Chocolate Pomegranate Buckini Bites.

Makes: 12

Suitable for:

Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free, refined sugar free, low fructose, egg free, nut free, paleo, vegetarian and vegan people, raw foodists and followers of the Feingold (low salicylate) diet.

Conscious Content:

Pomegranate Layer –

·      2 Tbs Pomegranate Powder

·      3 Tbs Coconut Oil

·      2 Tbs Rice Malt Syrup

·      4 Tbs Desiccated Coconut

·      4 Tbs Plain Buckinis

·      10 drops Stevia

Chocolate Layer –

·      2 Tbs Raw Cacao Powder

·      2 Tbs Xylitol (or sweetener of choice)

·      2 Tbs Cacao Butter

·      2 Tbs Coconut Paste

The Creative Phase:

1.     If it is summer the coconut oil will be a clear liquid. If it is not already melted or close to liquid you will need to melt it (to make it raw, sit the coconut oil in a bowl and place it on top of a larger bowl containing very hot water).

2.    Mix wet and dry pomegranate layer ingredients separately, then combine.

3.    Divide pomegranate mixture evenly into a 12 piece muffin tray (each hole should be about 4.5 cm across). Push mixture down firmly until flat and dense.

4.    Refrigerate Pomegranate mixture whilst making chocolate.

5.    Melt the cacao butter (to make it raw, sit the cacao butter in a bowl and place it on top of a larger bowl containing very hot water).

6.    Combine chocolate layer ingredients. In summer if the oil from the coconut paste has separated, make sure you use the paste below or combine well first.

7.     Dividing chocolate mixture evenly, spoon it on top of the pomegranate mixture until totally covering the pomegranate layer, and return to the fridge.

8.    When chocolate hardens, pop out the bites and enjoy their chewy, crunchy goodness.

The Ingredient Low Down.

These ingredients are not only tasty, but packed with health benefits.

Pomegranate Powder: Full of beneficial phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals (especially potassium and vitamin C among others), pomegranate powder is one of those awesome tasting and versatile superfoods that are great to add to your diet in a variety of ways. I use the Navitas Natural brand, which you can order on iherb if you can’t find it in the shops.

Coconut (desiccated, oil, and paste): Don’t get me started! I’ve written three blog posts on the miraculous coconut, so I obviously think it’s absolutely incredible. It’s contains the ‘good’ type of fat, so enjoy.

Raw Cacao: Ok, so you know how every now and then you hear people say chocolate is good for you, to justify their Tim Tam craving? Well of course there is some truth to this, it’s just that good quality raw dark chocolate and the junk full of refined sugar, dairy and artificial gunk are like chalk and cheese. The healthy bit is the raw cacao bean, which when separated makes cacao powder and cacao butter.  Raw cacao has extremely high levels of antioxidants, fiber, a wide range of minerals such as magnesium, iron, chromium, manganese, zinc and copper, as well as vitamin C and essential omega-6 fatty acids. It also contains PEAs (the love chemicals), anandamide (a feel good endorphin), as well as tryptophan and serotonin (mood enhancing nutrients), so it’s no wonder people love chocolate! Once heated though, the fats in cacao become rancid and the nutrients are damaged. So eat your chocolate raw my friends.

Buckinis: As with my coconut and cacao products, I use Loving Earth Buckinis. These crunchy little gems are actually gluten free seeds, and have no relation to wheat at all. They are activated (soaked, washed, rinsed and dehydrated at low temperatures), which improves digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Sweeteners (rice syrup, stevia and xylitol): I have used a variety of sweeteners in this recipe for a reason. I needed some type of sticky syrup to hold my pomegranate layer together, and in my opinion brown rice syrup is the healthiest option, predominantly because it is fructose free and low in salicylates. However, it is still essentially sugar and should be eaten in moderation. By adding some stevia it meant that I did not have to use too much syrup to get the right amount of sweetness. Stevia is probably the healthiest sweetener, but I find it’s taste not as pleasant unless combined with another sweet ingredient, so with the rice syrup it’s perfect. I used xylitol in the chocolate layer because it is one of my favourite sugar replacements. It is derived from either birch trees (my preferred option) or corn, and is low GI, contains less calories than sugar, does not feed candida in the gut, and fights tooth decay. The only thing to be aware of is that it is not good for those with IBS or people on the FODMAPS diet.  Feel free to replace it with another sweetener if you prefer.

