Blog - My DairyFree GlutenFree Life

15 Delicious Gluten & Dairy Free Party Foods

December 26, 2016 By Colleen

15 Delicious Gluten & Dairy Free Party Foods

Have you been looking for some delicious gluten & dairy free party foods? Well look no farther, I have some fabulous recipes that will make eating with your fingers feel like a meal! These are great gluten and dairy free finger food aka appetizers! I always think of party food as finger food, something you can just pick up off a tray and eat with your hands. Check them all out and make a platter for tailgate parties, halloween, any holiday and just because to make your life easy and yummy.

Do you have any party foods that you like to serve up as appetizers? I’d love to know your favorite ones. I will be sharing some vegan “cheez” recipes with you soon so you will want to check back for those recipes. I think the hardest part of going dairy free is giving up cheese. But I love the home made nut cheese recipes that I will be sharing. All you need then is some great gluten free chips to serve up for dipping. For now though, check out these recipes for finger licking good gluten and dairy free party food:

$200 J.Crew Gift Card Giveaway

December 22, 2016 By Colleen 1 Comment

$200 J.Crew Gift Card Giveaway

Do you need some last minute winter gifts for yourself? We have joined with a group of great bloggers below to bring you this $200 J.Crew Gift Card Giveaway. One lucky reader will win this and start off their new year very happy! Enter on the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win. Good luck!

Co-hosts: Dorky’s Deals // Coupons and Freebies Mom // Jenns Blah Blah Blog // Pretty Thrifty // The Mommyhood Mentor® // Surviving Mommy // Bill Hiatt’s Education Website // Angie’s Angle // My Dairy Free Gluten Free Life // 21st & Main // Mommies with Cents // Finger Click Saver // Heartbeats ~ Soul Stains // Better on a Budget // Fashiony Fab // Misty Loves // Here We Go Again Ready // the color palette // Local Adventurer // SmartySaver // Daily Steps to Loving Life and Staying Calm in the Chaos. // Capri’s Coupons // Aphrodite + Kidd // Annie A to Z

Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck!

$200 J.Crew Gift Card Giveaway

Giveaway ends 1/5 and is open worldwide!

Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This blog did not receive compensation for the published material in this post. No purchase required to enter this giveaway and there is a limit of one entrant per household. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning are determined by the number of valid entries received. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be emailed via the email address used to enter the contest. New winner(s) will be chosen if original winner(s) has not responded within 48 hours of email notification. Oh My Gosh Beck is responsible for shipment of prize(s). This giveaway is not administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or other social media outlet. Disclaimer is posted in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Helping Leaky Gut Syndrome With Essential Oils

December 21, 2016 By Colleen 3 Comments

Helping Leaky Gut Syndrome With Essential Oils

So we’ve been talking alot about Leaky Gut Syndrome. It is caused when villi of the walls of your intestinal lining have been damaged which means they’re no longer doing their job which is allowing the right nutrients to be absorbed into your bloodstream and instead they are allowing nasty toxins and undigested compounds to enter. This causes your immune system to attack the body which then causes terrible symptoms. Did you know there are ways of helping leaky gut syndrome with essential oils?

IMPORTANT: If you are going to ingest any of these oils, as suggested. You need to make sure they are 100% pure oil, you can not ingest fragrance or perfume oils as they are toxic and will cause illness or even be dangerous. I can only recommend doTERRA Essential Oils for using internally.

Lavender Oil

One of the most used and gentle oils for helping treat leaky gut syndrome is lavender oil. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory and has a direct effect on the gut, take and put 1 to 2 drops of lavender oil into a glass of tea, water, or whatever you prefer every morning. It helps to heal the damaged villi and is very gentle on the intestinal lining, while also getting rid of the unwanted toxins with its antioxidant properties.

Rosemary Oil

Just like lavender oil, rosemary oil contains anti-inflammatory properties and is great with helping leaky gut syndrome. You take it just like you would the lavender oil, 1 to 2 drops in a glass of whatever you drink. You can take it in the morning or in the night, once a day. It will help your symptoms and allow nutrients to be absorbed into your bloodstream like they should be.

