see from the before and after photos at left, Carrie knows firsthand the tremendous impact a real food, grain-free diet can make in improving health and well being.

As someone who has made a full recovery from a debilitating chronic autoimmune disease, Carrie’s story of hope and healing is fully presented in The Grain-Free Family Table, along with her wise advice to each of us on how we can discover our own pathway to healing.

• As an accomplished grain-free home chef and food blogger, Carrie also shares her wisdom on how to adapt your favorite recipes, including a handy substitution chart, and helpful tips on how to stock your pantry and fridge with cost-effective grain-free ingredients.

• Of course, there are lots and lots of delicious grain-free recipes – 125 to be exact – perfect for bringing families around the table together to celebrate delicious real food!

• And most important, Carrie provides a message of hope not only to those of us who struggle with chronic health issues, but to everyone who is seeking to live a healthier life. And hope is something that Carrie strongly believes in. As a result, you can feel hope welling up inside you as you read each word she writes.

Carrie has such a wonderful God-given talent for encouraging and inspiring others by sharing her personal health struggles and her breadth of wisdom on healthy living, and of course sharing her talent for making delicious grain-free recipes that bring joy back to the table! The fact that she combines all of these into her latest book is what makes it such a special treasure!

It’s for these reasons and more, I truly believe that The Grain-Free Family Table is a must-have for everyone living a gluten-free, grain-free lifestyle.

My Personal Favorites

With 125 delicious recipes, it wasn’t an easy task to pair it down to just a handful of favorites to share with you. Yet, for the sake of time, below are just a few of Carrie’s recipes that are my personal favorites:

Breakfasts – Carrie shares a bunch of delicious breakfast ideas, but her Ham and Egg Cups are by far one of my family’s favorites. These tasty little eggs nestled in a cute ham basket make a great breakfast on the go and also a tasty lunchbox option.

Dinners – If you follow my meal plans, you’ve probably seen many of Carrie’s dinner recipes in my free weekly GF meal plans. That’s because her recipes are so easy to make and are absolutely delicious! So of course, I couldn’t wait to see what Carrie’s cooked up in her new book. And after trying hard to decide which to make first, the one recipe I’m for sure making this week is her Chicken Verde Enchiladas. It’s been a long time since I’ve had enchiladas, so I can’t wait to give this tasty recipe a try!

Sides – As I’ve mentioned before, the only grain I really miss is rice. But thankfully, I recently discovered the joys of cauli-rice, which is why I’m excited to see that Carrie has several creative cauli-rice recipes in her new book. I’m especially excited about her Cauliflower “Fried Rice,” Creamed Cauliflower and Bacon, Mushroom and Chard “Rice” Bowl. All three look absolutely amazing!

Desserts – With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought we had our Thanksgiving Day Menu completely set. But when I saw Carrie’s scrumptious grain-free Pecan Pie, I knew a special addition to the menu was in order. So this gorgeous dessert is definitely going to grace our table with lots of thanksgiving this year! And honestly, I can’t talk about her dessert section without mentioning Carrie’s AMAZING grain-free Waffle Cones. Seriously! I can’t stop thinking about them – a waffle cone iron is now on my Christmas wish list!

Kid Favorites – With two beautiful daughters who share a love for cooking just like she does, Carrie and her girls made sure there’s something special just for kids! My boys are completely ready to dust off their oven mitts and get busy making Carrie’s scrumptious Chicken Nuggets. And I must admit, I’m truly honored and thrilled that Carrie asked permission to feature my Dairy-Free Best Cookie Icing recipe in her cookbook. I’m excited that her family enjoys it so much that she wanted it to be part of her book for even more families to enjoy!

A Treat for the Eyes – Of course, I can’t talk about this book (or Carrie’s site for that matter) without mentioning her exceptional talent for food photography. As you flip through The Grain-Free Family Table, you’ll find yourself transported into a delicious realm of possibilities – where real food truly is as beautiful and delicious as it is healthy.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of a few of my favorites from The Grain-Free Family Table and that it’s helped you to see what a wonderful resource this book truly is! Of course, you can always take a more extensive peek at Carrie’s new cookbook on Amazon using the “Look Inside” feature.

If you’re living gluten-free, grain-free or simply want to reduce your carbohydrate intake and eat healthier, Carrie’s The Grain-Free Family Table cookbook is a helpful, practical resource that will help you discover the healing benefits that come from a grain-free diet, while also providing you with 125 delicious, easy-to-make GF recipes. I simply cannot recommend this beautiful, helpful book more!
Special thanks to my sweet friend Carrie for sharing her God-given talents with us. Carrie, you truly are a blessing and have personally made such a positive impact in my life, and of course in the lives of so many others across the globe!
And thank you, dear readers, for allowing me to share yet another wonderful healthy lifestyle resource to help you in living a more nourished life!

