Try this zesty pasta salad for your next picnic or party! A homemade dressing and lots of colorful veggies makes this Italian pasta salad a tasty addition to any menu. Pasta salad is a great dish to make in the summertime. You can make it for a gathering, like a picnic or graduation party, or you can make it at home and serve it for lunch for a few days. I’m a big fan of any meal that I can make ahead, especially during the hot summer months. I like to make my own dressing for pasta salad, that way I know exactly what’s in it! If you have food allergies, you know that’s always a concern. It c ..read more

Bean dip recipes are a dime a dozen, but this one is different! Roasted zucchini, plenty of garlic, and lots of fresh lemon juice make this white bean dip extra delicious. Easy dip recipes are a favorite of mine. It’s nice to make a quick bean dip when you have a party to go to, or even just to serve as a snack during the week. Since we can’t eat sesame in our house, hummus is out of the question. Thank goodness it’s easy to make your own sesame free hummus as well as many other dip recipes. This roasted zucchini bean dip is a good choice in the summertime, when you might have a lot of extra ..read more

This homemade hamburger helper is the perfect meal to make when you’re craving comfort food. This comforting mix of pasta, ground beef, and a flavorful sauce is just the thing to enjoy with your family. This cozy recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and allergy friendly! Feeding a family is a big job! Cooking takes time and energy, and sometimes you might wish that convenience foods were safe for your family. So many packaged food products aren’t allergy friendly. Hamburger Helper, which was very popular when I was a kid, (and probably still is!), contained lots of allergens. It was a quick fix ..read more

These dairy free easy chocolate ice cream bites are the perfect no-bake dessert for summer! Use your favorite brand of ice cream and sprinkles to make these festive treats. On a hot summer day, we crave ice cream or popsicles at our house. I have lots of frozen dessert recipes on my site, but this one may be the easiest – you just need two ingredients. All you need is your favorite brand of dairy free ice cream, and some sprinkles. Or if you can’t find sprinkles that work for your needs, try using coconut flakes or chocolate shavings instead. You’ll just scoop your ice cream, roll it in some ..read more

Garlic mushroom quinoa is a tasty gluten free side dish that goes well with just about anything. Enjoy this on its own, or with chicken or fish for a complete meal. I know I’ve shared a lot of quinoa recipes…salads, main dishes, and breakfast quinoa, but this garlic mushroom quinoa is my favorite. This recipe is really just a combination of two of my favorite things – garlicky mushrooms and quinoa. I LOVE mushrooms with garlic, and when you add the quinoa it becomes a filling light lunch or a great side dish. [feast_advanced_jump_to] Ingredient Notes Quinoa – I used a mix of white and red qu ..read more

Buttery gluten free lemon poppy seed cookies are a wonderful treat! These cookies are light, delicious, and gluten free, too! There’s something about lemon desserts that just say springtime! These lemon poppy seed cookies have a wonderful citrus flavor due to plenty of lemon zest in the cookie dough. These are very light, and a dusting of powdered sugar is all that they really need on top. If you would rather do a sandwich cookie, kind of like these cookies, you can do that! Just make up a batch of dairy free buttercream frosting, and make these into sandwiches. [feast_advanced_jump_to] Top T ..read more

There’s nothing like a frosty sunbutter banana milkshake! This is just the thing for a quick snack or even a delicious breakfast. Use your favorite non-dairy milk, frozen bananas, and sunbutter to make this easy treat. When we first eliminated dairy from our diets many years ago, we would often make milkshakes with frozen bananas. Just like making nice cream, frozen bananas are a great way to make a creamy frozen dessert without dairy. Before we had nut allergies, we would always make this milkshake with peanut butter. Then nut allergies came into our lives, and we had to adjust this recipe b ..read more

These delicious banana blueberry muffins are gluten free and dairy free, and are made with simple ingredients. These make a perfect snack or breakfast! It’s good to have a muffin recipe that you can rely on. If you’re gluten free, or have food allergies, you know that it can be tough to buy baked goods from the store or the bakery. This recipe is so easy, and it’s a great way to use up those brown bananas. And I think that homemade muffins generally taste better than store bought, especially if you use extra ripe bananas. You can easily double this recipe and freeze half of them – that way yo ..read more

This pea and bacon quinoa salad makes a delicious lunch or a tasty side dish! This recipe is easy to make, and gluten free, too! A delicious lemony dressing is the perfect finishing touch. Who loves quinoa?  We do over here! It’s easy and quick to cook, and it can be used in different ways. We even make a breakfast quinoa cereal sometimes! Quinoa is great for those who are gluten free, because it works very well in recipes that call for couscous, due to the similar texture and size. This salad is very nice for the summer weather. It’s light and refreshing, and it doesn’t take long at all ..read more

This easy to make grape chicken salad is packed with flavor and a surprise ingredient: dill! This simple recipe is perfect for a quick and delicious lunch or light dinner. I need lunch to be very simple and straightforward in the summertime. Although we aren’t as busy in the summer months, I want to keep as much time as possible free for doing fun things like going to the park or swimming. Easy dishes like this chicken salad with grapes are the key to keeping lunchtime stress-free in the summer! We love this on toast or even with crackers. It takes just minutes to make, and it’s super tasty ..read more