Blog - My DairyFree GlutenFree Life

Guess Affair Dome Travel Bag Giveaway ARV $137.20

October 17, 2015 By Colleen 27 Comments

My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life has joined with Sponsor: BrandGear and Host: Canada US Win and Save to bring you a wonderful Travel giveaway featuring this Guess Affair Dome Travel Bag.

Guess Affair Dome Travel Bag

Women with style will want to travel with this oversized Guess® tote ARV 137.00; This Guess Affair Dome Travel Bag has the subtle Iconic Guess® emblem print and premium materials. Zippered main compartment includes both a padded computer pocket that holds most 15″ laptops and dedicated padded pocket for your iPad, tablet or eReader.

Main compartment also features additional pockets for your smartphone and other belongings. Zippered front pocket and zippered bottom front pocket. Five metal bottom feet. Rear trolley pass-through. Detachable, adjustable padded shoulder strap. 7″ handle drop height with vinyl snap wrap. Includes Guess vinyl identification tag for decorating. Signature Guess hardware, lining and print.

Make sure you check out Canada US Win and Save’s Review of a gorgeous guess bag!

BrandGear is an amazing Canadian Company that ships to other countries. This amazing Canadian company has HIGH end product for reasonable prices!

BrandGear is offering ONE fan a chance to win a Guess Affair Dome Travel Bag!

Rules:

USA/Can 18+
no Quebec (Sorry guys)
ends Nov 16/15
one person per household
person has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen.
Facebook, twitter, pinterest etc is NOT reasonable or liable for this post or prize in anyway.

BrandGear Guess Bag Giveaway

Disclaimer: This blog and any participating blogs 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. This blog and other participating bloggers are not responsible for shipment of prize(s). Sponsor(s) are responsible for all shipping costs related to 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.

First Aid Kit Giveaway

October 15, 2015 By Colleen 14 Comments

First Aid is big on my list to prepare for. Too many things can happen living in the country and I like to have things on hand to at least bind up a wound even if I should need to head to the Emergency Room. I knew someone last week who was using a rotary cutter for fabric and took the side of her finger off. They could have been better prepared for using a pressure bandage, they ended up going to the ER after the bleeding finally stopped the next day!

Are you prepared for even the smallest emergency? What if you were to get a pretty good paper cut that had a little bit of bleeding? Maybe you scraped your knee while riding an amusement park ride? The little one got some boo boo’s while you were camping?

You need a first aid kit! Everyone should have one, even it is a small one like the one being given away by A Medic’s World. Tom was a Paramedic for almost 25 years. He loved what he did, and having to be prepared for anything has always been something Tom from A Medic’s World carried with him everyday.

So now he is sharing a chance for you to win one of two first aid kits so that you can be prepared for anything as well. These are perfect to put in the glove box of your car, keep it on a boat, attach it with the clip to your backpack while hiking or camping, or maybe pack it in your carry on, or your suitcase while you travel.

Rules are simple. Use your full name in the giveaway widget to enter. Open to residents of the US and Canada (except Quebec) 18 years of age or older. A Medic’s World is responsible for prize delivery. Participating blogs are not responsible for prizes, nor were compensated in any way for this post. Winner(s) will have 24 hours to respond to winning email, or another winner(s) will be selected.

What is in the kit? it is a 29 Piece Waterproof ABS Case Kit that includes: Carabiner, Sting Relief Pad, 3 Antiseptic Towelettes, 2 Alcohol Prep Pad, 16 3/4″x3″ Bandages, Knuckle Bandage, Knee/Elbow Bandage, 2 Adhesive Strip, 2″x2″ Sterile Gauze Pad.

Enter the giveaway below!

Entry -Form

$25 Gift Card Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop

October 14, 2015 By Colleen 1 Comment

I’ve joined up with Hosts Planet Weidknecht and LeahSay’s Views in this Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop!

This event is live Oct 15, 2015 at 12:01a.m. EST until Oct 31, 2015 at 11:59p.m. EST. Open WorldWide.

With Halloween approaching, a spooky holiday giveaway would be fun…better yet, lots of giveaways! Check out the list of giveaways below and hop on down the list and enter all the giveaways! Each blogger is giving away prizes valued $25 or more, so there’s lots of ghoulish goodies to be won! Will it be a Trick or a Treat? Good Luck & Happy Halloween!