Frankincense Oil

Frankincense oil can help relieve any discomfort that you may have due to this syndrome. It helps with the digestion of food like digestive enzymes, which your body has a hard time doing when you have leaky gut syndrome. Again just add 1-2 drops of Frankincense essential oil into water or any drink you choose (not soda of course!) or you could add it to a tablespoon of honey.

There are so many ways to help treat leaky gut syndrome, these are just a few ways to help leaky gut syndrome with essential oils. Essential oils are amazing for just about anything and contain so many benefits. If you suffer from Leaky Gut Syndrome, I highly suggest you at least give these methods a try and see how much they can help.

Do you know of any other oils that can help treat leaky gut syndrome? If so share in the comments!

$200 Victoria’s Secret Gift Card Giveaway

December 20, 2016 By Colleen 1 Comment

$200 Victoria’s Secret Gift Card Giveaway

We have joined with this great group of bloggers to bring you this $200 Victoria’s Secret Gift Card Giveaway! Wouldn’t you love to have some extra cash to spend on yourself at VS? This is our way of saying Happy New Year! Enter on the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win! Good luck.

Co-hosts: Dorky’s Deals // Coupons and Freebies Mom // Jenns Blah Blah Blog // Pretty Thrifty // The Mommyhood Mentor® // Surviving Mommy // Bill Hiatt’s Education Website // Angie’s Angle // My Dairy Free Gluten Free Life // 21st & Main // Mommies with Cents // Finger Click Saver // Heartbeats ~ Soul Stains // Better on a Budget // Fashiony Fab // Misty Loves // Here We Go Again Ready // the color palette // Local Adventurer // SmartySaver // Daily Steps to Loving Life and Staying Calm in the Chaos. // Capri’s Coupons // Aphrodite + Kidd // Annie A to Z

Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck!

$200 Victoria’s Secret Gift Card Giveaway

Giveaway ends 1/3 and is open Worldwide!

Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Benefits of Cooking with an Instant Pot

December 19, 2016 By Colleen 11 Comments

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small fee to keep this blog running.

The Benefits of Cooking with an Instant Pot

The Instant Pot is the most advanced electric pressure cooker available. It is also a multifunctional programmable cooker that will do the job of seven appliances, including:

a slow cooker
a pressure cooker
a rice cooker
a steamer
a sauté pan
a yogurt maker
a keep-warm serving pot

Instant Pot is a great way to cook your food with the following results:

Up to 90 percent less cooking time
90 percent nutrient retention
Greater digestibility
Fewer harmful cooking byproducts

The Instant Pot will also produce some of the most succulent, flavorful and easy-to-make meals that you have ever enjoyed. I own an Instant Pot and love it. You will be seeing more IP recipes on this blog.

Check out this recipe for IP Salsa Chicken. You will want to make that one right away! You’ll be blown away how delicious a meal can be in such a short time with hardly any preparation.

You can also check out my review on the Instant Pot which includes Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili recipe from Chef AJ!

Here’s a look at some of the benefits of using an Instant Pot

1. It Provides Superior Nutrient Retention
Research has shown that the nutrients in our foods have declined dramatically due to a depletion of nutrients in our soil. When you combine that with other cooking methods, which drain your food of more nutrients, the result is that your meals don’t provide as much nutritional value as your body needs.

Researchers have found that pressure cooking is the best method for retaining the vitamins and minerals of your food that your body needs. Pressure cooking broccoli, for instance, will retain 90 percent of its vitamin C. Compared to boiling (66 percent retention) or steaming (78 percent), Instant Pot is the healthier option.

2. Reduces Health-Harming Compounds (Including Acrylamide, HCA’s, Lectins and Phytic Acid)
Because a pressure cooker basically uses steam, food stays moist. Your food is bathed in steam as it cooks so it is juicier and better tasting. It also helps to eliminate two cancer-causing compounds (acrylamide and heterocyclic amines) which are produced by other high-heat cooking methods.

