Sprinkles and Allergies

A Chocolate Affair

SprinklesandAllergies — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:07:55 +0000

Recently, I received two new chocolate products from Enjoy Life Foods:

Double Chocolate Chunk Granola, and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks!

They are both fabulous, pure chocolate goodness on their own, and were equally as delicious when I incorporated them into some of my own original concoctions. While I received these products to try from Enjoy Life, I was not compensated in any way for these recipes or this post. This is my true opinion of these products, and my opinion is that Enjoy Life rocked it yet again for all of us allergen free folks! Enjoy Life makes products free of the top 8 allergens and gluten free. They consistently make my allergic life easier (I have Celiac Disease/gluten intolerance, and I’m highly allergic to Soy, Peanuts, and all Legumes [peas, beans, lentils, etc]). Thanks Enjoy Life!

My recipes that used the new products are as follows:

Double Chocolate Chunk Fruit & Coconut Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:

1/2 cup So Delicious Plain Coconut Yogurt
1/4 cup Organic Blueberries & Organic Strawberries
1/2 cup Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Chunk Granola

Assemble ingredients in layers starting with the yogurt at the bottom of a decorative glass. Layer granola, fruit, more yogurt, and top with the rest of the crunchy yummy granola. Looks and tastes gourmet in less than 5 minutes!

I received these new chocolate products from Enjoy Life Foods.

My second recipe features the new Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks:

Cacao and Mega Chocolate Chunk Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 package Namaste Waffle & Pancake Mix
2 Soy free Eggs (I get mine from Tropical Traditions)
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons oil (I use coconut or extra virgin olive oil).
About 2 Tablespoons Navitas Naturals Raw Cacao powder
Dash of Cinnamon
Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks to taste (I used about 5 or 6 per pancake).

Combine ingredients and follow the recipe for the Pancake Mix on the Namaste Package. Add the raw cacao powder, cinnamon, and chocolate mega chunks. Fry each pancake in a bit of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil until slightly crispy edges form. Top with fresh organic strawberries and use raw local honey for a light syrup.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy allergy free chocolate?

These have to be some of my favorite ways so far.

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Beauty Bag

SprinklesandAllergies — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 03:30:44 +0000

My picks for the best soy and gluten free beauty products and body care. All of the following have been stated as soy and gluten free either on the website, package, or by my personal inquiries.

RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream
RMS Beauty “Un-cover up”. I use shade 22 usually, but sometimes 33 depending on my skin tone.
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer–A staple for natural, simple beauty.
Ultrapure Cosmetics Light Reflecting Blush–I prefer Simmering Plum, but there are 6 shades to choose from.
Ultrapure Cosmetics Synful Lips Lipstick in Smooch. There are 10 shades to choose from.
Ultrapure Cosmetics Omega Brilliance Lip Gloss in Melon Sorbet–SF, GF, Vegan, dye free. Available in 10 shades.
RMS Beauty Lip Shine in Moment.
Ultrapure Cosmetics Perfectly Natural Eyeliners–Available in 8 shades.
Kiss Me Costmetics Mineral Eyeliner–SF, GF, Vegan. Available on Etsy.
RMS Beauty Cream Eyeshadow in Magnetic.
RMS Beauty Cream Eyeshadow in Spark.
Refreshingly Free Nail Polish–Around 35 shades!
Piggy Paint Nail Polish in Somtimes Sweet–Stated gluten, soy, and nut free in the FAQ.
Now Foods Virgin Coconut Oil–I use it all over my skin. It’s the best moisturizer I’ve found so far.
RMS Beauty Lip and Skin Balm
CocoCare 100% Cocoa butter “Yellow Stick”–A great moisturizer and smells so yummy. Be careful with the non-100% versions as I haven’t confirmed their soy free status.

It’s safe to say my go-to soy free, gluten free products are mainly RMS Beauty.

It really takes the cake, so check out the actual website here: RMS Beauty

Ultrapure Cosmetics is truly amazing too, sending much love and thanks!

What are your favorite allergy friendly beauty picks? Leave me a comment below, and shine on!

Sweet Tooth

SprinklesandAllergies — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:04:03 +0000

From time to time, it’s nice to indulge–in moderation of course. Most of these sweet allergen free treats can be found in my pantry on a rotating basis. Many of them are actually lower in sugar or organic sweeteners than normal sweets found in the grocery store. So you can satisfy that occasional craving while not setting your health back. Agave nectar, stevia, and organic fruit juices are some of the sweeteners that can be found in some of my favorite yums…I support a health conscious, and very moderate sweet tooth. The following items are gluten, soy, wheat, peanut, fish, shellfish, egg, and dairy free.

