Homemade Homemaking: Allergen-Free Graham Crackers

Welcome to this month's edition of Homemade Homemaking! Today, we are making allergen-free (NO gluten, eggs or dairy!) graham crackers!


My girls have honestly never really eaten graham crackers, although Little Girl absolutely loves crackers in general. But gluten free crackers are expensive, so I am having to learn how to make my own (which is better for us anyway!).


I first started thinking about making homemade graham crackers because I thought they would make great material for an edible, allergen-free "gingerbread" house (be on the lookout for that recipe next week!). 


I found this recipe, which I used as my base, but I didn't have all the ingredients it called for, and I wanted to make the recipe dairy free. 


And the results were delicious! These "crackers" are almost more like a cookie. Every single person in the Odom household (including my hubby!) absolutely loved these!


I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups + 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup all-purpose GF flour (I use Bob's Red Mill, but you can make your own.)
• 1 cup sucanat
• 7 Tbsp. chilled palm shortening
• 1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum 
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• extra cinnamon/sucanat for sprinkling

Method
1. Mix together flour, xanthan gum, cinnamon, sucanat, baking soda and salt.
2. Add mixed ingredients to food processor and add in chilled shortening.

3. Pulse until well blended and crumbly.
4. Add honey, water and vanilla. Continue processing until dough forms. 

5. Place dough in a greased ball and knead until you can form a ball. Then, separate dough into two balls. 
6. Press dough onto greased parchment paper lined on a large baking sheet. 
7. Roll until about 1/8 in. in thickness. 
8. Cut into rectangles with a pizza cutter (I had to also re-cut when they came out). 
9. Prick little holes in each cracker with a fork or toothpick.

10. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes. 
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 320 degrees for 25 minutes. 
12. Sprinkle with sucanat and cinnamon!


Enjoy!!

After making these, I read this recipe for homemade graham crackers at Heavenly Homemakers. They aren't allergen-free, but I know many of you don't need allergen-free crackers! They look very yummy, and I think the next time I make these we will totally be cutting them into Christmas shapes, like she did in this post!


Have you ever made homemade graham crackers? 

Find more healthier sweet treats in the following books:

• Healthy Holidays: Slightly-Indulgent Sweet Treats (a FREE eBook for my subscribers!)
• Smart Sweets (enter to WIN a copy NOW at The Simple Homemaker!)
• Treat Yourself: Real Food Desserts

I'm linking up with:   Works for Me Wednesday, Make Your Own Monday, Tuesdays at the Table, Frugal Tuesday Tip, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Turning The Table Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Allergy-Friendly Lunch Box Ideas, Frugally Sustainable

A Natural Holiday: Allergen-Free Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Welcome back to A Natural Holiday Carnival! Two weeks ago, we looked at decorating with nativities from around the world, and last week we checked out a cheesy green bean casserole and a natural holiday meal plan. 

Today's theme is party food!

Image by littlekata

Pumpkin is, hands down, my favorite seasonal flavor. But up until recently, the only pumpkin I knew was pumpkin pie! Over the past year, I’ve enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen and creating and re-creating all kinds of pumpkin recipes! 

These pumpkin spice donut holes are perfect to take to a holiday party—but they’re best served right out of the oven! Be sure to check out the allergen-free version below as well!

 Combine dry ingredients. 

Combine wet ingredients. 

Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. 

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 

into mini muffin pan. 

 

Mix coating while donut holes

are baking.

Ingredients for donut holes:

• 1 ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (or butter), melted 
• ½ cup honey
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ cup milk 

Ingredients for Coating:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter), melted
• 2/3 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
• 1 ½ Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Method:

Grease a mini muffin pan with coconut oil or butter. Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl and all wet ingredients in another. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons or with a melon baller into the muffin pan. Bake on 350F for 12-15 minutes. (I had to bake this version for longer than the allergen-free version below.)

While the donut holes are baking, combine sucanat and pumpkin pie spice. Pour melted coconut oil in another dish. I leave mine on the stovetop, so the coconut oil doesn’t harden. Once you take the donut holes out of the oven, dip them in the oil, then roll them in the sucanat/spice mixture.

Makes 48 donut holes!