My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life is giving a $25 Gift Card to one lucky reader and it is Winners Choice of Gift Card! Enter on the Rafflecopter below, then check the other giveaways below and get to hopping.

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. My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life is responsible for all shipping costs related to 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.

The Benefits of Hippotherapy for Autism

October 14, 2015 By Colleen 8 Comments

The Benefits of Hippotherapy for Autism

Hippotherapy is growing in popularity among the various treatment options for autism. It refers to using equine therapy to help children and adults who have autism. The connection they form with the animals is producing positive results.

The American Hippotherapy Association mentions that this type of treatment is usually part of an overall care plan to help those who have autism. Both parents and children notice the impact of horseback riding. The benefits include a greater connection to animals, better social skills, improved behavior and skill development.

The combination of using professionals who focus on treating autism patients during hippotherapy can produce even more benefits. Trained professionals can customize the horseback riding experience for each child and create an individual plan. Instead of a typical office setting, these professionals incorporate nature into the treatment plan. This allows for a different sensory experience that can help children and adults with autism overcome various challenges.

The benefits of hippotherapy differ for each person, but better coordination and balance is often seen in children. In addition, horseback riding can help them appreciate animals and can build strong bonds. Parents and caretakers often mention that hippotherapy improves their ability to follow directions and listen to others.

Equine therapy offers more than simple horseback riding. It allows children and adults to learn how to care for the animals and get involved in the grooming process. This creates the opportunity for different therapy lessons that do not feel tedious or boring. Plus, it gives children and adults with autism the chance to learn new skills.

Hippotherapy can be an effective alternative treatment for many autism cases. However, it is important to let the children or adults with autism explore the new experience without pushing them. They need to connect with the horses and feel comfortable, so they do not feel fear or hesitation.

KitchenAid® Precision Press Coffee Maker Giveaway

October 14, 2015 By Colleen 43 Comments

If you have been checking my posts about the International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC), you will know that this KitchenAid® Precision Press Coffee Maker was a gift from KitchenAid for those of us bloggers who went on their excursion in September. You can read more about the IFBC excursion and get a fabulous recipe we enjoyed here.

I know that most all the bloggers who were on the excursion went gaga over this generous, fabulous gift. But since I am not a coffee drinker, I thought this would be a perfect gift!

So, My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life and a group of my blogger friends have joined together to share this fantastic giveaway with you! One very lucky reader will win a KitchenAid® Precision Press Coffee Maker valued at $149.99!

ABOUT the KitchenAid® Precision Press Coffee Maker

Integrated Scale and Timer:
To weigh coffee grounds and water independently in one carafe for precise ratio and brew time.

Dual Wall, Stainless Steel Construction:
Retains heat, ensuring proper extraction and optimal flavor.

Additional Features:
Soft Grip Handle
Comfortable and easy to use.
Sleek Profile
Streamlined design reduces countertop clutter.
Cordless Design

Enter for your chance to win on the Rafflecopter below and make sure to read the rules before you enter.

KitchenAid® Precision Press Coffee Maker Giveaway Rules:

Open to US only.
Winners will be chosen at random through Random.org.
Giveaway ends October 29, 2015 at 11:59pm ET.
Winner will be notified via email.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.
My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life is responsible for prize fulfillment.
Must be 18 years or older to enter.
Only one entrant per household.
Void where prohibited.
Entering this giveaway means you agree to terms above.
Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This blog and any participating blogs did not receive compensation for the published material in this post. No purchase required to enter this giveaway. Odds of winning are determined by the number of valid entries received. 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.

Slow Roast with Red Wine Sauce Recipe

October 12, 2015 By Colleen 30 Comments

Looking for an amazing main dish that will please even the pickiest of eaters? This Slow Roast with red wine sauce is perfect! Sauces and rubs help make the flavor of a roast extra special and more delicious than ever. My friend Becky is sharing her very favorite recipe below! Try it and let me know what you think!