I wish you much enjoyment making and eating these yummy bites. My 6 year old son Ethan, one of the world’s fussiest sweet treat connoisseurs, has given them his tick of approval, and I hope you do too.

May you be full of beans and healthy treats,

Carla.

Catering for dietary restrictions at kids’ parties: 10 hot tips.

A dairy, soy, gluten and sugar-free "ice-cream cake" replacement.

One of the hardest times for a child with allergies, intolerances or other dietary restrictions has to be party time. More than anything else, a party is judged from a child’s perspective by the sheer amount of cake, lollies and other goodies that can be devoured before you feel sick. Of course, as food sensitivities become more common, many parents kindly provide some allergy friendly alternatives, but this can’t be relied upon. And simply turning up and hoping for the best isn’t really a viable idea, unless you want to run the risk of your child leaving the party hungry and upset. To make parties more fun for everyone, I’ve compiled a few tips to help your child enjoy their friends’ celebrations without feeling left out or ill.

1. ·      The first thing I do when I receive an invitation is always to contact the party parent and ask what food is being provided. Is it home made or from packets? What are the ingredients? If food is being catered, call the relevant organisation and ask them the same questions. You might think you’ll be perceived as a pain, but I have always found people to be very understanding. You aren’t asking them to change anything, just to let you know what your child can eat, so that you can plan ahead. Once they know your child’s needs though, they may even be more mindful in their catering and include some allergy friendly options.
2. ·      Now that you know what party food they can eat, you know how much of a gap there is to fill. You can’t be expected to recreate the menu exactly, but often there are a few simple and common party foods that can easily be made allergy friendly and/or healthier. For example, fairy bread is never in my experience dairy and soy free. Apart from the butter, the bread will almost always have dairy or soy in it. So I often make my own version for Ethan, which looks the same but wont make him sick. Even better, I get to use my lovely Hoppers hundreds and thousands that are made without artificial colours and flavours. The more similar you can make the replacements to the original, the less left out and different your child will feel. Hence, the importance of asking what’s on the menu and planning ahead.
3. ·      Sometimes other children will have similar food requirements and you can take it in turns with their parents to make supplementary party food. This is not always the case, but if your child does happen to have a classmate with allergies it might be worth teaming up with their parents. If nothing else, it’s always beneficial to have another person in a similar situation to bounce ideas off.
4. ·      Allergies or not, it’s always helpful to fill your child up with a healthy meal before they go to a party. That way there’s less desperation involved when the food comes out. And importantly, they will be more able to control themselves around foods they aren’t allowed to eat.
5. ·      For younger children, it’s a good idea to be present when food is being eaten. That way you can do any last minute packet checking, give them their replacements, steer them clear of foods they can’t have and remind them of any other limits you’ve put in place. As they get older of course they will have to learn to make sensible choices without you, but when they are young, they will need some adult guidance. If you can’t be there, perhaps ask another adult to supervise who will be able to make sure they choose wisely.
6. ·      Cake is rarely free of the major allergens such as gluten and dairy, but may well be fine if the problem food isn’t a common cake ingredient (such as nuts). Asking, as always, is the key. I always make sure I bring my own allergy friendly cake, because that’s one part of the party kids really don’t want to miss out on. I make a big cake, chop it up, and freeze individually wrapped pieces until I need them. This is an awesome time saver.
7. ·      Tell your child before the party what they can have so there’s no uncertainty or upset at the time. I always spell out exactly not just what they will be allowed, but how much. Just because the marshmallows don’t have dairy and soy doesn’t mean I’ll let Ethan eat the whole bowl! Then let them know what replacements you have brought so they know what to expect and that there are options for them.
8. ·      Party bags are usually full of lollies, many of which are out of packets, thus providing no list of ingredients. What I tend to do is bring a few little toys and maybe one acceptable food item to replace the party bag lollies. I ask the parents for the bag during the party and do any necessary swapping whist they’re playing. That way the bag looks the same, but the contents are different (unless of course you have an enlightened parent who has only put toys in the bag).
9. ·      When it’s your child’s party it’s nice to make sure you cater for others dietary needs too, as what goes a round comes around. Also, it’s really lovely to see kids who are not used to being provided for be able to eat the same as everyone else. Not to mention what a lovely break it is for their parents not to have to worry about what their children are eating.
10. ·      Although allergies and intolerances can be annoying, sometimes it actually helps our children to be healthier. It means we do have to look at ingredients and consider what our kids are eating, rather than just assuming they can have a free for all of refined junk every time there’s a party. Children need to be educated about food, and this includes party food. Yes it’s ok to have treats every now and again, but these are not everyday foods and there are limits. And when party food makes Ethan bounce off the walls I point this out to him, because I want him to make the connection between what you eat and how you feel. It’s not something you’ll find in a pass-the-parcel, but knowledge about food and its affect on your mind and body is one of the most important gifts you can give your child.