 

Allergen-Free Version (gluten, egg, dairy-free)

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose gluten free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill, but you can use can make your own.)
• 1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup honey
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ cup allergen-free milk (rice, coconut or almond)

Follow the same method as above. It should take slightly less time to bake the allergen-free version.

*If not consumed within a day, these should be refrigerated. My inspiration for this recipe came from Crumbs and Chaos. 

Be sure to check out the other great recipes in today's hop!

Whole Wheat Vegetable Pizza @Stacy Makes Cents
Velvety Mashed Potatoes (w/ GF/DF options) @Christian Mommy Blogger
Real Food Party Dishes @Modern Alternative Mama
Turkey Pesto Pinwheels @Day2Day Joys
Marinated Goat Cheese @Creative Christian Mama

I am SO EXCITED to announce a GIFT to all my e-mail subscribers! Later this week, we will release Healthy Holidays: Slightly Indulgent Sweet Treats, an eBook with more than 16 recipes for healthier holiday cookies and candies!

Any e-mail subscriber to any of the following blogs will get this book for FREE!!

The Purposed Heart,

Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy,

Intentional By Grace, or

The Humbled Homemaker (aka--me!). 

I truly appreciate all my readers and subscribers, and I cannot wait to get this special gift into your hands! Stay tuned!!

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I'm linking up with: Made By You Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mouth Watering Monday, Made With Love Monday, Mingle Monday, Traditional Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Works for Me Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Recipes I Can't Wait To Try, Pennywise Platter, Cooking Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Creative Juice, Things I Love Thursday, Live Renewed, Sweets This Week, Food Trip Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Food, Fresh Food FridayFoodie Friday, Foodie Friday, Allergy-Friendly Lunch Box Ideas, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival, Growing Home

Jumping on the Gluten Free Bandwagon

Image by bluehor

Eggs and wheat...

The findings of the blood test were surprising, her doctor said. 

Yes, my daughter does have food sensitivities. 

Along with eggs and wheat (the two highest on the list), she is sensitive to: rye, barley, milk, peanuts, soy, strawberries, oranges and tomatoes. 

Yes--that whole list. "But don't worry about anything but eggs and gluten right now," the doctor said. "She can have everything else in moderation."


(Gluten is present in wheat, rye, barley and non-gluten-free oats.)


So....here we go. My baby is now egg and gluten free. We found out a week ago today. 


My emotions have run the gamut.

Relief: We know what it is.


Determination: We *can* do this. I will learn how to cook differently.


Sadness: She won't be able to eat Chick-fil-A nuggets (our one guilty fast food pleasure) or cake at birthday parties or goldfish crackers or even scrambled eggs. She loves ALL of those things. 


Frustration: You mean I can't just substitute rice flour for everything? I have to use some type of mix of flours--perhaps different for each recipe? And gluten-free foods can cost 5-6 times as much as regular food? And even if it's GF it might still have egg in it?


Overwhelmed: Where do we even start? What does she eat for breakfast? (So far it's been veggies and hummus and a little cheese!)


Could I just let her eat foods with gluten and eggs and pretend we don't know? Yes--but it will continue to wreak havoc on her health.


Now I know--and I can do something about it. 


I never wanted to jump on the gluten free bandwagon (and egg-free for good measure), but here we are.

In the midst of everything, the Lord keeps bringing this Scripture to mind: 


"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?'....for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." -Matthew 6:31a & 32b

31 Days to Clean Update


Last week, I threw in the towel. Honestly, I was so overwhelmed with the food issues, that I just couldn't deal. I started back yesterday. Today I'm cleaning out my fridge--and I'm excited about it!

Image by doctor-a

Plan It--Don't Panic


And while we're talking about food, I'm getting ready to be a part of a new meal planning challenge starting Sept. 26 at Keeper of the Home! I'll be posting my meal plans every Monday during the challenge--and will highlight one recipe each week. (And, yes--there will inevitably be many GF/egg-free options!). 


Interested in joining the challenge? Check it out here. 

Oh--and I'm super excited to be a new contributing writer over at Keeper of the Home! If you haven't read Stephanie's blog, you are MISSING OUT!


Any advice for a mama who just found out her baby has some major food "sensitivities"? I'd appreciate any wisdom you have to offer!

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