The BEST Gluten-Free Donuts EVER

I could handle the season of FALL year round. Seriously, the first day that it dropped down
to 68 degrees I had to stop myself from busting out my scarves, wearing boots, lighting candles,
making pumpkin pie, and sipping apple cider all at the same time. Pace yourself, Brittany.
But last winter was seriously scarring. I have not forgotten the polar vortex or the irony of the
movie "Frozen" being released and played on REPEAT in every house, including ours, across America.

So we are taking full advantage of every day now to enjoy "all the fall things" to the fullest.
Apple, pumpkin, cinnamon and sugar - windows open, candlelight, warm drinks, fresh baked donuts...

I had to share the recipe. I've made several attempts at a gluten-free donut in the past couple
of years and it was all just "meh". But THESE babies. Hold me back. They can keep up with any
apple orchard or pumpkin patch fare out there. Yea, that's what I'm saying.

This recipe is not my own. I wish I had come up with this deliciousness, but no. I found this in
the "Simply Sugar and Gluten Free" cookbook / blog. This girl knows what's up.
Standing "O" going out to Amy!!! We LOVED the chocolate + apple-cider versions of this recipe!!!

Fall just feels better when donuts are involved, no?!

Rainy Day Cookies

April showers have been hitting us hard this week.
(Dear Spring, we have cabin fever and would really like to see you!)
I'll forgive the rain, because it has given us a great excuse
to bake up a storm over at our place!

This is, hands down, my favorite cookie base recipe! SO VERSATILE.
Easily transformed for the gluten-free or wheat-loving crowd!
My go-to cookie recipe for sure. Add it to your arsenal. You'll be glad you did.


Best Basic Cookie Dough EVER

Cream together:
1/2 C. butter or vegan butter (both work well!)
1/2 C. organic cane sugar
1/3 C. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

Sift together & add to creamed mixture:
1 1/2 C. Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free flour OR regular flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. xantham gum (OMIT if using regular flour)



I use my KitchenAid and beat on a low setting for about 1 minute.
Don't over mix. Add whatever "mix-ins" your heart desires!
______________________________
We mixed three different types this week:
~ classic chocolate chip
~ white chocolate with coconut
~ Reese's with a couple dollops of peanut butter
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Bake @ 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes
Yields 20-24 cookies



I love how the chocolate thief keeps looking me straight in the eye.
"I'm not doing anything, mom. Just keep snapping pictures."



These professional taste testers gave the cookies a "thumbs up" ...
the little one can't control his thumb - so he gave it a "finger up"!!!



Brother & Brother APPROVED.

Won't You BE MINE?!

We've been gearing up with {hearts} and {x's & o's} over at our place
to give homage to the day we remember OUR VALENTINES!

Here are some fun, easy, kid-friendly ideas
you can use to add some :::PARTY::: to this week of LOVE!

::: coffee filter hearts / color with washable markers /
use a paintbrush dipped in water to create the tie-dye effect / dry and display :::

::: "I LOVE YOU" art / use paint tape to create shapes that you want to remain WHITE /
use coloring utensils on the space exposed / peel and frame / $4.00 white frames from Target :::



::: treats for my sweets / homemade-allergy friendly puppy chow with DIY labels :::

::: this is what happens when you don't give them a snack BEFORE the photo shoot begins!
bribery. it works. :::


::: heart shaped lunch / use a peeler & paring knife to create a lunch of "hearts" /
cucumbers + carrots + apples + strawberries + almond butter-cinnamon raisin bread (Udi's) /
$0.78 cookie cutter from Hobby Lobby :::

::: X's & O's / slate gray cardboard cut-outs / leftover from a $7.99 sheet I bought at Hobby Lobby :::

{ok, don't you want to smooch them?! they were killing me with the cuteness!}



The celebration of LOVE continues all week - right here at The Lily Field!

You can find this link on PINTEREST!!!

XOXO

Traveling with Allergies 101

Ready + Set ... have a melt down.

That's how I feel about traveling with kids and allergies. It is HARD and a LOT of work.
But this is my life... and I'm learning how to live this part out gracefully!

I'm not a PRO at this by any means. But this is how we do it - and it works!

Cute babies on cooler?! Makes EVERYTHING better!!!
I'd do this EVERY weekend for the rest of my life to keep them healthy!

STEP #1: QUESTIONS & AN EXPLANATION

I am still not very gifted with this step. I don't like people to feel uncomfortable or that they are not appreciated - and I always feel like my questioning could give that impression. Basically I get the low down...

"Do you have a menu plan for the weekend?"
"Is there anything I can bring to help?"
"Will there be any partying (birthday, Christmas, game night, etc.) going on?"

Then I usually give an explanation for my questions...

"We have so many allergies/sensitivities to food.
I would hate to put the burden of cooking for us on your plate. Ha! But seriously.
It is quite OVERWHELMING to produce a meal that we ALL can eat and enjoy."

I have seen a number of responses to this...

"Send me a grocery list - I'll buy whatever you can eat and we'll cook together!"

"Teach me. I'll try my best to accommodate you and your family."

"Bring whatever food you guys can eat - use my kitchen - it's all good!"

Soooooo... based on these responses I probably should never have a melt down ever again!

