Wow, is summer already coming to an end!!? Kids are going back to school, I am getting magazines full of Halloween costumes and dare I say…I see Christmas and Holiday decor in them too!! Ah! Well, I am holding on to the last few weeks of summer with some of our favorites and some of the favorites that helped SCD’ers feel a part of all the summer fun. I was going to only show recipes for Henry’s favorite ice cream, mint chip and waffle cones in this post, but due to a wonderful request!, I am also going to squeeze in fruit syrups to top off the always loved shaved ice to make a well deserved snow cone.
Mint chip or in our case, mint without the chip recipe is again thanks to our ‘food bible’ Against All Grain.
This recipe is extremely easy and quite the healthy treat! I make it weekly and it is really the best with fresh mint. If you don’t have fresh, don’t panic, it will be good with pacakaged mint too. Ingredients are fairly easy to find in most grocery stores:
1 can of full fat coconut milk, remember Trader Joe’s does not have the gums…
1/3 cup avocado (cut it up and measure 1/3 cup…hey you never know some people may try to squish it in like guacamole)
1/2 cup of mint (take the leaves off and chop them up to measure)
1/2 cup of honey (I like Pacifica Sage Honey, but any raw honey that is of good quality will work)
1 Tablespoon of melted coconut oil (heat in the microwave for around 30 seconds)
2 cups of cold almond milk – either homemade, Three Trees, or MALK unsweetened to be SCD legal
1 teaspoon of peppermint extract – good quality, check legal ingredients http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/listing/
I leave out the coloring as the avocado and mint leaves will give it a nice light green color. But the recipe does call for chlorophyll if you choose to add it. Please refer to https://againstallgrain.com/
The chip part of this recipe is hard to leave out, we have had it both ways and honestly, I mean truly, it is amazing even without it. If you would like to add it (for those not following SCD strictly) and it be sugar free and REAL chocolate we have used the chocolate bar – PURE 7 https://pure7chocolate.com/ . It’s ingredients are 80% cacao, organic cacao powder, Himalayan pink salt, organic cacao butter and cacao liquor, can’t get much better than that!! I would chop the entire bar and stick it in. To answer the question of – I thought chocolate was illegal!?? – – It absolutely is, however many people test things out after around a year on the diet while monitoring calprotectin inflammatory markers and blood work-ups to see how the body accepts certain foods. Chocolate (cacao) is one that many try to add in and some have successfully added it. Unfortunately for Henry, it does not seem to be safe for him for now.
The process to make the ice cream is just amazingly simple, just make sure you have an ice cream maker, as it would be difficult without one!
Put your full fat coconut milk in a sauce pan with your chopped mint leaves on medium heat letting the mixture boil slightly for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Take off heat and pour your mixture into a mixing bowl. Mix your honey in with the coconut milk and let dissolve.
Add your almond milk and peppermint extract, give it a few stirs and stick it in the fridge, covered for at least 4 hours. I have left it in longer and it has turned out fine.
After 4 hours (or more) pour into a blender and add your avocado and melted coconut oil. Blend well.
Place in your ice cream maker and let it go to work. Mine usually takes around 25 minutes. After it is done making your mixture into ice cream, my opinion is, this is the best time to eat it, as it is SO creamy and fresh. If you don’t eat it all in one sitting, it will hold well in the freezer, just make sure and take it out a good 20 minutes or so before trying to scoop it out. If you are not following SCD and want to add the chocolate, stir that in after the ice cream maker is done mixing. You can find the ice cream maker I use often here.Chips!Happy Boy!
The waffle cones are fairly simple to make they just take some practice. You will need a waffle cone maker and a cone roller.
Cone roller in the bottom right corner^^ in cones I made. Not a great view of it but you can buy the waffle cone maker I have and the roller as a set here:Waffle cone maker I use!
