Juice Spritzer

My daughter and I like this non-alcoholic drink in the summertime.  It is nice with brunch or as a cool drink on the patio in the afternoon.

Juice Spritzer

1 part white grape juice

1 part Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice (or Ruby Red Grapefruit Cocktail if you would like it sweeter)

1 part sparkling water

Chill the juices overnight in the fridge.  Combine with ice in a glass or a pitcher/jug and serve.

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This is part of a recipe for a sweet potato salad by Devon Delaney from the Food Network.  We now just make these roasted sweet potatoes because we like the spice combination so much.  You could also roast the sweet potatoes and spices in tinfoil on the barbecue.  They make a nice side with barbecued chicken breasts and garden green beans.  I make extra because they are so good for breakfast the next day with eggs and hot sauce!

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed with a mortar and pestle

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  In a large roasting pan (I use my clay 9x13 pan and turn the oven slightly lower to 400 degrees), combine the sweet potatoes, oil and spices.  Bake the potatoes for about 20 minutes, and then stir them.  Bake them again for another 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Millet Cake

I am not an advocate of many grains, however I do eat a few grains like millet and quinoa occasionally.  Millet and quinoa are both small cereal crops that are gluten-free, non-allergenic and fairly easy to digest.  Some of millet's health benefits are:

• Millet is high in antioxidants which could mean a reduced risk of cancer.
• Millet consumption seems to help lower triglycerides and C-reactive protein, which means it may be useful in preventing cardiovascular disease.
• Millet is also high in magnesium, which is often a deficiency in many with celiac disease.
• Millet is one of the oldest foods on the planet and is one of the few grains that is alkalizing to the body.   

I love the chocolate quinoa cake from the cookbook Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood by Patricia Green & Carolyn Hemming.  Recently, I have started making it with millet instead of quinoa, and cacao instead of cocoa.  A rich chocolate ganache icing is the perfect topping for this moist cake!

Chocolate Cake

2 cups cooked millet (I used 1/2 cup millet in 2 cups boiling water.  Return to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 35 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes with the lid on.  Let cool with the lid off.  Measure 2 cups out of the pan.  There will be some extra millet to use in a salad or something else.)

1/3 cup almond milk or other dairy free milk

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled 

1 1/2 cups packed organic whole brown sugar

1 cup cacao powder or cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line the bottom of a large springform pan with parchment paper.  Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan.

Combine the almond milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender.  Add 2 cups cooked millet and butter and blend until smooth.

Stir together the brown sugar, cacao, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the contents of the blender and mix well.  Spread the cake batter evenly into the springform pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the cake completely cool in the pan before icing and serving.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Chocolate Ganache Icing

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp agave syrup

1/2 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand is gluten-free)

Melt the above ingredients on low heat in a small saucepan while stirring constantly.  Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and spread the icing on top of the cake. 

  

Thai Sweet Potato Soup

This recipe is based on a Thai soup with shrimp recipe from Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet & Greta Podleski.  I made this as a spicy vegetarian soup for my daughter when she had a cold.  We liked it so much that there was not much left over for her for the next day!

I think this recipe would work well in the crock pot.  I would sauté the onions and spices first and then add them and everything else to the crock pot, except the cilantro, basil, peanut butter, sugar and lime juice (which I would add at the end after blending it).  

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup chopped celery

2 tsp minced garlic

4 cups peeled, cubed sweet potato (about 2 large)

1 tbsp grated gingerroot

3/4 tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander, and curry powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups vegetable broth (or water with a gluten-free vegetable bouillon cube)

1 can coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand works well, is easy to find and reasonably priced at The Real Canadian Superstore)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp each chopped fresh cilantro and chopped fresh basil leaves

3 tbsp peanut butter (almond butter or sunflower seed butter might work if you are allergic to peanuts)

1 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add onions, red pepper, celery and garlic.  Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften.  Stir in ginger root, cumin, coriander, curry and cinnamon.  Add sweet potatoes, broth, coconut milk, salt and pepper.  Bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Puree in a blender in batches, or use a hand blender.  Stir in cilantro, basil, peanut butter, sugar and lime juice.  Garnish each bowl with chopped cilantro.

Grilled Vegetables

This is the best way to cook vegetables in the summer as grilling adds so much flavour!  Each person in our family has his/her own preference for grilled vegetables.  I really like grilled zucchini, portobello mushrooms and peppers topped with a homemade balsamic dressing.  My daughter likes asparagus and green beans grilled in a barbecue wok and sprinkled with some lemon juice.  My husband likes to top everything with some feta cheese after grilling.  Take an assortment of vegetables that you like and go for it!