STEP #2: MENU PLANNING & GROCERY SHOPPING

Our latest family trip took us to Tennessee to visit some family! SO. MUCH. FUN.
2 days of driving and 2 days of hanging out with people we LOVE!
Not to mention a BIRTHDAY PARTY for our niece!

Since so many people were going to be hanging out in the same house/kitchen -
I decided that it would be easiest on all if I just brought food for my family.

...this was my menu plan...

THURSDAY:
(dinner only/driving)
veggie wraps, g-free grilled cheese (kids),
sweet potato chips, cucumbers, grapes/oranges, popcorn, and Clif bars

FRIDAY:
breakfast - pumpkin bread and bananas
lunch - pure veg stir fry, salad, and clementines
dinner - stuffed peppers, guacamole, and black bean/quinoa chips
***BIRTHDAY PARTY*** - bring flourless zucchini brownies and strawberries
Lindsay over at Delighted Momma is loaded with yummy recipes!!!
LOVE her space! You'll have to check it out :-)

SATURDAY:
breakfast - g-free cereal with rice milk and banana/kale smoothies
lunch - Daiya-broccoli rice noodles with fresh fruit
dinner - creamy kale soup with apple wedges
**We ended up taking the soup home for dinner after travelling and enjoyed some gluten-free pizza from Domino's this night! Crazy - I was shocked they make a RICE crust!
With a little cheese and some veggies - this was a SPECIAL treat for my babies!!!**

SUNDAY:
(lunch on the road/driving)
breakfast - rice flour waffles with applesauce
lunch - veggie wraps, Daiya quesadilla (kids), sweet potato chips, cucumbers, apples/grapes, and Clif bars
dinner - CHIPOTLE... one of the few places that we ALL can eat with no issues!

I made my grocery list based off of this menu and hit my favorite stores with these crazy kids!

STEP #3: FOOD PREP & PACKING

This is the most involved step.
I wanted to have most things ready to prepare or eat to make things easier on me.

...this was my prep list...



Rice Flour Waffles (recipe coming soon!)(made and froze for travel)
Zucchini Brownies (made and froze for travel)
Granola/Popcorn
Pumpkin Bread
Veggie Stuffing for peppers (made and froze for travel)
Creamy Kale Soup (made and froze for travel)
Stir Fry Mix (dumped bags of chosen frozen veggies into tupperware for travel)

Freezing was a GREAT idea!
It all was pretty much still frozen when we arrived in Tennessee
and we didn't have to buy ice to keep it cold in the cooler! GENIUS.

STEP #4: PLAN OF A SNACK

With kids, every five seconds:
"I'm hungry!" "I want a snack!"
... if you just move in the general direction of the kitchen they freak out: "FEED ME!" They have small stomachs - gotta meet their needs!

Now I don't usually have all of this on hand in general,
but these are quick, easy, and healthier option when on the road!

Clif Bars - my husband LOVES these
Cascadian Farm Granola Bars
Homemade Granola
Popcorn
Gluten-Free Cereal
Sunflower Seeds & Yellow Raisins (trail mix for a 2 year old!)
Fruit Leather
Fresh Fruit - enough to FREEZE when we got there to whip up smoothies!
(I brought my knock-off "Bullet" with me! TINY and perfect for travel!)

STEP #5: EAT & BE MERRY




HAPPY + HEALTHY... and NO MELTDOWNS!!!

COUSINS

Traveling is a complicated, blissful business!

It IS a lot of work to plan, prepare, and pack-it-all-up...
but eating and KNOWING the benefits of sticking to our way of life PAYS OFF!

A Party with Options

I love snack food. I love parties.
When they come together I pretty much think I died and went to heaven.
Ok not really, but it's a little like that!

I'm all about healthier options when it comes to partying.

This past weekend we had friends over for a game night. Oh it was fun!

Here are some snacks we made up to keep us fueled as we tried to save the world from diseases...
(We played Pandemic!)

#1: gluten-free/dairy free puppy chow
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"HEALTHIER" PUPPY CHOW

use unsweetened/unsalted peanut butter,
Enjoy Life chocolate chips,
and Earth Balance butter in place of the usual!

there's nothing you can do about the powdered sugar... unless you try coconut?!
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#2: sweet potato pop chips with homemade guacamole

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GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados
2 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. minced jalepeno
sea salt
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#3: popcorn with Earth Balance and sea salt

#4: edamame

#5: bacon wrapped dates
...ok we LOVE these.
Using organic bacon here: no nitrates, no added hormones or antibiotics, no gluten, etc.

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BACON WRAPPED DATES

cut bacon into 3 inch strips
roll around pitted dates - you can stuff the dates with whole almonds (if I wasn't allergic I would do it!)
secure with toothpick & bake for 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees (turning over once)

**I have had these with meat-free bacon before and lo and behold - they are GOOD!
I can't have the gluten that comes in the meat-free option though :-( But for all my plant-based/vegan readers - you won't regret the meat-free option!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#6: bosc pears with strawberry-poppyseed sauce

#7: coffee with french vanilla soy creamer

go organic/fair trade - and enjoy that cup of joe!!!

So this is a party with options.
Completely animal free - except those little bacon wrapped dates that are TO DIE FOR!
Luckily quality bacon doesn't fall into our list of allergies!!!