Oh boy, we're getting ready for back to school and I think I'm more nervous than the kids. I had wanted to give homeschooling a try this year - for lots of reasons, but one of them being to make it easier for my 5 year old daughter to follow the very strict Specific Carbohydrate Diet (similar to Paleo) for her crohn's/celiac disease. For lots of other reasons, we decided to give it another year and see how things go.

May I just say for my fellow mothers-of-children-with-special-diets: irately glaring at the snack aisle of the grocery store does nothing but add wrinkles to your forehead.

This has been a subject that I've been thinking about for a while and get asked about a lot. I know for most kids and adults alike, a snack isn't always healthy and rarely gluten free -- chips, crackers, soda, and sugary treats. There are all these misconception that it takes a lot of work and planning to prepare a healthy snack. As a mom of four kids who love to eat, and as a family who have all committed to a gluten free diet in support of one of our littles with an autoimmune disease, I'm sharing a few of the simple snack possibilities my family likes to nibble on. Fresh fruits and veggies are an obvious easy snack idea, but sometimes you need something a little more filling than just a few carrot sticks. Have it with some gluten free store bought or homemade Rosemary Hummus (I'm still perfecting my traditional chickpea hummus, but I came up with some yummy Hummus Soup in my attempts). Dip carrots, celery, or sweet peas in hummus for a healthy, filling, protein, and fiber packed snack.  This snacky submission is by my oldest who has followed in his mom's footsteps and loves to create things in the kitchen. He calls this is "secret recipe" (so don't tell anyone). Just cut a slice of gluten free bread, spread some almond butter on it and a drizzle of honey. He also likes to mix it up by topping it with raisins or sliced banana. It's just something simple that he can make on his own.This may seem so silly, but this snack is my girls' favorite. Yep, just frozen peas! Buy a bag of organic frozen peas, dump in a cup or small bowl and let them nibble to their hearts content. It's a nice cool snack on a hot day and it's so good for them! Okay, I don't know about all of you out there, but this was the best snack EVER growing up -- Ants On A Log! My kids like a lot of "ants". It's just celery, peanut butter, and raisins and it's fun to watch my kids use their imagination while eating them.   Who doesn't love popcorn? We skip all the preservatives and additives in the bags of microwave popcorn and use an air popper instead. Then just melt some coconut oil, drizzle over the top and sprinkle with salt or if you have a sweet tooth make Coconut Sugar and Cinnamon Popcorn.   Trail mix is always a good healthy snack, but because most trail mixes are contaminated with gluten we just toss together our own. I like to make it with 2 parts raw, unsalted nuts to 1 part anything else. My youngest daughter's favorite is just almonds and dark chocolate chips, but throwing in some dried fruit, and shredded coconut just makes it even yummier to me.Here's some more ideas: Cheese and apples (a piece of each, put them together and bite. Yummy), a spoonful of peanut butter, plain greek yogurt with fresh fruit and honey -- you get idea. How's that for quick, simple, and healthy? Of course, I also like to make things like Lemon Almond Muffins or Gluten-Free Granola Bars too. 

Valentine's Day is coming up! It's nice to tell people you love and appreciate them all year long, but it's fun to have a good excuse to do something extra special. This easy, healthy popcorn is so simple to make and so tasty. It's perfect for a little surprise in your kiddo's lunch box with a note that says,