So, I was washing some radishes the other day and I looked out our back window to find 2 adult turkeys and six little ones. I'm pretty sure it's two females and their babies but I'm not sure. Do they travel in packs? I yelled to my little man to come over and look. I lifted him up onto the sink and we started discussing them. "Look, a squirrel is with them" I said. "Yeah, a sqwirrel" said Little Man. "They're so close, it's so weird" I said. "Awwww, so tcute turkeys" (that's how he ...
Side Dish Recipes
Roast Zucchini & Yellow Squash with Thyme
My poor mother is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, corn free, garlic free, nightshade (aka tomatoes, potatoes, peppers) free, black pepper free, and onion free. What does she eat? Not a ton, which is why I'm happy when I can cook her something that she really enjoys! When we were up in Glen Arbor at her log cabin over the Fourth of July we cooked tacos for everyone (using this Frontera Chicken Taco Sauce Pouch over sliced chicken, and Frontera Beef Taco Sauce Pouch over ground beef) She had ...
Oven Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash Cubes
I was going to post my recipe for Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hash last night but we got home from vacation and there was mysteriously bird poop all around the inside of the house. Where's the bird? No idea (frightening). Anyways, so the hash recipe will come soon enough, until then, here's a super simple recipe that's a great base for a bunch of recipes I make all of the time (see the list below - includes the hash I will be making soon). All of them are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and nut ...
Maple Tarragon Carrots; Gluten Free, Soy Free, Nut Free, Egg Free Side Dish Recipe
I have been making these way too much lately. Seriously, at least once a week. My husband is tired of carrots and it's SPRING so I've decided to post the recipe before I retire them for awhile! Spring in Michigan means that there will be a multitude of fresh organic vegetables at our fingertips soon. During the winter months, fresh organics can be harder to come by so these Maple Tarragon Carrots are great to make use of those organic bagged baby carrots that are always in stock at the grocery ...
Garlicky Spinach; Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free
So, I've been working on a post about my "I'm getting sick" meal plan for about a month now - Yes, a month! Hopefully I'll have it posted within the next week or so. Until then, I wanted to share this recipe for garlicky spinach that is a part of the meal plan. Once you go gluten free, dairy free, and soy free, it seems like all of the really easy side dishes go out the window (think, things that come in a box, bag, or packet)! We've been eating this quite a bit lately, mainly because it's ...
Roast Butternut Squash with Cranberries, Sunflower Seeds, & Honey Vinaigrette; Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free Recipe
I'm constantly creating new recipes with butternut squash- The main reason, it stores for months in the pantry, so pretty much always have one or 2 on hand. The second reason, my husband doesn't like it, and I'm determined to find a recipe that he'll eat! The verdict is out on this one because he wouldn't try it - I swear he would like it though! On top of storing well, butternut squash is also really good for you, it's super high in vitamin A (1 cup has over 200% of your daily value), and ...
Allergy Friendly Homemade Mashed Potatoes; Gluten Free, Soy Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free Option Recipe
Mashed potatoes....yum. I think I was gluten free, dairy free, and soy free for 2 or 3 years before I decided to make myself some homemade mashed potatoes. Why? For some reason I thought they were a pain to make because my step mom always made them for the holidays and complained about how time consuming it was. What!? They're super easy! I have no idea what she was talking about because these also aren't time consuming at all! Maybe now because I cook allergy friendly I'm used to making ...
Braised Red Cabbage; Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free Side Dish Recipe
Years ago when I was visiting Chicago, probably like 2 years before I moved there (and years before I changed my diet) I went to a restaurant on Michigan Ave called Bandero. The food was good, not Michelin star or anything but but higher quality than most. Oddly, years later I would work less than a block away at the newspaper there. Years later, when I moved to Chicago, I walked past the restaurant and remembered the delicious sweet braised red cabbage, topped with goat cheese, that I had ...
Apple and Celery Root Puree; Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free Recipe
Do you like celery root? I LOVE it but oddly, I never ate it until a few years ago. Now we eat it all the time. This is one of my favorite side dish recipes. I started making it a few years ago when my husband decided to go primarily nightshade free (although he still eats tomatoes and peppers occassionally - apparently potatoes effect his joints the most). We were looking for a "mashed potato" substitute that was not only nightshade free, but also gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and nut ...
Parsnip and Celery Root Puree; gluten free, optional dairy free, soy free, nut free, egg free, nightshade free side dish recipe
Whenever we go to a nice restaurant around harvest time it seems like every meat is accompanied by a root vegetable puree. I love the apple and celery root puree I modified from Ina Garten’s recipe here, but it’s a bit too sweet to pair with some dishes so I decided to combine my celery root with another underused in my kitchen vegetable – parsnips! I chose the combination simply because I had them left in my refrigerator prior to leaving for vacation (we actually packed them all up and brought ...