Cheesey Sunflower Crackers (SCD)

In honor of Autism Awareness month these crackers are puzzle shaped. I ordered these adorable shape cutters from the Amazon store on Melissa's Another Lunch blog.

This recipe is right out of Dana Carpender's 500 Low-Carb Recipes. It's been one of our favorite cracker recipes and can beat any prepackaged cracker. I pre-soaked and dried the sunflower seeds for better digestibility.

1 1/2 cups Sunflower Seeds, raw and shelled
6 oz Cheddar Cheese, grated (I use Alta Dena's Goat Cheese, cheddar style)
1/2 teas. Salt, plus more for tops
1/4 cup water
Chili Powder or
Coriander and Paprika
Dried Parsley, optional

Two cookie sheets, three pieces of parchment paper cut to size of cookie sheets, rubber spatula

To improve digestibility I place sunflower seeds in a mixing bowl and cover with water. Let sit 8 hours or overnight. Rinse very well. Place in a dehydrator and dry at 125 degrees for about two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add sunflower seeds to food processor and pulse until very fine and flour-like. Add cheese and salt and pulse a few times to combine. Add 1/4 cup of water and pulse until mixture forms a ball. I pat into two balls, placing each between two sheets of parchment paper and rolling out to a thin wafer thickness. Peel off top paper and sprinkle with salt and chili powder (or coriander and paprika). Sprinkle with dried parsley (optional). Score into squares with a spatula. Bake about 30 minutes, checking after 25 minutes. Let cool before breaking into squares.

Turning 1

It's my blogivesary today. One year ago I posted my first recipe. To celebrate we're taking a vacation to Fort Worth. Just kidding. My husband has a yearly business trip and we tag along to see the sites and go shopping. I usually make a trip to The Nut Vending Company for hazelnuts, dates, almonds, etc.

What I would love to know is any requests you may have. Are there types of recipes you would like to see more of? Some favorites you would like to see converted to the SCD (no promises but I'll try)? Any recommendations?

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

Rutabaga Chips (SCD Advanced, GFCF)

I'm really beginning to believe that if you don't like a particular vegetable, it's just because you simply have yet to have it prepared the right way. I would not have expected the rutabaga, a large homely lump, to make an outstanding chip. It has a great crunch with a hint of sweetness to it.

A rutabaga or two
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Good knife, cutting board and a mandolin (or similar device) for slicing

Rutabagas have a waxy coat on them and they are tough buggers to cut. Cut the rutabaga in half, then cut off the waxy coating. I used a mandolin to slice them. First I used the very thin setting, which made thin strips that crinkled when fried. They were very crunchy and sweet, but if you are wanting to use them for dip you need them thicker.

Then I sliced some with the thicker setting. They were not as sweet (a hint of sweetness), but they were sturdy enough for dips.

Heat enough oil, in a deep pan or fry daddy, and drop in some of the chips. The trick is to watch them close, you want to get them out as soon as you see a hint of browning. They get too browned easily at this point. You may want to do a couple small trials before frying larger batches. They get crisper after they cool and can stay crisp up to three days.

Note for those on the SCD, Elaine warned to try these cautiously, they are very fibrous.

Easter Bouquet

This lovely bunch of flowers was freshly picked by my four year old.