The recipe is found through comfy belly. An amazing resource for those not only on SCD, but also for those that want specific recipes without eggs, or almond flour for example. The taste and ease of the recipes used are really pretty fantastic! The waffle cone recipe is found here – scroll down for the SCD legal recipe, the first one she is showing as a recipe with sugar as a comparison: https://comfybelly.com/2014/03/waffle-cones-using-almond-flour/
I use the tablespoon option when scooping the mixture into the waffle maker, it gives a thinner waffle cone, which in turn makes for a crispier waffle cone. You will have to play with the heat setting as you want it high enough to crisp it up, but not too much to burn it. Blah, can’t have ice cream in a burnt cone!
When taking the cone out to form, work quickly because it is very hot. You may want to use cooking gloves. Just wrap around the cone roller and then place the wrapped side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to hold in place for about a minute or two. You can put the next tablespoon mixture in the waffle cone maker while each is cooling.
Lastly, I was asked to post a very simple fruit syrup recipe I ran across which I turned into using as a snow cone syrup when Henry and his class had a party. His class and 2 others were having a “Kona Ice Truck” celebration that they won and I just couldn’t have Henry left out!!
The “syrup” is made from 1 cup water, 1 1/2 cups of fruit of choice and about 1/4 cup of honey..depending on how sweet you want it. This is really sweet (like the real thing!!) so play around with your honey to taste. Put all ingredients in a sauce pan, let it come to a boil and then turn to let it simmer for about 20 to 25 min. Cool and Strain through cheese cloth or really fine mesh. You can squeeze all the juice through by bundling up the cheese cloth and squeezing. Be sure to not get seeds or chunks in your syrup…No Bueno eating a chunky, seedy snow cone.
From there I took a food dropper and let Henry go to town. These pictures show raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and pineapple!!
Lastly, would love to give a shout out to Tiki Mama. After I made this for Henry, I remembered a mom at our school who started a shaved ice business and asked her if she would come and serve the fruit syrup with honey at Henry’s birthday party. SHE DID!!! It was so amazing and we recently had her once again at the end of the year party at school!! It was such a treat, it really just takes asking to find these wonderful people. So many people are willing to help if you reach out. ❤️ Here is her link http://www.tikimomma.net/
Have a great school year! And enjoy those TREATS!!!
When first starting the SCD diet with our family I was terrified that I would never make our waffle/pancake breakfast again. I wasn’t just dramatic, I really didn’t understand all the options out there with different flours. There is coconut flour, almond flour, cashew flour, pea flour, pecan flour… without sounding like I am in ‘Forrest Gump’ I will move on. The first few attempts were DISASTROUS. But, my family didn’t disown me and I kept trying because of it. The first pancakes I would like to discuss are Danielle Walker’s, Against All Grain waffles. Her cook book “Against All Grain”has been what I have termed the bible of my sanity. In this book you will find a waffle recipe using cashews, which I have used numerous times and they taste AMAZING. The texture is not crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside like wheat flour gives, but the taste is pretty great. I am not using this recipe as a step by step but I suggest you giving it a try as it is one excellent breakfast. You can find the recipe here: https://againstallgrain.com/2012/06/21/grain-free-waffles/ HOWEVER!….this recipe is unlike the one in her cookbook because it leaves out….VANILLA. By now you may have noticed I love vanilla, so you really should add it. 1/2 tsp she notes, but I would go for a full tablespoon. Also, the cook book is 1/2 cup of coconut milk, not the 1/3 cup almond milk the online version posts which I prefer. I add all of these ingredients at once in the blender until smooth and add to the waffle maker on low heat.
This is the recipe that I made with a simple waffle maker. Both of my sons like waffle sticks so this particular waffle maker works out well. I no longer give Henry butter, as I have removed all dairy so the syrup consists of about 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tsp of cinnamon, AND guess what else!.. about a tsp. of Vanilla! Add/subtract cinnamon to your liking. Heat either on the stove or in the microwave.
