I was given the opportunity to travel to North Dakota to visit Red River Commodities and the sunflower fields that make
Top 8 Allergen & Gluten Free SunButter Sunflower Butter and to learn about their processes, as well as, commitment to allergen control.
Below is the sponsored post as it relates to the brand and my trip. All opinions are my own. Disclosure.
I've been fortunate over the past few years to get to know many food allergy and gluten free brands on a deeper level. Having been afforded the opportunity to attend meetings, talk to the owners, and even travel on their behalf.
Although they're doing great things by providing us with a product, there are few out there that truly care about our community with drive and passion. It's not just a profit, they realize they're a part of something much greater going on. They're changing lives... saving lives. For me, SunButter saved ours almost ten years ago.
Gluten Free & Top 8 Allergen Free "Cupcakes for Two" Recipe + Baking Chocolate Snack Packs Giveaway!
This post is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods. All opinions are my own. Read full disclosure here.
Anyone who has tried Enjoy Life Foods #1 Selling Allergy-Friendly Baking Chocolate knows it's hard to resist not eating them straight from the bag.
That's why their new Baking Chocolate Snack Packs are perfect for those chocolate cravings. Throw them in your purse, pack them for lunch, or bake up something delicious. Like my "Cupcakes for Two" recipe that is gluten free & top 8 allergen free. Just grab one Snack Pack and follow my easy steps!
{Giveaway} Make sure you enter below for a chance to win some for yourself!
SunButter & Jelly French Toast Sandwiches are a fun treat for kids for breakfast or lunches! This recipe is allergen-friendly & egg-free, depending on the brand of bread you use.
Making french toast for breakfast is always a fun change-up in our household. We are typically a pancake or eggs kind of family.
However, I always challenge myself to make things as allergen-friendly (and gluten free) as possible when I'm working on new recipes or ideas to share here.
Years ago, I was playing around with my own recipe for egg-free/ dairy-free apple cinnamon french toast. I decided to circle back around and find a way to amp that up + make a fun recipe that could be used for both breakfast or lunches!
Over the years I have followed amazing gluten free and food allergy free-from blogs. Some of the authors have even become personal friends.
I look at their recipes. I drool. I want to make them. But I don't. And it's meant to no offense to them.
Sometimes they contain a nut based flour. Or sometimes a flour that can't be purchased locally. Or more often than not, it's a flour blend where I have to literally go out and buy six bags of different flours just to create a special blend they want for the recipe.
I understand that it's what makes it "just perfect". But, for me, it's just not happening.
If I can't make it with an all-purpose flour, then I'm not going to bother. I just don't have the money or pantry space to invest in the others. It's also sometimes difficult to find top 8 free alternative flours that are needed for those special blends. Many contain CC warnings.
Thus why I started testing this Sandwich Thin recipe to begin with. I wanted it to be easy. I wanted it to use a gluten free AP flour, I wanted it to be top 8 allergen free, and I wanted it to be something geared towards my readers - something you could use in the lunch box, of course!
This post and sweepstakes is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods. All opinions are my own. Disclosure.
I've been keeping a secret from you all.
For some time now, I've been working with our friends at Enjoy Life Foods on a fun video and some lunch recipes that are free-from the top allergens and gluten!
Not only that, but today launches Enjoy Life Food's HUGE Sweepstakes and LunchFreely.com website!
There will be ONE GRAND PRIZE and there will be FIVE Runner-Up Prizes each week!! New recipes and sweepstakes details are in the post below.
This post is sponsored by SunButter Sunflower Butter. All opinions are my own. Read our full disclosure here.
It's that time of year again... back to school! Time to get those lunch boxes ready.
Little Miss started a school that follows a "balanced calendar" - meaning, she is on an almost "all year school" calendar and school began back on July 18th. Crazy, but it's let her start developing friendships right away, which is great.
I'm always looking for simple lunchbox ideas and recipes that allow me to pack in protein and yummy allergy friendly ingredients she can enjoy at school. Just like these SunButter Spice Bars. They're gluten free and top 8 allergen free.
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!
There are a number of recipes I've made so frequently over the years that I no longer measure them. Just get out the bowl and start eyeballing the ingredients needed.
Our Allergy Friendly {No Bake} SunButter Energy Ball Bites are one of those recipes.
Each time I share about them or pack them in a lunch I post on Facebook or Instagram, I get messages or comments asking for the recipe. And each time I tell myself, "Next time I'll measure!" ... but I never do.
WELL, I FINALLY DID! While Snapchatting last night about dinner and knowing I needed to make more of these bites, I made sure to measure so I could *finally* share them here.
They're gluten free and top 8 allergen free (that means they're nut free and great for school snacks)!
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:
Last week on our Facebook page, I asked everyone what their tips & tricks were for getting more fiber into their family's diet.
It can be tricky when eating gluten free to ensure you're getting enough. Especially with kids -- Veggies aren't exactly the first thing they reach for in the fridge for a snack.
I'm thankful my Little Miss does a good job eating her vegetables, but that doesn't mean I don't still worry about getting her a good balance of insoluble & soluble fibers (beside the other nutritional values).
I love making baked goods packed with Fiber and Omegas! Like these Zucchini Oat & Flax Seed Chocolate Chip Cookies. They're Gluten Free & Top 8 Allergen Free. Little Miss said they were the "best cookies you've ever made"! Seriously.
There are some items I am admittedly addicted to...
Crunchy Chips
Pickles
(Handfuls of) Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
Coffee
... and SunButter mixed with Apple Butter.
I eat SunButter & apple butter on gluten free toast almost regularly. I even make it into a quesadilla for lunches! When it's warmed, it's soooo ooey-gooey delicious. Seriously.
