I met Dreena through Maggie and Ricki. I must say I am so very grateful!

Shortly after Nate was born and I started eating a very heavy plant-based diet. Not completely plant based, mind you. But I could just sense that my body needed lots of fresh, whole foods after giving birth to get itself back in shape.

There is a huge transition in diet and cravings after giving birth, and Let Them Eat Vegan! helped me make that transition beautifully.

The first thing you notice when you read Dreena’s book is that she’s the kind of lady you’d love to have coffee with. She’s witty, fun, and she’s easy to relate to. You get the strong sense that you’d be fast friends with her.  You want to bring her into your kitchen. It just adds to the deliciousness of her food.

Let’s talk about her Panfried Falafel Patties for a minute. Who needs cookies when you can eat these? Really! When I told Dreena on Twitter that I’d been making batch after batch, she asked if I was dipping them in her Smoky Spiced Tahini Sauce and I replied that, yea, the sauce is delicious but I’d just been pulling them out of the refrigerator and eating them. No sauce necessary.

In true Dreena style, she replied, “Now that’s some falafel lovin’!” And, yep, I do love her falafels. In fact, I’ve made them more times than I can count and I’ve never gotten a photo of the finished product. (Guilty as charged.)

When you make her falafel, you must – and I mean must – make her Quinoa Tabbouleh. I used to live in Columbus, Ohio and frequented The North Market. There was a little middle eastern restaurant that served the best tabbouleh I’ve ever had. Since going gluten-free, I’ve tried to replicate it several times but just couldn’t get it quite right. Well, Dreena did. It’s got the perfect balance of acid, veggies, parsley and quinoa.
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Read the rest of Dreena’s Falafels (and a FABULOUS cookbook give-away!)

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Even though I’ve been on a gluten-free, refined sugar-free diet for almost 10 years, when Nate and I both had to go dairy-free it threw me for a HUGE loop. Not only was I trying to feed myself, but I had to feed Nate nutritious food he would happily eat. Couple that with the fact that he’s a nosher, and it was enough to make my eyes cross.

I had to rethink how I did things. I had to look for other solutions. I had to really slow down and plan how we ate differently.

It’s gotten much easier, and the learning curve for this dietary change was so much smaller than the first time.

I’ve found some go-to snacks that always work from him. Some are more portable than others, but they’re all nutritious, whole foods. Here are the six I always keep on hand:

1. Avocado

Did you know that toddlers should get 40 – 50% of their calories from fat? Avocados are the perfect food for them. They’re filled with healthy fats, and fiber, too. Firmer avocados are better as finger foods, but softer avocados are delicious mashed and dipped in steamed veggies or in green smoothies.

2. Beans

Yes, beans! They’re filled with fiber and help with digestion. Nate loves beans. Plus, they’re the perfect size for picking up and eating. At first, I smashed each bean with my fingers before letting him eat it just in case he tried to swallow it whole. Now, he can chew whole beans by himself. We pack them in a little cooler and he snacks on them while we’re out and about. Sometimes people look at me like I have three heads but their kids are eating Goldfish and Rainbow Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Read the rest of Six Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Whole Food Snacks for Toddlers: Beyond Cherrios and Raisins

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us

It’s time to share your healthier recipes again! Thanks for stopping by Slightly Indulgent Tuesday. Last week there were over 80 recipes shared at SIT. Check them out if you didn’t get a chance to last week.

SIT is all about healthier recipes. If you’re not sure how to go about making your favorite desserts healthier, you’ll want to check out one of my latest posts – 5 Easy Ways to Make Your Desserts Healthier.

Last week, I also shared two other new recipes –  Melted Leek and Red Pepper Quiche and Raw Apple Walnut Snack Bars. They’re both healthy and delicious!

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Read the rest of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; 05/14/13

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Today I’ve got a post up at Life Your Way – it’s all about how to make your favorite desserts healthier. This is something we all need because, ladies and gents, it’s summer and our clothes will show a lot more skin.

Here’s a sneak peak at what I have to say:

Summer is right around the corner, which means summer clothing and yes, bathing suits. I don’t know about you, but looking fabulous in a bathing suit has never been able to motivate to me to give up dessert entirely. There’s just too much really good summer food I’m not willing to miss out on.

But, it does motive me to eat healthier. I don’t mind indulging in dessert when I know that it won’t end up around my waist.

Here are five simple ways I make my favorite desserts healthier.

1. Reduce the fat content with fruit purees or low-fat yogurt.

If your favorite cake recipe calls for a cup of butter, replace 25 – 50% of it with your favorite fruit puree or yogurt. Baby food works  great, too. Just remember that the flavor of the fruit will likely impact the flavor of your dessert. Unsweetened applesauce has a neutral flavor and always works well. Other options include prune, pumpkin, and winter squash purees.

My apple & carrot breakfast cake is always a hit, as is this blueberry crumble cake.

Ready for the other four tips? Hop on over to Life Your Way!
And, make sure to tell me how you make dessert healthier!

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 recipes, 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.

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

For those of you still sorting through recipes to plan your Mother’s Day menu, I thought I’d share a quiche that has been a big hit at our house.

I actually started toying with this recipe back in January. My intention was to serve it as a meat-free, dairy-free option for Nate’s first birthday party. His party was in Ohio and we landed just 24 hours before the guests were scheduled to arrive. I barely had time to get the grocery shopping and the cupcakes baked. So, the quiche didn’t make it on the table. Thank goodness I had lots of help with the rest of the food from my sisters, aunt, and mom.

I’ve made this dish several times since. Like most quiches, you can make it the day before and serve it cold, at room temp, or warm. The pie crust can be mixed up and refrigerated for several days before baking. It’s an easy-peasy dish fancy enough for entertaining.

Some ideas for dishes you can serve with this quiche include:

• a green salad with Blueberry Pomegranate  Vinaigrette
• Simple Berry Salad
• Lavender-Infused Lemonade
• Cucumber Basil Herbal Water
• Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

You can also find more Spring Brunch recipes here and here.

And, if you haven’t downloaded your FREE copy of A Gluten-Free Mother’s Day do it now! There are 8 recipes with menu suggestions, each developed by moms. For more details about the book, read this post.
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Read the rest of Melted Leek & Red Pepper Quiche

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us