Blueberry Muffin Bites! GF, V, SCD, Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Thanks everyone for sharing in my excitement about my new E-COOKBOOK!! :) Just a friendly reminder....The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $3.99!

OK...Shameless Plug is finished! Time to celebrate this milestone....with COOKIES!!

Yep! Blueberry Muffin Bites!!

These little nuggets are just faaabulous! They're "poppable" little treats that are actually GOOD FOR YOU!

They're Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, Raw and Paleo!

Here's what you need: (Makes 12 cookies)

1/8 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup reserved almonds, halved
1/4 cup dried blueberries
4 dates
1 "dropper-full" of alcohol free vanilla stevia
5 drops alcohol free lemon stevia

Couldn't be simpler: Throw everything except the reserved 1/4 cup almond halves into the food processor. Process for about 2 minutes, until it starts to clump together. You may need to scrape the sides a couple times. Then, carefully take the blade out, and mix in your almond halves. Form into 1 Tbsp balls. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Makes 12 balls.

Where to begin! These little sweet treats are outrageously good! They're chewy and sticky, slightly crunchy, and 100% fantastic!

The dried blueberries are sweet with a hint of tang that is complimented beautifully by the intensely sweet dates! And the vanilla makes them seriously taste like blueberry muffins! You can allllllmost taste the streusel topping! haha They are SO GOOD!!

And they're healthy too!! They're full of fiber and protein to keep you full! Dates are packed with antioxidants, Vitamin A, and Iron, Potassium and Calcium. The nuts are full of Vitamin E, Manganese, Zinc, and Copper! They're practically a health food! ;)

Just try not to eat them all in one sitting! ;)

Need a food processor? Here's the one I use and love!

Big Announcement!! -- COOKBOOK!!

Time for my big announcement!

Drumroll Please...............

.........................................

I made a COOKBOOK!!

THE BEST OF GLUTENFREEHAPPYTUMMY!

Yes Ma'am! It's an e-book Cookbook that is available to download through BakeSpace for iPad (they have a free app) or for your computer! 

You can find it HERE for only $3.99!

It's a collection of fan favorites complete with photos and videos! 

So there you have it! I hope you check it out! :)

I've got another exciting recipe to share coming up later this week! PS...it's DESSERT! :D

Florida Vacation!

Hey Happy Tummies!

What an amazing weekend! I hope you all had a beautiful spring weekend! I know I did! I spent a long weekend with my mom and two sisters-in-law in Florida!!

Yep, we went on a girl's "babymoon!" My sister-in-law is expecting a little girl in July, and so we had one last "hurrah" trip just us girls to celebrate her! 

I am seriously so lucky. I have 2 of the best sisters-in-law ever. They're 2 of my best friends...Like the sisters I always wanted:)

We had such a fun trip relaxing on the beach, riding around the island in golf carts, and....having one of the best GF dinner experiences EVER!

We ate at this gorgeous hotel one night, and when we made reservations, THEY asked if there were any food allergies! I didn't even have to bring it up! So we were able to tell the chef about both my sister-in-law's and my allergies. How accommodating!

SO, when we got there the next night, the first thing they said to us was that they remembered our food allergies and that the chef would be able to modify any item on the menu for us!

If that wasn't amazing enough, they had special GF rolls waiting and ready for us that came out warm with the regular bread basket!

They also served a veggie crudites plate with the bread! How incredible!

SO, what did I order? I started with a mixed greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette...

and a pan seared grouper filet with lump crab and sauteed veggies with a coconut cream sauce! Talk about amazing! 

And for dessert, I had a bowl of fresh berries!

Some of the other dishes were a wedge salad,

steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus; 

and my other sister-in-law had seared scallops with a pea risotto. 

They all shared a chocolate torte for dessert.

It was truly a meal that I will remember for a longggg time. 

I felt so cared for :) haha 

The other night we went out to dinner, I had broiled grouper over greens. Basic yet delicious. 

Now, when you're on a special diet like the Specific Carb Diet, going to a restaurant can be a daunting and even scary idea. But Happy Tummies, here are some tips for going out to eat. It can be done!! You CAN still have a social life! You just need to take control. 

• BEFRIEND YOUR SERVER — they are your link to the kitchen — if they are on your side, your meal will be safe and done correctly.
• CALL AHEAD IF YOU CAN — call ahead and let them know about your dietary restrictions. If the chef knows ahead of time, they will have time to think about alternative dishes for you!
• COMMUNICATE — you are your own advocate — I know it can be embarrassing, and you can feel like you’re being a bother. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to stick up for your delicate tummy. Be clear, polite, and appreciative.
• LOOK FOR FOODS YOU CAN EAT— skim all the options on the menu — is there a protein you can eat? A side dish on another entrée that is legal? Do you notice that they have asparagus in their salad, or roasted potatoes with the steak? Ask your server to “pick and choose” what’s on your plate from what they offer on the menu.
• SHOW APPRECIATION — not only should you thank your server, and let them know you will be back, but also, tip your server well! They went above and beyond to make your dining experience safe and healthy — show ‘em some love!

What I usually do is say, "I have some severe food allergies. Can I just tell you what I want?" And then I'll say, "Can I please have a piece of plain broiled fish and vegetables with olive oil?" The server usually is appreciative that they don't have to figure out what/how to cook you something. If you're confident about it, they will be too! :)

OK, time to go unpack from an incredible trip! I hope your Monday's off to a great start!

