Superman Ice Cream

          Ice cream is not just a summertime affair around here, but consumption sure does skyrocket during the summer months.  Thankfully, I have a double barrel Cuisinart ice cream maker that helps me keep up with the demand.  Between Tofutti, Rice Dream and So Delicious, there are plenty of dairy-free ice cream options out there these days.  The only bummer is that the flavors are pretty boring, not kid-friendly at all.
           Superman is about as kid-friendly as it gets, and making a dairy-free version makes you look like a Supermom.  This is a case where a double freezer bowl comes in handy because you're basically making 3 batches, or you can just be patient and make it over a few days. I store it in a 9 x 13 Pyrex, with each color taking up 1/3 of the pan.

Superman Ice Cream

for the Superkid in your life.

Blue (Blue Moon)
3 cups plain soy creamer (about 1 1/2 pints)
20 regular marshmallows (about 1/2 bag)
1/3 cup sugar
2 T. oil ( I used avocado, coconut or canola would be fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil
Blue food coloring ( I used Wilton gel icing color in Sky Blue)

Red (Cherry)

3 cups plain soy creamer (about 1 1/2 pints)

20 regular marshmallows (about 1/2 bag)

1/3 cup sugar

2 T. oil ( I used avocado, coconut or canola would be fine)

1 t. vanilla

3 T. marachino cherry juice or LorAnn natural cherry flavoring to taste

Red food coloring ( I used Wilton gel icing color in No Taste Red)

Yellow (Vanilla)

3 cups plain soy creamer (about 1 1/2 pints)

20 regular marshmallows (about 1/2 bag)

1/3 cup sugar

2 T. oil ( I used avocado, coconut or canola would be fine)

1 T.  vanilla

Yellow food coloring ( I used Wilton gel icing color in Lemon Yellow)

Make each flavor individually with the following instructions:
1.) Put the marshmallows in a big microwave safe bowl (I have an 8 cup Pyrex that is perfect for this)
2.) Heat for 1 minute, until soft and puffy.
3.) Whisk the soft marshmallows until smooth, then slowly pour in 1 cup soy creamer and sugar.
4.) Microwave for another 3-5 minutes, stirring every so often, until the marshmallows are melted into the creamer.
5.) Add the remaining 2 cups of creamer, oil, flavorings and enough food coloring to do the job.
6.) Cool the mixture down in the freezer or refrigerator before pouring into an ice cream maker to freeze.
7.) Pour into a 9 x 13 pan,  each color should take up 1/3 of the pan. Press plastic wrap into the ice cream to keep it in place.  Freeze until hard. 

Perfect Easy Dairy free Superman Ice Cream recipe, Perfect Easy Egg Free Superman Ice cream recipe, homemade superman ice cream recipe. 

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Strawberry Shortcake (for breakfast!)

        Michigan is awesome when it comes to fruit.   We have everything here, it comes fast and furious,  all crammed into 10 weeks.  Some years I just have to let some seasons pass me by because I can't get to the fields fast enough.  Last year, I bypassed strawberry season, but managed to catch blueberry.  This year, I was sure to make it out strawberry picking.  Strawberry jam fills our freezer, and we've had strawberry shortcake for dessert and breakfast.  I think missing out last year had made this year's harvest even sweeter!

Strawberry Shortcake

Someday I'll come up with a successful 'from scratch' butter-less buttermilk biscuit, until then, I'm happy with Bisquick, the bonus is not having to roll and cut out biscuits!

Biscuits (makes 6-8 

2 1/3 cups Bisquick mix

3 T. white sugar

3 T. cold dairy-free margarine cut into cubes (I use Fleischmann's unsalted margarine)

2/3 cup soymilk plus 1T cider vinegar set aside to thicken

1.)  Preheat the oven to 350.

2.)  Mix sugar into the Bisquick mix,

3.)  Cut the margarine into dry mix, blend around using a couple forks until the margarine lumps are pea sized or smaller.

