Raising the Bar - Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free (Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free)

Raising the Bar - Grain-Free and Refined Sugar-Free Bars is the theme for this round-up of Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free. Cookie bars are perfect for picnics and summer get togethers, they usually travel well and hold up to the summer heat better than an iced cake. So why not have a variety of grain-free and refined sugar-free ones to choose from? Sounds like bliss to me.

 

(Sorry to post so late, I was going to try to post before vacation but did not get a chance.)

 

 

 

 

Victoria of Gluten-Free SCD and Veggie brings her Apricot Slice. The perfect take along to any BBQ.  They are SCD and Paleo friendly. Her blog is also full of veggie dishes as well, one of my favorite blogs.

 

These Berry and Coconut Slices are also SCD and Paleo friendly.  Debbie of An Aussie with Crohn's,  has many other grain-free goodies, well worth a peek. 

 Mmm..Grain-Free, Vegan Carob Chunk Cookie Bars. Madison's Eating 4 Balance has a fun mix of recipes, life, and health topics.

These gorgeous morsels come from Lisa of Real Food Kosher. Her Cranberry Crumb Bars with Pecans and Rosemary look amazing.

 

 Summer is here and I wanted to have a no bake recipe: No Bake Macadamia Apricot Coconut Snack Bars.

I also have Coconut Lime Bars. They have a crispy shortbread crust with a lime curd filling.

I hope you enjoyed this round-up!

Be sure to check out For the Love of Food. Nooshin is hosting for August and the theme is fruit.
Last month was Primal Travel Food from Sunny of And Love it Too.

Lunch Gear

Being on a special diet means taking your food along with you quite often. I take my lunch to work each day and my son takes breakfast and lunch to school. I like having lots of useful gear on hand. No one has asked me to advertise this stuff, I have just found them useful. I love these Lunchopolis Lunch Kits. The most recent one cost $22.50 and that may sound expensive but it includes the lead-free insulated lunch tote, 4 containers with lids and a 15 oz. beverage bottle, all BPA free. Our blue model with green piping came with green containers and the brown with blue piping model came with blue containers. I found ours at the local Drug Emporium but they are also available online, info at Lunchopolis
The only thing missing is a silverware case. I don't like dirty silverware floating around my lunchbox and I worry a knife or fork is going to gouge it up.


The shape of the tote is perfect for holding two bento boxes and two beverages:


I found these adorable ice packs by Rubbermaid, at Target. I think they were $3.99 each. They are also handy to have on hand in the freezer in case of kitchen burns.

Do You Bento?

BentoMania has hit our household. As if we needed another disorder. Actually this one is fun! What is Bento? It's a Japanese lunchbox that Japanese mothers have turned into an art form (mine have yet to resemble art). It's "hipness" is beginning to catch on outside of Japan. For those of us with children on special diets, with food allergies or picky eating (my child has all three), Bento boxes can be a great way to make lunchtime fun. It's also a great way to send your child off with a healthy lunch. My child is in preschool through the regular school system, so he eats breakfast and lunch in a cafeteria full of kids. Like many parents, I worry about him feeling left out. Since he's been bringing his food in Bento boxes, many of the children are interested in his food. He seems to like the attention and his teacher reports he eats better.

The actual bento box itself does not need to be anything fancy. It's the accessories that make it so fun: Cutters to make food into fun shapes. Little bowls and cups to separate foods. Small, colorful "Mayo" cups with lids for condiments, syrups and dips. Dividers with cartoon characters. Charming picks to make fruit, veggie, cheese or meat kabobs. Egg molds to mold peeled hardboiled eggs into hearts, bunnies and cars. Rice molds (Rice is not SCD legal). Bread Molds, and the list goes on. Bento's aren't just for children. They also make nice boxes and accessories for adults. We can have fun too, right?

There are books and blogs full of fun ideas. I have listed some articles, places to shop and blogs. The blogs are my favorite. They are full of ideas, but they also show the most important ingredient you can put into your child's lunch: LOVE.

Bento Articles:

Bento Boxes Win Lunch Fans by the New York Times

An Online Bento Evolution by Adventures in Bento Making

Bento-style boxes are just right for kids' lunchesby The Dallas News

The Bento Box Boom by Gourmet Magazine

Bento Boxes and Supplies (Many Bento Blogs Also Have Amazon Stores)

Bento Crazy

From Japan with Love

Sugar Charms

My Sweet Muffin

A Few Bento Blogs & Sites:

Another Lunch

Maisie Eats Bento

What's for Lunch at Our House

Cooking for Monkeys

Happy Little Bento

Eating in a Box

The GFCF Bento