Birthday Celebration Cleaned Up

Yesterday was my dear husband Barry's birthday.  I made a menu for his birthday dinner and then changed it twice.  I felt I was facing three major hurdles with his celebration meal. 

• First, I wanted the meal to be healthy. 
• Next, I wanted it to be enjoyable for everyone.  (That seems to be something that I struggle with these days.  I am always afraid that guests will not enjoy eating the food that I have switched to.) 
• Finally, I needed to come up with a dessert worthy of his birthday celebration.

The final menu looked like this:

Mojo Grilled Chicken Breasts
Organic Chicken Italian Sausage
Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes
Oven Roasted Broccoli
Tossed Salad
   ........and, drum roll please...........

Gluten Free Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream (SO Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream)


I know you are dying for the recipe, so here it is...

Ingredients:
4 large Apples, I used Fuji Apples
1 Tb. Lemon Juice
1 Tb. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 Tb. Arrowroot
2 Tb. Coconut Sugar (you might need more if you use an apple that is tart)

Topping:
1 c. Gluten Free Oats
1/4 c. Earth Balance Soy Free Butter, melted
1 Tb. Brown Rice Flour
1 tsp. Honey

Directions:
Peel, core and slice apples.  Toss with lemon juice, then rinse with water.  In a bowl toss apples with spices, vanilla, arrowroot, and coconut sugar.  Transfer into an 8 x 8 baking dish.  In a small bowl mix the topping ingredients.  Sprinkle topping over apples.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

I tried the SO Delicious Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream and it was fabulous.  Honestly, it tasted like regular ice cream.  I highly recommend it!

My Barry loves apple pie and that is normally his request for dessert on his birthday.  He prefers it to cake anytime.  He is not a huge sweets eater and will almost always pass on dessert.  So, when he woke up this morning and again complimented me on the Apple Crisp, I knew it was a keeper.

Chicken, Eggs, Soy, and Corn....Why Must You Guys Go Hand In Hand?

Last week was my reintroduction of eggs and unfortunately it wasn't very successful.  HOWEVER, I don't feel I can say with 100% certainty that I am egg intolerant.  You see, from what I have learned from JJ, the old saying, "You are what you eat," needs to have a disclaimer added or really needs to be changed to, "You are what you eat eats!"  With regards to chickens, most are fed a vegetarian diet which consists of corn and/or soy.  The problem being that chickens (and pigs) can't filter out a majority of allergens from their feed like animals with a rumen digestive system can (beef, lamb, deer).  So, if the chickens are fed soy, which I am intolerant to, the soy will be present in their eggs.  I searched locally and was unable to find soy-free, corn-free eggs.  This type of egg is difficult to find in markets because chickens are typically fed these items to help them produce more eggs which are needed by companies selling eggs to make a profit. 

I found a farm in Wisconsin that sells soy-free, corn-free eggs and I have ordered them.  I should receive them by the end of the week and I will be able to try the reintroduction again.   If I find I can eat the eggs without having any stomach issues, I will be one happy girl.  I will keep my fingers crossed!

To say I am getting educated is an extreme understatement.  I told Barry we just need to sell the condo and buy some acreage where we can grown our own fruits and vegetables and have a few chickens to produce eggs.  I feel like that is the only way I will have complete control over what I put in my body.