Holiday Baking: Gluten Free Horizon Organic Eggnog Cookies

Gluten Free Eggnog Cookies are a delicious treat for the holidays and for Santa! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.

I love creating Christmas cookies with my Little Miss for the holidays. The hardest part isn't the baking... it's keeping her from eating them all!
She just recently tried eggnog for the first time. Her first taste was of my dairy free nog. Then when I told her our friends at Horizon wanted us to come up with a fun holiday recipe, she was delighted to discover they made eggnog for her dairy loving heart. So, we gave it a go and made these yummy Gluten Free Eggnog Cookies. 

Lunch Made Easy: St. Patrick's Day Ideas!

St. Patrick's Day is always a fun time of year around our house! 1)  The 15th is my folks anniversary, 2) the 16th is my birthday, and 3) the 17th is a fun day to celebrate the fact we are Irish! You don't get a name like Keeley McGuire, otherwise - to be exact... I'm actually half Irish, half Scottish. 
Growing up, my grandfather spent many years traveling to Ireland studying our ancestry and I'm so lucky I had to opportunity to visit the beautiful homeland back in 2009 with some coworkers.
Now, I make sure to celebrate the day and our family heritage with Little Miss who proudly call this "our day". That means lots of fun lunches and snacks to go with. Erin go Bragh! 

Cybele's Free-To-Eat Cookie Giveaway!

Years ago, when Little Miss was first diagnosed with food allergies, there were not all the resources we have today. Looking online, I'd find little information that was reliable and what this mother needed in order to feed her baby and feel secure.
One person I did come across during that research, was Cybele Pascal. Her books were some of my first comforts during a new scary time of our life.
Fast forward, now Cybele is sharing her experiences through baking and food allergy motherhood in her line of delicious Free-To-Eat Cookies. 
We've shared about these gems before, but I don't mind taking some time to do it again... and while we're at it GIVE SOME AWAY to FIVE lucky people!

#SweetFreely Giveaway from @EnjoyLifeFoods & Keeley McGuire!

Double the fun, y'all! I have some sweet news for you!
Right now, Enjoy Life Foods is hosting a giveaway on Instagram & Twitter for a #SweetFreely Valentine's Box. Not only that, I'm giving one away right here on Keeley McGuire Blog! That gives you TWO sweet chances to WIN! Woo!
And you know I couldn't let a special day like Valentine's go by without sharing some deliciously fun ideas for you & your family:

Lunch Made Easy: Thanksgiving Bento for My Little Turkey

Life has been so incredibly busy (and great) lately that Thanksgiving completely snuck up on me!
While at the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference the weekend before last (#FABlogCon), I was talking to Allison of Allie's GF Goodies and she made mention of needing to get back right after the conference to begin all her Thanksgiving baking. I must have given her a funny look, because she then went on and said "uh yeah, Thanksgiving is a week and half away!" *begins fanning self* How did that happen? Wasn't it *just* Halloween?? Oy.
Anyways, since I got back it's been work work work and in my spare time planning for the big Turkey day for my little family. However, I couldn't let the year go by without some Thanksgiving lunch box fun!

Halloween Lunch Box Ideas using #UdisGlutenFree!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Udi's Gluten Free. The opinions and text are all mine.

Halloween has to be one of my most favorite times of year, especially when it comes to creating fun lunches!
The fall, crisp air... lots of baking, yummy smells, hooded sweatshirts, football, and decorating (even in the lunch box). 
I'm going to show you eight easy lunch box ideas using Udi's Gluten Free products that can bring your kiddos both a laugh and a full belly!

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches 2014: Week 3

Twas' the week before Christmas and all through the days, everyone was preparing for next weeks craze.
Wrapping had started - gifts under the tree, And lunches were made with festive glee!
Friday marks only six days left on our countdown until Christmas. This week was also special because Hannukah began! Did you know there are 17 different ways to spell Hannukah? More on that below... 

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches 2014: Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of our Advent Lunches, Christmas Countdown, Round-up!
This week we did simple but festively fun themed lunches. They're all gluten free, peanut free, tree nut free, and more! Making them not only adorable, but allergy friendly. ;)

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches 2014: Week 1

This week kicked off our yearly holiday tradition of #AdventLunches! Each year, I make Little Miss holiday theme lunches with a Christmas Countdown. I include the countdown number somewhere in the lunch, either written on a Lunchbox Love Note or made into a cute food item within the lunch itself. She looks forward to it every year! 
Here's what we packed for week one of 2014: 

Little Lunch Lessons: What is Purim? #TuesdayTeachings

In case you missed my post last week, I shared a gluten free & top 8 allergy free Hamantaschen recipe. Hamantaschen is a traditional Jewish cookie enjoyed at Purim. This year, Purim begins at sunset on March 15th and ends at nightfall on the 16th.
I love teaching Little Miss about different religions and beliefs, especially because good friends of ours are Jewish and I want her to understand and respect their traditions - just as I would want the same from their children, towards us. 
Little Miss loves the story from the Bible about Esther. We even did a "Little Lunch Lesson" on her story previously (you can view that HERE). So I wanted to continue with our lessons from baking the cookies, and carry it into her #TuesdayTeachings school lunch for today:

