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!

Apple Pie Bites! GF, V, SCD, Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

What a fun weekend! I hope you had a wonderful couple days off! I know I did!

I went home for the weekend for……a BABY SHOWER for my sister-in-law!! And it was SO much fun!! We threw a Gluten Free Baby Shower!! I’m going to do a big post on it later this week, but I wanted to share one of the things I contributed to the glorious spread at the party….

And can I tell you, these were the hit of the party?!

Yep…a Gluten Free, Vegan, SCD and Paleo cookie!

Apple Pie Bites!

These crunchy little bites were sweet and spicy and utterly delightful!

Here’s what you need: (makes 35 bites)

12 dates
¼ cup almond butter
½ cup almonds
½ cup cashews
2 pinches of salt
1 cup of baked apple chips
2 ½ cinnamon

Additional:
30 almonds, whole
30 almonds, halved
¾ cup baked apple chips

Put everything (minus the additional ingredients) into your food processor and process until it becomes like course sand. Then, add in your additional 30 whole almonds and ¾ cup apple chips. Pulse several times. (You want them to remain somewhat chunky for texture.) Finally, stir in your 30 halved almonds. Form balls out of 1 rounded tsp. Chill for 30 minutes. Makes 35 bites.

Holy cow! What a delicious little cookie!! Not only are they cute, but they are SO tasty! They taste just like apple pie! They’re spicy from the cinnamon, and have a fresh, sweet flavor from apples!

And they’re crunchy and chewy, and I LOVE them chilled! I’ve clearly hopped on the “raw cookie” train….but they’re just so incredible, I can’t resist!

And our party guests loved them too! They were the first item we ran out of! They were gone in about 7 minutes!!

Don’t forget to check back later this week for my special post on throwing a GLUTEN FREE BABY SHOWER!

This recipe utilizes my favorite kitchen appliance, the food processor! Here’s the one I use and love:


This recipe is featured on Allergy Free Wednesdays! and Pennywise Thursday! & Wellness Weekend!

Sugar Free Strawberry Banana Macaroons! GF, SCD & Paleo!

Well we've made it through another week!

But gosh, what a week it was....From Boston to Texas, things seemed pretty bleak. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this week's tragedies. So sad. So terribly sad.

It made me miss home. I just wanted to be home and hug my family and my dog, Roxy...

Being part of the "health blogging" community, I follow a lot of bloggers that are marathon runners. I couldn't help but think about those courageous men and women running in the Boston marathon and how terrifying that must have been. Sending lots of hugs and prayers.

So after a "down" week, I thought I'd share a "cheer me up" recipe.

Yes, another cookie recipe. Strawberry Banana Sugar Free Macaroons! If you've followed me, well, since the beginning, you will know that before sugar became my nemesis, I LOVED french macaroons. Like...I LOVED them and made a batch every Sunday!

And ever since I've gone sugar free, I've tried numerous, numerous times to create a sugar free macaroon recipe, but to no avail. The stevia would always deflate the air in the egg whites.

I had all but given up until.......I discovered freeze dried fruit!!!

Can I get an "Amen!?" These cookies are amazing!! Like traditional macaroons, they've got a crispy shell on the outside, and a pillowy-chewy center.

They may not be the prettiest belle at the ball, but these are a feat of amazingness! :)

And they're Gluten Free and Specific Carb Diet friendly and Paleo!! They're sadly not vegan. And I don't think a flax egg will cut it on this one. So for my Vegan lovies, a PB & J Bite will have to do:)

Here's what you need: Serves 2-3 cookie monsters:)

2 egg whites, whipped to stiff peaks
1/2 cup almond flour
2 cups freeze dried strawberries & bananas (combined), pulverized in the food processor.

Preheat oven to 375. First: measure 2 cups of freeze dried fruit. You can adjust the ratio to your liking...I did 1 cup bananas and 1 cup strawberries. Next, throw them in the food processor and process until they become a powder. I suggest putting a towel around the lid of the food processor --- otherwise there will be a cloud of strawberry and banana dust!

Combine your fruit powder and almond flour in a separate bowl. In your stand mixer whip your egg whites to stiff peaks. Then, sift in your fruit/almond flour mix. Gently fold them together until just combined.

Put this mixture into a gallon ziplock bag and squeeze it to one tip. Then, snip the corner. Instant Piping Bag!

On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, pipe 1 Tbsp circles of batter. It will make about 12-15 cookies.

Then, pick up the tray and drop it several times about 2 inches above the counter. This releases any air bubbles. Allow the cookies to sit for about 15 minutes before putting them in the oven. This allows them to form the "skin" on top and give them the classic macaroon shell.

Put them in the oven and immediately turn it down to 325. Bake for 15 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, allow them to cool for 2 minutes on the pan before taking them off.

My goodness! What can I say about these amazing little cookies?! They may look humble, but they pack a punch! The flavor is so summery and light! The strawberry and banana flavor really shine! And there's a slight kiss of nutty almond flavor! Just perfect.

And the textures were divine. Crispy outside. Chewy and pillowy inside. Very light -- almost ethereal. I WILL be making these again!

I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer to whip up the egg whites for the Macaroons. It made making these a breeze! It's an investment, but absolutely worth it if you are going to be doing some serious cooking. Here's the one I use: