Category Archives: Food Allergies

Grain Free Carrot Banana Bread

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Sometimes I think I should change my blog name to banana bread bites.  I’ve been on a banana bread baking rampage for the past month and I don’t see any signs of stopping yet.  I know I already posted about the best banana bread ever, but this grain free carrot banana bread gives that bread a run for its money.

Grain-Free Carrot Banana BreadMy methodology behind this bread was simple.  I wanted to create something that was grain free, and had no added sugar.  I see a lot of paleo banana bread recipes that are loaded with honey and chocolate chips, (which are delicious, but not always necessary).  I also wanted to create a bread free of any coconut oil or butter.

I found that adding carrot and banana to this bread gave it a nice natural sweetness and I didn’t need any added sugar.  I’ve already made this bread twice and enjoy it in the evening with a cup of tea or in the morning with some almond butter.

Grain Free Carrot Banana Bread SlicesLike all grain free and paleo breads the texture of this bread is definitely different from one made with wheat, but the flavor is really, really good.  I love the nuttiness that the almond flour and ground flax bring mixed with the sweetness from the banana and carrot.

This bread may not rise as much in a traditional loaf pan, so I recommend using a smaller one like this 7.5 x 3.5 in magic loaf pan I found on Amazon.

Grain Free Carrot Banana Bread (makes 1 small loaf)

Ingredients:

1 small banana, mashed

1 cup shredded carrot

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup ground flax

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1-2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line your loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl mash your banana and add your almond milk, vanilla and eggs.  Mix until well blended.

Shred your carrot and add to the mixture and continue to blend well.

In a larger mixing bowl add your almond flour, ground flax, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and sift together.  Fold your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture is nice and sticky.

Grain Free Carrot Banana Bread Loaf PanSpoon your bread batter into your loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes.  The top should be a nice golden brown.

Grain Free Carrot Banana Bread Plate 2This bread doesn’t hold up as well as traditional bread due to the lack of gluten, but it has a lovely flavor and is packed with all sorts of goodness from the flax and almond flour.

If you want a touch of sweetness, I’d add a tablespoon of honey, but honestly, I think this bread is sweet enough on its own from the carrot and banana.

What’s your favorite banana bread recipe?  Apparently it’s my mission to make all of the different banana bread combos out there.

Sensitive Sweets

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I love bakeries.  I love the smell of fresh-baked bread, muffins and cookies wafting through the air and watching the excitement on people’s faces as they pick out their favorite baked good.  What I don’t like is constantly having to ask the ingredients in a particular baked good due to my food allergies.  But then I found Sensitive Sweets, a bakery that specializes in allergen-free desserts.

Sensitive SweetsAt first I thought it was too good to be true.  Could there really be a bakery where I could enjoy almost every item in the shop?  The answer is yes, yes there is.  Sensitive Sweets was created by Melanie Hohman, who is a mother to a son with severe food allergies including gluten, soy, eggs and dairy.  Instead of having her son miss out on birthday cakes and other treats, she developed Sensitive Sweets which creates bakery goods free of soy, gluten, nuts, and dairy.

Sensitive Sweets CupcakesOf course, the first misconception is that a baked treat can’t possibly taste good without the classic eggs, flour and butter, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Melanie’s treats are absolutely delicious, and I was able to enjoy them without worrying what was in it (she does list all ingredients for bakery items on her website).  A few of the baked goods contained a small trace of corn and Melanie was quick to point those out to me so I knew what I could and couldn’t eat.

Sensitive Sweets CookiesMy favorite items in the shop were by far the cookies.  I can already tell I’m going to be stocking up on the gingerbread men this holiday season, and the snickerdoodle and sugar cookies were a delight!  The cookies are lighter in sugar and so flavorful.

Sensitive Sweets Cupcakes 2I also loved some of the other treats as well.  The dark chocolate cake was rich and moist and the lemon bars had a nice burst of citrus flavor and was airy and light.

Sensitive Sweets cakesSensitive Sweets also specializes in birthday cakes, which is perfect for anyone with food allergies or if you just want a vegan cake.  The bakery also ships cupcakes, breads, muffins and cookies across the U.S., and has a variety of baking mixes available in the shop.

I really loved this bakery and cannot wait to make a return trip.  Melanie was a delight to talk to, and I love how passionate she is about creating delicious allergen-friendly baked goods.  Hopefully more bakeries will take notice and follow in her example!  I’ll be returning soon, especially to get my sugar cookie fix.

 

Natural Products Expo West – Bob’s Red Mill

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Missed parts 1 and 2 of the Natural Products Expo West recap?  Check them out here and here.

When I found out that Bob’s Red Mill was going to be at the Natural Products Expo West, I was pretty excited because many of Bob’s Red Mill products are a staple in our house.  Everything from the Whole Wheat Pastry Flour to the specialty items such as Garbanzo Bean Flour and Almond Meal can be found in our pantry.  Bob’s also has a large line of gluten-free baking mixes and grains that are produced in a separate gluten-free recipe.  The company truly has something for everyone.

bobsredmill_expowestThis year, Bob’s Red Mill was debuting their new “Nine Grains of Discovery” at the Natural Products Expo West.  These products were developed due to a rising interest in ancient grains and heirloom foods and are incredibly healthy for you (plus 5 of them are gluten-free).  The new products won’t hit stores until the end of June, but here’s a little sneak peek at these nine awesome grains (picture courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill).

grainsof discovery_bobsredmill

Organic Amaranth – Amaranth is a gluten-free seed that was a staple of the ancient Aztecs and contains essential amino acids along with dietary fiber, iron and magnesium.  This seed is perfect in breads or even snack bars.

