Vegan Gluten Free Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Heart Shaped Peanut Butter Cups

A sweet and tasty valentine candy perfect for your favorite chocolate lover in your life.  These peanut butter cups are so easy to make and are so much healthier than some popular ones in the stores.   The secret to getting the best chocolate is to temper your chocolate.

Heart Shaped 
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Recipe by:  GlutenFreeJerseyGirl
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan

Note:  This chocolate needs to be refrigerated...

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cocoa butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon coconut nectar
1 Teaspoon stevia
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/4 of vanilla bean
dash of sea salt
peanut butter

Instructions:

Melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil.
Add the cocoa powder and stir for a few minutes.
Add sweetener, vanilla and sea salt and continue stirring.
Remove from the heat and stir from a few minutes.
Place back on heat for a few minutes and continue to stir.
Do this several times until your chocolate until it becomes smooth and shiny.

Note: Do not to let your chocolate get hotter than 110F degrees.  You can use a candy thermometer if you want to be sure, however, I did not use one.   Once it reaches this heat is when you will remove it from the heat and let it cool to around 90F degrees and then repeat the process until chocolate is smooth and shiny.
(This is called tempering your chocolate.)

Pour into your candy mold halfway.  Place in freezer for about 15 minutes or until chocolate hardens.

Remove from the freezer and put 1 tablespoon of your favorite nut butter into each heart.  Then fill with remainder of chocolate and freeze for at least 2 to 3 hours or until your chocolate hardens.  Use raw nut butter to keep them raw.

Here's a video making my favorite peanut butter cups!

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Green monster smoothie

 

Green Smoothie Lover Personalized Note Cards available at
http://www.carrieskiddiecloset.com

 

This smoothie is one of my favorite combinations!  It's super sweet and is packed full of nutrients.  You can customize it any way you like by adding chia seeds, hemp seeds, almond milk, etc.  I love the taste of combining the grapes with the pineapple.  This is definitely a great smoothie to try if you are new to smoothies because the sweetness of the fruit hides the green taste of the kale.   You can also substitute kale with spinach too!  Combine with a handful of pumpkin seeds or 1 of my favorite new Goji lemon muffins  or goji lemon truffles or a spoon of your favorite protein powder.  My favorite is sun-warrior raw vanilla flavored protein powder. 

 

Kale is packed full of nutrients including carotenoids and flavonoids which are 2 powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals.  It's low in calories, has no fat and rich in vitamin K, iron and fiber. Pineapple and grapes are also packed full of vitamin C and minerals and the combination of all 3 will keep you energized all morning!  Adding a little protein slows down the absorption of sugar and helps to provide a steady energy all morning long.

NOTE: 
My dad reminded me to make sure your grapes are seeded!  There are a lot of nutrients in the seeds of grapes - and while I don't like to eat the seeds - I can easily blend them up and get the benefits that way!   I think my dad knows what he is talking about!  He's in his 80's and you would never know it!! 
 

This recipe is gluten free, vegan, dairy free, nut free, paleo friendly and

Dr. Furhman's Eat To Live friendly.

 

Enjoy ...

 

 

3 Day Raw Food Cleanse

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I Made It Through my 3 Day

 Raw Food Cleanse 

For me, the perfect way to rejuvenate and increase my energy level is to do a raw food cleanse.  I eat a lot of raw foods anyway, but by focusing only on raw foods, it allows my body a chance to clear out any of the foods that are not the healthiest out of my system and start fresh.  I have lost 100 lbs. over the past several years and have found a wonderful way of eating that gives me the energy I need to get through the day.  But I also find that occasionally doing a reboot, helps me stay even more on track.  

One of my favorite times of year to do my raw food cleanse is the beginning of the Fall.  It's the perfect time to get my immune system ready for the winter.  I used to get sick all winter long, but since going gluten and dairy free and juicing regularly, I rarely get sick.  I didn't expect it to be so cold this week, so doing raw foods was a little bit hard, but I made it through!  I am really looking forward to adding in some soups and warm foods...