• Cut the end off the portobello mushroom and scrape off the gills.  Clean out the insides of the peppers.  
• Cut the large vegetables into quarters.
• Brush all of the vegetables with some olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
• Grill the larger vegetables directly on the grill, and the smaller vegetables in a barbecue wok.  Turn them so they do not get too charred.
• Garnish the vegetables with lemon juice, balsamic dressing and/or feta cheese.
• Serve alone or as a side with barbecued chicken, pork chops or steak.  

Suzie's Balsamic Dressing 

3 parts cold-pressed olive oil (3 tbsp)

2 parts balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp)

1 part maple syrup (1 tbsp)

Shake the ingredients together in a jar.  Serve on a salad or grilled vegetables.

Cool Summer Treats

Being gluten-free is easier in the summertime with all of the fresh fruit available.  I try not to turn on the oven in the hot weather, and we enjoy more cold snacks and desserts.  I look for recipes in the summertime that are healthy, simple and fresh.  I have been making smoothies, homemade ice cream, slushes, and the occasional almond flour baked good.

If I bake during the summertime, I try to cook with almond flour or coconut flour because they are lower in carbohydrates.  Almond flour is high in calcium, protein and fiber. Even though almonds are higher in fat,  they can actually increase weight loss and reduce cholesterol.

Strawberry Shortcakes

This is a classic summertime dessert.  I used these wonderful almond flour biscuits from Elana's Pantry.  You could top them with regular whipped cream.  For a dairy free whipped coconut cream:

• Refrigerate a can of Thai Kitchen coconut milk overnight.  
• Then scrape the cream out of the can (save the liquids for a smoothie later).  
• Whip the cream with a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup and a teaspoon of vanilla. 
•  Top with sweet garden strawberries for an amazing dessert!

*Elana's Pantry also has the most amazing almond flour Breakfast Bars.  Everyone who tries them asks where the recipe can be found, so I am linking it in this post!

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Creamsicles used to be my favourite summertime treat.  Here is a recipe for a dairy free Orange Creamsicle Smoothie by The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen.  I use purchased almond milk (or you could use another type of dairy free milk) in the recipe, and I add some frozen mango to make the smoothie thicker and more orange coloured.  You can also substitute some of the milk in the smoothie for plain yogurt or dairy-free yogurt.

Peach Melba

Peach Melba is my mom's favourite summer dessert.  We now make a version that is simple and fresh.

• Use about half a peach or nectarine per person or dessert bowl.  Cut it into slices. 
•  If you can have dairy, top the peach slices with a good quality purchased vanilla ice cream.  You can also buy dairy free coconut milk ice cream or make your own.  I make my own dairy free vanilla bean ice cream, made with coconut milk.  
• Then for the raspberry topping, you can use a purchased frozen raspberry sauce or make your own.  I like a fresh raspberry sauce made using the blender instead of cooking the raspberries.  Just puree a cup of raspberries with 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of agave syrup.  This raspberry sauce is based on a recipe from Ani's Raw Food Desserts by Ani Phyo.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

My blender and my ice cream maker are my favourite kitchen appliances in the summer!  It is so easy to create great flavours of ice cream that are dairy free and sugar free.  I make a variety of ice cream flavours (like cherry chocolate chip) to make yummy ice cream sandwiches.  Kelly from The Spunky Coconut has a great recipe for cookies made with almond flour to make ice cream sandwiches.  She also has some creative ice cream recipes and a book about making dairy free ice cream. 

Strawberry-Lime Daiquiris

For a more adult treat, we use the ice cream maker to make daiquiris that are sugar-free and healthier than the purchased mixes.  This recipe is based on one from the recipe booklet that came with our Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker.

1 cup fresh (with tops removed) or frozen strawberries

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup agave syrup

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup light rum

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker and mix for about 20 -25 minutes or until the mixture becomes slushy.  Serve immediately.  Makes 3- 4 servings.

Summer Skin Care Products

Summer is a great time to be outdoors.  With eating outdoors, swimming, hiking and camping, there are a variety of skin care products available to protect our skin from the sun and insects, as well as to keep skin clean, moisturized and hydrated.  

Having experienced sensitive skin, allergies and skin cancer, I have become more cautious about the products I use on my skin and my family's skin.  I used to be more concerned about whether skin care products contained gluten.  Experts suggests that gluten and all proteins are too large to be absorbed through the skin.  Gluten-containing products are only a problem if you swallow them.  It is recommended to avoid using gluten-containing toothpastes and certain mouthwashes.  It is also important to be cautious about gluten-containing lipsticks, hand lotions and sunscreens in case you are eating while wearing those products.  More recently, my focus is on avoiding skin care and cosmetic products that contain more harmful chemicals.

