Breakfast of Champs: Berry Chocolate Oatmeal

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." - John Gunther

(......or I say sometimes any breakfast at all!!)

I figured out this delicious breakfast (or lunch, or dinner!) by accident when I was camping.  We made some oatmeal over a little cooking stove, but it was pretty bland and blah.  So, we added some dried fruit and hot chocolate powder into the mix, and wow!  - Breakfast of Champs.  It got me through the rain and out of the wilds........At first I thought it was just good because I was starving in the wilderness, but then I tried it when I got home & it was still really good! Actually better!

yum! try it out b/c it's easy, delicious & filling any time!

WHAT DO YA THINK??

This post is just for YOU

Thanks for checking in from time to time and looking at my recipes and postings! Now, I'm wondering how you think...........

What would you like to see more of?
What do you like?
What don't you like???!?!?!
How the heck are ya?!

ANY thought or comments are appreciated!! Thanks for checking in!

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food" - George Bernard Shaw

"We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors, and furniture polish is made from real lemons."  - Alfred E. Newman

Winter Fruit Salad/ Twisted Acai Berry Fruit Smoothie

This delicious winter fruit salad is easy to make in pretty much any part of the country, and really good!  Mix it up for a snack, or take it a step further, and turn it all into a delicious acai berry fruit smoothie.  Yum!

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, & Cool Green Salad

"A good meal makes a man feel more charitable toward the world than any sermon." - Arthur Pendenys

Mmmmmm! That's the only sound I was making last night as I ate this meal! Fried chicken is one of my favorites, and this fried chicken is delicious, even if you can't have gluten.  If you're not into the meat, you could also substitute the chicken with Tofu, and make the famous 'Kentucky Fried Tofu', or veggies if you can't have soy. These mashed potatoes are delicious too - & healthier than the original variety.....Oh, and the salad's not bad either!! Cooling and delicious.  Try it all out tonight for a quick and yummy dinner!

My Favorite Hummus

This hummus recipe is great - it's fast, easy, simple, and tastes great....Seriously, everyone I have ever made it for likes it.  Even people who don't like chickpeas - try it out!
Recently, someone was asking me about some good snack recipes, and this definitely qualifies.  It's really easy and healthy to make - filling too! Great for snacking yourself, or use as a spread for crackers, breads, sandwiches....It's also a great appetizer for parties and dinners.

LOTION that LOVES your skin! - especially for eczema!

Lately, I have been using a loooot of lotion.  And I know it's dry inside in other parts of the country - seeeing that it is so cold! Making your skin dry as well..... I feel for you Philly, Boston, NY, NEPA!!

Also, since my skin is so sensitive, lots of lotions end up having additives I can't tolerate.  So, if you're like me & you don't want to spend a fortune on moisturizing and protecting your skin, here's the lotion recipe for you!  It smells and feels great, & I think you'll really like what it does to your skin.  Ever since I started making it, I can't get enough! 

Great Oatmeal Cookie Bars Everyone Can Enjoy!

Laughter is brightest in the place where food is." - Irish proverb

So, I didn't exactly make these delicious cookies from scratch, I had a little help.  I did mix the ingredients, and bake it all up, but I also used a prepared 'Oatmeal Spice Cookie Mix' from "the pure pantry".  Hey, I needed my cookies!! I'll list the ingredients in the mix below here, and I'm going to do some experimenting of my own so that soon I can bring you another great oatmeal cookie recipe from scratch.
For now, here's the delicious Oatmeal Cookie Bar Recipe:

* * Monday Morning Get-Up-And-Go Smoothie * *

I know that breakfast is the favorite meal for a lot of us - I love it!  Sometimes, there isn't a lot of time for b-fast, though and it can leave me feeling disappointed.  INsert: the Smoothie! The recipe I have here is really good, almost like dessert, and it will surely get you up and moving.  AND, it may even help to drag you out of bed on Monday morning!

The flax oil is also really good for your skin, and helping to repair it & is great for your overall good health - Look it up!

Allergy-Friendly Hot Chocolate!!