4.)  Pour the soured soymilk into the dry mixture. Carefully incorporate the soymilk with a spatula, don't beat or you'll have bricks.

5.)  Scoop 1/2 cup blobs of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

6.)  Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack. 

Simple Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream 

20 regular sized marshmallows

3 cups Silk soy creamer

1/3 cup sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

2 T. oil

1.) In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the marshmallows and 1 cup of soy creamer for 1 minute.  Remove and whisk well. If the marshmallows are not melted into the cream, keep microwaving 30 seconds at time, mixing between zap until the marshmallows are melted down. Fresh marshmallows are easier than old ones for this.

2.) Add the sugar and the other 2 cups of soy creamer, vanilla and oil.  Mix well, chill in the refrigerator or freezer if still warm.

3.) Freeze in an ice cream maker.  I have a Cuisinart that works really well. 

Crushed Strawberries 

1.) I hope you don't need a recipe for this, because I don't have one. I wing it.

2.) Crush a bunch of strawberries by hand or in a food processor.

3.) Add sugar until it tastes about right.

Perfect Easy Dairy-Free Egg-Free Strawberry Shortcake Recipe  Perfect Easy Dairy-Free  Egg-Free Ice Cream Recipe,  

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Auntie Esther's Crumb Cake

Happy days! School is out.  I can exhale.  Mornings are now relaxed, time for some coffee cake, and actually drinking my coffee while sitting.  It is quite novel to actually drink coffee fresh from the pot and not after the 3rd try re-reheated in the microwave!  I really don't know why it has taken me so long to post this recipe. Sometimes the obvious gets overlooked. This recipe has been kicking around the kitchens of Baptist women in Northern Michigan for at least 30 years, first introduced to the region by the pastor's wife, Esther. 

          In addition to bringing a whole slew of new recipes to our small town, and new playmates for my sisters and I, the pastor and his wife helped start an interesting tradition of children referring to adults in the church as "Aunt" and "Uncle". It took me a while to actually figure out who my real aunts and uncles were within the mix, and I'm sure it confused a few visitors as well. But it did make our church family seem much more so.

          This recipe is so great. It is actually egg-free in its natural state, a real boon when a coffee cake needed to happen in a small town on short notice with a bare refrigerator. It's also great because it can be mixed up at night and baked in the AM. Enjoy!

Auntie Esther's Crumb Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1 stick dairy-free margarine ( I use Fleishmann's Unsalted Margarine)

1/2 cup soymilk
1 T. cider vinegar

1.) Preheat oven to 350.
2.) Add the vinegar to the soymilk and let thicken.
3.) Mix all the dry ingredients in a food processor or large bowl. Whirl around to mix the ingredients.
4.) Cut the margarine into the dry ingredients. Pulse until well mixed, but not clumping together or blend well with a pastry cutter.
5.) Reserve out 1/2 cup of the crumble.
6.) Pour the soured soymilk into the rest of the crumble mix. Blend around until everything is moistened. It will be thick.
7.) Spread batter into a 9 x 9 pyrex pan.
8.) Sprinkle reserved crumble on top.
9.) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out dry.

When I make this the night before, I make up the crumble mixture, measure out the 1/2 cup and let it sit at room temp. In the AM, I preheat the oven, make the soured soymilk and go from there like normal.

Egg free dairy free crumb cake egg free dairy free coffee cake egg free dairy free spice cake vegan spice cake vegan coffee cake vegan crumb cake

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Happy Mother's Day

"Someday when I have kids,  I hope they have food allergies too."  

     Yeah, I know... I didn't know the best way to respond to that one either.  I had to swallow my gut response which was, "What are you, crazy? Why would you wish that on your kid, or yourself ?" Fortunately I caught those words before they came out and made my kid feel like a freak.  Instead, I switched into thoughtful probing mode and asked questions.  Turns out she hopes her kids have allergies so she can reassure them with stories of her childhood with allergies and so she can "cook cool things for them like mom".  I started to explain that I would make cool food for her,  even without food allergies, but had to stop myself because I don't really think that's true. 