Big announcement coming up this week!

Mother's Day Eats!

Hey Happy Tummies!


And an extra special welcome to all the mothers!!

Can you believe that Sunday is Mother's Day?!


My health has come a long way since last Mother's Day...it's hard to believe that was only one year ago!

It's no secret...I love my mom tremendously. She's my best friend, role model, and partner in silliness:)...She's known for pulling extravagant pranks--think life size cutouts and photoshop.

So I'd like to dedicate this post to her. Over the past year, we've been through some pretty drastic ups and downs with my ulcerative colitis. And she was right by my side the entire time. It's funny, but a silver lining of my illness was that I got to spend some precious time at home with my parents. Granted, I didn't always see the time as precious, between the various gag-reflex-inducing medicines, inflammation-caused night sweats and 104 degree fevers, debilitating swollen joints and knobs the size of grapefruits on my legs from erythema nodosom, and other painful UC episodes, my mom was with me through it all. And did I mention that she moved out to NYC with me for a month in the very beginning to help me finish the run of my show while in the throws of a flare? Yep, that's my mom.  A rockstar. She is the most loving, genuine, and others-centered person I've ever met, and I am so blessed to have her in my life. 

And now she's my biggest cheerleader as I'm back in NYC chasing my dreams. So from the bottom of my heart, mom, thank you. I love you so much.

So I thought I'd round up some of my favorite 'mom inspired' dishes and desserts for you to use to spoil your mom this weekend.

Sweet Carrot Pie! (GF, V, SCD, BED & Paleo) Don't knock it 'til you try it!

GF Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!

Lasagna Rollups! (w/ or w/o goat cheese) GF, V, Maker's Diet

Nectarine Pancakes w/ Blackberry Syrup! (GF, SCD)

City Lights Salad! GF, V, SCD, BED!

Happy Mother's Day! I'm off to go spend some quality time with my mom and my 2 sisters-in-law in Florida!

Big news coming up!!

Gluten Free Baby Shower!

Hey Happy Tummies!

So as promised, I'm going to give you all the deets on throwing a Gluten Free Party!

Last weekend, I had the privilege of going to/helping host my sister-in-law's baby shower! And what fun it was! She's expecting a little girl later this summer! I'm so excited!

So we threw her a shower:) And she's gluten free, so it was a Gluten Free Baby Shower!

Throwing a gluten free party may seem like a daunting task, but let me assure you, with a little planning and creativity, you can pull it off with flair!

First, the non food:

A Diaper Cake...classic:)

We had an organic onsie-making station. The guests could decorate organic onsies for my Sis in Law to take home. They turned out so cute. 

We hung them from ribbons around the house.

OK, now for the FOOD!

We had one heck of a spread!

SAVORY:

Mini spinach quiche pops....recipe coming soon

Veggie cups with gluten free ranch dressing in the bottom - I made special ones sans ranch for Vegans

And the Vegan ones:

Beet and Sweet Potato chips - store bought (not pictured)

Shrimp w/ GFree Cocktail sauce

Cucumber rounds with Hummus

Caprese Skewer Bites - recipe coming soon

SWEET:

Baby Buggy Fruit Salad: made out of a watermelon

Organic Yogurt cups with GFree granola

Apple Pie Bites! My recipe here!

Kind Bar Bites w/ Raspberries (not pictured)

Meringues - store bought or homemade

Mini Cupcakes (GFree and Regular)

Bottle and Bib Cookies (NOT GFree)

Chocolate Chip Cookies in Paper Diapers (NOT GFree)

SNACKS:

Dark chocolate M&M's

Mixed nuts

Chocolate covered goji berries

DRINKS:

Mimosas

White Wine

Water with Lemon and Lime

Assorted Hot Teas

Other GFree ideas are Chocolate covered GFree pretzels; Homemade chex mix with rice chex, raisins, M&M's and almonds; Assorted cheeses with Mary's Gone Crackers; Olives; Dried fruit; Rice tortilla chips w/ salsa or guacamole; Popcorn; Chocolate drizzled popcorn; Chocolate covered strawberries; or Strawberries with fresh whipped cream; Cheese stuffed mushrooms; Babaganoush with veggies; Fondue with crudites; Ice cream sundae bar; GFree Rice Crispies; Oysters, Watermelon slices; Prosciutto wrapped melon, Falafel pops; Deviled eggs. The possibilites are endless!

Also, instead of everyone getting her a card, we had them get her a children's book with their name on it!

While she was opening the gifts, everyone played the "dirty diaper" game where different candy bars were melted in the microwave onto diapers. The diapers were passed around and everyone would write which candy bar they thought it was. The 3 winners received manicures at a local salon!

The shower was a huge success. We had so much fun showering my sister-in-law with love! A shower is a great occasion to make someone feel special and show them that you care.

And having a gluten free shower was so much easier than expected! Everyone loved the food! It was all gobbled up! There was truly something for everyone.

The next time you have a special occasion, use some of these ideas! They're super easy, and crowd pleasers! Head to your local party store and find some cute little containers to spruce up some veggies. Add a personal touch to the place settings. Use fresh flowers to brighten a room. Little details like that go a long way in dressing up a simple dish and make it seem extra special. And plus, everything feels fancy when you're wearing a Lily sundress:D

Do you like throwing a party?

Big announcement coming up! See you soon!