How To Still Indulge With Dietary Restrictions

 Dairy-Free Indulgences: When you are told there are things you can't have, you really need to change your focus to the things you can have.  When you feel deprived, that is when you crave things more. I have started focusing on having the flavors I love, but can't have, by making them into something completely different. I can't have boston cream pie doughnuts anymore (this is a childhood thing for me), so I made boston cream pie waffles, which were lower in fat and calories...and they were dairy/soy/gluten free!

Click here for the Boston Cream Pie Waffles Recipe

Gluten-Free Baking: My husband was diagnosed with celiac last year and my grandmother was diagnosed about 7 years ago. The sad thing is that both of them were huge bread eaters. Since then, I have started playing with gluten free flours and have completely fallen in love! Texture is a huge part of eating gluten filled foods, so I have started working on recipes that give you the texture you are looking for with "bread", but without actually being bread.

We have discovered that flatbreads, savory waffles and savory pancakes make great bread substitutes. I also think that  sometimes you should splurge a little on the other components of the meal, so you don't feel like you are missing out (things like cheese or meat). 

Healthy Go-To Meal & Favorite Healthy Dessert? For a quick and easy healthy meal, I always go for an omelet loaded with vegetables and hummus. If I have beans in the fridge, I go for a salad with beans and tons of vegetables. As for dessert, my quick go to dessert is oatmeal with peanut butter, chopped apples and a little maple syrup. If I have a little more time, definitely my gluten-free cobbler recipes.

Click here for the Gluten-Free Applesauce Cobbler with Vanilla Sorbet and Caramel Sauce Recipe

Shocking Gluten and Dairy-Free Achievements: I think desserts are really the hardest part when you are coming up with dairy free/soy free/gluten free recipes. My husband is the ultimate tester on these things because he is completely honest and will ask right away what I did different because he can always tell. My two favorite desserts that are gluten/soy/dairy free are my cobbler recipes and my angel food cake recipe. My family says they are actually better than the original versions! The fried chicken I made last week is another one you can't tell at all that it is dairy or gluten free.

Click here for the Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Fried Chicken Recipe

Click here for the How to Still Indulge with Dietary Restrictions Slide Show