HOT CHOCOLATE......................................
After talking to some people on the East Coast, I realize it's really cold and snowy there, ........and no one really wants to leave the house sometimes.   This recipe will help keep them warm, and also satisfy my chocolate craving, and yours!! Very easy to make - mix up a batch for everyone & enjoy!

so good even on a hot day! - thanks for the mug Aunt K.:)

One Pot-Pasta: Rice Fettucini w/ Spinach, Pesto, Olives & Panchetta

................."Never Eat More Than You Can Lift", Miss Piggy

Here's a great one pot (well really two, I lied!:) pasta meal that everyone will enjoy.  You can adapt it to suit a variety of tastes and diets....and it is really delicious!

Here's the finished product, and here's the recipe:

19th Nervous Breakdown!! = Allergy Friendly pizza:)

radishes from the garden

So, after having about my 19th nervous breakdown when it comes to people I love eating pizza in front of me, I decided it was time to work on creating some pizza I could eat myself!!  (so I don't eat the people I love!)  Pizza has always been one of my favorite foods......until I discovered I was allergic to just about every ingredient in it - funny huh?  I looooove pizza - and ever since I have started this new diet, the one thing I have serious issues with is PIZZA!!

Help For Your Eczema: Cooling Foods

So, I went for my weekly session of acupuncture yesterday for my eczema - which I highly recommend.  After looking at my dark-colored blood, my acupuncturist told me that there was still a lot of heat in my blood.  She asked me if I had been eating 'hot' foods.  We had talked about this before, when I first started seeing her and I had kind-of forgotten about it. I knew that alcohol had caused heat in my body in the past, and that's why I have been avoiding it. "Oh s*&!" I thought - partly b/c I had forgotten about this, and partly b/c now I had one more factor to consider when preparing and eating food. But if it makes me feel better, I guess it's worth a shot, right?

Mac and 'Cheese' for Everyone!! (along w/ some veggie patties and salad)

So, after talking to my middle sis yesterday about food - something we always seem to like to talk about:) - and eat:)  - I was inspired to make some mac and cheese for everyone - even those with allergies to infinity!!  Thinking about her delicious mac and cheese made me need to have some of my own, and here's the results - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Another one of my healthy food resolutions is to start adding more fresh veggies to meals from my garden. Soooo, the broccoli pictured above was used in last nights dinner! I added it to the mac and cheesy goodness to make it feel a little healthier.  NOW, here's the recipes, and here's Last Night Dinner:

YO! Not-Your Regular Nacho "Cheeezy" Bites

So, I have been craving some nacho cheese lately.  It all started alfter my bf and I went to this raw foo-foo restaurant in O-town last week.  I won't name any names but this restaurant serves all raw vegan foods, and they sure do charge for it too.  My bf ordered this nacho cheese sauce that he said I had to try b/c it is soooo delicious.  He was right.  And they also charge up the wazoo for it too! A small little side cup (like the ones they use for LITTLE dressings - just to get some perspective) of the stuff was about $35.00.  Well, not really that much but close - too much anyway.... I decided that it was great, but not thaaaaat great that they can rob people for it, and that I had to make some of my own and share it with EVERYONE!!!

So, here's the nacho cheese recipe, along with the rest of these delicious bites - the bites recipe came from a life and raw food blog (which I also adapted). I experimented a lot, and I think this nacho cheese recipe is pretty damn good - for 'fake' cheese.  Enjoy!

Reeeallly good! Sorry the picture is a little blurry, I just couldn't wait to scarf them!!!!!!

Last Night's Dinner

Well, I have a few past recipes I want to post, but those can wait.  Since it was so goooood, here's last night's dinner:

Jerk Chicken, "Cheesy" Polenta Corn Grits, & Strawberry Salad

Doesn't it look tasty? It was!!
Here's the recipe:

The Start of Food We Can All Eat........

Happy New Year!!!  So, this is the start of Foods we Can ALL Eat..... Hope that my experiences can help you live a little easier, and happier!  I decided to start this journaling and blog to share my experiences with and recipes for allergy-friendly meals.

My favorite things in life most recently have been bread, cheese, and of course wine.....or other variations of this combination!! Don't get me wrong, I was not totally unhealthy before I started this new diet.  I did eat lots of fruits and veggies (but prob. not enough), & I also made sure to eat lots of 'badish' things as well!  Pretty much whatever I wanted or craved, within reason.  I felt that if I exercised a little it would counter this, but not necessarily.......