Navitas Naturals Cacao powder–I add this to my Brown Rice protein shakes for a healthy boost of flavor with no added sugar. Just pure antioxidants.
Navitas Naturals Raw Cacao Nibs–A strong source of healthy antioxidants. Add them to daily shakes, trail mixes flax cereals, gluten free oatmeal, and more. Read about the benefits of Cacao here, at the bottom of the page.
Yummy Earth Organic Gummy Bears–All organic and natural gummies. NO artificial colors or anything! Some are even colored with beet juice–but trust me, they taste better than the super sugar laden versions you’d usually find in the candy aisle. Made in an allergen free facility.
Enjoy life Crunchy Double Chocolate Cookies–Delectable! I compared the sugar content to Chips Ahoy (a popular “regular” allergy laden standard cookie brand) and found it to be about 2 times less sugar per serving size.
Glee Gum, Bubblegum Flavor–I am so happy to finally find allergen free chewing gum! About to feel like a 5th grader again in 5..4…3..2…1…
Surf Sweets Jelly Beans–Made in a facility free of the top 8 allergens.
Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss Ice Cream in Dark Chocolate–They have so many awesome flavors to choose from, and what I especially love is that they use Agave nectar instead of processed sugar. They also refrain from using legumes like Locust bean gum and Carob bean gum (which I react to having soy and legume allergies). I LOVE this brand.
and 9. VerMints, in Peppermint, Chai, and many other flavors–Free of the top 8 allergens, and made in a dedicated allergen free facility.

10. Surf Sweets Gummy Fruity Hearts–Such a cute gift for your allergen free sweetie. No hints here at all.

11. Navitas Naturals Organic Goji Berries–Just raw goji berries and nothing else. A naturally sweet and healthy treat.

12. Enjoy Life Snickdoodle Cookies–Soft baked, chewy, cinnaminny goodness! My personal favorite of the moment.

Remember to indulge responsibly and moderately with all sweet treats.

Wishing you a naturally sweet and magical weekend.

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Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Spicy Cabernet Marinara Sauce

SprinklesandAllergies — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:01:21 +0000

I finally plucked up the courage to post a video! Thanks to Yan for the stellar camera work, and for putting up with my feeble attempt at directing

This recipe features 2 green peppers hollowed out, 1 cup of cooked quinoa (I added in roasted tomatoes, herbs, pepper and salt), and about 3 Roma tomatoes for the sauce. I add 1/4 cup Organic Groundswell Cabernet wine to the sauce and let it reduce. Drizzle over cooked stuffed peppers (which are baked in the oven at 400 degrees F for approximately 20-25 minutes or until softened but still holding form). Serve hot! We paired it with roasted leg of lamb, vegetable medly, and beets.

Thanks for watching, reading, and for all your lovely emails and comments. I love hearing from everyone!

Check out my new Sprinkles and Allergies YouTube Channel that I’ll be posting on periodically from now on.

Before the sauce, but after the bake. It smelled gorgeous.

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In my Kitchen

SprinklesandAllergies — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:47:00 +0000

Here are some of my favorite soy free, gluten free, legume free go-to items in my pantry and fridge as of late. I love to keep all these on hand for quick easy meals or snacks. These made the top 9….

So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk (No Sugar Added)
Enjoy Life Chewy Bars, Sunbutter Crunch –A great grab and go snack.
Fresh or Dried (Organic) Dill — one of my favorite herbs that I add to nearly everything.
Simply Organic Cayenne Pepper — I use it to add a kick to my dishes, and as a digestion aid. Almost every morning, I start my day with a warm glass of water with cayenne pepper. Taken 15 minutes before eating, nothing helps boost and clean your system better in my opinion.
Ancient Harvest Quinoa — Made in a dedicated gluten and soy free facility (verified by personal email).
Buckwheat — I buy mine from Meijer, which receives it straight from Poland. I adore Kasha (buckwheat porridge)!
365 Whole Foods Apple Cider Vinegar–There was no link available on the site, but you can buy it at any Whole Foods Market. I take about 1-2 tablespoons daily with a glass of water. It’s cheaper than Bragg’s brand, and it has no cross contamination with soy that I know of. I reacted strongly to Bragg’s apple cider vinegar since it is made on the same line as their soy heavy “Liquid Aminos”. I avoid Bragg’s for this reason.
Olivio Coconut Spread –Soy Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free. So good! It’s great for you too, since the main ingredient is healthy coconut oil. I love putting it on my tinkyada pasta and my quinoa dishes.
Tinkyada Organic Brown Rice Pasta — My favorite gluten free pasta by far. They make 18 different types and shapes of whole grain brown rice pasta, including a fun shaped variety called “Little Dreams” which would be definitely make a cute meal for food allergic youngsters.

What are your favorite go-to items in your pantry? Leave a comment below.

Wishing a Wonderous Wednesday, and hoping your Valentine’s was magical.

Here’s a snippet of mine…

Now our kitchen looks bright and smells amazing!

Perfect Red Roses from Yan.

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