     She had topical hives where formula and rice cereal touched her skin at 6 months and was later diagnosed with a milk allergy, just a class 2 RAST (along with wheat, egg, and peanut).  Our allergist kindly reassured us of her likelihood to outgrow such a mild allergy by age 3 or 4.  To further enhance our chances of a quick resolution,  she suggested I remove all dairy from my diet while nursing and hold to strict avoidance when she started solids.  Which I did, religiously.  Fast forward 5 years... when an accidental sip of cow's milk sent her into anaphylaxis.
     At that point, I realized all the kindly reassurances were a load of crap and we were in this for the long haul.  That episode was the game changer, the point at which I realized she would have these allergies long enough to worry about herself, feel the exclusion, know her difference. 

     That was the point I realized I needed to make the coolest possible food for her, so she would never look longingly at another kid's lunchbox.  I wanted to make sure other kids begged for her food, and she wouldn't even want what other kids had.  I wanted her to eagerly share her treats.  That's when Speedbump Kitchen was born, and it surely wouldn't have happened without the allergies.

      So her wish to have children with food allergies (while odd, and I pray doesn't come true), is an affirmation of a mission accomplished.  She doesn't see food allergy as an overwhelming negative, a handicap, or something scary. She sees food allergy through my eyes, as inspiration to do something exceptional for someone else.  

Happy mother's day to all the exceptional allergy moms!

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The Double Dessert

Bubble gum and ice cream, it can't get better than that, and believe me...I've needed some good stuff lately. Between losing all my posts and permalinks a few weeks ago, then finding them all only to discover my blog had been plagiarized in its entirety at another site through a mean practice called 'splogging'...I was pretty much ready to throw in the towel on this effort here.   Anyone following current political events, can only imagine the many pots a young pediatrician might dabble in to save any shred of individual dignity left to the career I've given my youth to pursuing.  There are so many things swirling about, petitions to get signed, candidates to support (many are fellow physicians!) , good people to encourage. I was starting to take the big blog blow-up as a sign to stop.
  But then I invented this awesome dairy-free bubble gum ice cream and tried to explain why I didn't need to take a photo... and the girls' faces fell.  I guess they enjoy sharing the recipes with other kids as much as I do.  So here it is!  Bubble gum was another one of those forbidden ice cream flavors when I was a kid.  I'm not sure if was because my parents didn't like the flavor when they had to help us with our drippy cones, or if it was the sticky napkin on the side with all the pieces of bubble gum piled up waiting to be eaten at the end.  While I can't guarantee this will be the cleanest ice cream experience, it sure is one of the most fun.  I'm sure there are bubble-gum flavorings out there, but I decided that the easiest way to flavor the ice cream was to use actual bubble-gum.  I used Bazooka for the 'tea' and then these cool Bazooka nuggets that I found at Toys-R-Us to add in at the last minute. ( Thanks to my sister for reminding me about great TRU candy selections!).  Have fun!

Bubble Gum Ice Cream

3 cups Silk soy creamer (1 1/2 pints)
20 regular size marshmallows
1 package of bubble gum, not sugar-free ( I used Bazooka)
2 tablespoons mild oil: canola, avocado or coconut.
pink food coloring
Chiclets, Bazooka nuggets or other candy-coated bubble gum

1.) Put the marshmallows in a big microwave safe bowl (I have an 8 cup Pyrex that is perfect for this).
2.) Heat for 1 minute, until soft and puffy.
3.) Whisk the soft marshmallows until smooth, then slowly pour in the soy creamer.
4.) Microwave for another 3-5 minutes, stirring every so often, until the creamer is hot but not boiling and the marshmallows are melted.
5.) Meanwhile, unwrap the bubble gum and place in a piece of cheesecloth and fasten with a twistie tie.
6.) Place the gum "tea bag" into the warm creamer and allow to steep and cool in the refrigerator.
7.) When the cream is cold, remove the bubble gum bag, give it a squeeze and throw away. Add the oil and food coloring.
8.) Freeze in an ice cream maker. I have a Cuisinart that works well. At the very end of the freezing, pour in the candy-coated gum and mix it around briefly before transferring the ice cream to a freezer container.