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Slow Roast With Red Wine Sauce

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Slow Roast with red wine sauce Recipe

Prep Time20

Cook Time8

Total Time8 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Roast

Servings:

Calories: 269kcal

Author: My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life

Ingredients

Injection Ingredients:

16 oz beef joint
¼ cup red wine
¼ cup beef stock
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Kansas City style dry rub:

½ cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked sea salt
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp onion salt
Serve with your favorite vegetable and baked or mashed potatoes. Enjoy.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Mix ingredients together, and with an injector, inject into a 5-6 pound roast on all sides until all of the sauce is used.
After the roast has been injected, rub it all over with olive oil.
Mix dry rub ingredients together and rub all over the roast.
Place the roast into a roasting pan with a rack, and slowly roast it in the oven for about 8 hours.
When done, remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one serving

Nutrition

Serve with your favorite vegetable and baked or mashed potatoes. Enjoy.

This recipe is provided by Becky Fowler (DIL) who cooks dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free for her son. Becky has 2 small children and loves to sew and crochet in her spare time and can be found at Sew Need It. You can request specific items you would like sewn or crocheted for yourself, friends or family gifts!

My Thoughts About the International Food Blogger Conference

October 8, 2015 By Colleen 3 Comments

I recently returned home to Alaska after spending a wonderful weekend in Seattle at the International Food Blogger Conference ( IFBC ) September 18-20, 2015! I was overwhelmed with all the opportunities for learning this conference had to offer! I couldn’t take part in all the classes because we had to choose between 3 classes offered at the same time, but the ones I did attend I learned so much from. The classes were only 1 hour long however, and I could have used a longer class for many of the topics.

The one thing I learned from this conference was to be myself! Blogging about food is such a personal experience and being myself will shine through in my posts. I am hoping to be more personal and share more of myself with you! But that means you have to share back with me in comments! I want to hear what you have to say too. Now on to more about what happened at the IFBC!

Friday, to begin the IFBC, there were choices for going on an excursion. Just look at the list of possible excursions for Friday afternoon, unfortunately all were presented at the same time from 1-4 pm so you could only choose one and I chose the KitchenAid and Sur La Table excursion. I have written about the KitchenAid and Sur La Table Excursion in Seattle with IFBC and you can check it out. The excursions were a small fee extra and there were so many to choose from:

Discover the World of Tea with Teavana
Miele Presents: International Food Flair
Chef’n Presents: An Exclusive Look at Chef’n
Sansaire Presents : Sansaire Sous Vide Adventure
KitchenAid® and Sur La Table: Enhancing Recipe Preparation
After the optional Excursions, the Taste of Seattle Grand Opening Reception & Gift Suite began on Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday were filled with wonderful classes, but there were 3 classes offered for each time slot. You could only choose one class. We had a few breakout sessions that everyone could attend and learn from which were:

Saturday 9AM – Anolon presents Kim Severson, Keynote speaker
Saturday 2PM – Writing, Food Photography and Prop Styling
For the time frames where we had a choice of 3 classes, I chose to attend the following classes:

Saturday 10 AM Class choices:

How to Create Standout Holiday Content by Anolon, Krusteaz Hands-on Cookie Swap or Teavana. I chose Teavana

Teavana’s Session

I am a tea lover! I just loved the class Teavana provided. We were treated to touching, smelling, tasting the wonderful world of loose leaf teas! My favorite hot tea was the Monkey Picked Oolong. But I am a real Oolong tea lover! The Strawberry Grapefruit Xue Long was brewed hot then poured over ice and served cold. OH man was that good! I will be having a giveaway soon for some really cool tea accessories!

Saturday 11:30 AM Class choices:

What Do You Do After You Hit Publish?, Honing the Craft and Stop Motion Food Photography which I chose.

Stop Motion Food Photography

Since I know nothing about photography this class was chock full of so much info that I had a hard time taking it all in. I did learn some great tricks to taking still photos. I wonder if Todd Coleman will offer beginners photo classes for future conferences.

Saturday 3:30 PM Class choices:

Bubbles and Bites by Franciacorta, Curriculamb 101: From Pasture to Plate or Wine education by Colcannon Vineyard & Winery. I chose Bubbles and Bites by Franciacorta.