Gluten & Allergy Free Jewish Hamantaschen Cookies for Purim #Recipe

Purim is considered one of the most fun & joyous Jewish holidays. (It's often referred to as the "Jewish Mardi Gras"). It celebrates when the Jewish people were living in Persia and saved from a plot to destroy them. The story is recorded in the Book of Esther (you can read my previous post on it HERE). 
In 2014, Purim begins at sunset on March 15th and ends at nightfall on the 16th. 
A common treat during this time are Hamantaschen (Hamantashen) cookies. The triangular fruit-filled cookies are suppose to represent Haman's hat. 
Just because you're gluten free or have food allergies doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to enjoy this traditional treat just like everyone else! Here's my take on this yummy cookie, made gluten & top 8 allergy free: 

{Lunchbox Love} Valentine's Day Cards! #LBLmoms #LBLholiday

Lunchbox Love Notes are one of my favorite items to have on hand for Little Miss' special school lunches. 
They come with sweet sayings, fun facts, and even jokes. They can give inspiration for a fun themed lunch, teach your kiddos a new fact for the day, or even lift their spirits by telling them thank you or that you're proud of them and all their hard work.
I know my daughter loves when I sneak them into her lunch box. She loves knowing her Mama is thinking of her and sharing the fun facts with her friends.
Valentine's Day is no exception thanks to Lunchbox Love's Valentine's Day Cards! Perfect for lunches or sharing with friends. 

{Enjoy Life Foods Friday} Soft Baked Cookie Treats for Your Sweet!

After taking the month of December off to enjoy the busy holiday season, we're back with {Enjoy Life Foods Friday}!
This month, we're featuring Enjoy Life Foods Soft Baked Cookies. Since Valentine's Day is just weeks away, I thought it'd be a great idea to explore fun ways to transform these cookies into "Treats for Your Sweet"!
Whether they're packed up for school and work lunches, made for a class treat, or just enjoyed for dessert at home, these delicious ideas are sure to be a hit for your gluten free & allergy friendly family!

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches: 6 Geese & 5 Rings

Six geese a laying... five golden rings! 
I didn't blog last night so now you get a two for one post. ;)  We have been counting down the days until Christmas with our Advent Lunches and when we hit twelve days left, Little Miss insisted we theme them with 12 Days of Christmas song. 

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches: 7 Swans a Swimming

Only seven more days until Christmas! That also means we're onto number 7 of our 12 Days of Christmas song lunches.

 

This is our third year doing our December countdown with "Advent Lunches", but when we hit twelve Little Miss wanted me to incorporate the song into her lunch this year.

 

We've been having a little fun with this one - to tell you truth, it's been refreshing. Tonight, after I showed Little Miss her "Seven Swans a Swimming" EasyLunchbox, she fell to the floor laughing. Mission accomplished.

 

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches: Eight Maids A Milking

Only eight more days until Christmas! I can hardly believe it.

 

This is our third year counting down the days in December with our Advent Lunches. Since we hit 12 days left, Little Miss asked I count down the 12 Days of Christmas song in her school lunch. I reminded her that some of the days fell on weekends and some would be tricky, but I'd do my best.

 

For the "Eight Maids a Milking", I had many ideas pop into my head but executing them was another story. I also found out, in the process, I do not own a cow shaped cookie cutter. lol... So, instead, I decided to have a little fun with it and make a milk carton sandwich instead. Heh heh...

 

Little Miss thought it was hilarious, of course. Since I don't eat dairy, she also told me I wasn't allowed to have any of her sandwich (even though it's made with dairy free ingredients). Silly girl!

 

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches: Nine Ladies Dancing

Last week Friday marked 12 days left until Christmas. Little Miss had asked me a few weeks ago, when we started our Advent Lunches countdown this year, if we could do the "12 Days of Christmas" for our lunches. I told her I'd do my best, knowing there were also weekends in between.

 

Monday marks only nine days left... and that means "nine ladies dancing". So we filled her Easylunchbox with ballerina slipper sandwiches to dance in her lunch.

 

 

Simple {Gluten Free} Party Appetizers #HolidayHelper

This post is sponsored by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. I was selected to participate, as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network.

 

During the holidays, we love entertaining. It seems we are always have friends or family members visiting and catching up for a few hours at a time.

 

Gatherings always need good food. Who wants to be stuck in the kitchen though when you have guests arriving soon or even while they're in your living room? No one.

 

The freezer aisle comprises 3,700+ different, delicious foods ranging from nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables to decadent ice creams and novelties. Of the 3,700+ foods, many are naturally allergy free, and the gluten free specialty foods are growing every time I visit the store!

 

Utilizing freezer friendly foods ensures you have your ingredients on hand for unexpected guests and can help you save time preparing. Here are a few simple {gluten free & allergy friendly} party food ideas & recipes thanks to NFRA & EasyHomeMeals.com:

 

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches: Rudolph With Your Nose So Bright

Each year during our Advent Lunches {Christmas Countdown} there's always one day... one lunch... where I forget to include our countdown number inside before snapping a photo.

 

Tuesday's lunch would be this years culprit. lol

I didn't catch it until uploading the picture onto my laptop. So that means in the morning, I'll be writing it on the Lunchbox Love Note packed or right on the reindeer's belly on the pick included.

 

Oh by the way, 15 more days until Christmas! ;)

 

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches: Frosty the Quesadilla

Welcome to another fun filled week of Advent Lunches {Christmas Countdown}!  You can check out our lunches from last week, and countdowns of years past, by clicking HERE. You can also check out our 2013 Album on our Facebook Page by clicking HERE.

 

I can't believe there are only 16 days left until Christmas! This month is already flying by. After traveling for work all of last week, I'm looking forward to spending this one in state and hopefully getting caught up. So much to do and not much time left!

 

At least school lunches are festive thanks to our holiday fun we have each year counting down the days.