Disclosure: Although I received a free copy of The Grain-Free Family Table from the publisher, as always, the review above is based on my honest, personal opinion of this book. By choosing to purchase this book through one of the Amazon affiliate links in this post, The Nourishing Home will receive a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of this ministry!

You Might Also Like:

Homemade Tortilla Chips

24-hour Power Muffins

Breastfeeding Revolution – Free Virtual Summit!

6 Tips for Managing Food Allergies & Intolerances on a Budget

By Kelly · 13 Comments

One of my dear friends is deep in the throes of learning how to manage a family with food allergies. Her son has struggled with eczema since birth, but it wasn’t until a few months ago that he was officially diagnosed with an allergy to dairy.

Like many families in similar situations, my friend was already struggling with affording healthy foods. Throwing a food allergy into the mix meant more work, more time, and more money.

My family has been fortunate to not have food allergies, so watching her go through this, as well as other dear friends like Kelly, has really opened my eyes to the struggles that many families go through.

Since I know many of you here may be dealing with food allergies and intolerances too, I’ve been collecting helpful tips and ideas from my friend, so that I can share them with you all. I hope these six simple, yet practical tips for managing food allergies and intolerances on a budget will help you to save money, and stay on track with feeding your family nourishing real foods.

6 Tips for Managing Food Allergies & Intolerances on a Budget

1. Focus on what you CAN eat.

When we find out there’s something we can’t have, it’s in our nature to suddenly focus ONLY on the restricted food(s). Doing this will leave you feeling defeated. Instead, focus on the many delicious and nutritious foods that you can eat. Take some time to learn how to use seasonings and tasty ingredient combinations to keep your meals satisfying and your diet varied. By doing so, you’ll find that you actually miss those restricted foods a lot less!

2. Keep it simple.

Skip fancy ingredients and complicated recipes for awhile, and instead, focus on keeping meals simple. This will not only allow you to more easily adjust to your new diet without becoming overwhelmed, but will also enable you to learn to manage your new dietary lifestyle within your budget. That’s because simple meals cost less and are also less stressful to put together.

A simple meal formula is protein + carb + produce. For example, chicken + sweet potato + mixed greens salad. So if you need to eat simple meals like this for a few weeks so you get a handle on your budget and new diet, then do it! It’s a short term solution that will give you time to adjust. Remember, meals are meant to nourish, not to cause stress.

3. Cook from scratch, when it counts.

Feeding a family while trying to manage food allergies generally means spending more time in the kitchen. And while it’s usually healthier to cook from scratch, your time is precious and there’s only so much of it to go around.

So carefully consider what you want to spend your time cooking from scratch and really make it count! For example, there’s no point in making homemade non-dairy yogurt if your family doesn’t eat much yogurt. Alternatively, you might want to consider taking the time to make grain-free bread if you regularly enjoy having toast for breakfast or a sandwich for lunch.

4. Be picky about allergy-free substitutions.

There are tons of substitutions available for all sorts of allergies, but it’s important to discern between what substitutions are healthy and worth your money, and which are not. For example, many commercial egg replacers are expensive and are nothing more than empty calories. A better option would be to research homemade egg substitutions and find some that are tried-and-true for your needs. Flaxseed and chia seeds are both great substitutions, and are affordable when you buy them in bulk.

Tip: Download a free guide to affordable gluten-free foods at Costco HERE.

5. Buy specialty items in bulk.

Once you’ve figured out how to balance simple meals with cooking new favorite allergy-free fare, take the time to find a quality source for your allergy-free ingredients and know what’s a good price to pay. Then, when prices are at their absolute lowest, stock up. Whether it’s gluten-free and grain-free flours, or non-dairy milk, stocking up on allergy-friendly ingredients that you use frequently – when prices are rock bottom – will help you to save money.

Remember, “buying in bulk” doesn’t mean having to buy from bulk bins in grocery stores, where cross-contamination may be an issue. Instead, many companies offer bulk-size packages of their allergy-free products, which will help you save money without risking accidental exposure to allergens. In addition, many health food stores and markets offer discounts for buying foods by the case. So taking advantage of these types of discounts can really add up to big savings over time.

P.S. Keeping a price book is a great way to track prices and sources. If you’ve never created one before, here’s a simple method for creating a price book.

