#UdisGlutenFree Banana Berry Crunch Muffin Recipe

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Udi's Gluten Free. The opinions and text are all mine.
I love baking muffins! They're great for grab & go breakfasts or throwing in the lunch box for a nice change up.
One of my favorite combinations is banana & blueberries. I admit that before I stopped eating gluten, I would regularly get my Starbucks on my drive to work + a blueberry muffin. So expensive and so unhealthy... but they were so delicious! 
So making muffin recipes of my own now, that are gluten free & allergy friendly, are something I love to create and do! And Little Miss loves to help.

Fall Baking: Chunky Apple Pumpkin Muffins #Recipe {Gluten Free & Top 8 Allergen Free}

Once those temperatures drop and the leaves start to change, there's a new feeling in the air... a crisp, fresh start to each day.
I can't think of anything else other than baking. And not just any baking... it has to involve apples, pumpkin, and warm spices. 
Thankfully, my little sous chef agrees.  We usually set aside time on the weekends to head into the kitchen and start mixing and creating. This recipe was from one of those weekend adventures. 
Gluten free and free from the Top 8 most common allergens, these allergy friendly delights are sure to warm your belly and your home with their delicious smells and taste!

Pack a Healthier Lunch: Tomato Soup Carrot Spice Muffins #GlutenFree #AllergyFriendly #PacificFoods

Pacific Foods has partnered with a few bloggers, as well as, USA Pears, ECOlunchbox, & Justin's Nut Butter to launch a Back-to-School Campaign on Packing a Healthier Lunch!
I'll be sharing a new post each day this week (Monday through Friday) with a yummy lunchbox idea & recipes - so make sure to come back each day to see what's fresh!
You'll also get the chance to WIN a huge prize package from the above mentioned brands (except Justin's we opted out because of Little Miss' allergy) exactly like the one we received and you'll find pictured in the post below, including a yummy loaf of gluten free & allergy friendly bread from Franz Bakery! ENTER TO WIN!! 
First up, I'm sharing a recipe that's a play on an old classic - Tomato Soup Cake. Only ours are muffins, healthier, gluten free, allergy friendly, and perfect for lunches!

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches: ♫ Oh Spinach Tree, Oh Spinach Tree! ♫

Thursday's school lunch pays homage to an Advent Lunch of Christmas past... 
We made an "Oh Spinach Tree" lunch in 2011 and I thought it would be fun and festive to do another play on it again. 
{20 Days Until Christmas}

{Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches: 22 Days Left!

If you missed our post from yesterday, we kicked off our third year of {Christmas Countdown} Advent Lunches!

 

Each year, starting in December, I like to count down the days until Christmas in Little Miss' school lunch. You can scroll through our lunches of years past by clicking here.

 

Tonight, Little Miss and I baked up some gluten free & allergy friendly muffins. We used one of our holiday silicone pans to create some festive fun for her lunch.

 

{22 Days Until Christmas}

 

Crave Gluten Free Cookbook Review & Giveaway Prize Pack!

Cameo Edwards (a Michigan native by the way) opened Crave in 2003. It was the first gluten free bakery in the San Francisco Bay area. 

And although the bakery is now closed, Cameo decided to put all of their delicious recipes in to a 10th Anniversary cookbook! 

To my surprise, upon receiving an electronic copy (Kindle), and then later hardcopy, of the book is the recipes are not only gluten free but allergy friendly! I'll explain more on this below.

Not only am I sharing our review with you about this delicious new book, but I am giving away one copy to a lucky winner! And that's not all! We've also teamed up with Wholesome Sweetners to also include some goodies to help get you started baking!

{Enjoy Life Foods Friday} Chocolate Baking Chips Lunch Fun #GlutenFree #AllergyFriendly

Happy November! Another month and that means another Enjoy Life Foods Friday!
In case you missed our last two segments, each month Enjoy Life Foods has challenged me to come up with lunch box ideas using a certain product. In September the focus was Plentils and in October it was Boom Choco Boom chocolate bars. 
For November, the challenge was once again chocolate. Oh darn! Forced to bake with and eat lots of gluten & top 8 free chocolate. I'm sure you're crying a river for me! lol
That's right - This month is alllllllllll about the chocolate lovers out there. We're sharing delicious lunch box ideas using Enjoy Life Foods Chocolate Baking Chips, including their brand new Dark Chocolate Morsels! *drool*

Lunch Made Easy: Happy Halloween!

