GFCF chicken nuggets

I decided to once again try and tackle chicken nuggets. I took the easy route and bought the organic chicken tenders. I started by grinding up soaked and dehydrated almonds in the food processor. Once they were coarse I added all my seasonings, old bay, salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. I soaked the chicken in water and then lightly fried them in a pan with just a touch of oil so the coating would stay intact. I just flipped them over several times. The tenders don't take long to cook. They were a big hit!!!

Last day for the NAA summer sale!!

I just wanted to post that today is the last day to receive 20% off from the National Autism Association's Little Shop of Hope. If you have been wanting to show your support by buying Autism related jewelry, car magnets, calendars, etc, now is the time. Here is the link to their ad:

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=0012ll_v_yVlH0_RLAKPDMgt1f6937-48WdKJNBEH5n_u3IU_AleNC8wDEuLuNw4Mkyyj25cm_eL2bG-JA6_Iqp3XQTlgrgXrfFhJs_9Yga7a0%3D

Buckwheat Pancakes (GFCFSFYF)

Buckwheat pancakes
1 cup buckwheat flour (i used sprouted/dehydrated buckwheat for even more nutritional content)

1/2 cup rice flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. sugar

1-1/2 cup almond milk

3 Tbs. coconut oil

3 Tbs. molasses

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until combined--do not overmix. Pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto preheated pan with ghee. I have really struggled with getting rid of my teflon which included all of my griddles. I use my all clad pans and although I love them dearly, I hated cooking pancakes in them. When I would make pancakes with my "normal" GFCF flours and would use oil, they stuck to the pan horribly and it took sooooo long to cook each one. I decided to try ghee with this one and WOW! It was amazing. They did not stick. The ghee was the key, lol! And this flour mixture cooked so evenly and quickly, like "normal" pancakes. They came out SO good, I love the buckwheat flavor. The kids love them as do the adults. I see this being a new staple in the house. I made a double batch for freezing. Enjoy!

Flax bread/crackers (Raw, GFCFSFYFEF)

Garlic bread/crackers/wrap
1 cup flax seeds unsoaked
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 - 1 cup water as needed

Put all into a food processor, mix until well blended and as fine as you like it, slowly adding in water to mixture. Spread onto dehydrator sheets as thick/thin as you want. Dry at 110 degrees for 24 hours or until the desired crispiness.

You can do these thicker to make "bread", thinner for crackers and even thinner and for less drying time to make a "wrap". It is DELISH! M loved them, E not so much but my husband and I also really enjoyed them and they are easy. I just broke them apart and handed them out as crackers.

PVC free school supplies

Here is an ever so helpful guide to avoiding the awful PVC and vinyl that seems to be uber present in kids lunch boxes, backpacks, etc. Our schools start so early out here that I did not get this in time, but you can bet I will use it from here on out! Hope other can find this useful. Many thanks to the Center for Health, Environmeny & Justice for putting this together.

http://www.chej.org/publications/PVCGuide/PVCFree.pdf

Biomedical feeding conference in Temecula Aug 22nd

In a few weeks I will be heading to Temecula CA for the Biomedical Feeding Conference with Dr. Kurt Woeller, Julie Matthews and Dawn Winkelmann. It is like the trifecta of Autism gurus, IMHO because I know all three and just adore each of them for their wisdom, caring and unending devotion to helping families with kids on the spectrum! I will be on hand to promote New Beginnings. If you are in the area, or even here in Phoenix Metro, it is a close enough drive or short enough flight, if you have a child with Autism, on a special diet, and/or who has feeding issues, you NEED to go to this. Here is the schedule:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8:00-8:30 Registration / Exhibits

8:30-10:00 Kurt Woeller “The Secrets to Success with a Biomedical Approach to Autism”
Biomedical intervention, i.e. diet, supplement support, laboratory testing has tremendous benefits for individuals on the autism-spectrum. However, there are so many options of what to do first, second, third…Dr. Woeller will explain which therapies have the greatest percentages for success and how to prioritize these therapies to help your child.

10:00-10:15 Break / Exhibits

10:15-11:15 Julie Matthews “Nourishing Hope: Nutrition and Diet Intervention for Autism”
Learn why proper diet and nutrition is essential for those with autism. Julie will present the
scientific rationale for nutrition intervention and provide an overview of the respective therapeutic applications of the many ASD diet options including GFCF, SCD, Body Ecology, Feingold, low oxalate, and more. She’ll discuss the foundations of a healthy diet, making changes that work for the whole family, and tips for picky eaters.

11:15-11:30 Break / Exhibits

11:30-12:30 Dawn Winklemann “Feeding & Swallowing: A Medical Overview for Kids on the Spectrum”
Feeding and swallowing difficulties are common for children on the autistic spectrum. Ms.
Winkelmann describes feeding disorders, the swallowing process, and the rationale behind our
children’s refusal to eat. She provides some realistic medical solutions and recommendations for
feeding our children.

12:30-1:30 Lunch Break / Exhibits (Bring your own lunch)

1:30-2:30 Julie Matthews “Cooking To Heal – The “How To” of Implementing an Autism Diet”
Julie will discuss the implementation of an “autism diet,” focusing on the GFCF diet and including
common meal ideas and substitutions for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and others. You’ll learn
time saving tips, get meal ideas, and receive kid-friend recipes for implementing the GFCF diet,
as well as learn how to evolve the diet for experienced families.

2:30-2:45 Break / Exhibits

2:45-3:45 Dawn Winklemann “Practical & Playful Feeding Tips: Food, Pills and Supplements”
We shouldn’t have to struggle with our kids to get the nourishment they so desperately need. Ms. Winkelmann will bring her basket of therapy goodies to demonstrate practical and playful ways to encourage your child to eat food, swallow pills and drink supplements safely and consistently.

3:45-4:00 Break / Exhibits

4:00-5:15 Kurt Woeller “Methyl-B12 Therapy and its Incredible Benefits for Autism-Related Disorders”
Methylcobolamin, a form of B12 vitamin, is a fundamental component in biomedical intervention.
This vitamin influences attention, focusing, environmental awareness, language, detoxification,
etc. All of these are critical functions for anyone on the autism-spectrum. Dr. Woeller explains the significance of this important therapy, including how to obtain it, administer, and what to know regarding benefits, side effects and more.

5:15-5:45 Panel Q & A

5:45-6:00 Exhibits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is the pricing:

Conference Pricing
Early Bird Registration Fee (until 8/1/09) ......................................................$45
On-Site Registration Fee (after 8/1/09 & at the door)....................................$75

Contact me if you need a registration form!

New one a day vitamin for moms/dads/caregivers of children with Autism/special needs

New Beginnings has a new product to offer, but this time geared towards those of us caring for special needs children. We know how important supplements are for our kiddos but often times (in my case anyways) I make sure my kids get theirs and I just can't seem to pull together the ones I should be taking as well. After years of searching, Lori Knowles, General Manager of New Beginnings and mother of a recovered child, has found a product she is willing to support. And, New Beginnings is offering a "try me promo" for free with any $12 minimum order from New Beginnings. To find out more about the promotion, click this link:

http://www.nbnus.com/promo-one-1.html