Apple Crisp Stuffed Baked Apples

For this recipe take a classic apple crisp and stuffed it inside Gala apples then bake them until the topping is golden and perfect. They turn out absolutely delicious and make a beautiful presentation too! They are incredible, especially topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce!
From life-in-the-lofthouse.com.

Apple Crisp Stuffed Baked Apples
(Makes 6 servings)


Ingredients:

8 small GALA apples
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if tolerated)

Crumble Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if tolerated)
4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

2. Prepare the crumble topping: In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife, or two forks until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

3. Peel and chop 2 of the apples. Add chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pan and stir over medium heat for 8 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat.

4. Chop the tops off of the remaining 6 apples and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. You don't scoop all of it out, just enough to make a "bowl" for the filling.

5. Fill scooped-out apples with the warm apple filling from sauce pan. Top with a generous amount of crumble topping.

6. Place stuffed apples on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crumble topping is crispy. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce (without problem ingredients). Enjoy! ♥

The Perfect Homemade Protein Shake

Research shows that post-workout protein intake can affect these gains in a positive way, but it’s also important to remember that after a workout your muscles stores of glycogen – essentially energy – will be depleted, so including carbohydrate in your post-workout recovery fuel is equally as important. Hydration also goes without saying, but unless your workout exceeds an hour, water will suffice until you have finished your workout.

Chia seeds have been dubbed “the runner’s food” because of their ability soak up to 10 times their weight in water, so they’re great for hydration, as well as being high in protein and packed with other nutrients. Peanut butter has a bad rep for being unhealthy because it is high in fat and calories, but it is also high in protein, so as long as your portion control/will-power is strong, then a tablespoon in your smoothie does no harm at all! Happy exercising! From jamieoliver.com.

The Perfect Homemade Protein Shake


Ingredients:

1 banana, peeled
150g low-fat natural yogurt (without problem ingredients)
100ml of semi-skimmed milk or dairy-free milk
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp chia seeds (if tolerated)
½ tsp cinnamon (or to taste), if tolerated


Directions:

Simply whizz all the ingredients together in a blender and drink right away!

As ever, remember that a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle will play a massive role in keeping your whole body in tip-top condition – these tips are specifically for all you super-sporty foodies who may require a little extra of the good stuff.

Minty Shakes

Adjust the milk to your preference, a little more for a thinner shake or less if you prefer a nice thick shake. Since green food coloring is a no-no for IC, the shakes will not be green like in the picture. You can make it green by DIY Natural Food Coloring or use organic food coloring without problem ingredients. I adapted this recipe from withablast.net to make it IC friendly.

Minty Shakes
4 Servings


Ingredients:

4 cups Vanilla Ice-Cream (without problem ingredients)
1 cup Milk {more or less to your preference}
1/2 t Peppermint Concentrate OR 2 t Peppermint Essence (without problem ingredients)
4 to 6 drops of DIY Natural Food Coloring or use organic food coloring without problem ingredients (optional)
Whipped Cream, to top (without problem ingredients)
Mint Leaves, to garnish


Directions:

1. Place the Ice-Cream, Milk, Concentrate/Essence and food coloring in a large blender or milkshake maker - blend until smooth - pour into 4 glasses.

2. Top with Whipped Cream and garnish with Mint Leaves.

3. Serve immediately.

Healthy Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes look and taste fancy, just like what you’d buy from a bakery, but they’re much easier to make than you’d expect! The frosting can be made up to three days in advance if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and the unfrosted cupcakes will keep for at least two days if stored in an airtight container on the counter. Once frosted, the cupcakes are best if eaten within 24 hours. From amyshealthybaking.com.

*Be sure to substitute ½ cup (120mL) of agave, honey, or pure maple syrup for the vanilla crème stevia. Two cream cheese frostings posted at the bottom of the recipe for you to choose from.

Homemade Healthy Gummies

If you are concerned about IC, Homemade Healthy Gummies are the way to go. Did you know store bought gummies or fruit snacks are full of sugar, high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes? Check out the labels! The long list of ingredients indicates the snack is not a healthy choice. They are so easy to make and you will feel great about giving your kids a super healthy snack too. These Homemade Healthy Gummies are made with real fruits and veggies, full of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients! You don’t have to worry about high fructose corn syrup or dangerous artificial dyes anymore. Isn’t it great? Just whole fresh fruits and veggies. You can also get creative and add superfoods like chia seeds, ginger, probiotics, cod liver oil or kale to your blends.