If you’re concerned about lectins and phytic acid – two anti-nutrients in grains and legumes– the Instant Pot can help there too.

Studies show that when peas were soaked overnight and then boiled, their phytic acid was reduced by only 29 percent. But when they were soaked overnight and then pressure cooked, their phytic acid reduction was almost double (54 percent).

3. Helps Boost Digestibility
You may have heard, “You are what you eat.” But actually, you are what you absorb from your food. Boosting the digestibility of your food will maximize the nutritional value to your body. The combination of steam and pressure provided by the Instant Pot can make even the toughest meats moist and tender, which is the key to foods that your body can easily digest.

4. Saves Time and Money
As if all this wasn’t enough to get you on board with the Instant Pot, you will also save time and money.

You can cook a whole chicken in just half an hour, make a tender pot roast in less than 2 hours, cook a large squash in just 10 minutes and most other veggies in less than five.

The Instant Pot is a great addition to any kitchen. Once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it!

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

December 19, 2016 By Colleen 10 Comments

This recipe for Instant Pot Salsa Chicken will blow you away with how delicious a meal can be in such a short time with hardly any preparation.

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Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

Are you looking for a fast easy one pot dinner for tonight? We’ve got you covered if you have an Instant Pot. I have had an Instant Pot for awhile and thought it’s about time I start sharing some IP recipes with you. This fabulous home made recipe for Pico de Gallo was used in this recipe! Clean up is a cinch too. What are you waiting for? Start cooking!

Recipe for Salsa Chicken:

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Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

This recipe for Instant Pot Salsa Chicken will blow you away with how delicious a meal can be in such a short time with hardly any preparation.

Prep Time5

Cook Time8

Total Time13

Course: Main Course

Servings: servings

Calories: 166kcal

Author: My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of your favorite salsa or pico

Instructions

Trim and wash chicken breasts.
Add chicken breast and salsa/pico to Instant Pot. Save some Pico for fresh use.
Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
Quick release
Shred and serve over bed of rice with fresh Pico to top it off.

Notes

Nutritional values based on one serving

Nutrition

Homemade Pico de Gallo

December 19, 2016 By Colleen 4 Comments

This salsa called Pico de Gallo is also called salsa fresca. It is served with most Mexican dishes. I have grown to love this salsa over my eggs for breakfast! Once you start using it, you will find many uses for it and it’s so much better tasting made fresh with a squeeze of lime juice…mmmm. I also used it on an Instant Pot Salsa Chicken recipe- check it out!

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Homemade Pico de Gallo

Most people like their Pico hot or spicy. I can’t take much heat, I think it’s from all my german food growing up. I don’t think my mom ever cooked with a hot pepper. So depending on how much heat you like, will depend on the amount of jalapenos you use or if you will want something even hotter like ghost peppers. I put the hot peppers on the side and don’t even mix them into the salsa. My ears burn if I eat them!!

On thing you will want to have on hand for making salsas and other diced types of salads is the Vidalia Chop Wizard. It makes prep time for this a cinch! Just pop your fruits, veggies and even cheese on the grid and push the lid down. It has the container on the bottom to catch everything! So easy. Add all your chopped veggies in a bowl and just mix them up.

Recipe for Homemade Pico de Gallo:

This salsa called Pico de Gallo is also called salsa fresca. It is served with most Mexican dishes. I have grown to love this salsa over my eggs for breakfast!

Print Recipe

No ratings yet

Homemade Pico de Gallo

This salsa called Pico de Gallo is also called salsa fresca. It is served with most Mexican dishes. I have grown to love this salsa over my eggs for breakfast!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: cups

Calories: 76kcal

Author: My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life

Ingredients

2 lbs. Tomatoes finely diced.
1 Medium Onion finely diced
1-2 Seeded Jalapeno finely diced.
1 Cup Cilantro roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons Salt
Juice from 2 limes

Instructions

Mix tomatoes and salt in a large bowl, let set for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients, mix well.
Drain excess liquid before serving!