The David Suzuki Foundation has a Dirty Dozen list of ingredients to avoid in cosmetics and skin care products.  The list includes:
1. BHA and BHT
2. Coal tar dyes
3. DEA-related ingredients
4. Dibutyl phthalate
5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
6. Parabens
7. "Parfum" or "fragrance"
8. PEG compounds
9. Petrolatum
10. Siloxanes
11. Sodium laureth sulphate
12. Triclosan

Check out these environmental and health organizations to learn more about chemicals and find safer product suggestions.

• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics safecosmetics.org
• Environmental Defence environmentaldefence.ca and justbeautiful.ca
• Skin Deep is a helpful website to learn about what skin care products are safest to use.  A product is either rated as low hazard, moderate hazard or high hazard.  This website is also great for checking out skin care products that are used year-round; for example, cosmetics, shampoos, baby soaps and hand soaps.
  
  
  

Consumers are powerful, and many companies are starting to change their products for the better.  Johnson & Johnson has stated that it would remove many harmful chemicals in its products by the end of 2015.  I am starting to see more things on the shelf that say "sulphate free" and "paraben free".  I would like to share a few of the websites and products that I have recently discovered.  I have also looked up many of these products with the Skin Deep Database.

Using a gluten-free toothpaste is very important to me.  I do not want to be ingesting gluten while brushing my teeth.  Green Beaver has a number of gluten-free toothpastes.  TheraNeem Naturals also has a gluten-free toothpaste and mouthwash that is also paraben free, sulphate free and vegan.  Community Natural Foods and Plant Organic carry gluten-free toothpastes.

Badger's organic and natural sunscreens are rated as low hazard on the Skin Deep website, but unfortunately the only place I could find them was at a health food store.  Green Beaver sunscreens are gluten-free, but they were not in the Skin Deep Database to see the rating.  If you are looking for sun protection for children from a drug store, Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunscreen for kids is one of the sunscreens that is rated as low to moderate hazard on the Skin Deep website.  It is also important to choose a big hat, wear long sleeves and sit in the shade (or bring an umbrella). 

I was so impressed the last time I was at Costco and found that their Kirkland shampoo was sulphate, gluten and paraben free, as well as vegan!  Even though this is a decent shampoo, there are better shampoos that are more natural in the health food store.  Some of the Hugo Naturals shampoos are rated well according to the Skin Deep data base.  The Hugo Naturals Vanilla & Sweet Orange Shampoo and Conditioner are gluten-free and vegan.  They also have some wonderful baby products.  I look for shampoos with less chemicals in them and more ingredients that you could eat!  The more natural it is, the more comfortable I am using the product.

Live Clean products can be found at most drug stores and Walmart stores.  They are petroleum free, paraben free, phthalate free, phosphate free, vegan and made with certified organic botanicals.  The apple cider clarifying shampoo smells wonderful!  This leave-in conditioner does not build-up in your hair and is nice for doing braids in the summer.

I love Free Spirit Botanicals for their incredible natural lotions.  They are made from tea, aloe vera, shea butter and calendula infused olive oil.  Christmas is a great time to order from the company, as they have really nice gift packs for doing your own pedicures and manicures.

Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Pure-Castile Soap is rated very well on the Skin Deep website.  It is biodegradable, vegetable based and made with organic oils.  It is a multi-purpose soap that can be used for body washing, shampooing, laundry (hand washing clothes), light household cleaning and so on.  The unscented baby soap is ideal for dry and sensitive skin as well.  It is great for traveling and camping in the summer.  I also make my own foaming liquid hand soaps and body washes by diluting the castile soap.  Start by purchasing a large bottle of the pure concentrated castile soap.  Use an empty foaming hand soap container and fill it 1/3 of the way with the castile soap.  Then fill the rest of the container with water and put the lid on.  Tip it back and forth to mix the water in with the soap.  Then you have a simple, safe and cost effective hand soap!

Thayers Witch Hazel is a very useful product.  It is helpful for insect bites, sunburn, windburn, acne and even diaper rash.  It also can be used as a toner and moisturizer for your face.  The unscented Thayers Witch Hazel is best for children's skin or sensitive skin.

Finally, I prefer to use a more natural insect repellant.  It is important to me to stay away from harmful chemicals like DEET.  As well as being an eye irritant and causing rashes, it has been connected to neurological problems and is toxic for birds and aquatic life.  I was asked by someone if I would post the recipe I use for natural bug spray.  I got my recipe for insect repellant from wellnessmama.com.

I hope these safe and natural products help you and your family enjoy the outdoors this summer!