Chia Seeds – Chia seeds are becoming more and more popular in healthy recipes.  The chia seed is loaded with omega 3s and goes great in puddings, smoothies and other baked goods.

Organic Farro – Farro is a Mediterranean grain that is used in a variety of soups, salads and even as a whole wheat replacement for pasta.

Organic Kamut – Kamut is an ancient wheat varietal that was discovered around 6,000 B.C.  Kamut berries are a great source of protein and fiber and can be used in rice pilaf, soups and salads.

Millet – Millet is a naturally gluten-free grain derived from ancient China and is great in breads, stir-fries and granola bars.

Organic Quinoa – Quinoa is a very popular gluten-free seed that is native to South America.  Quinoa is high in iron and protein and is often used as a replacement in many pasta dishes.  Quinoa is also great alternative for oatmeal as well.

Sorghum – Sorghum is a gluten-free whole grain that originated in Africa.  It has a hearty texture which is great in pilaf and salads.

Organic Spelt – Spelt was discovered in the Near East over 8,000 years ago and is considered to be a relative of modern-day wheat.  Spelt is a great replacement for traditional whole-wheat bread and can also be used instead of rice in rice pilaf.

Teff – Teff is a gluten-free grain that originated in Ethiopia and is high in fiber, protein, iron and calcium and works as a nice addition to baked goods.

I’m really excited for the Farro and Sorghum to come out since they are both brand new to Bob’s Red Mill.  And the Quinoa, Chia and Spelt will for sure be making an appearance in our home as well.

If the new Nine Grains of Discovery weren’t enough, the Bob of Bob’s Red Mill was on hand to sign copies of his new book, People Before Profit.  To say I was excited to meet Bob is an understatement.

bobsredmill_productexpowestIf you are unfamiliar with Bob’s Red Mill or have never tried their products, I highly recommend checking them out.  All of the products that are developed within the company are natural, healthy and available at a reasonable price.  Thanks again for the meeting Bob’s Red Mill!

Natural Products Expo West – Mary’s Gone Crackers and Rise Bar

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Missed part 1 of the Natural Products Expo West?  Check it out here!

One of the brands I was most excited to meet with was Mary’s Gone Crackers.  I have been a big fan of Mary’s Gone Crackers since their products are very allergen-friendly, and completely free of GMOs.  Plus, they are made with all natural ingredients such as brown rice, quinoa, flaxseed and millet to name a few.  All of the products made at Mary’s facility are gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free, so they pretty much cover most of the food allergy spectrum.

I sat down with Mary herself to discuss some of the new Mary’s Gone Crackers products that will be released soon.  First up were the Hot n’ Spicy Jalapeno Crackers and the Super Seed Crackers.

marysgonecrackers_newflavorsThe Jalapeno Crackers had a nice spice to them (but not too spicy), and I fell in love with the Super Seed Crackers.  The Super Seed Crackers are made with a wide variety of seeds including pumpkin seed and flax, and they are made with seaweed to add a nice bit of saltiness.  Mary explained that she wanted to use seaweed instead of soy for a different salty flavor in both the Super Seed and Jalapeno Crackers.  Since soy is on my no-no list, I was thrilled to hear this.  Both the Super Seed Crackers and the Jalapeno Crackers will hit stores in June/July of this year.  Oh, and the Super Seed Crackers taste excellent with hummus.

maryssuperseedcrackersNext up were the Graham Crackers, which will definitely appeal to kids, but after reading the ingredient profile, adults are bound to love them as well!

marysgonecrackers_grahamcrackersThe Graham Crackers are made with a gluten-free flour blend that includes sweet potato flour, tapioca starch and plantain flour (to name a few), and are also lower in sugar and have coconut oil.  The graham crackers have 3 grams of fiber each and are absolutely delicious!  No release date yet for the graham crackers, but the plan is to have them in stores sometime this year.

Last but certainly not least, I had a chance to taste some of the new granola Mary’s team is developing.  This was by far my favorite of the day.  I tend to find most packaged granola to be too sweet, but this was light and flavorful, and sweetened with coconut oil and coconut sugar.  The granola was also quinoa-based which was awesome.  There is no release date for the granola as of yet, but I hope Mary’s releases it soon!

It was great meeting with Mary and her team and learning about all her new products.  If you haven’t checked out Mary’s Gone Crackers yet, be sure to do so soon.

After meeting with Mary, I headed over to the Rise Bar booth to meet with their CEO Peter.  I’ve been interested in Rise Bar for quite some time namely because their protein bars are made with minimal ingredients (and soy-free) and they are a local company as well.

risebar_infoRise Bar is described as a “bar for your daily needs.”  There are different bars that are made for different times of day, depending on what your body is craving and what kind of fuel you need.  The breakfast bars are loaded with fruits and healthy fats to get your day started on the right foot, the energy bars are made with tapioca and brown rice syrup to give you an extra boost before your workout, and the protein bars are made with whey protein to promote recovery.  All of the bars are free of GMOs and contain no gluten.

Peter and I also talked about Rise Bar’s Athletes and Ambassadors program.  Instead of targeting professional athletes and celebrities, Rise Bar wants to look for amateur athletes who are involved in their community and live and breathe a natural foods lifestyle.  I think this program is great, because pretty much anyone can join!

risebarsamples_expowestI tried a few Rise Bar samples at the expo and I must say they were quite delicious!  The ingredient profile is great, and the protein bars may become my go-to when I need a quick boost after a hard workout.  Be sure to check out the Almond Honey flavor (my personal favorite).  Thanks Peter for taking the time to tell me more about Rise Bar.  I’m so glad I got to meet with your team at Expo West this year.

Next Up – Part 3 of the Natural Products Expo West including some delicious drinks from Sambazon and meeting Bob from Bob’s Red Mill!