Notes

Nutritional values based on one cup

Nutrition

$500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

December 14, 2016 By Colleen 43 Comments

$500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Christmas is almost here and what better way to wish you Happy Holidays than to join with a group of great bloggers to offer one lucky winner a $500 Amazon Gift Card in this Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck!

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 1/13/17 and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.

Enter on the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top 15 Best Selling Health Products

December 14, 2016 By Colleen 2 Comments

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small fee to keep this blog running.

Top 15 Best Selling Health Products

So starting out this new year, we are looking at our health and how to improve it through our diets and lifestyle changes. This post today is to share with you the Top 15 Best Selling Health Products on Amazon! Check them out and maybe one will speak to you as being something you want to add to your health program for the year. Have fun looking them all over!

1. How Not to Die Hardcover Book

This book is all about teaching someone to use healthy lifestyle changes to improve their overall health, lose weight, and battle disease in a natural way. It relies heavily on eating a plant-based diet and the benefits of it.

2. NatureWise Green Coffee Bean Extract

The Green Coffee Bean Extract supplements by NatureWise help with weight loss and weight management. These supplements are vegan and gluten-free, and are a top best selling supplement for losing weight.

3. Whole 30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom

This is the Kindle version of the Whole 30 book, but there are paperback and hard cover versions of the book as well. This book teaches people how to do the Whole 30 diet and weight loss plan, which is extremely popular.

4. Ab Carver Pro

With fitness equipment and accessories, the Ab Carver Pro is one of the best-selling products on Amazon. This is $39.99 when buying ti new, and allows someone to work on their abdominal muscles form the comfort of their own home. It is small enough to fit anywhere, from a closet to underneath the bed.

5. California Home Goods Reusable Food Storage Containers

If you have readers that often do meal prepping and meal planning, these food storage containers are perfect. They are best sellers on Amazon and come with 10 containers that contain 3 compartments in each one. They can be used for kids’ lunches, work lunches, chopping veggies, and saving leftovers.

6. Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker

Fitbit is definitely one of the top-rated fitness trackers sold on Amazon. The Fitbit Alta model is a best selling product that includes an OLED tap display, tracking distance, steps, and calories burned, and has sleeping tracking as well.

7. Dead Sea Mud Mask

This is one of the top-rated masks on Amazon, providing a way for your readers to reduce wrinkles, clear up acne, and minimize their pores. The Dead Sea Mud Mask comes in a 8.8 ounce container and is ideal for improving their skin and complexion.

8. Start Where You Are: A Journal For Self-Exploration

Journaling is another important part of the health industry, both for physical and emotional health. This is a best selling journal on Amazon, providing blank pages for writing, along with some writing prompts for self improvement.

9. Mindfulness in Everyday Life

The Mindfulness in Everyday Life book is perfect for anyone working on self improvement, wanting to find peace, and learn how to meditate. It allows your readers to improves themselves through thinking only about the present moment.

10. Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser

Essential oils are often used in natural health remedies, whether dropped in a bathtub or mixed into homemade beauty products. Another way they can be used is in aromatherapy, helping with emotional stress, anxiety, depression, and many other issues. This is a best-selling oil diffuser on Amazon that works with essential oils for aromatherapy purposes. It contains LED colored lights in 7 different colors overall.

11. Himalayan Salt Lamp

Himalayan salt lamps are very popular for helping with anxiety, stress, depression, heart disease, fatigue, insomnia, and loads of other mental and physical health conditions. The WBM Himalayan salt lamp is hand-carved and includes a natural glow. It is 9 inches tall and weighs no more than 11 pounds.

12. Spiralizer Tri-Blade Vegetable Slicer

Using vegetables as pasta is getting popular in the health industry, both for cutting carbs and for diets like low-calorie, paleo, and keto. Spiralizer is the leading company for vegetable slicers that turn squash and zucchini into pasta. This one also makes other types of slices in vegetables.

13. Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook ‘N Carry

This slow cooker is perfect for bringing to potlucks and barbecues, or for making a healthy meal at home. Slow cookers allow you to save time by cooking your dinner during the day while running errands or working, and lets you make healthy meals at the same time.

14. NatureWise Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is essential to your physical health, but not everyone gets enough sunshine during the day. The next best thing is to take a supplement, such as this vitamin D supplement by NatureWise. It is organic and comes in a bottle with 360 pills.

15. Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale

Use this great little scale to help track your food intake as part of a basic diet and nutrition plan. Makes it so much easier to keep on target if you are wanting to lose weight.

Tropical Breakfast Protein Smoothie with Oriya Organics Plant Protein

December 12, 2016 By Colleen 6 Comments

Tropical Breakfast Protein Smoothie with Oriya Organics Plant Protein is a tasty and healthy way to start the day! Full of flavor and quick to make

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Tropical Breakfast Protein Smoothie with Oriya Organics Plant Protein

ABOUT THE COMPANY ORIYA PRODUCTS:

Oriya Organics is the family-owned maker of whole food, plant-based supplements that are 5 or less ingredients that are certified organic, non-GMO and vegan! The family began this company when they as athletes couldn’t find clean and organic plant based powder proteins for themselves so they developed this formulation for Oriya Products. They offer 2 products:

1. Oriya Organics 100% Plant Protein: 100% Plant Protein is exactly that – five bioavailable plant proteins: organic sprouted rice protein, organic hemp seed protein, organic sprouted chia seeds and two nutritionally dense greens – organic spirulina and organic chlorella – and nothing else

• 18 grams protein

• 100% organic, raw, vegan and non-GMO certified

• Recyclable container 21.2 oz. SRP

2.Oriya Organics 100% Greens: 100% Greens is simply four nutritionally dense greens: organic spirulina, organic chlorella, organic wheat grass and organic barley grass and that’s it. The first two ingredients are organic spirulina and organic chlorella, sea algae. Having algae as a simple-to-take supplement is powerful because they deliver a hefty nutritional punch –– over 50% protein by weight and are natural detoxifiers

• 99 mg chlorophyll

• 100% organic, raw, vegan and non-GMO certified

• Recyclable container 8.oz

WHERE TO FIND ORIYA PRODUCTS:

You can find Oriya Products at Whole Foods Markets, Central Market, Fiesta Nutrition, Brazos Natural & Tri-Health Foods. New store openings planned for the new year are at HEB & at Amazon.

Purchase Oriya Products Online in all lower 48 states and Canada at OriyaOrganics.com

Oriya is offering a Giveaway of their product!

Check out the Giveaway Here.

My Review:

I have tried many different Plant Protein powders to use for my morning smoothies. Not many meet my standards and my pickiness. I was pleasantly surprised with Oriya! When I opened the large container of plant protein which has a 5 on it, it was sort of greenish in color. I have not liked the flavors of protein drinks with spirulina so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mixed up the Oriya with some frozen peaches and frozen bananas and my homemade almond milk. I added a pod of cardamon which I love.

Let me say this protein powder was so delicious and smooth and fresh tasting! I LOVED it! I will continue to use it for my fruit smoothies. I really like the flavor it had. Whether it was the way they process their spirulina or that they use chlorella, I don’t know but the taste is refreshing and yummy!! This is the smoothest protein powder I have tried with no grit that I noticed. The photo below shows me getting the ingredients ready in my Blendtec. I just whizzed it on the whole foods cycle and in seconds I had a healthy breakfast that tasted delicious.

They also offer a 100% Greens product but I was so satisfied with their protein mix I know the greens will be great.

Tropical Breakfast Protein Smoothie

I love using Cardamon in breakfast smoothies. Cardamom is related to ginger and can be used in much the same way to counteract digestive problems. Use it to combat nausea, acidity, bloating, gas, heartburn, loss of appetite, constipation, and much more. This spice helps the body eliminate waste through the kidneys. It tastes wonderful and is such a great addition to a breakfast plan!