Bubbles and Bites: Why Sparkling Wine is the Best Food Wine by Franciacorta

Franciacorta convinced me that sparkling wines go with anything! We had 6 varieties of sparkling wine to sample and with each sample they paired it with food. Let’s just say, I hope they come back next year! The StoneBurner Restaurant prepared the foods paired for the wine which were wonderful! However I have to say NO to Oysters just couldn’t do it. But from the reaction of those in the room it was very good. I loved the Chanterelles and Gnocchi! Everyone had the choice if wanted to try one of these exquisite pairings with their sparkling wine. I couldn’t eat all the pairings but what a treat for those who could. And I surprised myself and my whole family by actually having the Spearfish crudo below! I’m not one for sushi but this pairing was fantastic!

Taylor Shigoku Oysters with fresh wasabi and olive oil

Spearfish ( Hebi ) crudo, finger limes and alleppo pepper

Dungeness crab, shredded granny smith apple and pistachio

Chanterelles and cauliflower pasada on piadine

Air-cured country ham on homemade biscuit

Perigord truffle butter gnocchi

Sunday 9 AM class choices:

Essential Ingredients of a Word Press Site, The Plan and The Pitch and Food Trends, How to Identify and Use Them To Your Blog’s Advantage. I chose WordPress.

Essential Ingredients of a WordPress Site by WordPress

Having never had any formal lessons on a computer, I learned so much from the WordPress guru’s. So much was covered in only an hour! I took notes as fast as I could. I think I want to take some formal classes now that they inspired me so much. I love being able to do some of the internal stuff myself.

The following classes I wasn’t able to attend because I had to get a flight back home. The classes that were offered for choice were:

Sunday 10 AM Class choices: Cooking with Cannabis OR Hungry for Words: Journalism 101 for Food Bloggers

Sunday 11:30 AM Class: Food Photography with Christopher Testani

Now for My Thoughts on the International Food Blogger Conference: I should have planned to allow the full day Sunday for classes! I would LOVE to attend the International Food Blogger Conference 2016 but mid summer isn’t a good time for us Alaskans. We have such a short summer and growing season that I would never be able to leave for the time I would want to put into the next conference I attend. I am looking forward to 2017! I have experienced so many new things and met so many great bloggers, I just loved this conference. I will plan on attending in the future, I just hope it won’t be scheduled for mid-summer next time.

NoBake Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

October 7, 2015 By Colleen 62 Comments

I am with the Yum Squad! They represent the Peanut Butter & Co have all natural peanut butters of all flavors! I am going to share this yummy recipe for NoBake Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with you!

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NoBake Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Last month the Peanut Butter & Co came out with a new flavor, Pumpkin Spice. Peanut Butter & Co is celebrating “Oatober” this October with Bob’s Red Mill! For this celebration I made Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter, Oatmeal NoBake Cookies to share with you! Below is a photo of the Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter I used along with Bob’s Red Mill Organic Gluten Free Oats.

These cookies are NO BAKE! My husband says they taste more like a dairy free fudge candy and loves it, saying they are really sweet. The Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter gives the cookie, candy just a hint of spice. It is not overpowering at all and the great chocolate flavor & yummy oats definitely shine through. I think you could pour this finished batter into a pan and cut little fudge cubes after it cools, to serve if you wanted to. The recipe is below but I will show you the photo below of how I brought it to boil for only 1 minute. Then removed it from heat and added the Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter and the oats.

After the oats were added I poured the cookies onto foil to cool. The chocolate mixture was smooth in texture, not grainy or gritty and the oats made it nicely chewy. A great cookie for the holiday season and to enjoy the spices of fall.

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Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies - NO Bake

I am going to share this yummy recipe for NoBake Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with you!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time11

Course: No Bake Cookies

Cuisine: Dessert

Servings:

Calories: 166kcal

Author: My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life

Ingredients

2 cups sugar regular white sugar works best
½ cup non dairy milk of your choice almond or soy Rice is a bit too thin
3 Tbsp powdered cocoa
¼ lb non-dairy margarine
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup Pumpkin Spice peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co could substitute sunflower butter and add pumpkin spice
¼ tsp salt
1 3/4 cup Bob's Red MillOatmeal gluten-free ( ground up so they are finer )

Instructions

Cook the sugar, milk, cocoa and margarine in a saucepan to a rolling boil, stirring continually for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well and drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper; let harden
Then enjoy!

