Buttercream Frosting

When we were trialling butter with Ry I had all my fingers and toes crossed.  I love butter and it just makes food taste so rich.  He successfully passed the butter and that meant icing for cookies and frosting for cakes and cupcakes.  The recipe is simple and so tasty.

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

1-2 cups of powdered sugar (until you get the desired taste)

1 tsp vanilla

1-4 tbsp. milk

Place the butter in the mixer and add the other ingredients.  Whip until well mixed.

Lollipops

We knew that once Ry started school that he was going to see things that he had never seen before.  We also knew that we would deal with them as they arose.  He never really seemed that interested in the other kids lunches or snacks and never asked for anything that they ever brought.  One of the events at school a kid had a sucker and  it piqued Ry's curiosity and he asked me what it was.  I explained what it was and he looked at me with those big blue eyes and asked if I could make him one. That is how the research began to make a lollipop.  While the lollipop turned out my natural food colors are not strong enough to change the color of the cooked sugar.  Ry truly did not care the color of the lollipop and just kept saying that it was so yum!!!

Lollipops

2 cups cane sugar
2/3 cup Lyle's Golden syrup
2 tsp vanilla

Line the counter with parchment paper.  Fill a large bowl with ice water.  Bring the syrup and sugar to a boil over medium high heat.  Boil 5-7 minutes.  Put the pot in the ice water and add the vanilla.  Remove the pot from the water and pour in round drops on the parchement paper and add the sticks.  You must move quick!!

Chocolate Pudding

Brayden came home from school one day asking why he never gets chocolate pudding in his lunch like the other kids.  Most days he gets that we eat foods that are safe for Ry and then other days he wishes he could eat like his classmates.  The next day while he was at school I attempted chocolate pudding.  When he came home and I showed him he told me that I was the best mommy ever and that this pudding was actually healthy so he could eat two of them.

Chocolate Pudding

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 cups milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp vanilla

Put the sugar, cocoa powder, starch and sea salt in a pot.  Slowly add the milk and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Allow to boil until it thickens.  Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla.  Pour into pint sized mason jars and allow to cool.  Once cooled I top them with chocolate chips or a square of Ry's safe chocolate and then refrigerate.

Kale and Butternut Squash Soup

The GAPS diet is big on soups and trying to find ones that taste good with our limited options is an ongoing challenge.  This soup was not only easy to make but was one of Kevin's favourites.  He eats a lot of soups so that says a lot.

Kale and Butternut Squash Soup

8 cups beef broth
2 tbsps. beef tallow
6 cups of chopped kale
1 onion chopped
2 small butternut squash peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients together in a pot and simmer until the veggies are tender.

Herbed Crackers

Crackers are one of those great items to have in the pantry for snacking.  They are great for Ry's preschool snack or for throwing into the purse.  I am always trying to find different ones to make up and these herbed ones were quick and easy and super tasty.

Herbed Crackers

2 cups flour
3 tbsp. herbs of choice -  I used basil and oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsps. butter
1 cup milk

Mix together the flour, herbs, salt and sugar.  Add in the butter until the mixture is crumbly and add milk until a dough forms.  Roll out into a rectangle the size of a baking sheet.  Place onto a greased baking sheet and score the top with a pizza cutter.  Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool and then break into pieces.

Cheddar Biscuit - Better then Red Lobster

I am always trying to make foods that you can get when you eat out since we can't eat out.  While I have not been able to find safe sea food yet you better believe I attempted the Red Lobster Biscuit.  I am pretty happy to say that it turned out in my opinion better then the store.

Cheddar Biscuit

2 cups flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cup milk
1 tsp coconut vinegar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tbsp. dried parsley

Mix together the wet ingredients and cheese.  Add all the dry ingredients in and mix well.  Scoop the batter onto parchment lined sheets.  Bake at 450 F for 10-12 minutes.

Powdered Sugar

I remember just after we learned of Ry's allergy I started to walk through the house reading labels and crying.  Every single item I picked up had corn.  I picked up the bag of icing sugar I had in the house and was only slightly surprised when I saw that corn starch was the second ingredient.  I am not sure why icing sugar with corn in it made me so upset but it did.  I sat on the floor holding the bag and cried. At that time everything felt so insurmountable and if something as simple as icing sugar was bad I was afraid to look at the rest of my pantry.

Once we found safe cane sugar for Ry I was so excited to make powdered sugar so that I could make him cookie icing.  Something so very simple but so very special.

Powdered Sugar

1 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup tapioca starch

Put both ingredients into the vitamix and blend until a fine powder.  Store in a jar and use as needed in recipes.

I have found that I need much less of my homemade powdered sugar then when I used store bought stuff.