Ethan’s Healthy Blog Post: a 6 year olds views on food.

When I told my son Ethan that I was writing a blog he wanted to know if he could write something too (well I think he meant dictate to me as he can’t write yet). So I thought why not? The views on food and health from a 6 year old could be entertaining and perhaps even enlightening. So here goes.

Me: What’s your favourite food?

Ethan: Lollies.

Me: What do you like about them?

Ethan: They’re sweet.

Me: Are lollies healthy?

Ethan: No.

Me: Do you know why lollies aren’t healthy?

Ethan: ‘Coz they can feed bad bugs that you’ve got and then it wont be healthy and the bad bugs will kill the good bugs and you’ll feel sick and your tummy will hurt.

Me: What’s your favourite healthy food?

Ethan: Corn.

Me: Do you know why vegetables are good for you?

Ethan: To make me big and strong.

Me: What foods can’t you eat?

Ethan: You can’t eat too many lollies or too much of anything. And dairy and soy can make me feel sick.

Me: Do you know why you can’t eat them?

Ethan: Coz you’ll feel sick. And if you eat too much sugar and you’re standing on the edge of a canyon and you go all silly and then you fall down and die.

Me: How do you feel about this?

Ethan: Not good. Coz I love that stuff.

Me: Do you think lots of other people have foods they can’t eat too?

Ethan: Yes I do, I think 9000 hundred trillion cazillion and 97 people in the world I think have got allergies.

Me: How do you know if something has dairy or soy in it?

Ethan: You have to read the ingredients.

Me: Is there anything else you want to say about being healthy.

Ethan: Well, if you’re healthy then you focus more, you’re stronger, you can run faster, you’re healthier, and last of all you can jump higher. You need to do lots of exercise and stay fit to be healthy. And you need to brush your teeth a lot to keep your teeth healthy. You have to eat greens and veges to be healthy. If something’s green and its food its good for you. If you eat greens you’re as healthy as pie (that’s just a joke). And carrots are good for your eyesight so then you can see in the dark. If you’re healthy you’ll live for longer so you can do more stuff, and if you’re tackling somebody then you will probably win if you’ve had more vegetables than them.

Me: Thanks Ethan, that's great.

Ethan has also taken a keen interest in my Instagram account, and has posted the following photos, of which he is very proud:

 Paddington Bear eating a chocolate coated strawberry

 Ethan strawberries maze.
When I asked him who was going to walk through the maze, he replied "my teeth".

Ethan's fruit display. He spent a long time rearranging our fruit bowl to create this lovely photo.

May you be full of beans,

Carla and Ethan.