Not a fan of apple butter? That's okay. You can make this recipe with any of your favorite jams or jellies. Heck, Little Miss thought it would be amazing with SunButter and chocolate chips even. She's right - but as you read above, I like to eat handfuls of them... every night... so we were out. Oops. ;) *add more to grocery list, again*
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!
The school year has kicked off with a bang! It's been busy between work, travel, all the homework, and tests that have already begun.
All our lunches are *always* Nut Free (my daughter is allergic). They're also Gluten Free & often Top 8 Allergen Free. So, if you're looking for ideas if your child is in a peanut free classroom or you're new to food allergies, you've come to the right place. Welcome!
What have we been packing? Let's check it out!
Day 3 of our Pack a Healthier Lunch week & Giveaway thanks to Pacific Foods, USA Pears, Franz Bakery, & ECOlunchboxes!
One thing we love packing for lunches are salads. I'm very blessed that my Little Miss loves a salad as much as I do (so long as I don't pack them every day for her, lol). This began by setting an example - I would eat mine and "ooo" and "ahh" over how good it was, all the vitamins I was getting, etc.
She eventually became curious and wanted to try for herself. Guess what? She loved it. At that time, she actually preferred spinach salads over romaine but will now eat both. I usually mix her greens when I make them now.
I, too, pack salads frequently for work. I don't want to eat the same one every.single.day so it's good to mix it up with new toppings and variety. That's where today's lunch idea comes in! A yummy Pear & Seed Chicken Salad packed in our ECOlunchbox cube.
Welcome to Day 2 of our Pack a Healthier Lunch week thanks to Pacific Foods!
In case you missed yesterday's post, we kicked off the week by starting a giveaway and including a yummy recipe for gluten free & allergy friendly Tomato Soup Carrot Muffins. Be sure to check it out!
Today's recipe is one of my favorites: A smoothie! I make myself a smoothie almost every single day. Sometimes I make them fresh in the morning and drink them on the way to work. Other times I make a big batch ahead and freeze them in plastic freezable jars so that they're perfect by lunch.
That's what's so great about our recipe today - Enjoy it fresh for breakfast or make it ahead and freeze for lunches! Filled with protein and fresh fruit, it's sure to be a hit with your family!
Little Miss and I are always testing recipes.
Sometimes they're utter failures. Sometimes they're near miracles.
A week and a half ago, I shared a sneak peek on Facebook & Instagram of one we'd been working on. It was on its final "tweaks": A Baked Chocolate Chocolate Chip Donut that was Gluten & Top 8 Allergy Free. That's right... No eggs, no dairy, no nuts, no soy, no wheat, etc.
Not only was it food allergy friendly but soft, plump, and delicious to boot! Let's be honest, that's rare when it comes to free-from recipes. I've tried my hand at many donut recipes before this - that's not to say the others aren't good, I wouldn't share them if they weren't... but as you bake your skills and knowledge evolve, and I'm quite pleased with how this turned out! Obsessed, actually. They're darn delicious.
If Jesus was gluten free and had food allergies, he would serve these in heaven. Just sayin.
In other words, make these for breakfast and watch your family melt at your amazing skills in the kitchen. *High Five!* To quote Little Miss: "This is the best donut EVA!"
Today is a special edition of {Enjoy Life Foods Friday}! It's all about our trip last week to the factory in Schiller Park, Illinois.
In today's post, I talk about our trip and awesome day we had with our food allergy friends visiting Enjoy Life, as well as, photos and yummy details about the company themselves.
First, I wanted to start off with something special which is a video of Little Miss and I (yes, a video! Something I have been wanting to do more of and there's no time like the present). Unrehearsed and unedited, lol, so forgive our silliness in some parts. ;)
As you'll see, Little Miss was nervous at first but turned into a goof ball at the end like she normally is. Love her, silly girl.
The reason I wanted to share this was to give Little Miss' perspective about Enjoy Life and our trip. Obviously, as parents' we know how great it is to have a company you can rely on for gluten & top 8 allergen free products - but what does that mean to a kid and what did she learn from our trip?
Check it out and see for yourself:
Welcome to this month's edition of Enjoy Life Foods Friday! For May we're featuring the crispy, crunchy, and completely delicious Crunchy Cookies.
The cookies are gluten free, top 8 allergen free, Non-GMO, and feature all-natural ingredients. They're available in four yummy varieties: Chocolate Chip, Vanilla Honey Graham, Sugar Crisp, and Double Chocolate.
Coming up with creative (and somewhat healthy...ish) ways to use them for lunches or snacks, welllllll, that could be a little tricky. Thankfully, Little Miss and I were able to put our thinking caps on and got to work! I'd say we did a pretty tasty job. ;)
I love our Enjoy Life Foods Friday posts. Seriously.
The challenge each month of creating fun foods & recipe ideas with their products that are great for lunch & snacks is something I love to do.
Enjoy Life is such a staple brand for any food allergy family. No questions - you know that it's going to be top 8 allergen free, gluten free, non-GMO, and contain no artificial junk.
The first post we did last year was using Enjoy Life Foods Plentils. They are the "chip with benefits" made from lentils and protein packed.
The post was so successful, they asked me use them again in this months post! So, welcome to PART II with Plentils!
Mini Corndog Muffins is something Little Miss and I love making. They're great little finger food items for appetizers, party snacks, and even packed up for school lunches.
Corndog... Corn Dogs... however you spell it, the fact remains the same, they're a fun food for kids! (And let's be honest, adults too.)
I shared our gluten free & allergy friendly recipe for them about a year ago, along with a lunch post on using leftovers.
They're simple, quick, easy to make. They only take 15 minutes to prep & bake! Best of all, they freeze great so you can make them ahead for lunches or meals in the future.
