Sahale Snacks

I found these snacks at a Co-op when I was visiting family out of town. I got a few flavors (almond ones), but this one is my favorite. They are a bit pricey ($3-$4 per bag), but I plan to always have a few on hand for when I'm in a pinch. Maybe some day I'll attempt to make my own version, too.

Cowboy Chili

Just add water, a can of tomatoes, and some optional ground beef or turkey and you have a tasty meal that will feed 3-4 people or give one person leftovers. I'm usually not a fan of chili with cinnamon or chocolate, but this is subtle enough that it adds something interesting.

In-depth Corn-free Research

A family member showed me this blog when they were searching for what they could buy me for an Easter treat. Seems to be pretty thorough research. Here's a link to one of their lists: http://corn-freefoods.blogspot.com/2013/02/corn-free-foods-products-list-feb-2013.html

Soyummi Puddings

I am a huge fan of pudding: tapioca pudding, rice pudding, chocolate pudding, bread pudding...you name it. Since eliminating dairy, pudding has been conspicuously absent. I saw these gems and the local store and snatched them up. They are surprisingly realistic in texture, but the flavor is undeniably lemon-y. So, they are worth it when you're craving pudding and they come in easy to-go containers, but don't be expecting your normal tapioca or rice pudding flavor.

KinniKritters

These animal crackers are fantastic and are completely "legal"! I've shared some with co-workers and they like them better than regular animal crackers! I keep a box in my work bag at all times and I eat them when people bring illegal tempting snacks.

Road's End Organics Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese has always been a huge comfort food for me. I've got a lot of stress in my life (hence the lack of posts recently) so I bought this and made it for lunch today. First of all, you must pay attention that it says "alfredo style", so really it's alfredo not mac and cheese. I followed the directions exactly, using coconut milk as my milk-substitute. The noodles turned out hard and the sauce was abrasive and gritty. I will not be repeating this one. 

Lipton Mandarin Orange Green Tea

Since most drinks are off limits, I've been drinking a lot of tea recently. I never would have guessed that you have to watch out for corn in tea :(

Cincinnati Scramble

The day I went to my first allergist appointment to find out if there was a link between my symptoms and the food I was eating, my husband and I went out to breakfast first so I could take have one last meal of "freedom" to choose my meal. We went to a local diner and I had what they call a Cincinnati scramble - it was hashbrowns, hamburger meat, two eggs over-easy, chili, and cheese. It was sinfully delicious and I'm sure it had well over 1,000 calories.

It's been over two months since that day and I've had a lot of moments of being hungry. Hungry because I'm out at a restaurant that doesn't serve much I can eat. Hungry because all I can eat at the holiday meal is a baked potato with olive oil. Hungry because I can't have one of my traditional comfort foods after a hard day.

Earlier this week I was craving a Cincinnati scramble and I realized (to my delight) that I could make myself one with ingredients I already had in the house! I had made a simple slow-cooker chili earlier in the week and I had bought some sausages from Costco that I could sub for hamburger meat. (Note: there's nothing wrong with hamburger meat, I just didn't happen to have any in the house.)

I threw everything together and it was a bit dry without cheese, so I added some organic ketchup. It wasn't pretty but it was delicious and kept my tummy full and happy for hours!

Spaghetti

When my husband and I first got married, there were a lot of pasta dinner nights. A bag of noodles, some meat (usually ground beef or chicken) and some store-bought sauce. I'm sure this (along with Top Ramen and chicken nuggets) was part of the reason we both gained weight in the first year of our marriage. Even now that we're older and wiser (and richer), we still enjoy a simple pasta dinner at home sometimes. This was one of the things I have most missed since changing diets.

Problem solved. Combine a bag of Tinkyada pasta with some good organic sauce and add in 1 pound of ground beef. This spaghetti is the best we've had in a while - even my husband agrees. With organic ingredients it's fresh and flavorful. 

Quinoa - Seeds of Change

I've heard a lot in the past few years about how wonderful quinoa is. I've never tried to make it myself and I've been luke-warm about the dishes others have made with it. I went out on a limb and bought a six-pack of these "instant" packs from Costco because they were on sale. Holy moly is it delicious!!! I could eat this stuff plain, but I also had some with grilled chicken breast. This is definitely on my re-buy list.

Sesame Snaps

After a stressful (and unsuccessful) attempt to find a place to eat out in a new city on New Year's Eve, I have been searching more more snack-y things to keep with me. I've loved sesame crackers/cookies/snaps (they're called many things) since I was little and I used to get them with my dad on special outings. At the local grocery store a single package is 60 cents. Yesterday, I found this box of 36 packages for around $8 at Costco. The best part is they're fresher and tastier than the brand at the grocery store!