6. Get a better handle on budgeting.

If your new dietary lifestyle is making it a challenge to stay within budget, take some time to learn more methods for saving money. Strategies like creating a weekly meal plan, buying in bulk (as mentioned above), shopping farmers markets for locally grown produce, and limiting organic produce to just the dirty dozen, are just a few ways you can work to further stay within budget.

Feeding a family with food allergies and food intolerances doesn’t have to break your budget. With a bit of creativity, a few practical tips and a little extra effort, eating healthy, allergy-free foods on a budget is within your reach!

How do you keep your grocery bill down while addressing food allergies and food intolerances?

You Might Also Like:

Turkey & Apple Quesadillas

Nourish Your Face with Real Food!

The Ultimate Healthy Kids' Lunches Giveaway!

A Simply Delicious Thanksgiving!

By Kelly · 3 Comments

Thanksgiving is a special celebration that most certainly deserves a special menu!

Yet, in the quest for serving up a memorable meal, often simple is best. And that’s what I love about the following recipes. Although they do take some time to make, each represents the simple, traditional flavors of Thanksgiving – nothing super fancy or difficult, just delicious and classic family-style dining at its best!

And whether you’re hosting a crowd or just your own immediate family, putting together a Thanksgiving Day Menu Game Plan is by far one of the best ways to reduce stress and to ensure the meal comes together deliciously and on time! To help demonstrate how easy and helpful planning and prepping ahead is, be sure to download my Thanksgiving Day Menu Game Plan based on the following Thanksgiving Day menu.

Simply Delicious Thanksgiving Menu

Alton Brown’s Perfect Roast Turkey
I’ve made a lot of roast turkeys throughout the years, but this roast turkey recipe is by far my very favorite. The secret to this fantastically juicy and flavorful bird is the extra step of brining. By submerging the bird into a salty, seasoned bath, it becomes infused with an amazing combination of flavors and doesn’t loose its moisture during the roasting process. I also love Alton’s idea of creating a “turkey-triangle” to ensure the white meat says moist, view his quick video for details.

Recommended Real Food Variations: When making Alton’s recipe, I substitute the refined brown sugar called for in the recipe with either coconut sugar or maple syrup instead. I also use fresh peeled ginger rather than candied. In addition, I use a combination of butter and olive oil in place of canola oil for coating the bird.)

Healthier Homemade Stuffing
I may be a bit bias here, but this simple, yet savory GF herb stuffing is my family’s favorite complement to a perfectly roasted bird. (In fact, we like it so much, we enjoy it several times throughout the year and pair it with my slow cooker roast chicken or my quick-n-easy grilled herb turkey.)

Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Traditional Turkey Drippings Gravy
Creamy mashed potatoes covered in savory turkey gravy – yes, please! Frankly, Ina Garten’s creamy mashed potatoes recipe is one of my favorites. And when you top these delicious whipped potatoes with some good old fashioned turkey pan drippings gravy, you’ve got a marriage made in heaven!

Recommended Dairy-Free and GF Variations: If you’re dairy-free, when making the creamy mashed potatoes, I recommend substituting the milk with chicken stock and the buttermilk with unsweetened almond milk. You can also substitute the butter for Earth Balance spread or olive oil. When making the gravy, if you’re gluten-free/grain-free, be sure to substitute the flour called for in the gravy recipe with 3 tablespoons of arrowroot powder instead.

Lemon-Garlic Green Beans
A simple, yet delicious side, lemon-garlic green beans have been a family tradition since I was a wee-one! Please note: When serving these aromatic green beans as part of a Thanksgiving meal, I reduce the garlic in my recipe to just one clove. That way, it doesn’t overpower the other savory flavors on the plate.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie! And guess what, I have a secret for you … You don’t have to put up with over-baked grain-free pie crusts to enjoy classic desserts like pumpkin pie! I’ve got a simple method for making perfectly scrumptious pumpkin pie with a light flaky grain-free crust. What’s the secret? Pop over to my Perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe to get the delicious details!

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts
These scrumptious grain-free donuts are a newfound fall favorite tradition in our home! And since Thanksgiving Day is all about being grateful to God’s for His abundant blessings, these tasty little pumpkin donuts will certainly be a delicious prelude to a day filled with lots to be thankful for!

Free Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Meal Plans
Just a friendly reminder, that I provide free monthly meal plans over at The Better Mom blog. Each week’s meal plan contains delicious family-friendly GF recipes utilizing a time-saving method to make getting a healthy dinner on the table a snap! I highly recommend you pop over to The Better Mom and download these free meal plans.

Happy Thanksgiving!
As we gather together with our families this holiday season, may our hearts be centered on bringing glory to the One from whom we’ve received abundant patience, mercy, grace and love!

Wishing you and your family a very blessed Thanksgiving, Kelly