I prefer to cleanse my body with real whole foods, rather than an all liquid fast.  Raw and living foods nourish our body and help to alkalize you.  I prefer to keep it simple and do not include a lot of nuts, but do use handfuls of raw sunflower seed and almond butter.  I also use small amounts of raw almond milk. 

How to Get Ready For A Raw Food Cleanse 

First, you should always check with your doctor before starting any new diet plan, cleanse or detox. 

Before you begin your cleanse, you should prepare your system.  If you are not used to eating a lot of raw foods, then you need to start slowly.  One suggestion is to start with breakfast.  Since it's the first meal of the day and sets the tone for your day, try making a juice or smoothie out of some veggies and fruits or having a nice big salad for lunch.  I love to just have a banana with some raw nuts and grapes.  That is probably one of easiest raw breakfasts to make and one of my favorite!  

It's probably best to do the cleanse when you do not have a lot of things going on, such as business meetings, dinners, etc.  I recommend starting on a day you are off so you can see how your body reacts.  Most likely, you will need to be near a bathroom. 

You may want to cut down on caffeine the week before your cleanse, or you can include 1 cup of coffee in the morning.  I usually do 1 cup in the morning during my cleanse.  

I suggest planning out your meals ahead of time and doing your grocery shopping before you start.  This way you can have all of your meals prepared.  This helps to keep you from deviating from the cleanse.  You can take juices with you, lettuce wraps and salads can also easily be brought with you to work.  If you do need to eat out, try bringing a salad dressing with you.  There are some wonderful raw granola bars that you can pick up at whole foods or a health food store.  Some supermarkets are also carrying some raw food bars. 

Next, you want to figure out how long do you want to do the cleanse.  You can do 1, 2, 3 and even longer, depending on what you are looking to achieve.  I chose to do 3 days.  I chose to do 2 juices a day, then have raw foods for lunch and dinner and snacks.  I also chose some raw nuts, fruits, kale chips, crackers and hummus for snacking.  
  

During Your Cleanse

Make sure to drink a lot of water during before, during and after your cleanse.  You will be eating a lot of fiber and you should always increase water when increasing your fiber intake.  

You can also do an eat raw till dinner cleanse.  There are some wonderful juice places you can go and we also have a few places here at the Jersey Shore that offer raw food cleanses that you can sign up for.  They prepare your meals for you.  I will list the links below.  

Try to stick with fresh vegetables and fruits and raw nuts and seeds.  Try to stay away from gourmet raw foods, because they can leave you feeling bloated and can have a lot of extra calories that you may not want.  If you keep it simple, you will find it so much easier to follow.

Remember, there is no failure, if you simply just increase the amount of raw foods in your diet, than you already are a success.

 

Raw Food Sample Shopping List

When possible, try to buy organic.  I was actually able to find a bunch of organic vegetables at Walmart.  Here is my shopping list for the 3 days... 

• Kale
• Spinach
• Romaine
• Carrots
• Zuccini
• Peppers
• Onions
• Celery
• Lemon
• Apples
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Grapes
• Bananas
• Raw Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Cashews, etc., hemp seeds
• Raw Almond Milk
• Raw Almond Butter
• Raw Crackers
• Raw Hummus
• Raw Coconut Aminos
• Raw Kale Chips

My Menu for the 3 Day Cleanse

Day 1:

Breakfast:  Juice:  Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Celery, Pear, Apple and Grapes

Snack:   Small dish of grapes & raw pumpkin seeds 

Lunch:  Juice:  Carrot, Orange and Celery

Snack:  Hummus veggie lettuce wraps with Kale Chips

Dinner:  Salad with Sweet & Creamy Tahini Dressing

Day 2:

Breakfast:  Juice:  Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Celery, Pear, Apple and Grapes

