Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free » Grain-Free

Raw Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Amy — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:49 +0000

Removing dairy from my diet has completely impacted how I bake. I still miss it – not how sick it made me – but I miss the creaminess, the simplicity, the ease with which I could pull cream cheese, Greek yogurt, or sour cream out of the refrigerator and whip up a lovely dessert.

But, there are have been some unexpected, and quite tasty, surprises along the way. These Raw Lemon Cheesecake Bars are certainly one of them. They’re melt-in-your-mouth uber-creamy and just sweet enough with a nice, tart tang.

If you’ve been around SS&GF for a while, you know I was a a chunky kid. I continually struggled with my weight through my late twenties when I finally figured out that I couldn’t eat wheat or sugar and switched to a gluten-free, refined sugar-free, whole foods diet.

I was raised in the era of ‘fat-free foods’ and ‘spray butter.’ If you wanted to lose weight, you switched to fat-free Twinkies. And, of course, butter was the enemy so instead we sprayed our bread with some bizarre, and probably toxic, yellow liquid that tasted like butter. It seemed normal back then. Now, I have to laugh at the audacity of it all.

There were other ‘fat-causing ideas’ I’ve had to battle along the way. One quite insidious idea that’s come up in recent years is that nuts will make you fat. I’m not at all advocating for a nut-heavy diet. Yes, they’ve got incredible health benefits, including unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, L-argentine, and plant sterols. They’re also calorie and fat dense. With all things, my experience has shown me that moderation is key.

I eat nuts daily. They’re a nutritious, portable gluten-free snack. But I eat them in moderation and with other foods, like fruits and veggies.

I’ve been wanting to make a cheesecake-type dish since going dairy-free. A couple of weeks ago Lauren shared her Thick Raw Lemon Bars on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday. They struck something inside of me, and I began conjuring up recipes in my head. This is the incredible result.
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Raw Apple-Walnut Snack Bars

Amy — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I haven’t talked much about what we’re feeding Nate because, honestly, it’s been a bit of a struggle. When he was 9 months old, we found out that we needed to cut all dairy out of his diet. And, since I have problems with wheat we’re keeping him gluten-free until he’s at least 18 months old so that his gut is developed enough to digest it properly. I may keep him gluten-free longer as baby #2 will need to be gluten-free as well.

At play dates, I see mommas giving their kids dairy yogurt, cookies, and animal crackers. None of those work for our sweet little Nate.

Couple that with the fact that Nate would rather eat an orange (or any fruit) than a cookie or carbs, and the fact that he never, ever holds still and I’m left with the interesting challenge of finding foods that he’ll eat that will also help him gain weight. Or at least maintain his current weight.

I started searching for solutions and wanted foods to be whole-foods based, full of healthy fats, portable, and something he’ll gobble up. In the process I’ve found lots of foods he absolutely loves.
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Peanut Butter & Chocolate “Green” Milkshake (dairy-free)

Amy — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:05:17 +0000

Healthy and milkshake really do belong in the same sentence when you’re talking about this recipe.

It’s Earth Day, and as such I think it’s fitting to celebrate with a treat made from foods close to nature.

With an ingredient list that includes superfoods like avocados, spinach, nuts, banana, and even cocoa powder, you’re in for a healthy treat.

It’s creamy, rich, smooth, and perfectly cold just like the milkshakes I remember from way back. I hadn’t had a milkshake in years. But now there’s no excuse. Just throw the ingredients in the blender and let ‘em whirl!

Stop by Peanut Butter & Co. for the complete recipe. I must admit that I LOVE when companies include gluten-free, allergy-friendly recipes on their blogs. I am even happier that they chose me to develop this milkshake for them.

Then get out your VitaMix out and make yourself a PB & Chocolate “Green” Milkshake.

From my sponsor: Plan to eat was born from our desire to eat real food – great food – prepared at home, together as a family. Plan to eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipe, scheduled for the days you want them, automatically generating your grocery list, organized the way you like to shop. Eat well. Eat together. PlanToEat.com.

Raw Cashew “Parmesan Creamy Cheese” (dairy-free)

Amy — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:00:22 +0000

No, I’m not going raw.

But, since I had to cut out dairy and choose to stay mostly soy-free I’ve found that some of the best dairy-free stand-ins are raw and nut-based. Thank goodness I can still eat nuts!

Let’s talk for a minute about where this recipe came from. I decided to make pasta for dinner and wanted something Parmesan-cheesy to stir into the dish. Yea, I could have sprinkled some nutritional yeast over the top of my noodles but that wasn’t exactly the bite I was craving. I wanted something creamy and delicious.
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Sundried Tomato & Pepita Pesto

Amy — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:00:12 +0000

With Easter right around the corner, I wanted to give you a dairy-free, nut-free option for your celebration.

After Nate was born, something funky happened and my body stopped tolerating dairy. I can’t say I’m thrilled with it. I kept trying to eat it, hoping that something would change. I really didn’t want to add one more thing to my ‘can’t eat’ list.

But, my best efforts failed and at least for today I can’t eat dairy.

I feel better. So. Much. Better. No stomach pain. No digestive distress. But, gosh I miss my yogurt and cottage cheese.

My favorite little guy is dairy-free too.
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