When I think of Christmas past, there was always a great assortment of baking to be had. Now that allergies are a part of our lives I'm always looking to recreate some of our favourites. This allergy friendly apple pie does not disappoint. Feel free to change up the fruit to suit your taste. Peach, blueberry, cherry you name it. I also love to use this dough to make savoury meat pies. Top each mini pie with your favourite cut out shapes. Save Print Holiday Apple Pie Author: Gena Recipe type: Dessert Cuisine: Paleo/AIP/Vegan/Allergy Friendly Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 45 mins Allergy friendly Mini Apple Pies. Ingredients Crust 1¾ cup Cassava flour ½ c Tigernut flour ¼ tsp sea salt (adjust … [Read more...]
Paleo AIP Halloween Gummies
I had been wanting to make paleo gummies for ages and finally got the opportunity. This was my first attempt at making them and I'm very impressed with the outcome - so is my little guy! It is his current favourite thing to steel them out of the fridge and run away with the whole container - they must be good, in fact I can vouch that they most certainly are. Halloween doesn't have to be all about sugary candy. These make such a nice swap for traditional gummies that are often full of artificial colouring and flavouring. They also make a nice allergy friendly treat for any time of the year. Here is what I did: Save Print Paleo AIP Halloween Gummies Author: Gena Recipe type: Snack Cuisine: Dessert Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins … [Read more...]
Are we Allergic to our Food or What’s Been Done to It?
What has happened to our food? Children today are alarmingly more and more allergic to our food, is it our food or more importantly what has been done to it that that is causing this increase in allergies? With all the GMO's, pesticide use, poor soil quality, it begs the question. I have spoken with numerous Doctors and our food quality might certainly play a part in what we are seeing today not only in ourselves with an increase in autoimmune conditions, infertility, and food allergies, but also in our Children. Why are the statistics so striking - 1 out of 3 Children in America suffers from Allergies - ADHD - Asthma - and Autism. Kids are reacting to the unnatural chemicals and pesticides used to grow most food; not necessarily the food itself. One of the problems is GMOs and the … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Seed Sunbutter Cookies (Vegan, GF, Nut Free)
I don't bake cookies all that often. But I thought I would try something different for a change. I'm quite happy with how these turned out considering the modifications I made - you just never know if it's going to work out!? These allergy friendly cookies are the perfect treat. They can be added to your child's lunch and taken to school safely, since they are "nut free", they also happen to be top 8 allergen free. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! Save Print Pumpkin Seed Sunbutter Cookies (Vegan, GF, Nut Free) Author: Gena Recipe type: Cookie Cuisine: Dessert Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 12 mins Total time: 27 mins Serves: 14-16 Ingredients 1 TBSP ground flaxseed ¼ cup Red Palm Oil ¼ Cup Sunbutter … [Read more...]
Vegan Ombre Beetroot Pancakes (GF, Nut Free, Allergy Friendly)
Weekends are always a great time to enjoy pancakes. Truth be told I could eat them all day, any day. I love to double or triple this recipe so we have a nice big batch to get us through the week. This is a very allergy friendly recipe that does not include any nut flours/milk, soy, eggs, wheat, or regular milk or dairy for that matter. Get creative with different veggie or fruit powders to mix things up. Save Print Vegan Ombre Beetroot Pancakes (GF, Nut Free) Author: Gena Recipe type: Pancakes Cuisine: Breakfast Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Ingredients 1 cup all purpose gluten free flour 1 TBSP baking powder ¼ tsp celtic sea salt 1 cup water (gauge your preference of thickness - I prefer … [Read more...]
Diary of An Itchy Kid – Our Journey With Eczema
Where It All Began Any parent that has a child with eczema or for that matter living with it themselves knows how difficult it can be. My Son got his first patch of eczema at 2 months of age, a week after his immunizations. I didn't really think much of it, considering that I had a tiny bit of eczema on my hand as a child, which went away. At 4 months of age things became more difficult for us, we had his next round of immunizations and his eczema worsened. Now I know some of you are wondering - do I think the immunizations "caused" his eczema...!? Well, I will tell you that we as parents have an innate ability to know when something isn't quite right - that "gut feeling". The development of his eczema just so happens to line up with his vaccination schedule, so could it play a … [Read more...]
Normalizing Breast Feeding
It happens to be World Breast Feeding Week. Many months ago I came across some beautiful images of mothers breast feeding their children. These were not ordinary photos, they had a unique twist highlighting the bond between mother and child. The nurturing and nourishing aspect in these photos is what has been coined "The Tree of Life". This style of image became so popular it went viral, Mothers were capturing images of themselves and their babies while nursing and inputing it into an app to be transformed into a beautiful work of art. Creating my own “Tree of Life” image got me thinking back to my early days of breast feeding. I recall at our first "baby and me" Naturopathic Doctors appointment when asked how long I intended to breast feed, I figured a year was a great goal. I hadn't … [Read more...]
Allergy-Free Energy Bites (Vegan, Refined Sugar-Free, Paleo-ish)
When you are an "Allergy-Mom" most recipes you look at, you brake down ingredient by ingredient. You think about how you can recreate them - IF you can recreate them!? I rarely come across a recipe I can make "as-is", so here is my version of top 8 allergy free Energy Bites. I almost should call them top 10 or 11 allergy free - because they are also sesame and sulphite free, PLUS coconut free and they are still just as amazing! Putting It All Together: You may be wondering why I used Red Palm oil? We have been off of coconut products since November, due to allergies. Red palm oil makes a great substitute for coconut oil, as they are both tropical oils. Red palm oil and coconut oil come from the palm tree family, however they are a different species. The fat profiles differ between … [Read more...]
What’s in your Toothpaste!?
A topic of discussion that often comes up when someone finds out that I’m a Dental Hygienist is whether fluoridated toothpaste is necessary for them or their child. Before I became a Mother I really didn’t think twice about the ingredients in toothpaste. I took what I learned in dental hygiene school to be the way things were and how I should practice, after all that’s what was in the texts books. In fact, I think I would have raised a LOT of eyebrows had I come into a Dental Practice advocating that I wasn’t going to promote or use fluoride products. With that said, I have worked in both traditional practice as well as a holistic dental practice where fluoride was not used, so I have certainly seen both sides of it. I set out to practice Dental Hygiene armed with the knowledge I gained … [Read more...]
What to look for in a Childrens Multi-Vitamin
When it comes to a children's multi-vitamin most people want the added assurance that their child is filling the nutritional gaps with a quality supplement. When faced with the decision, what do you choose, what should you look for!? First and foremost try and stay away from drug store brands, there are often many fillers such as artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and even sugar packed into these vitamins that you would be better off without. The next thing you should look at is allergens, is the vitamin free of ingredients that are problematic for your child. Most high quality brands are often free from gluten, soy, corn, dairy, and artificial sweeteners. With that said, how do you know what IS a good brand? Looking for a professional or pharmaceutical grade supplement will … [Read more...]
"Can I just tell you for a minute how much I love following Gena? She has been the sweetest, supportive, and encouraging lady. If you’re on Instagram go on over and follow her and check out her new blog. There you will find information about holistic health, great recipes, and life with a food allergic child." 