Snack:  Raw crackers and hummus

Lunch:  Juice:  Carrot, Orange and Celery

Snack:  Apple, Celery, almond butter, raw pumpkin seeds, 1 brazil nut

 

Dinner:  Salad with Sweet & Creamy Tahini Dressing

Extra Snack:  Raw Banana Ice Cream with Almond Butter on top

Day 3:

Breakfast:  Juice:  Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Celery, Pear, Apple and Grapes

Snack:  Juice:  Carrot, Orange and Celery

Lunch:  Salad with Sweet & Creamy Tahini Dressing

Snack: Apple, Celery, almond butter, raw pumpkin seeds, 1 brazil nut

 

Dinner:  Raw zucchini pineapple teriyaki (raw coconut aminos) stir fry 

Snack:  Almond milk with vanilla, cinnamon and raw honey


Design your own raw food menu.. 
Print our weekly menu form below.

© Copyright 2013 CarriesKiddieCloset

How to End Your Cleanse

When ending your cleanse, be sure to slowly introduce foods back, so you do not shock your system.  I usually will do 2 raw meals for a few days after, then 1, etc.  Since my regular eating includes a great deal of raw foods, I transfer back and forth smoothly.  But if you are eating a traditional diet, it takes a little time for your body to adjust to all of the changes.

My Results

I feel much better and I did not have any headaches or any adverse affects from this, but that is probably because I do eat a lot of fiber and vegetables anyway.  The next time I would definitely add more fat, i.e. avocado or coconut oil.  I plan to continue incorporating as much raw foods into my diet as I can.  Because it's cold here in New Jersey, it's hard to eat raw all the time.  I am definitely inspired to continue though. My energy level has definitely increased.

Helpful Blogs and Videos and Raw Cleanses 

I have found so many wonderful Raw Food blogs and you tubers out there that have helped me so much in my journey to health and wellness.  A few of my favorite blogs/you tube videos that have helped me tremendously are listed below.  

Raw Cleanses & Juices Here at the Jersey Shore

Seed To Sprout, Avon, NJ

Local Urban Kitchen, Brielle, NJ

Basin Bar, Asbury Park, NJ

 

Some Helpful Blogs

Megan Elizabeth

Chef Amber Shea

Ginger Is The New Pink

The Green Lean Bean

Fully Raw By Kristina

Ani Phyo

You Tube Videos

Fully Raw Kirstina

Easy To Be Raw
Organic Avenue TV
Ani Phyo

Dara's You Tube Videos

All pictures and recipes are © Copyright 2013 CarriesKiddieCloset

 

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Eating Gluten Free at the Freehold Mall

Click here to purchase Fun Shopping Girl Note Cards at Carries Kiddie Closet

 My son received a few gift cards for his birthday, so we went on a trip to the Lego Store.  I am so happy they put a Lego Store at the Freehold Mall.  We used to have to drive over an hour just to find one.

`

 

He made a quick video while looking for Mr. Gold in the Lego Store.

After the Lego Store, we went to the food court to eat lunch.  It can be very difficult for me navigating at a mall, especially being both gluten free and dairy free.  If there is a Wendy's, you can get 2 side salad's with their pomegranate dressing, which is both gluten and dairy free and delicious, but does have a good amount of sugar in it.  There are no croutons on the salad and no cheese, so ordering a couple of them makes a perfect meal.  Their chili is also gluten and dairy free, which is always another option.  I didn't want the extra sugar and wasn't in the mood for chili, so luckily I found an awesome salad place called Turkey and Salad Express that had a bunch of raw veggies and some nuts and seeds.  I ordered a salad with oil and vinegar and it was perfect! 

 

 

After lunch, we stopped by one of my favorite stores, Sur La Tab, to check out their prices on the Vitamix Machine, which I hope to be buying very soon ... 

I found an awesome product that I have not seen before.  Honey apple sparkling Sonoma cider vinegar by Olive Oil in California.  The combination of apple cider vinegar and honey tastes amazing and I can't wait to use this on salads.

 

 

 

My day at the Mall would not be complete without a stop at Starbucks ...
Grande Triple Soy Cappuccino with 1 pump Caramel ... yum!  Now if we could just get Starbucks to start using Almond Milk!!

My husband and Davey took a break
while I was waiting on the very LONG Starbucks line...

 

After the Mall, we stopped by the Christmas Tree Shop to get another shelf to finish up Davey's Lego organizing in his room.   There was a Spirit Halloween store next door, so we decided to look around.  We had fun looking at all the displays and fun costumes...

 

We had to stop at 1 more store to find some frames.  We are still working on our house since all the damage we had from Hurricane Sandy...

This was a fun day ending with my favorite new recipe, pineapple teriyaki zucchini pasta stir-fry (recipe coming soon), an awesome soccer game with my 2 favorite boys and Mandy and Davey working on building his new Lego... can't wait to introduce you guys to his new blog, coming soon!  

  

Look for Brick Jedi Master coming soon ...

My son's starting a new blog with product reviews, giveaways,
building Lego's and more... 


 
All pictures and recipes are © Copyright 2013 CarriesKiddieCloset 

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Check out our sister site, Carries Kiddie Closet

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Help From A Friend

At first, it was very hard to accept that I could never have a Funny Bone again! I could never have my favorite eggplant parmigian, lasagna, cake and cookies and so many foods that this Italian girl absolutely loves! I soon came to realize that there are many wonderful replacements for these foods. Before I realized I was gluten intolerant, my friend Hiedi kept telling me that I should consider removing gluten from my diet. Her sister in law has celiac disease and many of my symptoms made her think I may have some problems with gluten, as Hiedi also had herself. So when I finally had to change my diet, Hiedi was a huge help in telling me what products to buy, where to get information and a huge support in handling all the up and down emotions of changing to a new way of living. I cannot thank her enough for all her advise, and kind words in helping me find my way...

How I Became Gluten Free

I decided to start my blog about my adventures with gluten free living because I wanted to share what I've learned about some of my favorite products, restaurants and recipes. I spent most of my adult life suffering from rashes, stomach aches, severe migraines, joint pain, vertigo, bronchitis, etc. I just thought it was something I had to accept, until I realized that I could change the way I was feeling, just by what I ate. I had always believed that I was eating healthy. It was always whole wheat pasta, whole grain breads, cereals, low fat ice creams, etc. I was forever suffering from horrible and sometimes debilitating dermatitis, and it never occurred to me that all the healthy foods that I loved to eat, could be making me sick. Last summer I experienced the worst bout with dermatitis which turned into infections. I could not go out in the sun at all and had to spend our entire vacation in sweltering heat covered up. It was so bad, and the fatigue was unbearable, that I had to be tested for lupus. Thankfully, the tests did not show lupus.  After a friend suggested I remove gluten, my symptoms finally stopped.  After accidently ingesting gluten, I suffered a severe aura migraine and vertigo.  I could not function at all and my migraine and vertigo was so severe, that I thought I was having a stroke.  This is something I never want to experience again. 

Finally, at my most recent doctor's appointment, I was diagnosed as Celiac after years of being misdiagnosed.  I also found out I was borderline pre-diabetic with a severe Vitamin D & B12 deficiency.  After years of frustrating symptoms, skin disease, sun allergy, maybe it's lupus, maybe it's fibromyalgia, maybe CFS, IBS, ulcerative colitis, maybe? To finally get a diagnosis on my record at least makes me feel better.  I was honestly getting tired of every doctor being completely stumped by all of my symptoms.  Removing gluten and then dairy from your life is very difficult, but the rewards are well worth the frustrations! 

Please keep coming back and I will be reviewing some of my favorite products, as well as my daily struggles in staying gluten and also dairy free.