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The Little Lost Cookie Recipe

     Truth be told, the reason I blog my recipes is because I'm the type of person who could lose my head if it weren't firmly attached to my body.  Case in point is the Chocolate Cherry Chunk recipe I submitted to the FAANtastic Divvies Cookie Contest a few weeks ago.
      I tinkered with that recipe so many times I could barely think clearly, adding a bit more flour, a little less cocoa, too flat, too puffy.  I was down to testing quarter batches (you know you've reached the edge of sanity when you know that 1/4 of 2/3 cup is 2T plus 2t.).  Failed cookie dough was starting to pile up in the freezer, and I think my husband was ready to stage an intervention.
       Finally, I had to call it and just the submit the best I had...and forgot to save a copy for myself.  Poof.  This wouldn't have been a big deal, except that the recipe made the Top 5. Now the problem is that I know exactly where the recipe is, I'm just too embarrassed to ask for a copy back.   So until I get my courage up, here is the best I can piece together from my notes.  I can't remember how much chocolate or cherries I used,  so I'll let you use your judgment.  Congratulations to Libby at The Allergic Kid  and Kelly at Generation Allergy on making the top 5 also, it's a small blogging world after all!

Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies ( I hope)

2 cups flour
2/3 cups cocoa ( I used Nestle, see my post on safe cocoa)
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

1/2 cup shortening ( I used Spectrum Palm Oil shortening, pretty expensive but nice to work with)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 T. corn syrup
2T vanilla
1/2 cup cherry juice (I used Juicy Juice)

1 cup chocolate chunks, ( I chopped up a Divvies bar, an Enjoy Life bar, or safe chocolate chips would work too)
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped

1.) Preheat the oven to 350.
2.) Whisk the flour, cocoa, soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
3.) In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the shortening with the brown sugar and white sugars. Add the corn syrup, vanilla and cherry juice.  Beat well.  Things will curdle apart slightly, don't worry.  Just mix the best you can.
4.)  Dump the flour mixture into the sugar mixture and mix carefully with the hand mixer until everything is just combined.
5.) Add the chocolate and cherries and give the dough another quick mix to blend the goodies in.

6.) Drop tablespoon sized dough balls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the tops are set.
7.) Cool on a cookie rack, Enjoy!!

 My notes!

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For the Sake of Science and American Girl Place

     7 years old and already an old hat on the medical research circuit...that's life for an allergic kid with a pediatrician mom.   We just finished our second research experience this weekend at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.  The first experience was a year ago for U of M, doing a fun 24 hour urine collection and a blood draw trying to see if there are other chemical markers for anaphylaxis (the answer is no, so we're all stuck with the problematic RAST for now).  This time the study involved the whole family with the research goals to look at potential causes and genetic risks for food allergy.

      The long and short of it was basic vital signs, a blood draw and skin testing for us all (our non-allergic kid was not pleased!)  and then also spirometry and body fat measurements for those over age 6....plus a lot of questions.  A lot of questions.  Pregnancy and nursing histories on the kids all seem to run together, the matrix of who can and did eat what and when really gets complicated.   Hopefully my memory serves science well. 

      But the fun part was a budget-neutral trip to Chicago with the kids and free RAST testing to be sent on to our allergist.   The gas money was covered and we got a boatload of Target gift cards for our participation.  We 'transfered' the gift cards into cash at American Girl Place for the girls and had a great end to our day serving humanity.  The study is still recruiting families, if you're in the area and have to get RAST testing done this year anyway it's worth doing. Hopefully our next research experience will be as participants in a cure study...

HOLY COW!!!

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