A Wheat and Egg Free WIN!

As I shared a few weeks ago, I had some blood work done that found that I had antibodies and thus potential allergies to wheat, corn, egg whites, peanuts, sesame seeds, and walnuts (and LOTS of environmental stuff like trees, mold, and well everything else in the air). Up until now I've never noticed any problems eating any of these things foods but since avoiding all these foods I have been able to stop my acid reflux medication, have lost weight, and feel so much better overall!

While I have been making a concerted effort for years to eat more whole, less processed foods, and making increasingly more and more from scratch, this latest change has thrown me for somewhat of a loop and I find myself a little befuddled. For example, I had been keeping a sourdough starter and making bread with it almost every week. I was also getting fairly good at homemade desserts for the occasional treat. 

With fall in full swing and delicious pumpkin everything around I was juggling fairly complex looking wheat and egg free recipes and becoming totally overwhelmed and admittedly a little sad when I found it! A few years ago a friend of mine taught me the trick of using pumpkin puree in place of oil, eggs, etc in boxed cake mixes to make them a tad healthier. I started doing this and always had wonderful results. So on my day off, after some snooping around online, I used this same pumpkin puree trick with a Betty Crocker Gluten Free yellow cake mix. I also added a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and two handfuls of organic dark chocolate chips and WOWZA was it good!!!!! It was also so, so simple and while I hope to someday get as comfortable with my allergen free baking ingredients as I am with traditional ones, this gives me an easy and yummy option. Thank heavens for all of the wheat (and gluten) free that have gone before me and made this possible! I know it sound cheesy but it is truly a gift to have a little bit of "normalcy" for my fall dessert enjoyment :) 

Erika's Allergen Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

- 1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix

- 1 can pure pumpkin puree

- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

- 1.5 cups organic dark chocolate chips

Blend together cake mix and pumpkin pie spice. 

Add pumpkin puree and mix completely. 

Toss in and mix chocolate chips. 

Pour into an 8x8 or 9x9 greased baking dish. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Enjoy!!!! 

Note the super adorable "Tree Hugger" dish towel?! Thanks Colleen  and Sarah!!!