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one cookie

Nutrition

Probiotics Offer Peanut Allergy Sufferers Hope for a Cure

October 7, 2015 By Colleen 5 Comments

Probiotics Offer Peanut Allergy Sufferers Hope for a Cure

The yogurt in your fridge may be an important part of the quest to find a cure for those who suffer from a peanut allergy. Probiotics, commonly found in yogurt and other products, offer hope for a new treatment. Scientists from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute have developed an immunotherapy process to help.

Probiotics and Peanuts

The researchers from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute focused on creating an immunotherapy treatment that could potentially cure peanut allergies. Immunotherapy refers to a process that involves giving patients small amounts of the item they are allergic to and increasing the item slowly. The goal is to change how the immune system reacts to the item. During a study that lasted for 18 months, children with peanut allergies were given the new immunotherapy treatment. The first group received the peanut protein with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The control group took a placebo. In the end, scientists found that 80 percent of the children who received the actual treatment were now able to tolerate peanuts. On the other hand, 4 percent of the children who received the placebo were now able to tolerate peanuts.

Hope and Caution

Immunotherapy remains a controversial treatment because people with extreme allergies may have a serious reaction during the process. There are also questions about long-term benefits and other risk factors. Researchers caution people against trying to replicate the study at home. The amount of Lactobacillus rhamnosus used in the study is significantly higher than a person could consume from just eating yogurt. It is estimated a person would have to eat 44 pounds of yogurt a day to copy the amount. In addition, researchers are worried about people trying DYI concoctions that lead to serious allergic reactions. Although more research is needed, peanut allergy sufferers have new hope for a cure. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute is already planning another study. The researchers hope to track the long-term removal and addition of peanuts.

SOURCE:

https://www.mcri.edu.au/news/new-oral-therapy-could-provide-treatment-peanut-allergies

How to Get Started With Meal Planning

October 6, 2015 By Colleen 11 Comments

How to Get Started With Meal Planning

All this week are are going to look at meal planning! Maybe you are a free spirit and just eat what and when you feel like it. But meal planning is a great way to save time and money, and be less stressed when it comes time to feed your family. If you can get the kids involved, even better!

I like to leave weekends kind of like a “free for all” – so I just plan five meals. Lunch is usually sandwiches, soups, or leftovers. Breakfast is similar, with just a few foods we like to rotate, so the main meal planning is for dinner meals.

Gather your resources. If you need recipes, there are many sources you can gather them from. I personally enjoy looking through cook books and cooking magazines. Browse your favorite blogs (and Pinterest!) to find new recipes to try. Only try a few new recipes a week, max. Include tried and true recipes in your meal planning so you don’t get too overwhelmed.

Save recipes by keeping it simple – have one binder (not several loose papers floating around), and one Pinterest board. These should hold all of your meal planning ideas. I like to do it this way because after a few weeks, I’ll circle back around and use the same menu again.

Write it all down. Whether you use a chalkboard in the kitchen, a calendar that you jot all the meal ideas down on, or an online calendar of some sort, it all needs to be in black and white so you aren’t wasting time trying to figure out what’s for dinner at 5 o’clock!

Inventory what you already have on-hand. Check the freezer and the pantry, and make a note of items that need to be used.

Use local ads to save even more money. See what’s on sale, and what you can ad match. Try to include these items in your menu plan for the week. Create your grocery list around the sale ads, and divide by aisle or section to save time while shopping. Stock up on proteins that are super low priced.

In the spirit of saving money, use recipes that overlap ingredients. If you only need 1/2 head of lettuce for one meal, the next night’s meal could be a different recipe that utilizes the other half. Or, you could use the other half for lunches.

Pick a theme – like “Taco Tuesdays” or “Meatless Mondays”. It’s fun, and it makes meal planning that much easier.

If you know you’re going to be busy one evening, plan to eat leftovers or perhaps a Crock Pot meal. Keep it simple so you don’t go too far off track, even when life gets in the way (as it always tends to do!).

If you eat meat, be sure to pull it out of the freezer the night before so you don’t have an “oh no!” moment right before dinner.

Since I know that everyone here doesn’t eat all one way, I will be sharing the following free printable 7 day meal plans ( including recipes ):

Gluten Free

Dairy-Free Gluten-Free

Gluten-Free Vegan

Free printable 7 day menu plans (including recipes) along with other info for each type of eating coming. Keep tuned!

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