Now on with the show. Banana pancakes are about as easy as easy gets. There are all sorts of recipes that indicate the ease, but a lot of the two recipe ingredients either fall apart or taste really strange. Here is the recipe that I pulled together over time that is still has very few ingredients, but works well:
2 egg
1/2 of a ripe, spotted banana (this is to ensure ripeness and less starch, very important for SCD
1 Tablespoon of Coconut Flour
2 Tablespoons of Almond Flour
1 teaspoon of Vanilla
Mix these ingredients in a a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the mixture to a griddle lightly covered in coconut oil or butter. Alternatively, you can use a large pan. Do not make the pancakes too large, silver dollar or slightly larger works well. No more than 2 minutes or so and flip. I love to top these pancakes with blueberry or a raspberry sauce.
In order to make this:
Cup of blueberries frozen or fresh
2 tablespoons of honey
Teaspoon of lemon
Splash of cold filtered water
Boil for around 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Refrigerate until it firms up and serve over top of pancakes. Add fresh berries and honey syrup listed above.
The cream is a whipped Italian meringue from “Against All Grain”. See link above if you would like this recipe.
Last, but certainly not least, is the pancake recipe that works for pancakes and waffles alike. It is very fast and they are very fluffy. These are the best for school mornings and a great school snack. I have made them in different sizes and shapes and everything in between. I feel like this recipe should win an award by all the SCD parents that so appreciate them and everything they have done for mornings. It is called “Jim’s Fluffy Pancakes” and you can find the recipe here : https://www.nomorecrohns.com/jims-fluffy-pancakesrecipe.html
~Here are some of our pictures that have come from these pancakes ~
I hope these recipes help bring back morning fun. Along with fruit and sugar free SCD legal bacon, it will feel like a wonderful Sunday morning again. Thank you to all the creators of these recipes, it has truly made a world of difference in our family’s life.
I am starting out strong by sharing this recipe as this is a treat that we like to call…get ready for it – – COTTON CANDY bites. This, in our opinion, tastes so much like cotton candy because they have that true sugary taste (without the sugar of course) and just melt in your mouth after the initial crunch. They are the first cookie where Henry asked for more and more and more. Luckily, this recipe creates many as they go fast! Credit to “Baking for the Special Carbohydrate Diet”- Meringues
I have tried a few meringue recipes, but this seems to work the best for taste, crunch, and LOOK. Gotta have pretty food or kids and us big kids don’t find it as appealing. Meringues can be intimidating, but it is pretty simple as long as you’re not trying to make them on a rainy, humid day. Here we go!, ingredients:
1 teaspoon of lemon
1/4 cup of honey
1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla (I like more!)
Candy thermometer
6 egg whites- stick them in the fridge for 30 min before whipping if time, if not I have done without this step and been fine because our eggs come straight from the fridge anyway. (organic, pasture raised if you can)
Love this Sage Honey from Pacifica. Sage honey is one of my favorite flavors for baking as it is not as overpowering as Mountain varieties. Try to choose a high quality vanilla, it makes all the difference, most importantly no sugar, and should really only contain vanilla. Some will have alcohol, some will not. It you are in question of ingredients check the SCD legal/illegal list here http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/listing
~Set your oven to 200 degrees. ~
Put your honey in a saucepan, don’t heat yet because it will only take a minute or two to get the honey’s temperature to 235.
Put your 6 egg whites (making very sure that you do not have ANY yolk) and the teaspoon of lemon in the mixer. The lemon will stabilize your meringue. If you do not have lemon, white vinegar will also complete this process.
Begin whipping the eggs until stiff peaks form at medium to high speed. Meanwhile, as you are waiting for the peaks to arrive, heat your honey to a boil on med/high heat until 235 degrees is achieved (use your candy thermometer), or if you don’t have one, heat for about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat immediately and while continuing to whisk, slowly pour the honey into the eggs (drizzling it as close to the side of the mixer as possible). Add your vanilla. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Don’t over whip as the mixture can start to separate becoming less fluffy…nobody like a non- fluffy meringue!
Fun part now! You can use a spoon, or pipe the meringue mixture on to two baking sheets lined with parchment. I find it easiest to pipe the mixture using icing bags with a star tip. I have used different sizes, so use the one you like the best. Play with size, but monstrous meringues have not worked well for me, as of course with two boys I have tried crazy shapes and sizes!
