Dum Dum Cookie Pops {recipe}

{This post is from my food allergy blog, Living the Allergic Life}

We love a good, fun snack in this house and these Dum Dum Cookie Pops are such a happy treat! I love these as an alternative to sending cupcakes to school for birthdays. {Although, our school does not allow birthday treats anymore because of food allergy concerns.} These are a super easy treat and are a great way to use up the Dum Dums at the bottom of the Halloween bag this season. The only exception is that mine are mostly allergy-free for my daughter who lives with 3 major food allergies! You can use regular milk and any sugar cookie mix or recipe for these, just as easily. SO EASY and FUN! Hope you enjoy!

I used the Cherrybrook Kitchen Sugar Cookie Mix {thanks, Dayna!} and followed the instructions on the box using Smart Balance Light {dairy-free}and unsweetened Almond Milk {dairy-free}. Mix according to package directions and drop onto greased cookie sheet.

Then, simply unwrap and press a Dum Dum Lollipop into the center of each cookie dough. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack. Package up individually for a great classroom treat!

What's not to love?

Buy your ingredients here:
Dum Dum Pops, 200-Count

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Art You Can Eat {a birthday recipe}

As promised yesterday, here's the second version of birthday cake for my young artist in residence. I really didn't want to make cupcakes or cake again and while I was brainstorming on something creative to make for my girl's actual birthday, she asked me if I'd make her some chocolate chip cookies. She has been allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts since birth so there are quite a few baked goods that she doesn't get to enjoy. {And plenty of those I've tried to make allergy free and they just didn't pan out.} This time, especially since it was her special day, I decided to find a way to make some for her. Only while I was thinking about it, it hit me that I could make her a giant chocolate chip cookie and decorate it like a cake. I'm all about killing the hypothetical two birds with one stone. Amen? Since I was completely out of 'her' chocolate chips {vegan}, I had to make a trip to Whole Foods. You can imagine how delighted I was to find an allergy-free chocolate chip cookie mix made by Cherrybrook Kitchen in the baking aisle of Whole Foods! This completely made my day because I could use this convenient mix and know that it would most likely turn out well versus trying to make my own from scratch without eggs. So, I snatched it up for $5.99 and was on my merry way.

I love Cherrybrook Kitchen because they make several allergy-friendly mixes, etc. that really help a mom out in situations like these. They are careful with processing and every product I've used of their's has worked out wonderfully and tasted yummy. It makes life with food allergies a little more bearable.

Follow package directions by mixing the mix + 1/2 cup dairy free buttery spread like Smart Balance Light or Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread + 1/4 cup water. Mix until it forms a soft dough.

Spread out your dough onto your greased pan or onto a round baking stone {mine is from Pampered Chef}. I used a piece of plastic wrap to help me smooth out the dough without getting my hands messy. Then, I took my dough roller {also from Pampered Chef} and rolled it on top of the plastic wrap to make it the same thickness all over.

Take the plastic wrap off. Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool, then decorate.

It was a big surprise for my girl when she got home from school and saw her giant chocolate chip cookie. The artsy design made with frosting, just made it that much better.

It was a great day! I'm pretty sure she'll remember this one forever.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm sharing this with a few of these friends.

Banana Strawberry Lime Sorbet {recipe}

If you're looking for a quick yummy dessert that takes less than 10 minutes to make start to finish, this is it! Bonus: it's also healthy! My girls were asking me for dessert last night after dinner and I just didn't want them to have more sugary stuff {they'd already eaten cookies after lunch}, so they asked me to make Grammy's ice cream. My mom makes a yummy banana based 'ice cream/sorbet' and they love it. So, I used what I had on hand.

All you need is a couple frozen bananas {sliced and then frozen}, frozen strawberries {or any other frozen fruit}, lime juice to taste. I also add an all natural juice like POM juice as I blend it in the food processor to get the consistency I want. It's delicious and refreshing! The kids love it and you can freeze the leftovers in popsicle molds for later.

Try it! This would be a great after-school snack!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing with a few of these friends.

Tomato Bisque {Mmm Mmm Monday}

Who doesn't love a good comfort food? Soup is in my comfort food category and I think you might love this one too! My mom found this and shared it with me. You can find the recipe on my food allergy blog, Living the Allergic Life, but I thought I'd share the pics with you here.

This takes tomato soup to a whole new level! It was very quick and easy to make. So, make this your next rainy day meal! Add a little grilled cheese and you're set!

Recipe here.