Here is a healthy alternative for gluten-free brownies! They taste so great your family will never know you’ve snuck in something nutritious!
I used a box of Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix along with a 15.25 ounce can of black beans. That’s all!
To make these delicious brownies, drain and rinse black beans. In a blender puree the black beans and 2/3 cup water. Mix black beans and brownie mix. Grease an 8×8 or 7×11 pan and smooth brownies. Bake in a 375 oven for 25 – 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick or fork for middle to be done, then sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
This works for regular brownie mixes too!
Some interesting nutrition facts about black beans:
Black beans taste great but that they can also be an important part of a health promoting diet. Each cup has about 15 grams of both protein and fiber. There are at least 8 different flavonoids in the black bean’s color coat. Flavonoids are color-producing phytonutrients pigments that have great anti-oxidant potential. They work together with vitamins to help the body avoid oxygen-related damage. Black beans also contain small amounts of omega 3-fatty acids. This amount is about three times that available from many other beans. They include many important vitamins and minerals.
I’d love to hear your ideas for using black beans!
Filed under Recipes by on Mar 13th, 2011. 2 Comments. 
Quinoa is an amino acid-rich protein seed that has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture and somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. It is cooked much like rice, using twice the water, but the cooking time is 15 minutes. Quinoa is found at your local heath food store.
Quinoa is commonly considered a grain, but is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like beets, spinach and Swiss chard. It is a recently rediscovered ancient “grain” once considered “the gold of the Incas.” While relatively new in the United States, quinoa has been cultivated in the Andean mountains of Peru, Chili and Bolivia for over 5,000 years. The Incas considered it a sacred food and referred to it as the “mother seed.”
Not only is quinoa high in protein, but also it supplies a complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. It is a good choice for vegans concerned about protein intake. It has the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. Quinoa is a very good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.
Quinoa may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and arteriosclerosis.
Quinoa is good preventative of breast cancer as well as preventing gallstones in women. Eating a serving of whole grains, such as quinoa, at least 6 times a week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other signs of cardiovascular disease (CDV).
Grains and fish have been proven to help children with asthma.
I have enjoyed making quinoa salads as well as adding quinoa to meat. I just LOVE the taste and texture of quinoa, and can’t wait to eat it as soon as I have prepared a dish! Get my recipe for Quinoa Tabbouleh in Gluten-Free Recipes: Side Dishes.
Filed under Gluten-Free Info by on Feb 26th, 2011. 6 Comments.
It’s just FREEZING outside… but my daughter Kayli really wanted dessert. We went to a frozen yogurt place, and I ordered the lemon/raspberry/orange sorbet! It’s SO WORTH being cold!!! I need to do this more =) Larraine
Filed under Gluten-Free Info by on Feb 2nd, 2011. 2 Comments.
Cupcakes!
We started with a package of Betty Crocker’s Gluten-Free Cake Mix. Used shortening instead of butter and used holiday cupcake liners – making 18 cupcakes.
Frosting: 1/3 cup shortening, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 2-3 Tbsp rice or soy milk. Mix till it’s creamy.
Joscelyn frosted the cupcakes and topped them with red and green sugar sprinkles.
Our tummies are loving these!
Filed under GF/CF Kids by on Dec 21st, 2010. 1 Comment.
Each year I become Grandma Claus and invite my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids, along with their spouses, to my home for a Christmas party. I always have treats for each person, in addition to refreshments and party fun.
This year, I’m giving out chocolate bars. I was concerned about what I could give to my daughter, who follows a gluten-free/casein-free diet. I was so pleased to discover these dairy-free, gluten-free Sweet Chocolate Dream bars at my neighborhood grocery store!
Happy Holidays to all, and especially to my beautiful daughter, The Gluten Gal!
Margaret Slack
Filed under Gluten-Free Info by on Dec 14th, 2010. 5 Comments.
So, I can’t tell you how annoyed I am when people ask me if I think my kids can be cured of autism or when I see a fundraiser or organization that is raising money to help “find a cure” for autism. In my opinion, autism isn’t something that can be cured. Autism is a part of who someone is. It is a part of their genetic makeup. That would be like saying, “Let’s find a cure for depression.”
That being said, I don’t think a diagnosis of autism is the end of the world for a child. Just like with depression, you can get therapy to help you cope and see the world in a more typical way, autism has many therapies to help a child learn to cope and see the world in a different way. Just like there are medications to manage symptoms of depression, there are medications out there to manage some of the symptoms of autism. Not all medications work for all kids. Isn’t that how it is in the real world with other medications? There needs to be a process of trial and error to find just the right medication for your child…if that is a path that you even want to take. There are ways to treat the metabolic problems that many children with autism face, whether with vitamins, diet and other various therapies. Just like with diabetes, being on a special diet can greatly improve the symptoms in one child and do nothing whatsoever for another.
Managing the symptoms of autism is a long, difficult process and can take years, but it can help the child and those that love him/her deal better in this world that can seem intrusive to them. As I said before, I don’t think there is a cure for autism. That is just silly, to try and cure a part of someone that is just who they are. But, there are ways to manage the symptoms that can hinder their progression in this crazy world.
I, personally, don’t see why you would want to cure someone of the unconditional love, self awareness and honesty that comes from a person with autism. They are blessed to see the world in an amazing way and to find joy in the little things. All of us could use a little bit of that kind of “autism.”
- Christine Roach
Filed under Autism by on Dec 6th, 2010. 5 Comments.
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