A good quality Gelatin is very important. This is why it is recommended to use one made from 100% Pasture-Raised Beef. The collagen in this type of gelatin along with the many amino acids help regulate our metabolisms, have anti-inflammatory properties, strengthens hair and nails, and regulates hormones. Gelatin is also known to improve digestion.

From creativeandhealthyfunfood.com.

Homemade Healthy Gummies


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fruit and/or vegetable juice (ones that are tolerate), freshly made with a Juicer (cold press -best choice) or store-bought (making sure it is 100% juice and preferably not from concentrate). Smoothie blends are great too!

• 4 tablespoons gelatin (grass fed gelatin. A tablespoons is usually one gelatin packet, but just to be sure, empty the packets into a bowl and use a measure spoon.)

• 2-4 tablespoons Raw Honey depending on your preference and how sweet your juice is. You can also use pure maple syrup. If your juice has lots of veggies you will need more but it is up to your personal taste.

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, (recommended Organic Pure Vanilla Extract – optional for extra flavor)

• Any other ingredients you would like to incorporate like probiotics, elderberry syrup (to prevent or fight a cold, if tolerated), or cod liver oil (immune system booster). Remember you can make these gummies your natural multivitamins.


Directions:

1. Pour juice into a small-medium saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let sit for just a few minutes until it starts to “bloom” (it will get wrinkly looking on the surface and all of the white powder from the gelatin will absorb into the liquid). When all the gelatin is absorbed, mix it well.

2. Then place the saucepan over medium heat on the stove. Let the liquid warm, but don’t let it boil. You want all of the gelatin to dissolve and turn thin and runny (it will be grainy at the beginning but after a couple of minutes in the heat it should dissolve completely).

3. Add the honey, vanilla extract, and any other ingredients you will be using.

4. Put the liquid in a little jar (you can use a measuring cup) into a Loaf Pan or your fun gummy molds and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours. Some of my favorite molds are the Freshware 30-Cavity Silicone Mold, the Toy, Car, Block and Bear Chocolate, Gummy Mold and the kilofly Silicone Mold, Robot & Dinosaur

5. Remove from molds. They pop right out. If you used the loaf pan, cut your gelatin into small squares.

6. Keep your homemade healthy gummies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. If you leave them outside they will last but I recommend storing them in the refrigerator.

*Update. If you want to make smaller gummies, there are fantastic mini Gummy Bear Molds. They even come with a dropper for easy filling.


Ideas For Juice Combinations:

Red: beets, strawberries (if tolerated), carrots, raspberries (if tolerated), red apples (if tolerated)

Orange: carrots, oranges (if tolerated), clementines (if tolerated), mangoes (if tolerated), peaches (if tolerated)

Yellow: yellow pear, yellow apple (if tolerated), grapes (if tolerated), (DO NOT use pineapple juice, your gelatin will not set up due to the enzyme bromelain that’s found in pineapple).

Green: kale, spinach, peas, green grapes (if tolerated), cucumber, green apple (if tolerated), (DO NOT use kiwi, your gelatin will not set up)

Purple: purple cabbage, blackberries and blueberries (if tolerated)

If you want to change the colors and lighten up your homemade healthy gummies, you can also substitute some milk (dairy or non-dairy) for some of the juice in the recipe. You can also use almond milk.

Here are some other DIY Natural Food Coloring ideas that you might like to try.

Coffee

Are you desperate for coffee? Is your IC preventing you from having coffee? There are options you can try. With active IC it is recommended that you slowly work your way up using mild stuff that we know that is going to soothe your bladder then slowly work up to things that might be a little more irritating.

Coffee and Interstitial Cystitis - Is it safe to drink? (Interstitial Cystitis Network)




Suggested Hot Drinks (slowly work yourself up)

1. Hot water or milk (steamers)
2. Herbal Teas (peppermint, chamomile)
3. Roasted Carob Teas- Roastaroma, Almond Sunset, English Toffee
4. Herbal Coffees- Pero, Cafix, Kaffree, Roma, Teecino (can be on the bitter side so be prepared to use a little bit of milk or cream)

If you do well with the above try:
5. Low Acid Real Coffees- Euromild or Puroast (decaf preferred first because caffeine will irritate the nerves in your bladder)


*Remember, if you are having any symptoms at all, go back to the hot water and slowly work yourself up.



Questions about Low Acid Coffee
From ic-network.com.

• Not every IC patient can and should drink even low acid coffees. If you have, for example, Hunner’s ulcers, severe petechial hemorrhaging in your bladder or are currently in a major flare, you should only be drinking water, milk, chamomile tea and/or peppermint tea until your bladder has the opportunity to heal.

• Patients whose bladders are in better shape may find low acid coffees to be tolerable if used in modest quantities.



How to make a low acid IC friendly coffee

1. Start with naturally low acid beans, roasted to a darker roast! We suggest trying a DECAF before trying regular coffee.

2. Use a cold brew coffee maker. The Toddy Cold Brew Coffee Maker ($37.99) uses regular coffee but reduces the overall acidity by 67% when compared to hot brewing systems by using a unique, patented cold brew system.

3. Taking the OTC supplement, Prelief, beforehand may reduce/neutralize acidity levels.

4. Start with a small amount to determine if your bladder tolerates it well!

5. Don’t go to excess. One cup of coffee a day is plenty for our more sensitive bladders and if you start having bladder discomfort again, stop immediately to avoid irritating your bladder further.

Coffee Milkshake

Combine low/no acid coffee with vanilla ice cream and what do you get? Heaven in a glass! Cold brewed coffee is the perfect low acid ingredient for this delicious coffee milkshake recipe. The cold brewing method reduces the acidity level and creates a flavorful, yet extremely smooth concentrate that is perfect for making ice coffee and coffee milkshakes. The resulting brew is much gentler on the bladder and your stomach.

NOTE: Not every IC patient can and should drink even low acid coffees. If you have, for example, Hunner’s ulcers, severe petechial hemorrhaging in your bladder or are currently in a major flare, you should only be drinking water, milk, chamomile tea and/or peppermint tea until your bladder has the opportunity to heal.

It's easy to make this recipe dairy free (Vegan) by substituting So Delicious Coconut Milk and So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream.

From healthyicrecipes.com.

Coffee Milkshake


Ingredients:

1/2 cup cold brewed decaffeinated coffee concentrate (using a Coffee Toddy makes it easy)
1/2 cup Milk (try Coconut Milk Cream for a healthier, non dairy alternative)
Vanilla Ice Cream without problem ingredients (try Coconut Milk Ice Cream for a healthier, non dairy alternative)


Directions:

1. Mix ½ cup coffee concentrate and ½ cup milk in a blender.

2. Add 1/2 cup of ice and 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream.

3. Blend until smooth.

4. Pour into a tall glass.

*If you really want to be decadent, add some whipped cream and a light sprinkle of cocoa or carob powder.

Healthy Small Batch Blueberry Crumble Bars

Tender cookie crust topped with juicy blueberry filling and finished with cinnamon streusel. Just like eating blueberry pie—but guilt-free with only 67 calories and it’s IC friendly too!
From amyshealthybaking.com.

Fresh, Herbal Sun & Sweet Teas

Sun tea today is a far cry from the sun teas made popular by Lipton years ago. Using fresh herbs and fruits, you can create fabulous ice teas that will quench your thirst during the hottest days of summer. All you need is a large glass jar with a tight cover, fresh water and the herbs and fruit of your choice.

Fresh, Herbal Sun & Sweet Teas

It takes 1 to 1-1/2 cups of fresh herbs per gallon of water. Clean the herbs and water container carefully. Place the herbs at the bottom and fill the container with water. Screw the lid on and give it a few shakes. Set the container in a sunny place for several hours. The longer the brew, the stronger the flavor.

At the end of the day, the tea should be warm and have a rich, clear color. Shake some more and pour through a strainer to remove the herbs. While still warm, add honey or sugar to taste and stir well. This is an ideal time to add a little bit of lemon peel if you like that flavor. Refrigerate immediately! From icdietproject.com.


Herbal Tea Flavor Combinations:

Cruising the web, you’ll find many recipes to experiment with. Here are some combinations that could work well!

• peppermint, rosemary leaves with a hint of honey
• peppermint and pineapple sage
• lavender, sage and rosemary
• chamomile and mint
• licorice root and flax seed

You can also use your favorite herbal teas such as Stash Peppermint Herbal Tea or Harney & Son’s Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Tea.

Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Shake

This shake has three main components: oats, banana, and milk. Adding oats to a smoothie makes it thicker and more filling; allowing them to soak in the milk overnight makes the resulting shake smoother and less gritty, although you can definitely make this without the overnight part if you’re in a time crunch. This shake is a complete breakfast in handy drink form! From ohmyveggies.com.

Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Shake


Ingredients:

1/4 c. pumpkin puree (without problem ingredients)
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup (optional)
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (without problem ingredients)
3/4 c. plain or vanilla almond milk (any milk is fine though!)
1/2 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 small banana, frozen
sprinkle of cinnamon (optional if tolerated)


Directions:

1. Whisk together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and almond milk in a resealable container. Stir in oats, seal, and refrigerate overnight.

2. In the morning, combine frozen banana and pumpkin mixture in blender or food processor. Process until smooth; add more milk for a thinner consistency if desired. Pour into glass and sprinkle with cinnamon.

IC Friendly Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos

Friday night is Tex Mex Night at our house. Having IC makes it difficult to join in the fun, but here is a recipe that is IC friendly that everyone can enjoy! These burritos have a light sweetness thanks to the butternut squash. The filling is so good that you will find yourself eating it on its own. Use it to sprinkle on salads or as a dip for crackers in addition to making burritos. You could also try using sweet potato or pumpkin as a way to change up the butternut filling. From icdietblog.wordpress.com.

IC Friendly Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos
Yield: 4 burritos or 3.5 cups of filling
Prep Time: 25 min.
Cook Time: 50 min.


Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed, and roasted
*You can also try substituting butternut squash for sweet potato or pumpkin.
1/2 cup uncooked short grain brown rice (yields: 1.5 cups cooked)
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion (if tolerated)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste (if tolerated)
One 15-oz can black beans (about 1.5-2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
3/4 cup mild cheddar cheese
4 tortilla wraps (large or x-large) Toppings of choice: (avocado, sour cream, spinach/lettuce, etc)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large glass dish with tinfoil. Drizzle olive oil on squash and give a shake of salt and pepper. Coat with hands. Roast chopped butternut squash for 45 mins. or until tender.

2. Cook brown rice (for directions, see below) or use leftover brown rice

3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, onion, and minced garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add in salt and seasonings and stir well.

4. Add chopped sweet red bell pepper, black beans, and cooked rice and sauté for another 10 mins. on low.

5. When butternut squash is tender remove from oven and cool slightly. Add 1.5 cups of the cooked butternut squash to the skillet and stir well. You can mash the squash with a fork if some pieces are too large. Add cheddar cheese and heat another couple minutes.

6. Add bean filling to tortilla along with desired toppings. Wrap and serve. Leftover filling can be reheated the next day for lunch in a wrap or as a salad topper.

Adapted for the IC Diet by Elizabeth Braun, MS, RD. To see the original recipe (with great step-by-step photos!!) this IC friendly one was adapted from, visit ohsheglows.com.


*Brown Rice Cooking Instructions (no soaking required):

• 1/2 cup dry brown rice yields 1 cup cooked
• Rinse rice in a strainer (this removes some of the starchy material that makes rice stick together).
• Use 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice and 1 cup + 2 tbsp water (and more water if needed)
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, add pinch of salt, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes until tender.
• Watch closely during the last 10 mins of cooking and add more water if it begins to stick to pot.
• Fluff with fork.

Unicorn Poop Cookies

Yes, you read that right. chickennugget found a fun recipe that kids will love! It’s like playing with playdough but it’s yummy editable! Great to make on a rainy or hot day, or even during the winter. It will keep the kids busy and happy all at the same time! From myrecipes.com.

Unicorn Poop Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies


Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 ½ tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cup all purpose flour
DIY Natural Food Coloring or Organic Food Coloring (without problem ingredients)

Decorations:
Sparkle Gel (without problem ingredients)
Silver Candy Balls (if desired and without problem ingredients)
Editable Glitter (without problem ingredients)


Directions:

1. Combine butter, shortening and cream cheese in a large bowl, beat together until smooth. Add sugar and salt. Beat until combined. Beat in egg and almond extract until combined and gradually add the flour beating until combined.

2. Form dough into a ball with your hands and then into a log shape, divide the log shape into six portions (or however many colors you want). Place each portion of dough into individual bowls and tint the dough different colors. Chill tinted dough in the refrigerator 1 hour or freezer 15-20 minutes.

3. Divide each tinted chilled dough ball into 8 equal pieces. Take one piece of each color dough (leaving the rest in the fridge while you work) and roll out like a rope or snake on your counter-top. If you use a piece of waxed paper on the counter, you shouldn't have to add any flour. Roll the rope shape to about 6 inches long. Continue rolling all the colors and stacking them into a pile.

4. Gently press the ropes together and roll the large multicolored "rope" on the counter to round and smooth it and if desired to lengthen it to 10 to 12". Cut the multicolored "rope" into two pieces, using both hands, roll with your palms in different directions on both end of the rope pieces to twist it gently. Coil the rope into a poop shape, using your imagination as to what you think unicorn poop should look like.

5. Press in some silver candy balls (without problem ingredients) into the dough pieces to decorate if desired. Place dough on greased cookie sheet (or one covered with parchment or silicone mat) and bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes until cookies are set and bottoms are light brown, they will not spread very much.

6. Cool on wire rack. Coat with sparkle gel and/or disco dust to give them some sparkle and add some sprinkles to the still wet gel for more texture. Let cookies dry completely before stacking.

*The amount of poops that you will get from this recipe depend on how big your unicorn is.

Sugar Cookies

These are the most perfect and best tasting sugar cookies I have ever had and they are IC friendly too! This sugar cookie dates back to a Swedish woman born in 1877! Her daughter, Esther Davis came up with all the exact measurements, since the original cookies were mixed by feel and taste. From tasteofhome.com. I give it: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Sugar Cookies
Yield: 5 dozen
*I use a Pampered Chef medium cookie scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons) and can only make about 21 cookies. I therefore make a double batch and make about 42 cookies.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Additional sugar


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture.

2. Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in additional sugar. Place on greased baking sheets; flatten with a glass. Bake until set, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

If Cooking for Two: Freeze baked cookies in airtight containers or freezer bags to enjoy anytime!

Coconut Kisses

ljrnana5 was digging through her recipe box and found an oldie, but a goodie that her mother used to make. They sure look yummy! Great picture there, ljrnana5! She gives it: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Coconut Kisses


Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups cornflakes (without problem ingredients)
1/2 cup nuts (nuts that you can tolerate or just omit)
1 cup shredded coconut (without problem ingredients)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

Grease pan lightly. Beat egg whites stiff (the egg whites should really be beaten to stiff for best results...it helps the cookie hold together), add sugar. Fold in cornflakes, nuts, coconut, then add vanilla. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. They tend to burn easily so watch closely!, Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

Blueberry Streusel Scones

Looking for something different for breakfast or maybe for afternoon tea? How about some Blueberry Streusel Scones? From urologyhealth.org.

Blueberry Streusel Scones


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon-size pieces of cold, unsalted butter
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Streusel Topping
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if tolerated)
2 tablespoons cold butter


Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• Lightly butter the baking sheet and place it in the center rack of the oven.

• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

• Cut butter into pieces, and blend it into the flour mixture with your fingertips.

• Add blueberries.

• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the vanilla extract and whole milk.

• Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir into a dough (careful, don’t over-mix the dough!).

• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times.

• Mold the dough into a 7-inch round. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges and place the scones on the baking sheet. Lightly brush the scone tops with whole milk.


Streusel Topping

• Whisk together the sugar, flour and cinnamon until a crumbly mixture results.

• Gently apply 1 ½ teaspoons of the mixture on each scone top.

• Bake scones for 20 minutes; cool scones briefly. Makes 8 scones. Enjoy!

DIY Natural Food Coloring

Every so often a recipe calls for food coloring, but conventional food coloring is a no-no for IC. chickennugget therefore scoured the internet and found DIY natural food coloring and has graciously shared the information with us. Thank you chickennugget!! ((hugs))

Making your own all natural food dyes ---keep extra refrigerated for up to 4 weeks


Blue- red cabbage, 1/2 head cook covered with water. Use only the purple liquid. Add to a small cup of liquid, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and BAM! blue!

Orange- carrots, cooked/steamed until tender put with a bit of liquid in a food processor make mush. Strain mush to remove pulp and keep liquid.

Green- Spinach. Blanch this with a bit of water. Put in food processor and make mush. Strain mush and use liquid for coloring. You can try mint leaves too.

Purple- blueberries that are frozen with a bit of water (thawed out I assume?), make mush in processor, strain mush to remove pulp.

Yellow– Turmeric. A bit of water and a bit of turmeric, simmer and walla, yellow! Watch youtube video's on how to do this.

Red- Beets. You can use canned beets or cooked beets in liquid. Put in food processor make mush and strain out pulp, use liquid.

Pink- use beets as above but add less of the coloring.

You can use fresh, canned, or frozen veggies and fruits to make all kinds of natural food colorings. These are some idea's I found online and there are many youtube video's you can also watch. You may choose other natural foods and other methods. Just knowing you can make colorful foods with all natural food coloring can brighten up your life!

They say the food taste will NOT be effected by these natural food colors. I saw many more but NOT all were IC friendly to me.

Some of you that can use raspberries, blackberries, mangoes, You can go online and search how to make natural food coloring and you will find all kinds of great ways to use food to brighten up your food! :)

Let us know if any of you start using natural food colors in your baking! It can be used in rainbow cakes and many, many other recipes that call for food coloring.

Quick Peppermint Ice Cream

Need something cool to eat or a treat for the Christmas holidays? Try some peppermint ice cream! You can even make this into a pie! This recipe (adapted from Martha Stewart’s Living) is scrumptious fun for kids and adults. From icdietproject.com.

Quick Peppermint Ice Cream


Ingredients:

1 pint Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream (or any vanilla ice cream without problem ingredients)
2/3 cup of crushed peppermint candies or candy canes (without problem ingredients)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (without problem ingredients)


Directions:

Crush peppermint candies by placing between clean kitchen towels (or paper towels) and hitting with a meat hammer, or other heavy object. (About 7 or 8 6-inch candy canes will make 2/3 cup crushed). Sprinkle the extract over the crushed candy. With a large spoon, quickly stir the crushed candy into the ice cream. Ice cream will begin to soften and turn pink, so work quickly. No need to have it completely blended. Return to freezer for an hour or two to re-set and let flavors blend. Serve in fancy bowls, placing an oatmeal or decorated sugar cookie in the ice cream.

The key to IC-safeness with this is to use ice cream you know your bladder tolerates, and peppermint candies and extract that contain no artificial sweeteners or stabilizers.

*Pie variation: Have a chilled, baked 8-inch pie crust (without problem ingredients) ready. Fill with peppermint ice cream (you’ll need a quart). Return to freezer to harden for 3 or 4 hours. You can top it with decorated cookies, carob chips, or cake decors. Or just before serving, place a dollop of whipped cream on each slice.

Toasted Coconut & Macadamia Smoothie

Although there are a few minor extra steps involved in making this toasted coconut and macadamia smoothie recipe from the Superfood Smoothies Cookbook, the results are absolutely delicious. Toasting the coconut enhances the flavor, and the coconut ice gives the smoothie a gentle sweetness without adding any refined sugars.

A power blender, such as a Blendtec or Vitamix, will quickly pulverize the nuts and then whip the ice into a frosty texture! This recipe has been adapted to be IC friendly. From blenderbabes.com.

Toasted Coconut & Macadamia Smoothie
Serves: 2 - 12 ozs


Ingredients:

2-3 cups coconut water, frozen into ice cubes*
1 1/2 cups coconut water (without problem ingredients)
1/4 cup dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut (without problem ingredients)
1/4 cup unsalted macadamia nuts (if tolerated)


Directions:

1. The night before, pour two cups of coconut water into an ice cube tray and freeze. (This is your coconut ice).

2. In a small skillet, toast the coconut over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until golden (about 2 minutes). Transfer immediately to a bowl and let cool.

3. Blend the toasted coconut, macadamia nuts, maca, and coconut water together into a creamy milk base.

4. Once smooth, add the coconut ice and blend until frosty - first low then high (about 15-30 seconds).


Notes:

1. Depending on how frosty you like it, add more coconut ice!
2. Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract for varied flavor.

Peanut Butter Smoothie

Not into smoothies? Well, a Peanut Butter Smoothie will change your mind for sure! From food.com.

Peanut Butter Smoothie


Ingredients:

1 cup cold skim milk
1 cut up frozen ripe banana
2 tablespoons peanut butter


Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend till smooth.

Salted Caramel Milkshake

Oh, gosh! My mouth is already watering just thinking about this delicious treat! I adapted this recipe from mybakingaddiction.com to make it IC friendly. Try it, and tell me what you think! chickennugget tried it and loved it! She gives it: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Salted Caramel Milkshake


Ingredients:

2 cups (about 4 scoops) packed vanilla bean ice cream (without problem ingredients)
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons Smucker’s Simple Delight Salted Caramel Topping (or any caramel topping without problem ingredients)


Directions:

Place ice cream, milk and caramel syrup into and blender and blend on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. If desired, top with whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce. Serve immediately.

Banana Almond Smoothie

This sounds delicious and it’s nutritious to boot! From urologyhealth.org.

Banana Almond Smoothie


Ingredients:

1 frozen peeled banana, broken into 3 - 4 chunks
1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon almond butter


Directions:

Combine all ingredients into your blender and puree until smooth. Enjoy!