Homemade Fall Apple Crisp

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Today I thought I’d share with you the first recipe I baked when I found out I was diagnosed with Celiac. It’s been about 3 months now since having to change my lifestyle and while I haven’t completely changed everything, I’m getting there! I absolutely love baked goods! Cupcakes, cake, pies, crisps, I could take them all any day! So when I found out I had Celiac Disease, this was the first thing that came to my mind. After some research, I found that I can still enjoy my old “go to” recipes with just a few minor changes!


This recipe is not only gluten friendly, but easy to make and will be a hit at your table for years to come!


Enjoy!


 

Ingredients: 

10 McIntosh apples (Peeled and thinly sliced)
1 cup sugar
1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose gluten free flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup water
1 cup gluten free quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
¼ teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter (melted)


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°


Place your peeled apples in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
 

Mix up the sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and the cinnamon together.
 

Pour over the apples and mix together. Once mixed, pour the ½ cup water over the apples.
 

Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, melted butter, and the baking soda and powder together.
 

Crumble over the apple mixture.
 

Bake for about 45 minutes or until browned.
 

**NOTE** While I made this recipe gluten free, this recipe can also be made normally. Just substitute regular all purpose flour and regular quick cooking oats.

For more recipes like this and great discussions please like my Facebook page!

~Nikki

Halloween Safety Tips

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Happy Monday everyone! I thought my first official article back should focus on our kids. Halloween is slowly creeping up on us and I thought I’d go over a few tips to stay safe this Halloween. Sometimes a few helpful reminders never hurt right?



- Be sure your kids know how to properly cross a street. All kids should know how to use a cross walk if there is one in your neighborhood and they should definitely know when it is safe to cross. I know in my neighborhood there aren’t any cross walks and I can’t even begin to count how many times driving home on Halloween all the kids just darting out into the street to get to the next house. Very scary!

- Teach your kids about “Stranger Danger”. Try to simply explain to them that some adults are bad and want to hurt children and that they should never go into a house that they don't know, get into a car, or go anywhere with a stranger. I always tell my son if a stranger approaches him and tries to get him to go in his car or house to scream as loud as he can to try to attract attention from someone around him and run to a place that is safe. Unfortunately, you never know these days.

- Eat dinner before going out to Trick or Treat. Filling those little bellies before going out to trick or treat will stop the temptation of the kids eating the candy before you get home to check it.

- Make sure your child is carrying some kind flashlight, reflective tape, or glow stick when walking around. With all the dark colored costumes out there, it’s always safe to carry a flashlight or anything that glows so people can see the little ones while driving.

- Plan a safe route. If your child goes out trick or treating with their friends, it’s best to make sure you sit down with your child and plan a safe route so you’ll know where your child is at all times. It’s also a good idea to set a time when they should be home. If they are going out alone, have them carry a cell phone for emergencies.

- Check your child’s candy before eating! Checking what comes home with your child is a great habit to get into for a number of reasons. First, I’m sure you’ve heard all the sick scary stories of what some disturbed people do to the candy on Halloween. Second, if you’re child has an allergy (peanuts, chocolate, etc.) you’ll want to be sure that you get rid of anything that could pose a problem.


So that’s it! Hopefully these little reminders will make your Halloween planning a little easier! For more great tips and helpful advice make sure you follow me on Facebook! I hope everyone has a great time on Wednesday!

Talk to you all soon!

Nikki

Why Yes! I'm Still Alive!

Hi everyone…..Sorry about the lack of posts around here.  Life has taken some major twists and turns and blogging had to hit the back burner for a while.  I’ve sure missed the time I spend blogging so I’m here to say I’m back, and I’m not going anywhere!  With that being said, I’m looking for some ideas from you, my readers on what you’d like to see on the blog.  I have my thoughts, but I’d like to hear yours as well! 

When I first started blogging, I could honestly say I didn’t know what my focus would be.  I had just left my job, started working for Shaklee, just had a baby, there were just so many new things happening.  Now that I’m “in the groove” a little here at home I can finally say I think I know where I want to focus. 

The title of my blog “Mommy & the Monsters” is just that.  I’m just a regular ole Mommy trying to get through the day with my monsters.  I’m not a fancy shamancy kind of girl I’m just “me”.  My ideas are very basic, but that’s what works for me.  I love to cook so I think you’ll be seeing a ton more recipes on here.  Recipes that are easy, quick, healthy, and kid friendly.  I also am working to improve my health.  I was just recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and the whole “gluten free lifestyle” has been a bit of a challenge for me.  I’m hoping to use blogging as a sounding board to maybe get me through the tough days.  The last thing I’m hoping to focus more on is my Shaklee business.  Shaklee has been a lifesaver in my home.  I’ve seen some major improvements already in the health of myself and my family and I want to share that with you!  You are truly missing out!

With all that being said, I’m going to make it a POINT to reach out at least 3-4 times a week.  That is my commitment to you! 

Stay tuned!  Have a great day everyone! 

Thank you for your continued support!  J

|Nikki