Corn Free Baking Powder

Most commercially available baking powders have corn starch in them. I did find one at Whole Foods that was corn free, but it was really expensive. So, after doing a little research I realized how easy it is to make my own!

Just mix together 1 tsp of baking soda, 2 tsp of cream of tarter and 1 tsp of tapioca starch (you could probably use arrowroot also).

I tested this out over the weekend and it worked wonderfully! You could leave out the tapioca starch if you need to but be sure to use it immediately. For longer storage, you need the tapioca starch to absorb any moisture.

This is such a great option for those of us that are corn free but also is a great money saver! Most commercially available baking powders have aluminum in them so this is a great aluminum free option.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for coconut milk ice cream!!

My sweet husband gave me a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for my birthday and I love it!! I've been wanting one for years, but lately more than ever since we are dairy free. I decided to try a chocolate coconut milk ice cream recipe that I found on The Nourishing Gourmet. Well, it was absolutely delicious!! I followed it exactly and used Whole Foods 365 Brand coconut milk. It came out rich, creamy and was much better than the store bought stuff. Even my husband loved it.

The recipe is:

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

3 cups of unsweetened coconut milk (about two cans)
2/3 cup of cocoa powder
6 tablespoons agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk cocoa powder in a small amount of coconut milk, until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Or dump all ingredients together and blend with a stick blender. Make according to your machines instructions.

I'd also like to mention that The Nourishing Gourmet has some other great recipes. The site is not specifically allergen free, but it does have many recipes that are allergen free and everything is delicious and healthy.

FAAN Walk for Food Allergy in Atlanta, GA

My husband, daughter and I will be participating in the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network's (FAAN's) Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure. The event will be held on September 26, 2009, at Brook Run Park in Atlanta, GA. The FAAN Walk for Food Allergy is designed to raise funds to find a cure for food allergy and to educate others. Please support my fundraising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible donation will make a difference in the lives of many! It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause; you can make your online donation by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message.

If you live in the Atlanta area, we'd love for you to join our team! You can join by emailing me or by clicking on the link below and registering yourself. Any amount, large or small, helps FAAN continue Moving Toward A Cure! I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

To make a donation online or join our team, visit my personal fundraising Web page.

To send a donation, make all checks payable to FAAN and mail to:

The Food Allergy & Anaphlaxis Network (FAAN)
Walk for Food Allergy
11781 Lee Jackson Hwy, Suite 160
Fairfax, VA 22033-3309

If mailing in a donation, please include a note indicating the walker and location to which the money should be credited.

Allergy Testing

We finally took my 1 year old daughter in for allergy testing this week. We've suspected multiples food issues for about 11 months and both of us have been gluten, dairy, soy, corn, and tomato free for about 10 months.

The tests confirmed that she is allergic to corn, dairy and peanuts. We still suspect intolerance to soy, wheat and tomatoes and will do some food trials in the coming weeks to retest these items. We never suspected peanuts but are glad to know about her allergy so that we can avoid any trips to the emergency room!

While we aren't happy that she has allergies, we are relieved to know that we aren't crazy, over protective new parents either. Our suspicions over the past year have actually been based on something real and all of the restrictions have been worth it.

This blog will still cater to those with multiple allergies since most products that are free of corn and dairy are also free of atleast one other common allergen. I will also be taste testing some recipes that hide veggies in foods and are allergy friendly, so if you have a picky eater at home, stay tuned!

I'd love to hear about any allergy friendly products that you or your family love. Or if there is a product out there that you have wanted to try but haven't yet, let me know and I will try to post a review.

Enjoy Life Foods

Enjoy Life Natural Brands™(ELNB) was founded in early 2001 with the mission of making great-tasting gluten-free and allergy-friendly foods that most everyone can eat freely. The company owns and operates two brands: Enjoy Life Foods and Perky's 100% Natural. The Enjoy Life line is specially made to be gluten-free and free of the eight most common allergens: wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish. The Perky's 100% Natural brand, which was acquired in late 2004, includes five gluten- and nut-free cereals including Perky O's, Nutty Rice and Nutty Flax.

I love their cookies. I've tried the Happy Apple, Snickerdoodle and No Oats "Oatmeal" Cookies and they are all delicious. I actually have a friend who tried them while I was visiting her and she now buys them for herself even though she does not have any restrictions. They are that good!

They also sell soy free, dairy free chocolate chips and chocolate bars. I've had the boom CHOCO boom Dark Chocolate Bar and it was very good. If you would like to try one for yourself they have a coupon on their website right now for $.75 off.

Other products include Granola, Snack Bars, Bagels, and Trail Mix. The Enjoy Life website has information on all of their products including the ingredients and allergen information.

They have also just come out with a cook book called Cookies for Everyone and have a contest going on right now where you can win a Trip to Enjoy Life® for a day of baking with Betsy, Co-Author of the Cookies for Everyone book and Director of Research and Development, plus 3 other lucky folks will win a copy of the book, Enjoy Life® t-shirt, Enjoy Life™ shopping bag, and a free coupon to use on ingredients needed for the recipes (or their favorite product)!