Right now, it's raining and thundering outside. It's suppose to continue through tomorrow (Halloween). 
1) That stinks for taking photos - no natural light, lol, and 2) Trick or Treating might be a bust if it's crummy weather. Boo!
At least we can have fun with lunches, right? RIGHT! Woo!
For Little Miss' Halloween School Lunch, I made her an EasyLunchbox filled with vampires, bats, and creepy crawlies. What could be better than that!? ;)

{Enjoy Life Foods Friday} Boom Choco Boom™ Lunchbox Fun #AllergyFriendly #GlutenFree

In case you missed our post last month, we recently partnered with Enjoy Life Foods! Each month we'll be featuring a different line of their amazing allergy free food products. 
All Enjoy Life products are free of the Top 8 Allergens and Gluten Free. They're made in a dedicated facility and have no artifical anything. They're also a member of the Non-GMO project. 
Last month, the task was to come up with fresh recipes and ideas using Plentils for lunch. This month, well it certainly was a challenge... my mission was to figure out clever ways to use Enjoy Life Foods Boom Choco Boom™ chocolate candy bars. 

I love these candy bars. And I mean it, I love them like I want to marry them. They're delicious and addicting. But how was I going to incorporate candy bars into lunch ideas while trying to still maintain a healthy balanced meal? So, I put my thinking cap on and got to work.

Lunch Made Easy: Quinoa Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Ideas

This week Little Miss and I both had fun trying Quinoa Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly recipes in our Work & School Lunches!
I've included links and recipes in the post below. If you've not experimented with Quinoa, this is a great way to try! Quinoa is a gluten free and a complete protein. It actually has all nine of the essential amino acids, as well as, being a great source of fiber and iron. Offering 100% whole grain per serving (even though it's actually a seed, not a grain). 
Towards the bottom of the post you'll also find our Quinoa Raisin Muffin recipe. Great for lunches, breakfast, or snacks!

Lunch Made Easy: Happy Earth Day 2013!

Little Miss and I had a lot of fun making these Dye Free, Gluten Free, and Top 8 Allergen Free Muffins to celebrate Earth Day today for her school lunch!
They're simple to make and packed full of nutritious ingredients - None of those icky artificial colors or expensive natural dyes! Just spinach and blackberries. That's it! Keep reading to see how we did it...

Lunch Made Easy: Leftovers - Cook Once, Eat Twice!

"Cook Once, Eat Twice!"  I learned this philosophy from MOMables and it makes packing lunches so much easier for my family.
As it worked out this week, Little Miss was on Spring Break from school but that doesn't mean we don't still pack lunches! Anywhere she goes because of her dietary needs - to my folks, the babysitter, or a friend's house - we pack it. 
I was able to turn all our dinner leftovers into deliciously fun lunches this week! 

Lunch Made Easy: Five School Lunches, Gluten & Nut Free

Another week, another round-up of fun {allergy friendly} school lunches!
Here's what Little Miss enjoyed this week:  Gluten Free, Nut Free, & More {see notes included with post for details}

Lunch Made Easy: 20 Non-Sandwich School Lunch Ideas for Kids!

Let's face it, we all know that {allergy friendly} and {gluten free} breads can be expensive. We also don't always have time to bake our own. Not only that, what if your kiddos don't even like sandwiches to begin with?!
We need some Non-Sandwich {Easy} School Lunch Box Ideas stat! Don't worry - I got you covered! 

{Gluten Free} Oatmeal Banana Flax Muffins #Recipe

You know when you see a yummy recipe and you think, hmm... I'd love to make that! And tweak it! And EAT IT! Well that's how this one came to life.

The best part - No Flour! These babies are Gluten and Nut Free. They can easily be made Dairy Free too. Check it out!

Lunch Made Easy: Simple School EasyLunchbox {4 Days Til' Christmas}



Lunch is simple today ~ My favorite kind!

{4 Days Til' Christmas}

 

Lunch Made Easy: Fast & Fresh, Simple Salad

I am very thankful over the past few years Little Miss has grown to *love* eating salads. A great meal and source of nutrition, it also makes for a fast & fresh, simple school lunch!

 

This lunch box could easily be made dairy free by substituting the mozzarella cheese with dairy-free mozzarella style shreds. It's also egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, & treenut-free.

 

Allergy friendly food can be colorfully delicious!

 

Lunch Made Easy: Happy Birthday Bento!

*Sigh* My baby girl.

She turns seven tomorrow. *sniff sniff*

That's right... Friday is Little Miss' BIRTHDAY!!!

She is so stinkin' excited too. Proclaiming to everyone, all day today, that it was her very last day being six.

Her very last day going to school, her very last dinner, and her very last sleep being six. lol

Like years past, I alway try to have a *little* fun with her school lunch on her birthday too. :)

Lunch Made Easy: Simple Fishy Fun for School

Simple "Fish Fun" in Little Miss' school lunch for tomorrow!

I love how packing Allergy Friendly Lunches can be so fast and delicious. :)

Gluten, Tree Nut, & Peanut Free Lunch Box for tomorrow:

Lunch Made Easy: Horizon Organic Dairy Lunchbox Fun!

About a week ago, Little Miss received a care-package from the amazing folks at Horizon Organic Dairy.

Little Miss happens to *love* Horizon dairy products, especially their cottage cheese and milk boxes.

What better way to show off her favorites, then with a deliciously packed lunch!