Bake at 200 degrees for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The meringues will change to a darker color the longer you leave them in. If they are bigger go for the full 2 hours. Environment will play a part if it’s dry or humid in your area, so play with the time depending on this.
Take out and immediately after they cool (just takes a couple minutes) put them in an AIRTIGHT container. This will be the key to keeping them crunchy.
ENJOY, these will go FAST!!!! Let me know if you and your family agree with our Cotton Candy opinion!
This milkshake is so yummy, I replaced coconut syrup and added honey to make it SCD legal along with additional avocodo to make it extra thick and to allow for more good fats! Don’t forget a full cup of ice to give it that true milkshake feel.
You are going to notice I cross out a lot of ingredients in different cookbooks I buy so it is SCD legal. Notice the coconut syrup to honey change, really play with the amount you like, I add around 2 or 3 tablespoons. I also upped the vanilla to a tablespoon, which I did not note on the recipe.. gotta fix that! I usually double vanilla in any recipe because, well, why not!!?? The avocado is very important as it helps thicken and also adds nutrition. Feel free to add the whole avocado, which I have done numerous times, you will just need to up the vanilla and honey to taste.
I do not add the whip cream because it is already sweet, but if you prefer it as an extra treat –
1. Refrigerate a full fat coconut milk like Trader Joe’s (without the gums and icky stuff) overnight or for 8 hours
2. Chill your mixing bowl and whisks so they are nice and cold about 30 minutes prior to mixing the coconut cream
3. Carefully remove the can so you do not shake the milk with the cream that has risen to the top, scoop the cream off the top, into your mixer.
4. Beat the Coconut Cream on high speed until nice and fluffy (peaks)
5. Drizzle around 1 teaspoon or 2 of honey in to sweeten.
That’s it!!! This whipped cream can be used for many things and looks BEAUTIFUL with a cherry on top!Getting thick!!I use these as time savers, found at Trader Joe’s and the Almond milk is in many grocery stores. If you cannot find Three Trees, MALK is also another alternative.This Milk Shake is very filling and good on it’s own as a snack or as a special breakfast treat. Set with fruit and SCD legal granola (we get granola from Steve’s Paleo goods or Liberty Speciality Foods)
http://www.liberatedspecialtyfoods.com, https://www.stevespaleogoods.com
Here is the wonderful cookbook used for this recipe:
Find it here!
Thank you for reading! Hope this shake fills you with happiness and brings back the good ol’ days of an old fashioned vanilla milkshake!
Let me start by introducing myself. I am the mother of two amazing and beautiful boys who were born of great weight, no complications, and smiles almost immediately on their faces. They were both pretty easy little guys, one that never slept unless I danced him around for at least an hour to Spanish music!, with hardly a care, cry, or bad feeling towards most things. The other, my second little guy who was born ready to make his brother proud and excited for all that he did as most second children are, with a creative way about him from the second he could hold something to pretend with. Mainly always happy little boys, full of promise and love. Both extraordinarily different in personality, but the same in their willingness to love and learn with us (my husband and I) always there to guide them. Years went by and my eldest son, Jack started school at almost 4. Never wanting to leave him, I found a way to be there even when I couldn’t stay. I started to bring treats to school to help him feel excited and make friends as he was so shy, but sooo wanted a friend. The children in his class were so excited each time I brought something, floored to see something made just a little out of the ordinary…whether it be a color icing they had never seen before, or a chocolate bunny on top of cupcakes for Easter. My best, were snow globes made from plastic coke bottles with ‘snow’ stuck to the plastic with sugar water and ginger cookies on a upside down cupcake, all assembled into a snowy globe dream…don’t judge, I know I’m nuts. I was hooked in seeing the smile on my son’s face. I would stay up all hours every year to make things to get the kids excited and this continued as our kids get older, going into the class with treats for holidays, birthdays, and special events. This carried on with my second child Henry as well. He was just as excited for his turn as he was used to helping (and eating) the treats I brought his brother’s classes. This turned into baking for events at school and others asking me to start bakeries…no thanks to that, but flattered!
Many memories and experiences later, it is 2016. Our family had finished another great year, Christmas just had past, and it was going to be our first family trip to Hawaii, Jack was 9 and Henry 5. The first part of our trip was a little rocky because Henry seemingly had a stomach flu our first night there. Quick back story, I had been telling the pediatrician for a couple months before how I felt Henry was pale and not going to the bathroom regularly. Going through holding poop (sorry for the bathroom talk already but get ready!) was not an uncommon issue for my boys. My eldest was also a pro at holding bowel movements and the pediatrician told us to give him Miralax like it was the water he needed to survive. So, I was ready for another pediatrician to pin all of Henry’s issues on this as well. Blood work apparently looked fine and urine samples clear… Back to Hawaii, I asked Henry if he needed to go to the bathroom incase that might be part of the reason of him not feeling well. I started to believe stool holding might be an issue and although with extreme hesitation to give Miralax so frequently at such a young age, (first red fag!) I gave him the laxative. Now looking back Miralax most likely completely rid his gut of every beneficial bacteria needed to fight off bacteria harmful to his gut. I would soon realize, that in Hawaii Henry did not have a stomach bug, or a stool holding issue, Hawaii was our first experience with the symptoms of Crohn’s disease. Three wakeful nights of pain and vomiting after our trip landed us in the ER and eventually to multiple GI’s that eventually gave us the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.
We went through many emotions.. many doctors, telling us medications, specifically ‘Biologics’ such as ‘Remicade’, was the only answer to control his immune system from attacking itself. How could this be??? This process was unkind, putting a 5 year old in a recliner with an IV infusion to knock out his immune system for 4 hours with who knows what side effects. The search began, anything that could help keep us from this fate, this life. I stumbled upon SCD diet, the Special Carbohydrate Diet, the diet that would change his life and our families’ life. Reading case after case of those it had helped with Crohn’s and Colitis, I told the pediatric GI that we were going to try it first before any medication. And so all the treats, the colorful swirls, Oreo truffles and known fudge with the little white ball sprinkles for Christmas, Easter Bunny cupcakes, Gingerbread houses, ice creams after dinner, Halloween candy, well you get the point, stopped. Along with all starch, grains, dairy, and things you and I have never heard of as far ingredients. I told both our boys that this is now the way of life and we were going to accept it as our way, our family unity to make things better. I knew it was going to be hard…it was…it is. But, within two weeks, Henry hadn’t had any symptoms. Weeks turned to months and I knew we had found something BIG.
I began to bake SCD treats to keep my son from missing all that he had…and most importantly to keep weight and health a main objective. Baking was, ummmmm, ridiculous at first. I mean going from wheat flour to almond and coconut flour was to say the very least, a learning curve. Along with NO sugar only honey as a sweetner. I was no pro, but I thought I could do better than what I was able to achieve with these ingredients! Trial and error and lots or reading recipes and buying cookbooks has led me to being lovingly pushed to start a blog. After almost 2 years on this diet, I have made countless SCD treats that now make children say, what does Henry have!!?? He is so lucky! I am back to making treats for the class and although not quite the same, Henry is proud.. and so is my Jack, his brother that stands by his side eating SCD to support his brother (most days ;)). The brother that Henry has always looked up to, shows his support and love beautifully because it was never a choice not to.
Henry is healthy, in clinical remission, and has been symptom free for almost 2 years. These treats and lifestyle blogs will hopefully guide, and give ideas to lighting up you and your children’s eyes that go through this tremendous disease. Until there is a cure, SCD is one of those amazing finds that can work. Medication is often needed with IBD (irritable bowel disease), but SCD is many times, the link that gets the disease to a calmed state. In our case it is the only necessary action for now and we are so thankful for this research in food.
Good night for now! Tomorrow is a new day, a new blogging day! Full of promise, pictures and recipes! Thank you for reading!
Nicole
